Continuing the Comeback
The FGIA had their excellent conference this past week and unfortunately, I missed most of it because of various conflicts. But Glass Magazine had tremendous coverage and one part of an article recapping the economic forecast presentation really caught my attention. The story featured this line:
“However, he believes these industries will return. ‘The airlines will come back,’ Kuehl said. ‘Hotels will come back.’”
I found this fascinating, and also crucial for our world to find normalcy. Airlines are a mess. Serious finance issues, and despite the joy that flying is right now (at least on Delta for me) many are not doing it. Big companies, including many in our industry, have still not lifted travel restrictions. So until that happens, airlines are going to be stuck. Hotels are in a slightly different space. The mid-range business hotel―think Hampton Inn―are getting busier and busier. In May I stayed in a Hampton, and I was one of 5 guests. Recently I stayed at a Hampton and it was sold out and the parking lot was jam packed. We are getting people back driving and visiting and staying at these level of hotels, but I am sure your big players that court the big businesses are in same spot as airlines. My point is, I hope this call on the return to success by airlines and hotels happens and happens soon. We need it as an economy and world. For more on the economist that FGIA presented, here is Glass Magazine’s link.
Elsewhere…
- On a similar approach, my friend Keith Stockman of Glasswerks sent me a link on what is happening in Las Vegas as they are prepping to get people back into meetings. His note was “BEC- Let’s Go” and absolutely Keith, let’s keep positive and very happy to see Vegas working hard to come up with ways to again get back to business!
- And I guess since I am on the theme of “normal,” I got to go to the movies this week. First movie since March. Went to see Tenet, which was very, very bizarre, but fun to be back in a theater again. The venue was pretty empty, maybe 10 people total, seats blocked out and food was handled safely (all individually packaged) and your self-serve drinks were controlled by an app on your phone. Yes, when you wanted your soft drink, you scanned a bar code and filled your cup up by controlling the flow from your phone. Wild.
- I swear I am losing my mind. I thought for sure I congratulated my old friend Jon Johnson on his gig at Standard Bent Glass. This week that news hit the trades and it made me think about it. And unless I am missing it, I did not mention it here. So, Congrats Jon! Great hire by Standard Bent, and Jon is back in his wheelhouse in the specialty glass world. No doubt he will do a fabulous job.
- Last this week, I am blown away from the reaction to my 15th anniversary here. Was so nice to hear from so many people, including many that I had not talked to in a while or have left the industry but still follow. Thank you all again. And the idea I am going with to honor this: I will run down the 15 most influential people in the industry in the last 15 years. I think it will be fun to recognize the movers and shakers and the people who made a difference in many ways. And I am going to start it off on this post; leading off the list as one of the most influential in the last 15 years is my brother Steve.
Yes that is a homer pick, but hear me out. My brother is the best pure sales leader I have ever seen. He developed and worked with many of the top sales performers in our industry right now and has seen easily more than a billion in sales under his leadership. Family or not, the man is good. He also was a pioneer in his past (pre- me and this blog) in quick turn tempered and insulating with a focus on “urgency” and “details”―serious gamechanger. (One ex-industry leader called him a “visionary” which my brother laughs off, but he was. And still is.) And you know what, without him working me over to join the industry I am probably a producer of some wacky morning zoo radio program in Seattle. That is another pretty big reason to give him the first nod on my list of most influential. I am excited to unveil the rest over the next 6 weeks as the year comes to a close… so stay tuned!
