Delivering Meeting Services in a Foreign Country

By Alyssa M. Kolat, CMP, DES, senior meeting consultant, Site Solutions Worldwide

I spent this summer working in Japan, in the middle of a pandemic, for the U.S. Department of State during the 2020 (actually 2021) Olympic and Paralympic Games. There are many safety and security concerns just delivering housing and transportation services to a client. When working in a culturally different environment with changing rules as a result of a global pandemic, the challenges can be overwhelming.

Safety concerns:

Transportation to quarantine from the airport – inability to meet and greet due to airport restrictions
Following COVID regulations in a hotel with and without a global brand (language barriers, lack of continuity at all properties)
Maintaining security while in quarantine (can’t leave your rooms, can’t manage your attendees/guests)
Implementation of daily COVID tests
Daily changing rules related to the pandemic
Maintaining comfort of the guests under difficult circumstances (during quarantine and after)

Challenges:

Language barrier
In-country customs
Using translators rather than being able to speak in person
Understanding contracting conversations
Missing/not seeing body language cues (restricted from site visits, having to use Zoom)
Inability to establish relationships with hotels and various service providers due to the inability to conduct site visits
Inability to establish relationships due to differing customs and language
Inability to get a true sense of property amenities (or lack of)
Inability to understand nuances in transportation that differ from the U.S.
Hotel billing completely different/contract language not as extensive

From the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee:

Thank you, Alyssa, for being part of the team to keep U.S. athletes safe and sharing your experience! Here is a brief “behind-the-scenes” news story about diplomatic security service at the Olympics.