Top 10 Meeting Industry News Stories of 2012

3. GSA Scandal

Once again, excesses at meetings made national headlines, with the exposure of the General Services Administration’s 2010 Western Regions Conference, a five-day, 300-attendee training conference held at the M Resort Spa and Casino in Henderson, Nev. The meeting cost the GSA $822,751, with a food-and-beverage bill that exceeded per diems, questionable expenses such as mementos for attendees ($6,325 on commemorative coins), clothing for GSA employees, and tuxedo rentals. In response, the GSA underwent a review of all meetings and travel for the remainder of fiscal year 2012, canceling 35 meetings. Martha Johnson, the head of the GSA, resigned after firing two of the agency’s senior leaders and placing four conference organizers on administrative leave.

Poolside at the M Resort outside Las Vegas