In our industry, relationships are everything and we all know that quality connections require constant nurturing as well as those happenstance interactions that can only happen IRL. To that end, we were encouraged to see Connect 2020 Marketplace roll out last month in Orlando and the MPI World Education Conference go off without a hitch in Dallas . These conferences and tradeshows kept the spirit of networking alive with a blend of both in-person and virtual attendees—plus, a whole lot of best practice innovation applied in the execution of the program itself.

A big silver lining of the pandemic for Site Selection Services is that we’ve been able to deepen our talent pool with the addition of new team members. We are thrilled to introduce you to Dayna Robins, now serving as a Global Account Director from her home base in Boise, Idaho. Dayna brings her 15 years of hospitality experience and proven sales success withDestination Hotels – A Hyatt Lifestyle Brand.

Each month we feature a person or place that inspires us … this month we interview a former colleague and friend who exemplifies how challenges open us to opportunities…if we are willing to see them!

After our former colleague, Julie Gealta, was laid off from her job as Senior Convention Services Manager at The Intercontinental San Diego following a six-month furlough, she decided now was time to write the book she knew she always had brewing in her. Writer is a new title Julie is embracing while she looks for a job. She has always journaled and did some travel blogging, so she had been developing her skills as a side passion. Now she is committed to publishing her forthcoming collection of wild, hilarious and bizarre stories gathered from her 30-year career in the hotel industry. Following are excerpts from Kim’s conversation with her to learn more about the project.

We have mad respect for the risk-takers and innovators who saw an opportunity to reinvent themselves and launch new business ventures after the pandemic hit. These are a couple creative examples in the hospitality and tourism space that recently caught our attention:

Recently a few SSS associates rallied together for an impromptu getaway to Sedona, Arizona. The scenery was just as jaw-droppingly beautiful as we remembered, and we were so grateful for the mind-body-soul experience as we hiked, spa’d and lounged by the creek side pool. Not only did the trip rejuvenate our spirits and give us a big heaping dose of that balancing vortex energy, it further opened our eyes to how Americans are traveling today.

Although the trip was for pleasure, we always have our planner hats on and made it a point to visit a few different properties while in Sedona. Unsurprisingly, we learned from the sales team that their summer and fall business was quite strong, with significantly higher demand than usual. Now that school is back in session, they are seeing a lot of families doing remote learning and working vacations.. Destination “micro-weddings” are also on the rise there. Sedona can be looked at as a microcosm of the industry’s recovery, which is being led by outdoor-friendly destinations.

What does all this mean to us? Life is happening now—albeit a bit differently. There’s no more waiting for things to go back to normal. This is a time to work with what we’ve got, make plans for the future and chart new paths.

The last couple of weeks have been a bit rough for us west coasters, with fires ravaging our communities and smoky air keeping our Northern CA and Oregon friends indoors. Our thoughts remain with the heroic first responders battling the fires on the front lines, the Napa and Sonoma Communities who have lost so much and those working behind the scenes to support them as well as provide aid to displaced residents.

These days, it seems like just when we get used to one “new normal,” a different challenge arises. That’s where resiliency can work some serious magic on our outlook and approach to all aspects of life. We LOVE seeing how the spirit of resiliency is manifesting itself in our industry.