BOSTON STRONG: Running to Give Back

January 7, 2019

By Douglas Emslie, Tarsus Group Managing Director

I strongly believe that we as an industry need to do more to give back to our communities. To practice what I preach, this year I will be running the Boston marathon on behalf of a local Boston charity that does a fantastic job for the Newton community – NWW Committee for Community Living.

HERE is a link if you would like to support my running on behalf of this great non-profit!

I’m planning to write a monthly blog on my challenge, which will go out on TSNN.com and on social media. So here is my first-ever blog!

The year 2018 ended as it had started - with a race in Dubai. Last January I ran the Dubai marathon and in December I ran the Dubai Creek half marathon. I’m not sure running in the heat was good preparation for Boston in April, but the highlight of the December race was running with Gerda Steyn, one of the top female marathon runners in South Africa.

The Christmas holidays were a great opportunity to start to build the endurance base and I was pleased to have completed two 50-mile weeks under my belt. The highlight was training in Scotland at minus 4 Celsius, while running 12 miles of the West Highland Way (see photo). My wife thought it odd that I was the only one running in shorts!

January’s plan is to continue to build the endurance base, and I’m luckily able to build a couple of races into my travel schedule.

Early January is Vegas for CES and I will be running a half marathon on route in Long Beach, Ca. - I’m hopeful it will be warmer than Scotland! Then later in January, I will be running the Farnborough half marathon around the Farnborough Airshow site - part of my spying mission for the Dubai Airshow.

If anyone else in the industry is running Boston, please get in touch as it would be good to build our trade show running community.

I am very proud to be running for all the fantastic people who are served by NWW.

Please consider donating HERE to support me running on their behalf in Boston.

Douglas Emslie is the managing director of Tarsus Group, the parent company of TSNN.com and CorporateEventNews.com.

Besides individual donors, Douglas' fundraising for NWW is being generously supported by the following corporate sponsors:

siso   TarsusRES logo

etakGESFreemandonald

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

Submitted by Arlene Shows (not verified) on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 13:23

We are proud of these efforts and will be cheering you on Douglas! #Boston2019

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? 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There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. 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Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.