Labor Shortages Add to Challenges During Comeback - Corporate Event News
While every sector has been adversely affected by the pandemic, none has fared worse than the collective of hospitality, travel and events. The U.S. Travel Association reports that prior to the pandemic, direct travel jobs accounted for 6% of the workforce and total travel-supported jobs accounted for 11%. But in 2020, direct travel jobs accounted for a disproportionate 35% of jobs lost and total travel-supported jobs accounted for a staggering 65%.
Experts agree that what we will see in the evolution of event planning is a slew of opportunities for those able to adapt to the digital age of conferences and meetings. And organizations like Soundings that are able to procure experienced freelancers will become valuable partners. Two important issues will play out: How will workers adapt to meet different demands and how will planners execute ROI-worthy events with fewer resources than they had previously.
“We're going to be in a situation over the next year or maybe two years, where we're going to suffer some labor shortages,” said Sherrif Karamat, president and CEO of PCMA. “This is not going to be a domestic problem or a North America problem. It’s going to be a big global problem.”