For years, we’ve fed off of one another – there’s always been enough business to go around. I’ve been proud of the business that my team has built, and we’re grateful of our clients. In the crusade to get the best possible deal for our clients, I’ve been tough. I’ve been tough on our hotel partners. I’ve always done it for the best interest of the client, and I’ve chalked it up to business. The last month has been a whirlwind for us. We’re working tirelessly to help our clients navigate big and small contracts, and the importance of relationships, and our professional community has never been more clear. We are in this together.
When you work in the events business, you attend a lot of networking events. We’re really good at it. We’ve made friends that will last a life time with clients, hotels, venues and other partners that are all needed to make our industry wheels turn.
Now we’re here. Palms holding our foreheads, planning our future, watching our friends get furloughed, trying desperately to stay positive.
A few weeks ago, we were planning our 15th year anniversary party. Our colleagues and partners were coming together to plan the best party we’ve ever thrown. The goal was to say thank you to our clients and hotel partners that have been with us on this journey. Now we have to find new ways to celebrate, to show our appreciation, and to say thank you.
So that’s what I’m doing now.
I’ll find ways to say thank you to our clients. We will eventually host that party, and when we do – it will be kick ass.
For now, I want to send this message directly to every hotel partner that we’ve ever worked with – thank you. Thank you for the work you put in, for going to bat for us with your revenue managers, for making sure site inspections go flawlessly, for asking about hot buttons, for building contracts the way we need them for signatures. Thank you for hosting us. Thank you for being the poster of hospitality.
Our hearts are with you during this extremely difficult time. We’re going to climb this mountain to recovery together. The business may be slow to rebuild, but we’ll get there – together. And when we do, we’ll celebrate, and we’ll look back at this time and how we evolved – together.
So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being the best partners a guy could ask for.
Mark Dosman
CEO, Strategic Site Selection