Some Insight from HTSC 2021
One of the highlights of recent years in the meetings and events industry just took place two weeks for me. The Hospitality and Tourism Summit Chicago was a marvelous event filled with industry people. Hosted by Ateema Partners, the Hospitality and Tourism Summit felt like homecoming, a chance to get out, see some friends, meet new people, and enjoy a beautiful day on the iconic Navy Pier.
The summit brought together over 85 exhibitors, representing restaurants, talent, and those of us in event services along with hundreds of industry professionals to rebuild connections and network together as events start to reopen after an impossible nearly 16-month hiatus. It was a timely event as Chicago itself moved to open fully only three days later as Illinois moved to phase 5.
The Hospitality and Tourism Summit was full of all the positivity you’d expect after a pandemic. Event and hospitality professionals need one another, and we proved that at HTSC on June 8. Event organizers did a marvelous job of pairing safety with the overall event experience. While I’m sure the gathering brough trepidation for some individuals, the overall sentiment just reminded us of the power of live events: people. The virtual event environment has kept people meeting and engaging with one another through our mandated quarantine, but no one can argue the power of live events is people power. There’s nothing quite like meeting new people, having conversations face-to-face, and hearing the buzz of a live event.
Most of the event professionals we have met agreed that social events are back. People are planning weddings, fundraisers are back on, etc. but the overall sentiment is that corporate events will still lag behind in their choice of when to return to live events. Many are predicting a Q4 2021 before corporate events rejoin the live environment. Others share that it still may be 2022 before corporate truly returns. What we do know, is that we’re ready for more live events whenever they come. And in the meantime, we will happily help you plan and provide engaging virtual events or hybrid as the opportunities arise.
For more information on HTSC, please visit: https://www.htsc.co/
AV Chicago’s Booth At HTSC 2021!