Companies in the financial industry have been coming to Park City less this year, and sometimes not at all. This downturn has cost locals jobs.
The flow hasn’t completely stopped, but it is significantly reduced. An Eli Lilly group is coming this week, for example, but with only 15 people, said a Park City Chamber/Bureau report.
According to those same reports, however, groups in the health care industry are still coming. This week’s report only lists 14 groups amounting to 390 people, but at least two of those are in some kind of health care.
Tonya Sweeten, meeting and convention sales manager for the Chamber/Bureau, said the groups often come for continuing education meetings and schedule them during the winter to take advantage of Park City’s skiing.
These types of groups are following many of the same travel trends like booking less far in advance but they are coming, said Park City Marriott general manager Paul Christensen.
“We’ve seen every different group, whether it be banking or medical, scaled back and not spending as much on food and beverage and not bringing as many people. But we haven’t seen a decline in the number of groups from medical companies,” he said.
Many medical professionals must attend continuing education events to keep up their association or board status. It’s typical for them to hold classes in the evenings and ski during the day, he explained. Pharmaceutical companies also send sales representatives to places like Park City for intensive product trainings.
While the recession is tight for companies in every industry, doctors and sales people still need training.
“It’s great news. The more of them the better,” Christensen said.
He said he only wishes more companies understood that corporate travel is a good investment and is one of the best ways to stimulate the economy.
Jan Raio, director of sales and marketing for Stein Eriksen Lodge, said the health care/medical industry is one of the market segments doing better than other industries in this economy.
Thomas Cooke, marketing director for Premier Resorts and Deer Valley Lodging, said he had three medical or pharmaceutical groups schedule in March. Overall, it’s been a strong month for group reservations, he said.
One of those three was even a new client.
“It’s certainly a positive trend for us,” he said.
Cooke said he’s read that group travel cancellations have been common across the county. He doesn’t think health care is any more insulated from the recession than other industries, but has seen them still finding reasons to come to Park City.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Health care will generate 3 million new wage and salary jobs between 2006 and 2016, more than any other industry. Seven of the twenty fastest growing occupations are health care related. Job opportunities should be good in all employment settings.”