Meeting Planners Weigh In on Trump's Idea to Hold the G7 Summit at His Miami Resort

Throughout his run in office, Donald Trump has become notorious for making choices that are unprecedented in the recent history of the United States presidency, such as his ongoing refusal to release his tax returns, or his unwillingness to cooperate with federal subpoenas. Now, Trump is suggesting his own golf resort in Miami, The Trump National Doral, as the site for the next Group of Seven (G7) Summit in 2020. This proposal is raising concerns about the legality and ethics of this choice, as critics question whether it technically counts as him profiting off the presidency by promoting his declining property to a global audience. Additionally, meeting planners have brought the venue itself under scrutiny, with mixed feelings over whether or not the resort is suitable for an event of this caliber. “Doral has definitely been damaged by having the Trump name on it since the election,” said David Bruce, executive director of the Alliance of Independent Meeting Professionals, a corporate association which aims to improve the meetings industry as a whole. “In that way, it certainly helps the property moving forward.” The damage Doral has experienced since the election has been well-documented. Trump has listed the hotel in federal disclosures as one of his most lucrative properties. However, since 2015, room rates, golf, banquets, as well as overall revenue, were all down. By 2017, the hotel’s net operating income had declined nearly 70 percent. Meanwhile, Coretta Washburn, co-founder of event planning agency R2CW, said that hosting the event at his own resort would be a “logistical nightmare,” whether or not the event does much to help the resort’s image or bottom line. Food, drink, and other amenities at