Yesterday morning, bright and early, attendees gathered for the second General Session of AAHOACON21, which – like the prior day's session – was jam packed with speakers. VisitDallas President & CEO Craig Davis welcomed everyone to the city, commending AAHOA's commitment to holding the event, commenting that this was the city's "first true in-person event since the beginning of the pandemic." It's heartening, he added, to see such a large group make a statement with an in-person event and make up for lost time.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) greeted everyone via a pre-recorded message, and Small Business Administrator Isabella Guzman delivered a spirited message underscoring the power AAHOA Members wield in the industry and across the American economy at large, which is a message that was clearly on display on the Trade Show floor, which opened just as the General Session concluded.

As the AAHOACON21 Trade Show floor closed, the doors to the Inaugural Tech Pitch Competition swung open. As an indicator of this new event's immediate popularity, attendees filled a majority of the seats in the C3-C4 Ballroom to hear from a pre-selected group of presenters. The pitches centered on products and solutions intended to help hoteliers make money, save money, and protect their investments as we come out of – and continue to navigate – the most challenging time in our industry's history.

As AAHOA Executive Vice President & COO Rachel Humphrey said while introducing event host AAHOA Treasurer Nishant (Neal) Patel, "We have a LOT of excitement to get through this afternoon."

A panel of five judges weighed eight presentations of five minutes each, each of which were followed by a Q&A format with the judges. Concepts pitched included streamlined scheduling software, AI and data analytics, AI guest engagement, an in-destination travel guide and guest connectivity, a revenue-management dashboard, tip-management, a meal kiosk, and more.

Once all presentations had been made, the judges huddled to select a winner. During that process, however, each judge offered an additional prize – free promotion, a guaranteed trial at their properties, etc. – significantly upping the ante of the competition.

After intense and difficult deliberations, the judges commended each presenter on their pitches, but there can be only one winner, and x-quic emerged as the victor for the company's pitch on a brand-new revenue-management software platform.

Thank you to ALL the participants and judges in this new, exciting challenge. Here's to seeing the continued evolution of this competition.

Today is the day to cast your vote for one of several open positions on AAHOA's Board of Directors. A full list of candidates can be found here, and the polls for this year’s election will open immediately following the final General Session at 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Each candidate has been given the opportunity to speak with eligible voters at AAHOACON21, and candidates for Secretary will participate in a debate.

Please have the following documents on hand when you go to cast your ballot:

AAHOA Voting Coupon	Proper photo identification (e.g., driver’s license)

For a comprehensive overview of the process, see page 29 of your printed Show Guide.

Do you have plans for April 2022 yet? Be sure to mark your calendars as AAHOACON22 is set to take place in Baltimore in eight short months. As we all know, a lot can change in our industry in a short time, so we're looking forward to the opportunity to get the band back together soon. Registration opens in the fall.

Yesterday marked the conclusion of two full days of Trade Show floor activity. Thank you to everyone who spent time with exhibitors, made new connections, and learned about better solutions for your businesses. Here are just a few quick highlights.

Thank you to everyone who has tweeted, posted, shared, and celebrated on social media their AAHOACON21 experience thus far.

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

Don't forget to tag AAHOA in your posts and include the #AAHOACON21 hashtag to spread the love and let everyone know about your experience.

AAHOA would like to thank all our valued sponsors for their support, partnership, and participation at AAHOACON21! You are a vital part of making this event possible. We couldn’t do it without you.

The on-site, printed AAHAOCON21 Show Guide also is available in a digital format. Be sure to check it out here or by clicking the image below.