If you think about cities, one of the big economic drivers is a convention center with hotels and parking nearby. Every week there is a different convention and somewhere there is a convention for every interest. Convention centers create jobs in the tourism sector and if you consider cities such as Las Vegas and New Orleans they have great infrastructure for conventions and many people go to the cities. During COVID, what people could not do was gather in large groups at conventions and other facilities, but with more people being vaccinated conventions are opening up.

In an article by Victoria Waldersee and Nick Carey of Reuters, the auto show which is one of the premier conventions in cities around the world opened in Germany. The setting was changed from Frankfurt to Munich and the theme was changed to Mobility of the Future. Given the German car companies of BMW, Audi and VW the German auto show is showcasing German vehicles, but it also showcasing bikes, e-scooters.

Hildegard Mueller, president of the industry association VDA said the goal of climate protection is guiding us. In a “normal” year about one million people came through the auto show.

Those organizations who believe the auto companies are not doing enough protested the show and the theme.

Linking to dividend paying companies, while climate protection is a given, changing multi billion dollar companies to become green will take time. Companies particularly in Europe have to show results and conventions help sell what the companies are doing. During COVID there were few conventions and companies saved or did not spend money on conventions and meetings, with the re-openings it is possible to go to the previous ways. How much should they do and is it more effective online are big issues which need to be asked about.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.