That general manager of a major hotel held the same civic high profile in the community that the publisher of the newspaper did, that the leading CEOs did. They were all in Rotary together, or whatever. GMs do not have that luxury anymore, because they have become investment managers. There is an entity that owns this real-estate asset that is looking for a return. There used to be other voices in the community that people could relate to. Now it is only us [DMOs]. Then we speak this foreign language.
I still think as an industry we have to do a better job of explaining why other people’s money matters. One of the things that I have been talking about still or lately [is understanding] that our business — the CVB world — was invented to save Detroit from the Panic of 1893. Banks were failing and railroads were going into receivership. Cats and dogs sleeping together. It
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looks a lot like today, candidly. You draw those parallels. So Detroit decided the way it would save its city was to get other people’s money. They created the Detroit Convention and Businessman’s League [and said,] “What about going after conventions?” In fact, it was that effort that led to the auto industry being in Detroit, because the Packard family was in Iowa at the time. They went to Detroit for a convention and said, “Nice place,” and moved their business there. When I have that kind of a conversation with an elected official — say, “That is why it matters when I can bring people to town” — then they start to get it.
That is the language they speak. That is they language they understand. That is the language they can go back to their constituents with and say, “Here is why we built the convention center that is going to lose money.” It is not meant to make money for itself. That has been the other conversation I have
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to have a lot. There is a reason why the private sector does not build these [convention centers]. Because they are not profitable. The center is to make money for everybody around it. Which is why government steps in. That is why there is the concept of public/private partnerships. They look different everywhere. In some communities, that is what is needed to get a rail line built. In some communities, that is what is needed to get a shopping mall built. In some communities, you do it to get an art center. You do it to get a convention center. You do it to get these things that your citizens probably want or will benefit from.
. — As told to Michelle Russell
ON THE WEB Watch Maura Gast make her closing speech at the conclusion of her term as DMAI chair at convn.org/gast-DMAI.