Two leaders from the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) will address minority hospitality-industry officials this week in Miami at the 20th annual National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) Summit. 

Congratulations to Mike Boyce, the new Cobb County chairman! AAHOA supported Boyce in the recent election for his opposition to unfair tax increases. Cobb County businessmen thank you, Mr. Chairman!

Supporters of a measure to raise Colorado's hourly minimum wage to $12 by 2020 turned in a petition Monday with nearly twice as many signatures as needed to put it to a vote in November.

The 2016 DNC will conclude tonight in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tune in to hear remarks from both Chelsea Clinton and Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton.

Will we see you at our 2016 Fall National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.?

Georgia and Central Midwest members – don’t forget to register for your annual regional conference, coming up next week on Aug. 2 (GA) and Aug. 4 (CM)! Want to attend the Georgia regional? Click here. Going to the Central Midwest event? Click here!

Interested in boutique properties? BLLA looks forward to welcoming you to the 5th Annual Boutique Lifestyle Leadership Symposium being held at the beautiful Luskin Conference Center at UCLA, opening August 2016!

This 100% FREE (for AAHOA members) service tracks lost-and-found items in hotels and organizes the relevant information to make returning the items quick and easy. Plus: 

• Earn $2 for every item shipped!
• FREE training for hotel staff!

Independent hotels are boosting food and beverage revenue and enticing guests to spend more time on-property by offering complimentary games in public spaces. Heart of America Group is one company using gaming to their advantage, said brand manager Michelle Sparkman. Hotel Renovo in Urbandale, Iowa, which opened in August 2015, has a bocce court and a ping pong table outside the property that guests can use free of charge.

Airbnb said that its recent decision to remove more than 2,000 listings in New York City was out of concern over properties that "could otherwise have been on the long-term rental housing market." The move came as legislators in New York reviewed a bill that would make it illegal to advertise short-term rentals for entire homes on Airbnb.

Conviction in a leader is an incredibly valuable yet increasingly rare trait. It’s in short supply because our brains are wired to overreact to uncertainty with fear. As uncertainty increases, the brain shifts control over to the limbic system, the place where emotions, such as anxiety and panic, are generated.

Battling blazes, even in small towns, is not for the faint of heart. Tens of thousands of firefighters are injured in the U.S. every year, and Albers takes those risks every time he gets the call and puts on the uniform. John Albers is a fourth-generation volunteer firefighter in Alpharetta, Georgia, a small community in the suburbs of Atlanta.