AAHOA and BEST are taking a stand together against human trafficking. Join us. If you or your employees have recently graduated from the Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking (BEST) Inhospitable to Trafficking Training (ITT) course, let us know by posting and sharing a picture of you (or your staff) holding your training certificate along with the hashtags, #BESTTrained and #notonourwatch. Don't forget to tag us! AAHOA and BEST are working together to spread the word about the availability of the training program, in a joint effort to increase reporting and ultimately reduce the number of human trafficking incidences occurring at hotels across the country. Recently, AAHOA Chairman Bhavesh Patel attended a signing of the Blue Campaign Reauthorization Act at the White House, and AAHOA will participate in a live Twitter chat with DHS Blue and AH&LA on March 7. Additionally, 100 percent of the AAHOA board is now BEST certified. ITT, which is offered in both English and Spanish, details ways workers can safely identify, intervene and report potential human trafficking activities. For additional details, visit https://www.bestalliance.org.

With 15 of the world's top industry execs on one stage, first-rate education sessions and certification programs, over 400 exhibitors, along with amazing food and entertainment, this is one event you do not want to miss. If you haven't registered for #AAHOACON18 but still have plans to go, there's no better time than today. Online registration is still open, and you save $50 by registering before March 26. Visit aahoa.com/convention for details about the speaker lineup, education opportunities, entertainment and trade show exhibitors.

More than 80 hotel industry professionals attended AAHOA’s first regional meeting of the year last week. The event was held in Phoenix, Ariz., and featured Congressional District 8 candidate Phil Lovas and Lindsay G. Leavitt, an attorney who spoke on defending ADA drive-by lawsuits. The next regional meeting (North Pacific) will take place May 22 in San Jose, Calif.

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:

• March 6 - North Texas Town Hall - Irving, Texas
  
• March 7 - North Pacific Town Hall - West Sacramento, Calif.
  
• March 7 - Northwest Town Hall - Wilsonville, Ore.
  
• March 8 - Alabama Panhandle Town Hall - Dothan, Ala.
  
• March 8 - Georgia Town Hall - Savannah, Ga.
  
• March 12- Georgia Town Hall - Cartersville, Ga.
  
• March 12 - North Pacific Town Hall - Scotts Valley, Calif.
  
• March 14 - Georgia Town Hall - Atlanta, Ga.
  
• March 14 - North Carolina Town Hall - Wilson, N.C.
• March 14 - South Pacific Evening Educational Town Hall - Artesia, Calif.
  
• March 15 - South Carolina Town Hall - Aiken, S.C.
• March 15 - North Carolina Town Hall - Raleigh, N.C.

AAHOA members are encouraged to register for the legislative action days and other events hosted in partnership between AAHOA and state lodging and travel associations in their local area. Consider signing up to help educate legislators about your business.

• March 7 - California Hotel and Lodging Association Legislative Action Summit
• April 11 - Arizona State Lobby Day
  
• April 18 - South Carolina Hospitality Day
• May 8-9 - Spring National Advocacy Conference
  

Upcoming Webinars – March 2018

• March 6 – Ensuring Safety in the #MeToo Era: Creating a No Tolerance Workplace
• March 7 – OSHA Compliance - Hazard Communication, Safety Programs & OSHA Recording/Reporting
  
• March 8 – How to Close the Equity Gap and Green Your Hotel with PACE Financing
• March 14 – Keeping Kids Safe in the Workplace: Child Labor Rules for Employers
• March 15 – Hotel Negotiations Made Easy from a Sales Perspective
• March 20 – Data Breaches – Understanding the Risks

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  (registration closes March 9)
• March 27 – Human Trafficking Awareness Training (open to non-convention attendees too)

For more information, contact Nancy Mikels, (847) 743-1258, nmikels@americanhotel.com.

Free lost and found software for hotels Earn money Free training for staff Sign up for a free account today For more information, email lisa@chargerback.com.

The National Labor Relations Board has reversed its recent decision establishing direct control as the standard for joint-employer status, and the U.S. hotel industry is frustrated. (Source: Hotel News Now)

Even though it's early in the year, the hotel industry is busy filling gaps in their portfolios, and shopping for new brands and other companies to buy. (Source: Skift)

To promote sustainability, some hotels are offering food and beverage credits and other perks for guests who forgo housekeeping services. (Source: New York Times)