It's been 45 days since General Services Administration (GSA) Chief Martha Johnson resigned over reports of "excessive" spending at a Las Vegas conference in 2010. By now, everyone from lawmakers to media to trade associations has offered their two cents on the issue. One voice that's been absent, however, is that of the National Conference Center (NCC) in Leesburg, Va., which shared its opinions today in a special statement on the GSA scandal.
"Our government meetings team at NCC works tirelessly with government meetings managers, planners and contracting officers in the federal government to streamline and cut meeting budgets, making sure dollars are spent most efficiently and effectively," said NCC General Manager Kurt Krause. "Also, most of these agencies are located within close proximity to our facility, helping to further reduce travel expenses."
NCC called Congress' reaction to the GSA incident "unfortunate" and said efforts to freeze travel spending by government employees — "draconian measures that severely limit training and leadership development" — will harm the meetings industry and cost hospitality workers their jobs.
"While we hope that those individuals and organizations that played a role in the recent GSA scandal are brought to justice, we also hope that there aren't penalties from this for the many government entities that play by the rules," Krause continued. "The GSA just needs someone to be able to evaluate and implement efficiencies and oversight. Our greatest fear now is that, instead of setting up oversight and review, the government will overreact and punish the many government employees who carefully follow the rules in planning meetings and training."
According to Director of Sales & Marketing Eric Whitson, more than 150 hourly employees at NCC are likely to feel the effects of limited hours from canceled or shortened government meetings. "Government training has been put in a state of suspension," he said. "The ripple effect of [government restrictions on meetings and travel] imposes a dramatic setback for the industry that was just beginning to emerge."
NCC was the first conference center in the country to be included on the GSA Schedule, a list of pre-qualified government contractors that offer pre-negotiated prices, delivery terms, warranties, and other terms and conditions to federal purchasers. For more information about its government services, visit www.gsameetings.com.