HAS STAND YOUR GROUND HAD AN IMPACT ON EVENT PLANNERS DECISIONS


Unless you’ve been living on another planet, you have heard all the news surrounding the tragic Trayvon Martin shooting. We’re not going to get into the political debate surrounding this controversial law but it did get me wondering if all this attention has had an impact on whether or not event planners will hold meetings in states where this type of law exists.

Event planners walk a fine line. Their main objective is to successfully execute and host meetings and conventions where all the delegates are satisfied. And let’s face it that’s probably a pretty tall order to execute. You know the old saying – you’ll never please 100% of the people 100% of the time. So I’m sure there are always those that will approach meeting planners with some type of an issue that needs to be resolved.

Event Planners Do Not like Controversy

But there’s also another side to event planners. The last thing they want is for their meeting or event to be held in an area where controversial issues are taking place.

With all the negative news coverage that we’ve been seeing around Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, Convention and Visitors Bureau officials are raising alarm bells. After all, tourism plays a very large role in the Florida economy.

In a recent Tampa Bay Times article, it reported that Nikki Grossman, director of the Broward County Convention and Visitors Bureau, would be the first person to present to a state task force on the negative impact that the law has had, or is having, on Florida’s tourism.

Are Politicians Making Life Difficult for Event Planners?

There is no doubt that the Stand Your Ground law is having a political impact. Obviously laws are often legislated as a result of the majority party making good on promises that they have made to their constituents. That, in and of itself, is understandable as an elected official will need those constituents to be on their side for the next election. But are our elected officials implementing the right laws that will help their states economies? Well, judging by the reaction from the state’s tourism officials, I would have to think the answer is no.

If any event planners reading this article are currently planning meetings or events in states where Stand Your Ground type laws exist I would be interested to hear how they plan on proceeding. I guess time will tell as to whether or not there will be a dramatic effect on meetings and events where event planners feel there’s too much controversy to host a successful meeting.

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