After returning from the Executive Vendor Summit in Nashville last month I found The Shawshank Redemption showing on TNT. Exhausted from the week’s energy and activity when I returned home, it was comforting to slow down and watch a movie. If EVS has shown a light on anything, it’s the overwhelming joy of choosing to get back out there, releasing the fear of the past year. I didn’t know what to expect from the city of Nashville, the hotel or from our partners and friends – many of whom we had not seen in almost two years. To my surprise, the masks were quickly removed and replaced with smiles and conversations about family and company, and we congregated around the lobby bar where Heide shared her margarita recipe with a very accomodating Nashville bartender. There was a genuine happiness in just being together.
Certainly, taking precautions is extremely important, and a great deal of time and effort was put into those precautions for our event. You'd be surprised at the number of hours you can spend discussing color-tiered lanyards. However, at some point you have to take the leap: “You either get busy living or get busy dying.”
Zoom is nice, Netflix passes the time, but nothing substitutes for in-person interaction. The industry needs everyone to get back out there. On pages 60-72 we showcase how we do our best job to get busy living! Thank you, Doug Rice for your fantastic summary of the week and Amanda Law for some of the best photography capturing we have ever had. I think you'll agree, our cover is worth a thousand words! You can almost hear us, can't you? Check out pages 70-71 where Melissa McCawley takes our creative Thursday dinner and creates a unique photo essay page. And, thanks to our friends for taking a leap to join us for a week of reconnecting.
We have a great group of contributors who eagerly reach out with industry observations turned into articles each issue. This magazine edition will be at HITEC Dallas, along with AAHOA, ROC, The Lodging Conference and others this fall. If you see any of the HU writers, please share your appreciation for their efforts. And, if you enjoy reading Hospitality Upgrade, encourage your team or colleagues to subscribe as well. The industry has gone through many changes in the last 18 months, and we are committed to bringing industry insights to our readers to help increase revenues and operational performance. Please share a subscription with a colleague today at www.hospitalityupgrade.com/Subscribe.
As we look forward to the return of the main in-person industry events this fall, I hope you will get back out there. Hope is not a dangerous thing. Get busy living.
