TravCon 2020 is officially canceled | what's next? - Atlas All Access 123

Rich Smith: Historically, this Atlas All Access would have been the one where we talked about our plans for TravCon 2020. But as everything else goes in 2020, TravCon 2020 canceled. Put it right there going: canceled. On this episode, we talk about that and we talk about TravCon 2021. Atlas All Access, at home still, starts now.

Rich Smith: Yeah, still at home, not ideal. But jobs: I will give you a quick jobs update. Jobs are coming back. I did see yesterday this... no, I'm sorry... this would have been this past Monday, that we had over 1,000 jobs available there in the database, so actual open jobs. These jobs are coming back and we knew that they would when summer rolled around and things changed a little bit. Is it the fix? No. Does it change everything? No, but it makes things a whole lot easier. If you're still hunting, talk to your recruiter. If you haven't already, and I know a lot of you are, talk to your recruiter and let's find you that job. Let's get you back on the road.

Rich Smith: TravCon 2020 canceled. After talking to them and our director of brand experience, Matt Loughran, talked to them too, that was not an easy decision for them to make, but it was the right decision for them to make. That many people in that in that space... even though Las Vegas is open now... wasn't the time. Everything else this summer has been canceled. Things in the fall had been canceled and as well they probably should have. There is this impending... that growing feeling that a second wave is coming. We got flu season coming up too. It is not going to be easy and to take take that many healthcare professionals away from their job for that time, it just wasn't the right time. I applaud the TravCon committee for making that decision; not an easy decision whatsoever.

Rich Smith: I know this is a big deal to a lot of people. It's a big deal to us and we're not even typical of other agencies out there that have a booth and scan your badge and rely on this for lead generation for that whole next year. It's a big deal for us because if you've ever been to any of our events, it's just a, "Let's have a drink. Let's sit out in the sun in Las Vegas and enjoy each other's company and I want to tell you, thank you for, for a great year," and just get to be hanging out with family again. It's like a big family reunion. If you've never been there, it's like a huge family reunion. You see people that you may only see once a year there. I'm going to miss all of you so much.

Rich Smith: Like I said before, this would have been the episode where we talk about that and we talk about the events that we would have had: the breakfast and the pool party with the cabanas, and the happy hours, and the bus tour, and all the things that we have grown, that we have done over the years that people have grown accustomed to doing, this would have been the episode that we talk about all of that and talk about which recruiters are coming from Atlas. Thank you 2020 - dumpster fire.

Rich Smith: But you know what? Here's what we do. We pick up the pieces and we start over and we start planning for 2021 and make that an even bigger party. Because hopefully by then, you would hope, things will be better, so we can gather in a group together again. We can go to concerts. We can go and hang out together at a pool and things like that. I would hope that by then things have changed for the better. Until then, please, please keep your spirits up. Keep doing what you're doing because I know it's not very easy right now. I guarantee I know it's not very...

Rich Smith: It's not easy for me. I love the office and the noise and the people and the commotion and everything. It couldn't be quieter here. Sometimes that's okay, but I need that. I need that commotion and motion to keep things going. Thank you so much. I'm not going to be able to tell you all in person this year that, when I see you, but thank you so much for what you've made of this year so far.

Rich Smith: I know a lot of you are still looking for jobs. I know that the jobs are down, coming back, but down. I know and we're not going to be able to see each other in person. We did have a T-shirt that we've been working on for TravCon that we might just release on our website instead, so look for that and maybe we just stamp "canceled" on it or something. I don't even know. Maybe we'll do that. If we do, we'll announce it right here.

Rich Smith: In the meantime, keep your spirits up, enjoy the summer. It's summer now, so not where I'm at right now, but it's cooler. How's that? But it's summer. Enjoy the summer, get out, do something, go see something, hang out with friends—six feet apart—and just enjoy yourselves. We'll see you at TravCon 2021.