Meeting Planners Unite, formed to fight Marriott's commission cuts, changed its name to Alliance of Independent Meeting Professionals.

Air travelers may be in for a rude awakening when navigating airports during the government shutdown, as the absence rate for TSA workers is now on a record pace. According to reports, the absentee rate for TSA employees hit 10 percent of its more than 51,000 officers as of Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, compared with 3 percent a year ago.

Sarah Kloepple and Christoph Trappe discuss recent airport travel experiences during the government shutdown and provide some general tips for navigating security and reducing stress for everyone. Remember to be nice to TSA workers and definitely arrive a little earlier at the airport!

While many of the logistical challenges of the meeting- and event-planning world change very little year-over-year, some key results from our Meetings Today Trends Survey point to a major shift in some of the more personal issues of meeting planners.

Following is a transcription of the conversation between Staff Writer Sarah Kloepple and Johnson Controls Exhibit and Events Manager Becky Andrzejak featured in The Advantages of a Two-Story Exhibit Booth episode of the Meetings Today Podcast.

A number of issues impacted the meetings industry in 2018, from strikes and other labor actions in various destinations across the U.S. to major hotel chains cutting their traditional commission level for independent planners. Meetings Today polls its readers every year on how their jobs and programs fared, how they expect their budgets  will shape up, the sites they typically use for their programs and other questions that help shine a light on the state of the profession. 361 meeting planners answered the call. Following are some highlights.

Hilton Birmingham at UAB, The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s flagship hotel on campus, completed its multimillion-dollar renovation, officially converting from a DoubleTree by Hilton property.

Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center opened its doors as the largest combined resort and convention center in Colorado. The resort is the fifth Gaylord Hotels property in the U.S., under the Marriott International umbrella. It is located about 10 minutes from Denver International Airport.

While women have an outsized representation in the hospitality industry—especially in the role of meeting planners—the number of females in upper management and c-suite roles continues to lag behind those of men. Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League, is a hotel, CVB and meetings industry veteran who took a hammer to the glass ceiling years ago.