MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Officials of the Southern Lodging Summit (SLS), an annual hotel conference focusing on development and operations throughout the southern United States, today announced they will postpone this year’s physical gathering due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the organization will host a “virtual update,” providing pre-recorded sessions to all previous attendees and interested parties.
“While there is nothing more we wanted than to host this year’s event in person, Memphis and Shelby County remain in phase two of its recovery, meaning we are limited in terms of the number of people who can gather,” said Wayne Tabor, president and CEO, Metropolitan Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association. “Our goal is to provide an educational, personal event for hoteliers to come together to meet and share ideas. That being said, we strongly believe in ‘safety first’ and will not expose anyone to a potential health risk. As a result, we have decided to tape certain sessions and post the material for interested parties. Even though we can’t bond over ribs at the Rendezvous and southern hospitality at the south’s grand hotel, The Peabody, we still can share knowledge and best practices with one another to help hoteliers find the ‘new normal.’”
Two of the conference’s most popular panels, “Visionary Viewpoints—Crisis Leadership” and “What Do the Numbers Show—A Six-Month Check-Up: Where We’ve Been & Where We’re Headed,” will be pre-recorded and shared with all previous attendees and interested parties. “Visionary Viewpoints” is a discussion with high-ranking hotel executives about the current state of the industry with a focus this year on navigating the pandemic. “What Do the Numbers Show?” reviews current trends and numbers to help paint a picture of where the industry has been most recently and where it likely is headed.
The conference will maintain its annual online auction that is scheduled to run from August 10-28, 2020. Auction items include travel and food and beverage packages from all over the country.
Read more conference updates here.
