At the time of this writing the U.S. and Coalition Forces are still 50 miles outside of Baghdad, Iraq.  9/11 is a year and a half behind us.  The airline industry has lost over $18B since 9/11 and is slated to lose another $10B this year.  You, the readers, know better than I do how bad things are in the hospitality industry.

For or against George W. Bush is not the issue in this article.  We all must support our troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq (as well as those stationed around the world).  I know that I would have a very difficult time being a military soldier.  It�s just not in me.  However, I recognize the effort and sacrifice that they make for our country, for you and for me.  These are very special people that tread into harm�s way to protect and to serve you and me, people they don�t even know.

Why do military soldiers do this for us?  The reasons, I�m sure are many.  But, I would like to propose one reason for discussion.  They are fighting to preserve our way of life, or more patriotically put, the American Way.  I have to think that they must cherish our way of life and that it must be something that they are proud to be a part of.  A large part of American life is business; conducting business, starting new businesses, commerce, trade, development, industry and so on.

It is with this thought that I began considering my part in the whole scheme of things.  Basically, I decided that I am an economic soldier.  I currently own and operate one business.  I am currently in the start up mode on another business.  For both, I have continued to conduct business to the best of my abilities to keep America going the same way it was going before the 9/11 tragedies and before Iraq and uncontrolled weapons of mass destruction.  I was on a plane within 10 days of 9/11.  I have flown over 60,000 miles and to three other countries since 9/11.  In all of this, I have been doing my best to conduct business, to keep commerce viable.

The last thing a military soldier needs is the thought that those people in his homeland are struck with fear in their eyes, afraid to go to work, afraid to travel, afraid to vacation.  These soldiers need to know that what they are doing is having a direct impact on maintaining the quality of life they know exists in the United States.  To support these very brave people we need to work, to travel, to make and spend money.  We can�t be hiding in our storage closets afraid to refurbish the lobby for fear that guests will never come back.

We are in the hospitality industry.  The very last thing we can allow is to let bad times stop us from supporting our own industry.  You should still travel to meet with current and potential customers.  You should still schedule corporate meetings and training seminars and have your employees travel to those destinations.  And to the real point of this article, you should still travel to industry tradeshows.  If you are in hospitality, and there is a tradeshow related to your business, or your needs, you should make plans to attend.

Our industry should lead by example to the rest of the country on how business must still be conducted.  We cannot show fear that prevents us from traveling.  We cannot show financial trepidation when considering attending tradeshows or training seminars or marketing events.  What would the public say if only 30 exhibitors and 500 people went to HITEC this year?  That kind of example would only support their indecisiveness, letting them think that if we as an industry can�t travel and stay in hotels, then why should they?

My first challenge to you is to become an economic soldier.  I challenge you to conduct business.  I challenge you to travel.  I challenge you to stay at hotels, to attend tradeshows, to continue learning.  I challenge you to lead by example showing the rest of the country that we are not afraid to continue business in support of our country, our way of life, the life that our military soldiers risk their lives for.

HITEC is our industry�s largest technology based tradeshow.  My second challenge to you is to attend this show this year (if not this one, another that may be of more direct benefit to you or your hotel).  I would like to see a record number of companies exhibiting.  I would like to see a record number of attendees.  I would like to see New Orleans prosper from a weeklong embrace from the economic soldiers of hospitality.

Attending the tradeshow, however, will not be enough.  My challenge goes beyond just showing up.  If you are an attendee, you have responsibilities to make this a better trade show.  I challenge you to prepare a biography of your hotel.  This biography should include a description of the hotel, lists of the technology and amenities you have or wish to have and examples of some of the obstacles you face in conducting your business.

With this information in hand, you are to walk the tradeshow floor and meet with every exhibitor there.  In today�s world, the vendors that exhibit are becoming more of a solution provider than a niche product manufacturer and seller.  At the very least you must conduct �information commerce� trading your biography for knowledge, thus providing opportunities for the exhibitors to conduct business of their own.

If more people come to HITEC, it will be great.  If these people come prepared to conduct more business, it will be fantastic.  In so doing, we will provide a boost to many components of business in America today.  We will create a wonderful tradeshow that will be a complement to the convention center industry.  We will have spent money on airline tickets, hotels stays, restaurants and nightclubs.  We will be doing our part as economic soldiers keeping this country strong.

Dan Phillips is a frequent writer for Hospitality Upgrade. He is the COO of ITS Inc., a consulting firm in Alpharetta, Ga. He can be reached at [email protected].