Checking In - East February 2010

January 18, 2010

Tyler Davidson

With 2010 sailing full-steam ahead, all eyes remain fixed—with teeth gritting—on economies both macro and micro in scope.

At press time, indicators were edging up slighting concerning the economy as a whole, but the world of microeconomics—i.e., your personal employment situation and family income—remains mired in the "jobless recovery."

For those of you reading this, the fortunes of your micro economy are tethered to the hospitality industry as a whole and the meetings industry in specific. And how are things looking there?

Watch your e-mail boxes for some answers, as we’re gearing up to launch the most innovative version yet of our annual Meetings Market Trends Survey.

We had a record number of responses this year—more than 800 diligent souls who stuck through the entire, exhaustive list of questions (thank you!)—and also about 15,000 words-worth of interview responses from those who took the poll.

We’re combining the results with analysis from myself and various industry experts, and have packaged all of this with video reports from opinion leaders who have gazed into the crystal ball.

A changing landscape requires a change in the way we present our content, so keep an eye out for this innovative new e-media offering and let us know what you think.

Onward.

About the author

Tyler Davidson is the vice president and chief content director for Meetings Today, which publishes the meetings industry trade magazine Meetings Today as well as MeetingsToday.com, various newsletters, webinars, the in-person Meetings Today LIVE! Hosted-buyer events and other meetings and events industry B2B channels.

Tyler has covered the travel trade for nearly 35 years. In his role with Meetings Today, which recently won the prestigious FOLIO: Eddies Award for best magazine issue, Tyler leads the editorial team on its mission to provide the most in-depth meetings content in the industry. Previously, he worked as the Asia, Canada, Pacific Northwest and Western U.S. editor at Travel Weekly magazine and TravelAge West. Before joining the dual editorial staff producing destination sections for Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, Tyler was the Africa, Israel, Middle East, Switzerland and Pacific Northwest editor at TravelAge West. He also undertook general news and feature assignments while working at the magazines.

Besides reporting on the travel trade, Tyler has covered the real estate industry, held various editorial positions at the San Francisco-based national satire magazine The Nose, wrote freelance technology industry pieces and covered the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders for a bilingual newspaper in San Francisco. He has a B.A. in Journalism from San Francisco State University, where he worked in various editorial capacities on its award-winning student magazine, Prism.

Contact: tyler.davidson@meetingstoday.com