FORUM ELIZABETH B. ARMSTRONG, CAE, MAM, QAS
PRESIDENT, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, ASSOCIATION & SOCIETY MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
BY GEORGE SELI
F
alls Church, VA-based Association & Society Management International, Inc. (ASMI) manages all aspects of meeting planning and production for a variety of association clients, including the American Textile Machinery Association, American Trauma Society, National Homeland Security Association and others. A specialist in emergency management, Elizabeth Armstrong holds a Master of Association Management degree from The George Washington University and is a Certified Association Executive and Qualified Association Specialist. She is a member of the Association Management Company Institute, the Council of Manufacturing Associations at NAM and the American Society of Association Executives. In the following discussion, Armstrong provides insights on how ASMI, its clients and industry partners have been adjusting to the challenges posed by COVID-19. Q. How have your new contracts with venues been impacted by the pandemic? A. The ongoing impact of the disaster on our ability to convene anywhere has given us pause to think more holistically. A crisis in one part of the country (or globe) impacts the ability to gather an audience drawn from other locations, not necessarily just those potential attendees based in the “disaster zone.” Facilities need to recognize that. For any contracts we have negotiated since March, we are including a very developed force majeure clause that addresses any unimagined event that would prevent a reasonable percentage of our usual attendance. Q. Do your contracts also address the contingency of government restrictions on attendance numbers at the destination tightening before the meeting date? A. That makes it easy: When the locality’s laws make it illegal to gather [or gather over a certain number], it’s easy to address the contracts. It’s harder when [attrition results because] our members don’t have an appetite or can’t attend because of work-related duties.
Q. Have any particular suppliers been great to work with during the pandemic? A. The supportive CVBs recognize that we’re all in this together. And they realize that if we can strike the best outcome for all parties contractually, it’s going to pay off in the long run. I guarantee that I’m going back to the venues that were flexible with us. The first major event that we canceled was in the first week of July in Chicago, and the Hyatt there just blew our socks off: Although they were not contractually obligated to do so at the time, they released us from the minimum F&B and minimum hotel pickup. They basically just wanted an event of any size at any time we could do it — and I will keep coming back to the Hyatt in Chicago “The supportive because of that commitment. Also, the Long Beach CVB has CVBs recognize done a tremendous job: They that we’re all in have provided visuals showing this together. And how you can have a hybrid they realize that event, how you can space out if we can strike the attendance. Although we cancelled an event we’re the best outcome having in November in Long for all parties Beach, we’ve already made contractually, it’s the decision to re-sign with going to pay off in them for our next available the long run.” 2,000-person event as a result of their being proactive and demonstrating a long-term commitment to the collective hospitality and conference industry. However, I have encountered a few destinations and brands that are less willing to consider the collective impact of what’s going on today, and I won’t forget them either. Q. Do the new cleanliness and safety accreditations that facilities are obtaining factor into your site selection? A. We will definitely give preferential consideration to venues that have been proactive with these kinds of standards, such as GBAC STAR accreditation and VenueShield. Q. Are some of your clients breaking their large annual events into smaller, regionalized meetings? A. I think that is something we need to take a hard look at. One of my groups is the International Association of Emergency Managers. Typically, they have 2,000 attendees in person, and we’re going virtual in November. Continued on page 20
FACILITIES & DESTINATIONS 2020 FALL
19
