Teddy Witherington answers four questions.

March 21, 2013

Tyler Davidson

1. Tell us something about yourself that may be surprising?
I’m not that fond of crowds! So, I became an event organizer—to get away from the heaving masses. Not being in the frame allows me to see the whole picture.

2. How did you get your start in the meetings industry?
Right place, right time. Back in early ’90s when I was a nonprofit lawyer, a friend asked me to explain to his “committee” why they should incorporate. I became the secretary of the corporation and before long I was rattling cans, selling ads in the program and moonlighting as an assistant stage manager—I was hooked.

More Coverage

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates' Teddy Witherington

3. What’s your favorite part of the meeting process?
The morning after. Sorting through the remains on-site, rallying the troops and tapping in to that wonderful creativity that everyone has for “next time.”

4. What’s the most memorable event you’ve planned?
Apart from the 2012 Out & Equal Summit in the middle of Hurricane Sandy? It would have to be my last London LGBT Pride Festival. We closed with the Pet Shop Boys performing Go West to 280,000 people, and that was what I was literally doing—heading to San Francisco to take up the reins here.

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