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Meghan Risch
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HELP WANTED: CHICAGO’S MOST CHARISMATIC TRAVEL INDUSTRY EMPLOYEE
Chicago’s Hospitality Industry Joins Forces to Combat Further Downturn in Business Travel
CHICAGO – MARCH 30, 2009 – Chicago’s hotels, taxi companies, McCormick Place and Navy Pier have joined the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau (CCTB) to help identify and mobilize this city’s most charismatic travel industry employee(s) for the “Faces of Travel” contest launched by the U.S. Travel Association. Interested candidates should inquire within at www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com/facesoftravel by 11am CST on April 24, 2009.
The contest is the second phase in the “Meetings Mean Business” grassroots campaign that was developed after public officials launched an assault on the meetings industry causing companies to cancel meetings and events, thus placing Chicago’s business travel industry, and especially its employees, at risk.
Tim Roby, CCTB President and CEO and a U.S. Travel Association Board member, cited the significant impact business travelers have on Chicago’s economy.
“Chicago’s visitor industry is a major economic engine for the city, region and State of Illinois,” said Roby. “Business travel to Chicago is directly responsible for more than 67,000 jobs; more than $320 million in tax revenues that support education, healthcare, public safety and other public services and $5.8 billion in direct spending on food, entertainment, transportation and shopping.”
Those employees interested in representing Chicago’s business travel industry must submit a 45- to 60-second video stating why meetings and events travel is important to his/her job and why he/she should be the “Face of Travel” via www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com/facesoftravel.
The contest winner will become the official spokesperson for the “Meetings Mean Business” campaign and help spread the message to the media and our government leaders in Washington, D.C. that meetings and events mean good jobs for our visitor industry and travel industry workers across the country.
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