AAHOA President & CEO Chip Rogers is scheduled to speak at the Hotel Brokers International (HBI) annual meeting, being held in Las Vegas, Feb. 7-8. Thursday morning, Feb. 8, Rogers will discuss how AAHOA’s advocacy efforts in D.C. are benefiting the industry.

Members of the Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association, Oklahoma Restaurant Association and Oklahoma Travel Industry Association will join forces for Hospitality Day at the capitol on Feb. 7, where they will spend time speaking to legislators about issues facing the industry. Following the event, attendees will gather at a reception with more than 600 members and legislators. Members can attend for free, but must register by Feb. 6.

Stay Current on Issues in Your Local Area 
Town hall meetings are a great opportunity to build your professional network and to learn more about the AAHOA programs and resources available to help you strengthen every aspect of your business. Coming up soon:

Feb. 5 - South Central Texas Town Hall – San Antonio, Texas
Feb. 6 - Gulf Town Hall – Little Rock, Ark.
Feb. 6 - South Central Texas Town Hall – San Marcos, Texas
Feb. 7 - South Central Texas Town Hall – Corpus Christi, Texas
Feb. 7 - Southwest Town Hall – Clovis, NM
Feb. 8 - South Central Texas Town Hall – Edinburg, Texas
Feb. 12 - Mid South Town Hall - Nashville, TN
Feb. 13 - Mid South Town Hall, Jackson, TN
Feb. 15 - Mid Atlantic & Northeast Young Professionals Town Hall - Jersey City, NJ
Feb. 19 - Southwest Town Hall - Salt Lake City, UT
Feb. 20 - North Texas Town Hall - Longview, TX
Feb. 22 - North Texas Town Hall - Irving, TX

Don't miss AAHOA Day at the State Capitol in Atlanta on Feb. 13, where attendees will have the opportunity to meet state elected officials and engage in the public policy process. Register now.

Upcoming Webinars – February 2018

• Feb. 6 – You’re Playing My Jam: Music Licensing for Hoteliers
• Feb. 6 –  Are You Paying Your Employees the Right Amount?
  
• Feb. 7 – Estate Planning for Hoteliers: Why It’s Important  and How to Do It 
• Feb. 7 – What’s New in Employment Law for 2018: Your Hotel’s Early Check-In
  
• Feb. 7 – 2018 Hospitality Trends hosted by SkyTouch
  
• Feb. 13 – STAR Benchmarking 101
• Feb. 14 – Beyond the Numbers: Visualize Your Property Performance
• Feb. 14 – FLSA Common Issues to Avoid
• Feb. 15 – STR Data: The Reports You Might Not Know About
• Feb. 15 – How to Create Brand Awareness for Your Business
  
• Feb. 21 – What You Need to Know About FLSA Joint Employment of Employees
• Feb. 22 – Hotels and Price Gouging: What Hotel Companies Should Know
• Feb. 27 – Your Business Structure: Now More Important Than Ever
• Feb. 28 – White Collar Exemptions for Hotel Owners

Check out the AAHOA Resource Library to view over a hundred past webinars and other educational resources.  

March 27 – AAHOA Certified Hotel Owners (CHO) Program (last onsite class for 2018)
March 27 – Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics  (seats are going fast)
March 27 – Human Trafficking Awareness Training

Overall U.S. RevPAR was up from the prior week's result of -3.2 percent. Independent hotels were up, and luxury was the strongest chain scale for branded hotels. Midscale and upper midscale trailed at +2.8 percent and +1.2 percent, respectively. Within upper upscale and luxury class hotels, group was stronger than transient. Strength in some citywides (e.g: Chicago) offset the tough D.C. Inauguration comp. For more, read the full report. Also, be sure to check out the newly released Corporate Rate Negotiations report and the December 2017 RevPar report. AAHOA partners with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey (STRH) to provide access to comprehensive analysis of current economic and market metrics for the hospitality industry. STRH is a leading, full-service corporate and investment bank dedicated to helping its customers successfully manage and grow their companies through a comprehensive range of strategic advisory, capital raising, risk management, financing and investment solutions.

Contact Raj Pannu at 972-979-2296 or Raj.Pannu@firstdata.com for more information.

AAHOA members-only pricing: $0 for a 1-year term contract or $500 for a short-term contract. Flat fee pricing of $6/res + $6.49 source fee for GDS, $6/res for all other channels. Learn more.

Hotel operators and owners on the Lodging Industry Investment Council discussed ways they have adapted their business to maximize opportunities before the cycle turns. (Source: Hotel News Now)

Although the U.S. hotel industry continues to break records, there's always room for improvement in any industry. (Source: Skift)

The home-rental company's appointment of the departing American Express exec, Kenneth I. Chenault, may be a signal that it's preparing to become a public company. (Source: New York Times)