U.S. Meetings Industry Fights Trump’s Travel Ban — Meetings Innovation Report
Photo Credit: Washington, DC's meetings and economic development teams are showing up in full force at SXSW in Austin this week to promote inclusivity in tech events. Events DC
Skift Take
Trump's travel ban is hurting America's image internationally and its innovation economy domestically, but the global meetings industry and many U.S. cities are rallying in an attempt to minimize the pain.
The Future of Meetings & Events
What a difference a year makes. South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin kicks off on Friday with a ton of sessions focusing on politics, diversity, and inclusivity. Last year at SXSW 2016, President Obama attended to speak about the future growth of the U.S. tech sector. This year, much of the pre-event buzz surrounds the dark shadow of Trump's politically-driven travel ban, and how it's casting a pall on progress.
We'll be there this year scoping out the many "SXSW Houses," where destinations set up satellite event spaces with dedicated programming around the downtown core to promote their visitor and economic development strategies.
From a global meetings industry perspective on the impact of the travel ban, more than 6,500 Canadian academics have signed a pledge to “not attend international conferences in the U.S. while the ban persists,” and more than 43,000 academics have signed another petition condemning the executive order. A g
