Regional Director Hiten Patel and his Ambassadors hosted the Northwest Regional Conference & Trade Show on Tuesday in Portland, OR. AAHOA continues to add to its growing number of hoteliers trained during the Human Trafficking Awareness Training session, and we continue to lead the charge in combating sex and labor trafficking in the hospitality industry. In addition, Chairwoman Jagruti Panwala, Vice Chairman Biran Patel, and Secretary Nishant (Neal) Patel were on hand to give the AAHOA update and talk to attendees about issues that matter. Sunday evening in Portland, more than 40 women attended the Women Hoteliers Networking Reception, where they discussed, in great detail, topics such as succession planning, benefits of AAHOA engagement, and employee retention.

The 16th annual Northwest Region Charity Golf Tournament, hosted by Regional Director Hiten Patel and local hosts Arvind Patel and Shirin Patel, was a success. The sold-out event, held at the Camas Meadows Golf Club in Camas, WA, on Tuesday, raised more than $100,000 in revenue. Proceeds will benefit Make A Wish Oregon, Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST), and the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Foundation. 

North Carolina Regional Director Akshat Patel and local hosts Jay (Trini) Patel, Rashmikant (Haji) Patel, and Vimal Hardev will host the Charlotte Charity Golf Tournament at The Golf Club at Ballantyne this weekend. The two-day tournament, which will raise money to support 11 charities, is sold out for competitors, but you still can catch all the action from the gallery, as well as attend the luncheon and dinner. It'll be a great opportunity to watch some golf, network, and support several worthy charities. Register today to attend.

Chirag Shah, AAHOA vice president of Government Affairs, will be a guest speaker at the Southern Lodging Summit in Memphis, TN, August 27-28. Chirag will join other panelists in giving a national and state legislative update to address such issues as how immigration, foreign trade, and tariffs are affecting the hospitality industry, what is happening with inbound tourism, how to solve the labor shortage of 900,000 job openings, and what other government controls can be put in place to benefit the industry. To register, click here.

Opportunity Zones and hotel development will be the topic of a Hotel ROI scheduled for August 28 in Norfolk, VA. The Hotel ROI series, conducted by Hotel Management in partnership with AAHOA, features one-hour education sessions that deliver relevant, market-specific information to help hoteliers maximize returns on their properties. The Norfolk Hotel ROI is being held in conjunction with the Washington, D.C. Area Regional Conference & Trade Show and will highlight the options the Opportunity Zones, created by the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act of 2017, present for area hotel owners. You don't want to miss this! Register today.

What have you missed this week? Regional Director Hiten Patel and his Ambassadors hosted the Northwest Regional Conference & Trade Show in Portland, OR, Hiten and local hosts Arvind Patel and Shirin Patel hosted the 16th annual Northwest Region Charity Golf Tournament in Camas, WA, we launched MyAAHOA.com, our new online experience for members, we announced the educational lineup and a brand-new HX profile frame (now available in the frame library), Vice Chairman Biran Patel, Treasurer Vinay Patel, and and Young Professional Director Eastern Division Purvi Panwala were featured at the Hotel Data Conference, and so much more! Check out the AAHOA Facebook page regularly to see our members doing great things!

Join us for the Regional Conference & Trade Show closest to you for access to top vendors, incredible networking opportunities, and region-specific industry updates you won't see anywhere else. These events are open to all hotel owners, even if you're not yet a member. Plus, Lifetime Members receive a free golf shirt for attending.

 

 

 

 

Town Halls are a great opportunity to build your professional network and to learn more about AAHOA programs and resources available to help you strengthen every aspect of your business. These events are open to all hotel owners, even if you're not already a member. Coming up soon:

 

 

August 22 - Alabama Town Hall Meeting - Montgomery, AL 

Registration continues for the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) program, which will take place September 17-18 in Orlando, FL. AAHOA Members in good standing are eligible for a deeply discounted rate to receive the training, which is the only hotel-related certification for industry professionals that focuses specifically on analytics. The rate is the lowest available in the industry, so encourage nonmember hoteliers in your region to join AAHOA, and sign up today to participate in this valuable training.

 

AAHOA Members earn 5 percent of revenue back, reduce OTA fees, and improve your guest-review scores. Plus, get your own personal FREE AAHOA Member hotel app that includes features such as SMS texting, GPS mapping, local-area content, push messaging, and more. This app will help drive more revenue and increase guest engagement at your property. Contact Ken Singh today to get started!

SurferQuest™ has been setting the industry standard for Secure Business Center software while serving thousands of locations worldwide since 2001. We emphasize minimizing your hotel's liability and protecting your guests from malware, viruses and identity theft, the fastest-growing cyber crime in technology today. SurferQuest™ offers a full suite of guest engagement technology solutions built with your hotel and budget in mind. For more info, contact Kathryn Koning, visit the website, or call 814-342-3120 today!

HotStats is a unique profit-and-loss benchmarking service for hoteliers, enabling AAHOA Members to find out monthly how your hotel stacks up against the competition. The platform provides in excess of 500 key performance indicators across multiple areas of hotel revenue, cost, and profit in a database that currently totals close to two million hotel rooms worldwide. Contact David Eisen, director of Hotel Intelligence and Customer Solutions, or visit the HotStats website today.

Two big talking points at this year's Hotel Data Conference were an upcoming industry recession and labor. During the "Wine" Down with the Bosses session, Mike Deitemeyer, Interstate Hotels & Resorts president and CEO, said the industry must focus on ways to keep qualified talent. “It’s about bringing energy and enthusiasm to the space,” he said. “It’s about inclusion and fun. We work hard, and we play hard.”

The Castell Project is committed to advancing careers of women in hospitality. It has released its second WSH List, which lists prominent women leaders in hospitality who are equipped with the background necessary to be featured speakers at industry events. "Less than one in six speakers at hotel investment conferences are women," said Peggy Berg, president, Castell Project, Inc.
(Source: Hospitality Net)

It's a common thought that smell is the most powerful of all five senses, which is why hoteliers are implementing scents throughout their properties with the following goals: creating ambiance to elevate guest experience, enhancing brand experience, and evoking a particular atmosphere by using location-specific scents.