If you’re anything like me, you find the recent rumblings about executive bonuses, Gulfstream jets, and lavish corporate retreats quite unsettling. In fact, I sometimes find myself getting worked into a “torches and pitchforks” proletariat lather. But then I start to think…
While I can’t really comment upon executive bonuses, I would like to opine about corporate travel, and some of the corporate perks we’re so resentful of.
Companies have begun to restrict the travel of their executives and are curtailing corporate training, seminars, and expos (read: Trade Shows) that might be perceived as excessive or indulgent. As such, the travel and tourism industry’s woes have been doubled in the already recessionary business environment.
What is wrong with ensuring a face-to-face meeting with an important client – even if it will entail a significant investment? Or viewing a trade show exhibit display prior to purchasing a product costing hundreds of thousands? What is wrong with investing in the expertise of your workforce by sending valued employees to seminars, symposiums, or corporate training, even if it’s 1,000 miles away? While most of these employees long ago lost their zeal for traveling on business, their trips cost significant corporate dollars. Those costs are paid to hard working individuals in the tourism and travel industry – everyday these people vye for opportunities to make those trips as comfortable and productive as possible for their customers. The interdependence of trade shows, travel, and tourism industries is great. There are a myriad of talents required for a single custom exhibition booth -from it’s design, to its construction, to its installation on the convention hall floor (and all of the tasks in-between). This represents an underrecognized, and underappreciated engine of employment.
Is there anything wrong with that? Are the torches and pitchforks really needed? Unless we wish to chastize the hard working service providers in these industries, we ought to support corporate travel, perks, and even a healthy dose of “excess!”
Dan McLaughlin
Moe Lane
Neil Stevens
Steve Maley
But then they can rescue them later
Ann_W (Diary) Tuesday, May 26th at 12:50PM EST (link)They can be heroes by rescuing the industries they hurt. They get the credit, you pay the bill– it’s a win-win for them.
“One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.”
— Milton Friedman
The War on Poverty– forty-six years and counting!
You can always forgo their product based on your own cost/benefit
6eorge Jetson (Diary) Tuesday, May 26th at 12:53PM EST (link)You cannot do that w/ government
Not for government to do...
alexg (Diary) Tuesday, May 26th at 12:58PM EST (link)The point is not to have government “support travel/events industries,” but to wake up and smell the marxist perspectives that inhabit our villainization of corporate behaviors: namely corporate travel (private jets to swanky retreats for purposes of “corporate training” or a “retreat” or a “leadership conference”).
In all actuality these behaviors are major factors in the engine of our economy, and hard working capitalistically inclined folks are happy to facilitate these behaviors for a fee. The fact that corporations are doing this, sometimes with bailout money, is not the fault of the companies, but poor incentification by government.
No one would oppose those meetings
Bill S (Diary) Tuesday, May 26th at 7:37PM EST (link)if they were held in, say, Oklahoma City, or Indianapolis, or Fargo, ND, or any other number of cities that aren’t perceived to be boondoggle locations (like Las Vegas, Orlando, etc.). From my experience in this area over the last few months, the location has been a significant hinderance.
“It’s such a fine line between stupid, and clever.” – David St. Hubbins