Roger Dow speaks on Global Meetings Industry Day 2016, Las Vegas - Unravel Travel TV

Roger Dow, President of the U.S. Travel Association, was on hand at the brand new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for Global Meetings Industry Day 2016 to talk about how Las Vegas is the meetings industry leader.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) joined leaders from across the Las Vegas meeting and convention industry including MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, The Venetian and The Palazzo and Wynn Resorts to celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on Thursday, April 14, 2016. The day is especially important for Las Vegas as the meetings, conventions and trade show industry has a significant impact on the local economy supporting 66,500 jobs and generating more than $9.3 billion in economic impact. “Tourism is the economic engine that drives this town and the meeting industry plays a significant role,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, president/CEO of the LVCVA. “The nearly 6 million people who come to Las Vegas every year for a meeting, convention or trade show, help fill hotel rooms mid-week, support tens of thousands of jobs and they significantly contribute to the local economy.” To help shine a light on this important industry, top meetings industry professionals in Las Vegas met at the newly opened T-Mobile Arena for a leadership panel discussion. The event kicked off with a keynote address by Roger Dow, president and CEO of U.S. Travel Association. Dow and U.S. Travel are both leaders of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition, which provides resources to promote and defend the value of face-to-face business meetings and travel on our economy. The Meetings Mean Business Coalition launched GMID in an effort to showcase the real impact that business meetings, conferences, conventions, incentive travel, trade shows and exhibitions have on people, business and communities. "This is a wonderful opportunity for meetings and events industry leaders to come together and showcase the profound impact of this critical sector on businesses, communities and the economy,” said Dow. “I like to say that there's no technology that can replace a handshake. The power of the unplanned interactions that so often occur at in-person meetings cannot be overstated. They are what build relationships, drive collaboration and spark ideas. I'm proud to join leaders in Las Vegas, a world-class destination, and a city known for and driven by its hospitality and events industry, to recognize this very special day." U.S. Travel continues to be a leading voice in reminding policymakers of the value of government meetings and travel under all fiscal environments.

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