BETHESDA, Md., July 18 – Nearly fifty women and young professional hoteliers joined AAHOA and Marriott Executives at AAHOA’s fourth Marriott Development Day held at the company’s headquarters. The brand development day concept, created by AAHOA exclusively for its members, began in 2016 as a way for hoteliers to connect with brand executives, learn about a brand’s specific flags, the franchising process, and a brand’s history and culture.
“Development days are an excellent opportunity for hoteliers to familiarize themselves with a brand, its different flags, develop relationships with corporate leadership, and, perhaps most importantly, acquire detailed knowledge about developing a franchised property,” said AAHOA Interim President and CEO Rachel Humphrey.
AAHOA holds several development days throughout the year to build relationships between members and the different hotel brands. Some events, such as the one held with Marriott, focus on helping women and young professional hotelier forge connections with the brands.
“We always enjoy engaging with the next generation. They challenge us in our thinking about our brand, our operations, and our technology. We learn as much as they do from these sessions,” said Marriott International Chief Development Officer Eric Jacobs.
“For many years, women played an equal, if largely unrecognized, role when it came to operating family hotels,” said AAHOA Chairwoman Jagruti Panwala. “We value partners such as Marriott that share our commitment to helping women and young professional hoteliers familiarize themselves with certain brands and identify how they might expand their portfolios to include them. These development days are vital to growing the number of new hoteliers in America and bringing new perspectives into the industry,” she concluded.
