RACHEL HUMPHREY
AAHOA Interim President & CEO
At times, it seems almost impossible to keep up with how fast our industry is changing. New technological developments and evolving industry trends can make hoteliers overwhelmed if changes occur too fast and too often. For you to stay on top of industry advancements and keep your businesses growing strong, it is absolutely essential for you to utilize the tools and resources at your disposal.
At AAHOA, we offer all members a plethora of educational resources through our AAHOA HOTEL OWNERS ACADEMY™ that are always accessible. Here, members can watch webinars on a variety of subjects that touch on every segment of our industry. Topics range from ADA compliance to financial management to understanding how to best utilize social media to brand and market your business. Members can also participate in exclusive workshops that teach participants the A to Z of development and financial topics. These educational tools are some of the most valuable benefits of AAHOA membership. Taking the time to explore this treasure trove of knowledge can help your business thrive in new ways by opening doors to business techniques that will bring in more guests, allow you to appeal to more job seekers, and create a desirable brand.
Outside of AAHOA, state and local hospitality associations generally offer educational and professional development resources that are uniquely tailored to your local industry. Whether it is education on specific regulations in your state and what that means for your business or new local travel trends they’re seeing and how to cater to them, your state association can better able you to navigate and understand the pulse of travel and tourism near you. Hotels in the Northeast and the Midwest will both benefit from financial management tools but will likely vary on marketing methods that are best suited to promote their business. Check with your state and local associations today to see what educational tools they offer to members like yourself, and if you’re not already a member, seek them out and consider the benefits of joining. There are also exceptional certificate programs from revenue management to industry analytics that provide specific knowledge to help your business thrive.
Finally, one of the most important professional development tools you have is other hoteliers. If you’re not learning from each other, you’re missing a critical resource for professional growth. No hotelier is ever too experienced to continue learning and adapting. In our ever-changing industry, being open-minded and eager to learn new ideas can bring the success of your business to new heights. Take the first step today and look into our resources as well as the local state associations you may be a part of. All of these tools exist first and foremost to help your business be the best it can be.
