This is the third in a four-part series exploring the unique perspectives and challenges facing hospitality and meeting industry students graduating during the coronavirus pandemic.
Part One: Disrupted Graduation, Jobs
Part Two: Congratulations to the Class of 2020!
Part Four: Changing Perceptions of the Industry
How have you personally been coping with the pandemic and shutdown across the hospitality and planning industries?
“It is hard to see how the pandemic and shutdown has affected the global economy and our personal lives. As a recent graduate during this time, it is disappointing. Nevertheless, I take it as an opportunity presented to further our understanding in the hospitality and planning industry. It is remarkable to see how the community is working together and coming up with innovative ideas to operate post-pandemic, keeping physical distancing as a safety measure. I have MPI to thank for keeping me occupied, the webinars offered are educative and relevant, and keep us posted about the current and future landscape of our industry. We have been given the greatest resource of time, so I take it to expand my network, attend virtual networking sessions my MPI chapter hosts, further my knowledge in virtual events and pick up some new skills. And as an engaged volunteer at the committee level in the chapter, I am experiencing the transformation of our professional development workshops into the virtual world first-hand. I am optimistic. Nothing lasts forever, and this too will pass! I am confident we will come out stronger than ever!” – Depannita Biswas, George Brown College, MPI Toronto Chapter
“Personally, I am writing a paper for university on COVID-19 and its impact on reopening convention centers after they served as hospitals and homeless centers like Javits Center. There is so much sadness out there for many, both individuals and organizations who are in the hospitality, travel, tourism and event industry. I am thankful to be safe here not having to reschedule or alter a future event.” – Annette Ott-Barnett, CMP, CMM, CAE, Event Management, University of Technology Sydney, MPI Potomac Chapter
“Honestly, I personally have been doing pretty well all things considered. The financial part is difficult, I’m blowing through my savings on rent while I wait for unemployment to come through. It’s frustrating seeing the money that you worked so hard on just diminish because you have no income right now—so everything is an expense. We only spend money on food and groceries so we can save more money. But that has fortunately been the most difficult part. I am thankful to be comfortable in my new apartment with someone that I love, safe and healthy. If the worst part is being somewhat bored, I will gladly take that. I make sure to go on walks around our apartment complex every day for about an hour to get fresh air, I will sit on my balcony because I just love being outside, playing board games and video games, watching lots of Netflix and Disney+ and then it’s bed time and repeat all over again.
“My co-workers are very extroverted people, so they are hurting not having much interaction with people. I make sure to check up on them often and ask if they need anything. I, on the other hand, am introverted, so being at home and keeping myself entertained has not been difficult in the slightest and quite welcomed. One of my friends said the hardest part for her has been not knowing when all this will end. I agreed as we are very goal-oriented people, and that we both like having deadlines and not knowing when this will end is stressful.” – Allison Selg, Hospitality Management, Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida
“It has been quite a shock to see such a loved and supported industry be shut down in what felt like an instant. I have felt sadness for the community of our industry because of the hardship it has created. For me personally, I am hopeful for the future, but I am also trying to think in realistic terms that although I have a job lined up now, a lot can happen in a few short months. The uncertainty of this pandemic has affected me and those around me more than anything else.” – Allyssa Gundelfinger, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Meetings & Events, San Diego State University
“I am the type of person that does not enjoy downtime, so this pandemic has been tough for me personally. I like to be on a schedule so at the beginning of the week I make a weekly schedule with time allotted for my business and continuing to seek any employment opportunity that may come my way. I think feeling like you’ve accomplished something at the end of the day is so important, so I make this my goal daily.” – Amanda Paolini, Business Marketing, West Chester University, MPI Philadelphia Area Chapter
“I have personally been coping by appreciating every minute of time I have with my son. I’ve been working and going to school full time and there were days at a time he wouldn’t see me because he’d be asleep when I left and asleep when I got home. I’m taking it as a blessing in disguise.” – Yesenia Diaz Ruiz, Hospitality, Exhibitions and Event Management, Richland Community College
“We moved into a new house the first day of the stay-at-home order in Las Vegas, so we’ve had lots of time to unpack and arrange the new house. Other than that, I’ve been taking a lot of walks with the dogs, reading and working out on my Peloton as much as possible. I’ve joined some great groups of hospitality professionals that also have a Peloton, which provides a large amount of accountability and support. It’s fun competing with them several times a week. Other than that, watching some good shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu, like everyone else.” – Chelsea Pashnick, Organizational Leadership, Colorado State University - Global Campus, MPI Southern California Chapter
“Since no one has ever been in this specific situation before, it is very difficult to comprehend and accept. In many other hardships that I have faced, I have been able to speak with family, friends and co-workers who have been through similar situations. With COVID-19 being so novel, no one can predict the outcome of this event and how much it will truly impact the industry in the end. However, I remain hopeful about the future of the industry, and I hope that it will come back better than ever. Although it might take some time, I am excited to be a part of the inevitable changes that will occur and help lead this industry back to its former success.” – Samantha Ward, Hospitality Management and Event Management, Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida
“I’ve been taking the time to acquire certifications through Cvent. I’ve also been watching webinars and classes through MPI. Other than that, there has been a lot of cooking, working out and virtual happy hours!” – Danielle Dela Paz, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Meetings & Events, San Diego State University
“I decided early on that I was going to take full advantage of the newfound free time we have all been given. Aside from finishing my final semester at San Diego State University with straight As, I have been spending a lot of time on self-reflection and self-improvement. Focusing on this positivity in my own life has caused me to react differently to the abundant negativity surrounding coronavirus. The best piece of advice that I received from an industry professional around the start of this pandemic was from Michael Cochran, director of sales and marketing at the Andaz San Diego. He told me, ‘With so many people out of work right now, it is important to make yourself stand out amongst the competition.’ Following this advice, I have been using this time to grow professionally and personally by attending webinars, networking virtually and conducting informational interviews with various mentors and professionals. I feel that I have learned a lot about myself and the direction I hope to go with my future.” – Jamie Iverson, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Meetings & Events, San Diego State University, MPI San Diego Chapter
“I’m staying optimistic and focused on my career goals. I’m currently taking my Virtual Event and Meeting Certification Course (Event Leadership Institute) as well as the Hospitality and Tourism Management Certificate (Florida Atlantic University). I’m staying involved with Skal, helping to plan online networking events, attending educational webinars, workout and reading.” – Kateryna Serhiyenko, Event Management, Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida
“It’s honestly been a little tough. It was already going to be challenging stepping into the workforce as a college grad and I am afraid that the COVID-19 situation has made it even harder to find a job in the event industry. I know [recovery] will take time and we may have to adjust how we do meetings and events, but I have faith in this industry and know that the creative juices will be flowing, and some amazing ideas will come from this.” – Brittany Wind, Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management, Bowling Green State University, MPI Ohio Chapter
“At first, I dealt with several cancellations, so my days were consumed with processing invoices, issuing refunds and updating the event calendar. Once that settled down, work was very slow. There were no events to plan, no catering orders to review and no room set-ups to configure. My company launched a new CRM software, so I dove into learning the details of that and passed my days keeping up with the local news and event industry news.” –Sarah Teague, Communication Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, MPI Carolinas Chapter
“I have been a bit frustrated about how the pandemic and shutdown has taken away the majority of new career opportunities. Because I no longer have a job, my plans to move out after graduation and travel and pursue other hobbies have been delayed indefinitely which still makes me a bit upset. But I am taking this time to do some online certification classes in order to further my knowledge of the industry while I am waiting for the hiring situation to change.” – Stephanie Paendong, Tourism and Events Management, George Mason University
