The hospitality, tourism, meetings and events industries have been heavily impacted by the shelter-at-home order which has fragmented business networks for months. Furloughs and staff reductions have dramatically changed the faces and representatives of businesses. The lack of in-person events has limited sales and business development opportunities. Major changes in the industry and specific businesses have altered the landscape causing new trends, opportunities and knowledge gaps as industry professionals try to stay up to date.
Ateema’s Hospitality & Tourism Summit has been a leading industry event in Chicago for 19 years. “Given the changes in the market due to COVID-19, and the lack of industry platforms for sales and marketing, this year’s Summit is more important to individual businesses than ever before,” said Tim O’Malley, Ateema’s CEO. “In addition, this will be a huge opportunity for our industry to come together to let buyers around the world know that Chicago is open for business in a safe and responsible manner. In short, it’s a launchpad for our rebuild.”
This year’s Summit will be extended beyond just one day to include virtual “on demand” educational sessions, virtual networking events, and the online trade show designed to kick start the industry rebuild. The Summit was created as a business development platform to educate and connect buyers and sellers in the industry including meeting and event planners, destination management companies, hotel professionals and service providers and venues. This year’s event will also include meeting and event planners from other markets.
The trade show is built to be an online marketplace for buyers, sellers and influencers to connect. The virtual booth technology will allow for sharing video, presentations, documents and the like while enabling live, person to person video communication and the ability to schedule meetings. The virtual trade show will take place on Tuesday, September 15 and the software will be live until next year’s Summit to enable buyers to continue to connect with exhibitors.
A sampling of the 12+ virtual breakout sessions built for meeting and event planners, hoteliers and hospitality related businesses includes:
● “Tourism & Hospitality Forward - Major Convention Outlook” led by David Whitaker, President & CEO of Choose Chicago, exploring how to move forward from the COVID-19 pandemic. This panel discussion will feature Glenn Eden, Board Chair of Choose Chicago, David Causton, General Manager of McCormick Place, and Mark Anderson, Choose Chicago COO discussing challenges and opportunities to resume hosting major conventions, meetings and events.
● “25 Ways to Inspire and Elevate Your Events Program,” a presentation led by David Saef, CTSM, Freeman
● Research presentations on customer sentiment for the travel and meetings and events industries from Erin Francis-Cummings, CEO of Destination Analysts
● COVID Safe Businesses & Events: How To Keep Your Guests & Employees Secure," a panel discussion lead by Patricia Olinger, Executive Director of the Global Biorisk Advisory Council
● Panel discussion entitled “Communications During Crisis: Practical PR Solutions for Businesses & Events.” Viewers will hear advice from the owners of four hospitality PR companies including Carol Fox, Noreen Heron, Janet Isabelli, and Dakota Shultz
The full schedule of programming can be viewed here.
Virtual networking opportunities will include an all-industry event, a “planners only” event, and a speed networking event. The event’s user-friendly virtual networking technology replicates real life networking so you can enter and exit a conversation at will and target those you’d prefer to engage with.
You can learn more or register at www.HTS.events. For exhibitor information, contact Sam Krause at Sam@Ateema.com.
About Ateema Media & Marketing
Founded in 2001, Ateema Media & Marketing is a Chicago-based company with an array of products and services designed to help our hospitality-based customers attract business from visitors, social media influencers, and groups. The company also produces top quality tools for Chicago’s concierge and visitors as well as virtual education for the industry.
Ateema Media & Marketing’s digital portfolio includes a digital advertising platform, visitor content marketing program, and a weekly newsletter about things to do in Chicago. The producers of Concierge Preferred Magazine, Hospitality & Tourism Summit, Planner Master Classes, Chicago Concierge Favorites Awards, Mobile Visitor Network, and ChicagoMaps.org, Ateema Media & Marketing also provides a plethora of research and marketing services around the tourism and meetings and events industries.