Below are the top 10 Prevue stories of 2023, as decided by our readers. Thanks for clicking!
Airline Mergers Up in the Air — Following in the contrails of Southwest Airlines/AirTran Airways and US Airways/American Airlines, the big news about possible airline mergers in 2023 concerned a JetBlue–Spirit merger and a proposed Alaska Airlines–Hawaiian merger. Both were still pending at press time. Read more here.
Sorry, But COVID Is Still a Thing — In early 2023, coronavirus was still very top-of-mind when it came to meetings and events, with many still dubious about gathering unmasked. That sense of danger abated in 2023 as quarantine requirements and showing vaccine cards eased. Read more here.
Meeting Planners on Mexico Travel Warning — In early spring the State Department issued a “Do Not Travel” advisory for the states of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa (home to Mazatlan), Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas. Read more here.
Hotel Fees Continue to Astound Planners — In late spring, planners were reporting that higher hotel rates, resort fees and various other surcharges were taking a bite out of budgets, and “drip pricing” appeared to be happening in a wide swath of the supplier community, from AV to production companies to ground transport. Read more here.
10 Things PCMA Did Right — Early 2023 saw a rave review of PCMA CL23, which brought 3,300 attendees to the Columbus Convention Center Jan. 8-11, with megawatt stars like John Legend performing, along with creative F&B and elevated restrooms. Read more here.
Mexico Travel Safety: Mixed Messages — Mexico’s response to the U.S. travel advisory reminded travelers that the advisory was for certain states, not the entire country. Read more here.
How Does Your Event-Planner Salary Stack Up? — What goes into determining your salary, and how does your paycheck compare to your fellow planners? Your title, organization type and yes, gender, all have a bearing on how much you’re making. Read more here.
Canadian Govt Warns LGBTQ+ Travelers About New U.S. Laws — In September, Canada issued a warning to LGBTQ+ Canadians heading to the U.S., basically advising them to check relevant state and local laws before visiting. Read more here.
Layoffs: Are Meeting Planners Affected? — Major layoffs at major corporations in the beginning of 2023 prompted our exploration of whether the trend was impacing meeting planners as well. Read more here.
Airline Compensation Rule Could Increase Ticket Prices — In late spring, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) was unhappy with a proposed rule issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that would require airlines to provide financial compensation to travelers inconvenienced by flight delays and cancellations. Read more here.
