Good morning, AAHOACON24! The finish line is in sight, but many of us are wishing the train could keep rolling just a little bit longer. Yesterday once again was filled with opportunities, and last night's Classic Bollywood Night was a marvelous experience.

The final day of AAHOACON24 promises to be another great one, as we have yet another fantastic General Session Keynote Speaker lined up in mindset coach, motivational speaker, and author Rahul Kapoor, in addition to what promises to be a fantastic masterclass, election results announcements, and the highly anticipated Gala Reception this evening.

Let’s make our final day together in Orlando a great one! Last chance to dance.

Close out AAHOACON24 in style This year’s AAHOACON24 Gala promises to be a can’t-miss experience as we dance the night away with the amazing talent of Bollywood Fusion! Entertainment will include Abhijeet Sawant, winner of the first season of “Indian Idol,” Abhinanda Sarkaar, a performer at the FIFA World Cup 2022, and Kanika Kapoor, winner of the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer! What: AAHOACON24 Gala Reception, Dinner, and Entertainment When: Tonight, 6-7 p.m. - Gala Reception /  8:30 p.m.-midnight - Gala Dinner + Entertainment Where: OCCC Valencia Ballroom

Thanks, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for sponsoring Gala Night!

Each year, the AAHOA Tech Pitch Competition, co-powered by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), aims to discover and promote companies with groundbreaking ideas and products poised to assist the hospitality industry amidst ongoing challenges, such as workforce shortages and the evolving needs of hotel-staying guests. Notably, this year's competition introduced a unique focus on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in hospitality technology, highlighting solutions geared toward enhancing hoteliers' operational efficiency and profitability.

"As hoteliers, we are constantly asking how we can improve our bottom line. Technology is the answer," said Nishant (Neal) Patel, AAHOA Past Chairman (2022-23) and event emcee.

Entrants, Patel said, would be evaluated on four key points:

1. Cost of implementation
2. Implemenatation of AI
3. Return on investment
4. The benefit a product/service provides to the industry

After all eight participating companies made their pitch and took questions from the four-judge panel, Kings III was crowned this year's winner for the company's pitch on helping bring hotel elevator communication devices up to recently updated ADA codes for sight- and hearing-impaired guests. “We've been in the emergency communications business for over 30 years now,” said Clarisa Miranda, Business Development Manager, Hospitality Vertical, Kings III Emergency Communications. “We never had to target hospitality before because there was never a need. But with code changes that are happening with elevator technology and with landlines going away, there's now reason that hotels need us here at Kings III Emergency Communications. We provide a full turnkey solution for any emergency phone that you need, especially the ones that are code-required - elevators, pools, parking garages, areas of refuge. wheelchair lifts. We do it all.”

AAHOA’s inaugural Hotel Turnaround Collegiate Championship challenged university students from across the nation to compete in making the kind of decisions all hotel owners must make to turn things around when performance is lagging. The competition is part of AAHOA’s commitment to supporting the next generation of hospitality leaders.

Multiple teams of students representing several universities across the nation came together to battle it out at AAHOACON24 for the championship. The contenders had to navigate a unique simulation program, HOTELsim, powered by Russell Partnership Technology, that enabled them to make decisions mirroring real-life challenges faced by all AAHOA Members. These included staffing, operations, and marketing. They “inherited” an identical hotel in the same market with the same key performance indicators.  Teams used HOTELsim to make staffing, operations, marketing, and capital expenditure decisions, among others.

Be sure to join us this morning during General Session where the winners of this hard-fought competition will be announced on the main stage, and thank you to everyone – competitors and judges included – who made this inaugural event a smashing success.

Presented in collaboration with HerOwnership

The hotel industry is hardly alone in managing the disruption from large technology companies that dominate the digital marketplace. Retail, financial services, music, automotive, and many others, including hotels, are trying to navigate this dynamic environment.

The focus of commercial strategy is on growing asset value. It is no longer “business as usual” in your business. The old rules no longer apply. Evolving distribution trends and rapidly rising booking channel costs have changed the game of profit management. In this dynamic Masterclass, we will cover: The essence of commercial strategy Asking the right questions to grow profit contribution Flow-through analysis Benchmarks: Legacy and next-gen Setting objectives – revenues and costs Optimal business mix planning and tracking Case studies Tools to help get you started

What: Commercial Strategy Masterclass with Kalibri Labs, in collaboration with HerOwnership
When: Today, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Where: OCCC W231

Wrap up your AAHOACON24 education experience by gaining fresh insights into how you begin the journey of improving the value of your hotel assets.

Thursday evening's Classic Bollywood Night was an affair to remember, as attendees gathered in the Valencia Ballroom for dinner and a show. And what a show it was. After everyone had a chance to eat, attendees flocked to the front of the ballroom for an evening of amazing music. Backed by a stellar band, several legends of Bollywood graced the AAHOACON24 stage, delighting attendees with a star-studded tribute to the classic film "Yaadien."

Thank you to everyone who came out and helped make this such an amazing evening!

Thank you to everyone who has tweeted, posted, shared, and celebrated on social media their #AAHOACON24 experience thus far. We're looking forward to seeing more photos of attendees rubbing elbows and having a great time.

Here's a quick roundup of just a few of our favorites.

Don't forget to tag AAHOA in your posts and include the #AAHOACON24 hashtag.  

AAHOA would like to thank all our valued sponsors for their support, partnership, and participation at AAHOACON24! You are a vital part of making this event possible. We couldn’t do it without you.

Don't forget to pick up your copy of the in-depth printed AAHOACON24 guide, which walks attendees through the ins and outs of everything going on this week. In tandem with the official AAHOACON24 app, the printed guide is the best way to navigate this massive event. Check out the digital version of the guide here and plot out your final day at AAHOACON24.