Yesterday, the AAHOA Board of Directors confirmed Dr. Cecil P. Staton as the new president and CEO of AAHOA, effective Nov. 18, 2019. Staton will succeed Rachel Humphrey, who served in the role in an interim capacity for most of 2019. Humphrey will resume her duties as the association’s chief operating officer. Staton, most recently the Chancellor Emeritus at ECU (East Carolina University) in Greenville, NC, brings decades of experience in the fields of government, business, and academia to AAHOA. Learn more.

It's here! Registration for the 2020 Convention & Trade Show, set for April 13-16 in Orlando, FL, has officially launched. Register today to lock in the early-bird discount, and to our valued Lifetime Members, remember that you receive complimentary registration if you register 60 days before the first day of AAHOACON20. Register by Feb. 13, 2020, to lock in this great Lifetime Membership benefit. Not yet an AAHOA Lifetime Member? Upgrade your membership today to take advantage of this exclusive offer. 

​The much-anticipated HX: The Hotel Experience Powered by AAHOA took New York City by storm this week. The event, co-hosted with Emerald Expositions, drew in thousands of attendees who spent two days in NYC exploring the latest products and services and attending educational sessions on the industry's latest high-demand topics. Attendees named our Young Professionals Networking Reception as a highlight and experienced an exciting partnership launched with Anthony Melchiorri live at the event. What did attendees have to say? As one put it, "HX has never looked better! Truly reimagined." We're expecting next year's event to be bigger and better than ever, so mark your calendars now for Nov. 8-9, 2020! 
^{Photo Credit: Jenna Bascom Photography.}

Arkansas Regional Director Girish (Gary) Patel hosted the first Regional Conference & Trade Show in the newly created Arkansas region, bringing professional networking opportunities, Human Trafficking Awareness Training, and distinguished guests including Sen. Jim Hendren, Benton Mayor Tom Farmer, and Executive Director Montine McNulty of the Arkansas Hospitality Association. Head over to the AAHOA Events Calendar to learn how you can connect with Girish and get more involved in the region.

This week, we met with leading industry investors at the Kabani Hotel Group during the Marcus & Millichap 4th Annual Hotel Investment Forum & Luncheon in Miami, where AAHOA Vice Chairman Biran Patel shared the hotel owner's perspective on today's market landscape, hotel investments, financing, and the overall health of the hotel business. In addition, AAHOA was on hand in Las Vegas to have an open discussion with Expedia's senior leadership team at the annual Owner and Management Company Summit held during Expedia's explore '19 conference.

Head over to Facebook regularly to see our members doing great things around the nation! Last week, Central Midwest Regional Director Hitesh Patel and his Ambassadors hosted a Town Hall Tour through Oklahoma, where more than 100 attendees were trained in human traficking awareness and prevention; and Vice Chairman Biran Patel spoke at the Kabani Hotel Group of Marcus & Millichap's fourth annual Hotel Investment Forum & Luncheon in Miami. This week, Regional Director Girish (Gary) Patel and his Ambassadors hosted the inaugural Regional Conference & Trade Show for the new Arkansas region in Little Rock; and Biran participated in a leadership summit at Expedia's explore '19 conference in Las Vegas.

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. Open to all hoteliers, and AAHOA Lifetime Members receive a free gift 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. 

Nearly 1,500 eager learners attended this past week's HX: The Hotel Experience Powered by AAHOA Conference, where they learned about everything from F&B and labor to women's networking and how to sell franchised hotels. The 24 AAHOA-curated educational sessions at this year's event saw attendance nearly double year over year, showcasing AAHOA's ability to create and present educational topics that are most important to today's hoteliers. Hotel Management was on hand to cover many of the sessions from NYC, so be sure to read up if you missed them live.  
^{Photo Credit: Jenna Bascom Photography.}

AAHOA's exclusive members-only webinars provide insights on the latest topics and ideas in hotel ownership. Accessible via MyAAHOA.com, sign in today to browse topics, track your professional development goals, and review all of AAHOA's educational offerings. 

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey reports, “Luxury (+2.9%) was the strongest chain scale for branded hotels; Midscale was the weakest at -3.3%. Upper Midscale (-0.8%) also underperformed the industry average. Within Upper Upscale & Luxury class hotels, Group (+0.8% vs. -2.0% prior week) was softer than Transient (+3.7% vs. +3.6% prior week). While we do not have great clarity as to all the puts and takes, there was some relative strength in last week's Monday/Tuesday RevPAR (+5.0% / +3.4%) vs. the ~1% for the rest of the week. It is possible there was some demand shifting from the prior week's Halloween, which moved to a Thursday in 2019 from a Wednesday in 2018.”

 

Dell empowers business owners to use technology to realize their dreams. Now, the computer technology giant has partnered with AAHOA to bring members savings of 30 percent to 40 percent off the everyday price on their systems and Dell-branded electronics and accessories! Visit www.dell.com/AAHOA to shop or call 800-757-8442 today. Please mention you are an AAHOA Member and use Member ID 530002735094.

At Curve Hospitality®, we combine creative design solutions with our ability to manufacture and deliver contract furnishings. Our experienced hospitality interior design team works closely with clients to turn their vision into a marketable commercial product. As a leading manufacturer of contract furnishings, our buying power and expertise translate into competitive pricing to our interior design hotel customers. Visit our website today!

The members of AHIA specialize in hospitality industry legal issues and have a minimum of five years' experience for in-house counsel and 10 years' experience for outside counsel. All AHIA members are committed to promoting professionalism, continuing education, and improved communication, which creates a network of competent experienced attorneys committed to improving legal services throughout the hospitality industry. Access their nationwide directory to find a hospitality industry lawyer near you.

Hotels have always needed to keep up with the pulse of design trends, but never as much as now. Social media has disrupted yet another aspect of the hotel industry, so on-point design is absolutely necessary. While murals are good for the Instagrammable moments, it's also important to remember that social media goes beyond "the 'Gram" and includes design-centric TV shows. All of this points to one conclusion: Guests are engaged and immersed in design.

Home sharing poses a significant threat to the hotel industry, but Jersey City, NJ, proved that locals aren't thrilled with the platform, either. Almost 70 percent of Jersey City locals voted to ban home-share listings in buildings with five or more residential units, effectively criminalizing home-sharing platforms in luxury high-rise buildings.
^{Source: Architectural Digest, Photo Credit}

The use of artificial intelligence is often brought to hoteliers as a solution for booking information or revenue management. Another area where AI may help is in talent acquisition. With an industry-wide labor shortage, finding qualified employees is difficult. AI can be implemented to screen resumes, provide real-time feedback to potential candidates, and rid the process of human error and biases.
^{Source: Hospitality Net, Photo Credit}