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V O L U M E 4 | ISSUE 12
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The Atlanta CVB hosted the 26th annual Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame (HoF) on November 12 at The Foundry at Puritan Mill. The event highlighted the achievements of the inductees and honored the Spurgeon Richardson Member of the Year award and Volunteer of the Year honoree. Left to right: Patrick Lee, Director of Sales and Marketing, Embassy Suites by Hilton Atlanta Buckhead (Volunteer of the Year honoree); William Pate, President & CEO, Atlanta CVB; Cookie Smoak, former president, ATL Airport District CVB (HoF inductee); Norma Dean, former director of national specialty sales, Delta Air Lines (HoF inductee); Gerry Klaskala, owner and co-founder, Canoe and former owner and founder, Aria (HoF inductee); Sherry Henry, Vice President, Dragon Con Inc. (HoF inductee); Pat Henry, President, Dragon Con Inc. (HoF inductee); Erica Qualls-Battey, Chair, ACVB, and Area General Manager, Marriott International; David Rubinger, Market President and Publisher, Atlanta Business Chronicle; and Will Ramsey, Vice President, Sales, Georgia Aquarium (Spurgeon RIchardson Member of the Year).
U.S. Travel and Airlines for America Detail Toll of Shutdown
By Todd McElwee
With the 43-day federal government shutdown ending on November 12, U.S. Travel Association and Airlines for America (A4A) both offered comment on the reopening while also providing data on the fallout from the closure. Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) joined the aforementioned organizations in urging Congress to push forward with sector matters. Labeling the shutdown as “43 days of chaos,” U.S. Travel noted the nation squandered more than $6 billion in lost travel spending during the period. “All government shutdowns are irresponsible—period,” said Geoff Freeman, President & CEO, U.S. Travel. “They jeopardize essential services, erode public confidence and inflict needless economic pain. If Congress ever goes down this foolish path again, essential federal workers—like air traf-
fic controllers and TSA officers—must be paid without interruption. America cannot afford another self-inflicted crisis that threatens the systems millions rely on every day. This resolution restores stability to the people and systems that keep travel moving—but it must also drive long-term change. Congress should invest in the modern infrastructure, technology and workforce needed to keep America moving forward.” A4A thanked the president for signing the bill that ended the shutdown while also urging Congress to ensure future funding bills do not allow aviation to become collateral damage in policy debates. Paying air traffic controllers with the FAA’s $5 billion Airport and Airway Trust Fund was also brought up. “With President Trump’s signature, the longest shutdown in our nation’s history has finally come to an end,” the association said. “This prolonged
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disruption placed significant strain on millions of Americans—including travelers, shippers and the federal employees who keep our aviation system safe. We are grateful to the dedicated air traffic controllers and TSA officers who showed up for work despite not getting paid. Additionally, thousands of airline employees have been going the extra mile to take care of customers during these challenging days.” Citing FAA research on November 10, A4A noted thatcontroller staffing issues disrupted 5.2 million A4A airline passengers from October 1 through November 9. From October 1–29, A4A member airlines canceled just 11 flights due to controller staffing issues. From October 30 to November 9, controller staffing issues forced 4,162 cancelations, including 3,756 from November 7–9. Captain Jason Ambrosi, President Please turn to page 8
Page 3 Turkey Federation Poll Shows 94% of Americans Celebrating Thanksgiving Page 4 American Library Association Welcomes Executive Director Daniel Montgomery Page 6 Conversation with Megan Conway, President & CEO, Travel Portland Page 12 Spotlight on Industry Rising Star Andremarie Jean-Cohen Page 18 Redefining ROI: The Ripple Effect of Inclusion in the Meetings Industry