Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1039775
paced available charging options, leav- ing airlines and railways scrambling to add charging stations at airport gates and aboard trains. Hotels and confer- ence centers are equally challenged. It is no longer enough to have power sources in guestrooms and meeting spaces and comments from meeting planners and attendees indicate that the existing outlets cannot always accommodate the number of devices guests take with them. Demand for con- nectivity does not stop in the gue- stroom or meeting space. Today's trav- elers want to be plugged in at all times and everywhere in the conference venue. That includes lobbies, bars, din- ing rooms, gyms and lounges. Planners hosting a meeting overseas should check to ensure attendees will have access to voltage adapters at the venue, should they be needed. DIET, DIVERSITY AND LIABILITY These issues are not new but few ele- ments of meeting planning have expand- ed more rapidly and caused more con- cern than the demand for special dishes at meetings. Where once planners offered a few options such as Kosher, veg- etarian, or perhaps a Heart Healthy dish, today's menus are flooded with choices that span gluten free, lactose intolerant, Halal, pescatarian (fish, no meat) and infinite varieties of vegan and vegetarian. A recent meeting of 271 participants drew 37 requests for special meals – mostly vegetarian and vegan. As the attendee base becomes more ethnically diverse, dietary requirements are predicted to increase. CONSISTENCY OF SERVICE Even in an age of highly standardized big brands, consistency of service remains an issue. As one respondent noted, it is possible to book the same meeting at the same hotel brand in two different cities and find notable discrep- ancies in cost, facilities, services and staff competence. This may be due to several factors, including the inability of owners to make necessary renovations or invest in new technology and training. SECURITY OF DATA As technology expands, so do the opportunities to steal information and compromise a company's data. Security problems can range from thefts of mobile devices that can result in a major loss of information if an attendee has down- loaded any of the meeting content, to a full-blown hacker attack. Just how seriously governments are taking data security and privacy issues can be seen in the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The regulation pro- vides protection and personal control to European Union residents over data transmission and privacy and seeks to simplify existing legislation regarding international business transactions via the internet. The regulations apply to any organiza- tion that processes and stores data from an EU-based individual or company. These organizations must comply with the new EU standards regardless of whether they themselves are EU based. The European Union defines personal data as "any information relating to an individual, whether it relates to his or her private, professional or public life. It can be anything from a name, a home address, a photo, an email address, bank details, posts on social networking web- sites, medical information, or a comput- er's IP address." These are all valid concerns and complex problems that require realis- tic and long-term solutions, according to Mike Schugt. "Right now, the hospi- tality industry is at its zenith, with demand exceeding supply. In a seller's market, planners must cope with a range of issues from explosive changes in technology and rising costs to changing demographics and increasing regulation on a national and global level." It's a challenge that both hotels and planners must meet. Successful negotia- tions for technical services now require a wider and more in-depth knowledge of IT. Hotels and suppliers must take the long view and invest in topnotch technol- ogy and property improvements while working towards more consistent levels of customer service. Flexibility is the key here according to Schugt. Meeting planners may need to adjust their expectations, while hotels can explore ways of making policies less rigid – something he notes that inde- pendent hotels, not bound by strict cor- porate policies, can more easily do. "Whatever economic factors are involved, the conference and hotel indus- tries have the same goals," says Schugt. ''These issues will be with us for the foreseeable future and we should unite to solve them." on those who have made great contributions to American music. From a Baltimore perspective, music is really a big part of what we do here. We have several outdoor venues such as the Baltimore Museum of Art, which focuses on entertainment. There is also the MECU Pavilion, Baltimore's premier outdoor music venue, which has showcased the best rock, pop, R&B, hip-hop, reggae and country acts for over 36 years. This premier outdoor iconic water front music venue holds 4,000 fans." Eubie Blake, the famous American composer, lyricist, and pianist of ragtime and jazz was born in Baltimore and Billy Holiday spent a lot of her early years in Baltimore city. Baltimore is a segment of the Underground Railroad. There's also the Fredrick Douglas-Isaac Myers Maritime Park & Museum that traces the path of one of America's most famous abolitionists, Frederick Douglass. Come visit Baltimore and learn how Fredrick Douglass, along with Isaac Myers and 14 fellow African-Americans, started the first Black-owned shipyard in the United States. B'more awaits you. B M & T ••• September/October 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 41 continue from page 35