Urgent Appeal to the Global Events Industry Vol. 4, No. 9 -- Special Issue 1
God Bless the souls and the families of those deceased in the
tragic disaster at the New York City World Trade Center this week.
This special broadcast message of ExpoWorld.net goes out to our
global community of 18,500 event and international trade
professionals in over 150 countries as the events of September 11,
2001 represent a blow to who we are as an industry and as a
community: the events and international trade community. There is
no more international industry than the exhibition industry.
There is no industry that has played a more pivotal role in the
development and upkeep of global civilization than has the
exhibition and international trade industry throughout the ages.
When you take away the dollars and cents and define our industry
on the simplest level, we are about the meeting of people, the
exchange of goods, ideas and technologies on a borderless,
worldwide scale. As such, our industry globally is going to feel
the effects of this tragedy the most. Beginning with our
airlines, our hotels and our convention centers, there is the
threat of spread to a number of other industry suppliers.
At this point in time, our industry must rise to the occasion and
assume our role of leadership within the global arena and keep the
lights of civilization burning bright. We have a critical role in
continuing commerce and furthering the development of global trade
integration, a process which has been growing steadily and in
uninterrupted fashion since the end of World War II. Recently,
New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has asked New Yorkers to
continue with their lives and to continue with their economic
activities not out of disrespect for the tragedy but rather to
stabilize business confidence and to spare the economy of New
York. Along the same vein of Mr. Giulani's remarks, we need to
urge our industry to do the same. In the name of protecting what
has taken generations of people in our industry to build in terms
of businesses and infrastructure, we need to band together as a
community and to keep our industry strong. We need to nurture and
to continue developing this industry, which is perhaps the most
important industry worldwide in the progression and development of
global civilization.
In terms of immediate steps to be taken by our industry, may I
suggest the following:
- Event Sponsors and Producers, do not cancel your events. In
fact, plan more events and bring even more people together to
exchange ideas and to aid in the growth of commerce. Reassure
attendees and exhibitors of their safety at these events. Contact
your exhibitors and attendees to let them know that your events
are still being held and let them know what safety precautions you
have taken. Ask them if you can do anything to help them feel
more reassured.
- Exhibitors / Attendees, do not cancel your participation at
events. In fact, increase your participation at more events so
that you can meet more new people and expand your business in
other ways to compensate for the areas in which you have been
hurt.
- Hotels, airlines, convention centres and tourism agencies, do
not diminish your business activities. Keep business going and
offer your same suite of services. In fact, offer expanded
services to meet the new needs of late.
- Convention Bureaus and Industry Associations, contact and rally
your members to special meetings and analyze your members'
situations, identify the possible hurdles and devise a plan of
action.
- All within the events and international trade industry, continue
to encourage and to use air travel. It is still one of the safest
and most effective modes of transportation.
- Small, Medium and Large companies, extend credit to other
companies whose exposure has been high. Analyze your suppliers'
situations ahead of your own before making any decision to reduce
business activity. Try to give business to suppliers who have
been the hardest hit in order to protect their solvency.
- Exponents of industry associations and media within the events
and international trade industry, help with the dissemination of
information within the industry and make appeal for the hardest
hit sectors of the industry that need our support.
The World Trade Center in New York was the idea of David
Rockefeller in 1960. In 1970, the World Trade Centers Association
(WTCA) was founded and today it brings together 330 member cities
in 100 countries servicing over 500,000 international companies.
I recently visited the World Trade Centers Association website to
find the message of Guy F. Tozzoli, Founder and President of the
WTCA. I encourage you to read his message by visiting
http://www.wtca.org. Beyond the message by Mr. Tozzoli, the WTCA
website is inoperable. As such, if you would like to be in touch
with any of the WTCA member organizations in any of the 100
countries, you can do so by searching for them at
http://www.MajorExhibitHalls.com, a website developed in 1999
using data from the WTCA. To hear the remarkable story of the
development of the WTCA and to understand the key role that World
Trade Centers play within the international business community, I
would suggest revisiting Garrett Wasny's internet interview with
Guy Tozzoli dating back to March 26, 1999 at
http://www.howtoconquertheworld.com/tozzoli.htm
If you visit the WTCA website at http://www.wtca.org you will also
find a black ribbon image on their website. In a gesture of
support and respect for the WTCA and the international business
community, I would urge all organizations and companies within the
events and international trade community to post this black ribbon
image on the home page of their website. We have begun by posting
this ribbon on our 4 web properties and have opened a special page
on the ExpoWorld.net website that will link to all companies
worldwide who display this ribbon on their website. This page
will be void of any advertising and corporate logos in respect of
those who have given their lives. For information on how to
display the black ribbon on your home page and on how to become
listed on this page, please visit
http://www.ExpoWorld.net/blackribbon.asp
We will also try to set up a special discussion group for the
global events industry in the following days. The discussion
group will be used to provide an international venue for our
industry to communicate, to analyze our situation and to help one
another spiritually and economically through these trying times.
We will email further information as soon as the discussion
forum is available. In the meantime, Peter Robinson of Assist
International has set up the The WTC Spirit & Support Network for
the international trade community. You can participate at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WTCspirit
I would like to conclude this message by reaching out to the
families of those in the over 40 countries worldwide who fear they
have lost loved ones in this tragedy. You are in the thoughts and
prayers of all of us.
John A. Passalacqua
Founder & President
ExpoWorld.net Ltd.
Reach me via http://www.expoworld.net/contact.asp
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