My favourite part of working in the events and tourism industry? The people. The people who work in events are interested, interesting, generous, friendly, energetic and make me want to be a better person. They come together and meet as friendly competitors to share best practices and talk through challenges, serve on boards for local charities and step up for each other and their communities. So it is no surprise (and just as heartwarming) that this group continues to step up and come together to help those in need during COVID-19.
In our current pandemic, hotels around the world are providing deeply discounted rooms for military personnel needing to isolate after being deployed at sea or abroad, and for healthcare workers to have a place of rest and respite after long shifts so they do not need to risk taking the virus home to their families.
Recently I was able to put this community into action in our city of Halifax, Nova Scotia:
A friend who works for the Northwood Seniors Centre, which like so many across Canada has been deeply affected by COVID-19, put out a call looking for materials for masks. Knowing that my industry colleague Melissa had success getting a good volume of sheets donated from Toronto area hotels for a mask-making campaign she is spearheading, I reached out to Helene Moberg (Regional Sales Director at Encore Canada), who jumped on board immediately to contact her Executive Associates in all the local Halifax hotels.
One sheet can provide lining material for 50-60 masks, and we were thrilled when two local Hotel General Managers responded at once, offering to personally drop bags and boxes of sheets off at Northwood.
Thank you to Melissa Truong, Helene Moberg, Hotel Halifax & Barrington Hotel and Lord Nelson Hotel. It is heartwarming to see you all step up to help. Northwood you are in our thoughts as you work to control the virus.
And while this is a tough time for the events industry, and it will be a slow recovery to a world where we travel as freely as we did pre–2020, I believe this pandemic has taught us all how much we need face to face, human contact in our lives. We will adapt, and while things may feel different, we will continue to connect with our colleagues, clients and the world.
-Erika Wien, Director of Business Development, Fraser & Hoyt Incentives