Friends and colleagues, it is with a heavy heart that we bring you this special newsletter devoted to the terrible events of last week in which innocent people were murdered. We are all hurt and angry about the events of last week.
That Tuesday morning, 22 March, the world stood still. Confusion, disbelief and sadness; there is so much to process. The dramatic events in Brussels and Zaventem have caused us all grief. Our thoughts go out to all the victims, their family and friends.
People have lost business, with meetings and events being cancelled, not to mention air travel disruption. Faith in the city many of us call home is at an all-time low, not only in the US but in Europe as a whole too. We must all work together in what will undoubtedly be some difficult times ahead and keep doing what we do.
To echo the words of Eric Clapton in Tears in Heaven: We must be strong and carry on.
Karin de Graauw, Publisher – BBT Online
In the wake of the acts of terrorism, people have been moved to express their opinions and share their thoughts with the wider public on platforms such as Facebook. One such example, by Facebook user Stef Gijssels is particularly thought-provoking:
“You just blew yourself up. And you blew a dozen other people to pieces too. So what happens now? Nothing. You will not even realise that heaven was denied to you&hellip” Click here to see the original text in full.
March 22nd changed the lives of many people forever and brought a wave of uncertainty and disruption to the town. We asked some of you for your reactions and of your plans to combat the difficulties of the near future. We were not surprised by the overwhelming sense of positivity as well as the expected outrage. In this special edition newsletter, we bring you the voice of people working in the Meetings & Events sector and advice from further afield.
We asked the hotel sector for their comments. We haven’t had a big reaction so far, positive or negative but we do know that the situation could be potentially disastrous for a sector in which some 12,000 jobs are at risk, and in which some hotels are turning over a mere handful of guests compared to the seasonal average. Behind this link more info.
Bron: BBT Online
