Registration for AAHOA's 2020 Regional Conferences & Trade Shows is officially underway and there's no better time to take advantage of the top-notch, region-specific educational industry panels we've lined up just for you. We have assembled an incredible lineup of topics and industry experts to share their knowledge as it relates to owning a hotel in your region and give updates on the current state of the lodging industry and top challenges impacting your local market. These eight virtual conferences, which continue into December, also will provide attendees and vendors with a day of networking and an interactive trade show. Whether you own a hotel in one region or many, AAHOA encourages you to register for the conference in every region where you own properties. Visit here to learn more about this can't-miss series, then pre-register to reserve your spot!

AAHOA Lifetime Member and Mid Atlantic Ambassador Montu Patel was the subject of a New York Times article on Tuesday. Patel owns eight properties in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The article chronicles the struggles and challenges he has faced because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the adjustments he’s had to make to try to survive the worst crisis the hospitality industry in general and the hotel industry in particular has ever faced. Read the full article here.

Join us at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, October 14 as Washington DC Area Regional Director Sandip Patel hosts a live virtual event with IHG. He will be joined by Kevin Schramm, VP Mainstream Development, Raul Ortiz VP, Global Holiday Inn, EVEN & Extended Stay Brand Management, Southwest Regional Director Imesh Vaidya, and IHG owner Chet Patel. HotStats’ David Eisen will moderate. Click here to add this can't-miss virtual event to your calendar!

AAHOA is hosting upcoming virtual events to share the latest updates for America’s hotel owners in various parts of the United States. Add these events to your calendar now. 

AAHOA Chairman Biran Patel will give opening remarks at the 2020 Latino Hotel Association Virtual Conference, to be held 11 a.m.-2 p.m. EDT Tuesday, October 13. This year's event, titled "Get a ‘New Normal’ Perspective on Hotel Leadership & Ownership," will cover topics such as "Keeping the Dream of Hotel Ownership Alive," "Achieving Success Amid COVID-19," "Sourcing Financing Today," and "The State of the Hospitality Industry," as well as a Capitol Hill update. Don't miss it. Register today.  

AAHOA President & CEO Cecil P. Staton will be a featured guest the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association’s eighth annual Marketing + Operations Summit. The live-in-person event, to be held October 12-13 in Destin, FL, will showcase leading industry trends, best practices, top-notch speakers and unparalleled networking opportunities for attendees. Register today and join Florida’s most influential hospitality professionals and top-level executives at this premier event!

CYBER HITEC offers a program covering the biggest challenges the hospitality technology industry is facing. Here is your opportunity to hear from 50+ expert speakers representing a range of perspectives, plus an exhibit hall featuring 90+ companies. The virtual event gives you access to this valuable knowledge base from anywhere in the world. Join the event live from October 26-27, and continue to have access through November 25.

In a recent Morning Consult survey, a whopping 72 percent of respondents said concerns about cleanliness and sanitization affect their decision on whether to stay in a hotel. AAHOA has partnered with P&G Professional to create the AAHOA/P&G Professional’s Training in Hotel Sanitization and Cleanliness. This all-digital program covers what hoteliers need to know as it relates to the effective sanitization of your property. This program is completely FREE and is available to the entire hospitality industry. Download our infographic to learn more and sign up for this valuable training today!

AAHOA is bringing you a series of COVID-19-related webcasts that will keep you informed and help determine next steps for your business. We have educated more than 30,000 hoteliers to date and feature more than 170 webcasts separated by category in our library. AAHOA is making these webcasts available to the industry, so share with those in your network, whether they're an AAHOA Member or not. 

 

• Getting Back to Business: Industry Leaders Share Their Secrets to Cut Waste and Stand Out, 3 p.m. EDT Monday, October 12
• Getting Back to Business: Hotel Budget Planning During a Pandemic, 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday, October 13
• Getting Back to Business: Recovery Strategies - Renegotiating Debt and Increasing Cash Flow, 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, October 14

AAHOA has partnered with AutoClerk to offer AAHOA*PMS, a property management system designed specifically for AAHOA Members. If you sign up for both Chase Merchant Services and AutoClerk, AAHOA will pay your set-up fee ($99) and the cost of your first month for each property. Visit www.aahoapms.com for more details and to sign up now.

Hodges Ward Elliott, founded in 1975, is the leading independent hotel brokerage and investment-banking firm in the world providing total capital solutions, including hotel sales, recapitalizations and capital markets advisory for its clients. Based in New York, HWE's commercial investment sales and capital markets practices have expanded its service lines to include office, multifamily, retail and land transactions. For more information, visit the website, then contact Clint Hodges today.

AAHOA is proud to collaborate with Kennesaw State University to establish the Michael Leven and Lee Dushoff AAHOA Scholarship for Compassionate Leadership. This annual scholarship will support students seeking an undergraduate degree in hospitality management. For more on the qualifications and how to apply, please contact Seth Walker or call 470-578-2206. To make a tax-deductible contribution to the scholarship endowment, please click here.

Technology has had a huge impact in how we communicate during COVID-19 and hotels are no exception to this. With increased concern in limiting time spent face to face, there are ways to use chatbots to enhance the guest experience.

Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an increased number of remote workers. In order to battle higher-than-normal vacancies, hoteliers have had to get creative with how they utilize their properties, particularly by catering to remote work guests.

COVID-19 has changed the game for the hotel industry. But as Maze Hospitality’s Robert Swade points out, “The hotel has never been a concept with fixed boundaries.” In a time of industry-wide uncertainty, there is a glimpse of optimism as hoteliers take this time to innovate. 

*Disclosure: AAHOA receives compensation from Chase.