#IChooseHospitality Challenge Closing Thoughts

To put it bluntly: no one expected a year such as this. For our company and many of our peers, 2020 was shaping up to be an excellent one. Then in March, COVID hit and we were all forced to pause and reflect. What would our business look like? What would our industry look like? Why do we come to work daily? Why do we want to continue doing so in the light of all? This planted the seed in our mind of wanting to hear your responses to these questions. It was then that we decided to launch an industry-wide challenge.

Why did we want to embark upon this? Our industry is resilient because we are comprised of myriad skill sets, personalities, and talents contained in some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet. Who better to be hit with the unexpected and devise a plan B, C, and D than an industry of hospitality professionals? Our goal was by sharing our JPdL and Intertask family’s stories, you too would share yours and through one another, we could be a source of reinvigoration, optimism, memories, and excitement.

Our goal was realized. Hospitality friends and family, you poured your hearts into your choice of photos, stories, videos, and quotes. We were reminded of travel and shows from far and wide, people’s origin stories in this industry (common theme: it was as if the industry chose us!), food, and shining faces that put smiles on our own.

A big thank you to our clients, CVBs, convention centres, partners, and suppliers who chose to share their homage to our beautiful industry. We are soon to be entering autumn; a season of transition. The warmth of your messages from this summer will carry us through, as we continue to create new stories in our current reality. Seasons change, but one thing that is constant in the community, the network, and the family that we have within this fantastic industry. We choose the hospitality industry: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Thank you for being a part of our family.

Article by Jillian Cardinal & Samantha Mele.