Dear Members:

Today I write to call your attention to a concerning matter and to encourage you to take action.  It is of course no surprise that Virginia faces serious budget challenges and economic woes.  The Governor and legislators are tasked to balance the budget with dramatically reduced tax revenues.  Last week, Governor McDonnell revealed a proposal to slash spending, including $30 million of state travel.  While I think we can all appreciate that the Governor and our state legislators face serious budget challenges, we can also agree that travel spending generates economic stimulus.

Nationwide, the travel and meetings industry has been labeled as a luxury.  A few bad apples set the course for an industry wide image problem, that is being combated with the Meetings Mean Business (www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com) campaign and other lobbying efforts.  That said, on a local/state level it is critical that our voice be heard.  Many hospitality businesses are struggling for survival and employees are facing layoffs or reduced hours.  We owe it to our companies, our employees, our customers and ourselves to help spread the word that Meetings Mean Business.
 

I will be sending a letter to the Governor and I ask that you too please take a few minutes to write your legislator by clicking here and Governor McDonnell to express your concerns over the impact of $30 million in cuts to travel spending.

I wish you all the best for a prosperous 2010, and I hope to see you at our upcoming Annual Conference, Navigating the Road to Recovery, March 21-22 at The Jefferson.

 

Best regards,

Edward C. Denton

President, VAHSMP