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Dear Meeting Professional,
By now you have heard that the US Treasury Department issued new regulations that require the board of directors of companies that have received funds from the troubled asset relief program (TARP) to establish revised policies for all meetings, events, and incentive/recognition travel in additional to other requirements. The board of directors of IACC joins other industry leaders in recognizing that government regulation of corporate meetings and travel policies is a dangerous trend in an industry that produces close to $250,000,000,000 in revenue through 3,000,000 jobs.
In an effort to prevent the patchwork of different policies and to bring some common sense to the ongoing media coverage, IACC joins leaders from key organizations representing the meetings, events, and incentive travel industries united to issue guidelines on acceptable business travel practices. These guidelines build upon existing corporate best practices, and are designed to ensure transparency and accountability – but they also protect the ability of companies to conduct legitimate meetings and events including association meetings, events, and tradeshows.
Understanding that meetings, events, and incentive/recognition travel are critical to the country’s economic turnaround, we are sharing these recommended guidelines with our members. By establishing clear and consistent standards, we are hopeful that public and policymaker concerns will be addressed.
Regards,
IACC-North America Board of Directors |
