Associations help stimulate meetings industry. (Headlines).

The September 11 terrorist attacks affected many September and October association meetings, with organizations having to make quick decisions about whether to go forward with planned events. One meeting originally scheduled for September, the Associations: digitalNow Conference sponsored by Fusion Productions, Webster, New York, has been rescheduled for February 7-9, 2002, at the Disney Institute in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. "The need for creating your online brand, demonstrating your value proposition, and extending your online learning and community is greater than ever," said Hugh K. Lee, president of Fusion Productions. "Associations: digitalNow will tackle these issues and teach association executives how to reach out to their respective members. Rescheduling the conference was not only critical but also a necessity in these somewhat troubling times." For more information, visit www.fusionproductilons.com/digitalnow.

Some organizations are taking action to stimulate the meetings industry and support New York City's recovery. For example, ASAE moved its November 16-19 board meeting from Buenos Aires to New York City. The Portland Oregon Visitors Association sent representatives to New York City in early October as part of a delegation led by Portland's mayor with a mission to stimulate the local economy. The Convention Industry Council, McLean, Virginia, is leading "Operation Cancellation Rescue," an initiative to rebook and fill canceled hotel rooms and meeting space. And the Direct Marketing Association, New York City, in an effort to boost meeting attendance and encourage people to travel, absorbed the cost of air transportation for individuals who registered between September 11 and October 5 for the association's annual conference in Chicago in October.