AAHOACON24 was one for the books, and I’m ready to hit the ground running as AAHOA’s newest Chairman.
AAHOACON24 had more than 7,000 registered attendees and 524 exhibitors at the Orange County Convention Center. There were 44+ education sessions, and just over 84,500 square feet of exhibit.
On top of that, 100% of all exhibiting hotel brands rebooked for AAHOACON25.
We are just getting started!
On stage at our annual Convention & Trade Show, I shared several video clips of promises I made when I ran for AAHOA Secretary. However, we must be unified in our approach.
I followed up on each one, explaining what AAHOA has already done, and the plans for the future. I explained how we plan on keeping those promises…promises to our members and the entire hospitality industry.
Under my leadership as AAHOA Chairman, along with AAHOA’s Board of Directors and other volunteer leaders, AAHOA will continue to improve.
Together, we will focus on the top four industry challenges:
Number one: Brands – on the impact on profitability. Among other items, we must be unified… We must come together to educate, innovate, and challenge the brand purchasing mandates with a free enterprise methodology.
Number two: Industry Disruptors – such as short-term rentals. The short-term rental industry must play on the same level playing field as our industry.
Number three: Costs – in comparison to the airline industry, the lack of efforts on evolving our hotel business model and our rate model has directly impacted our NOI. It’s time to change that.
Number four: Regulations – actively paying attention to and being on the offense against regulations and laws that are confusing and hurting our membership and our industry. How many people know that a hotelier and hotel, including previous ownership, can be sued 15-20 years later? Revamping our education efforts for relevance and consistency at the local, state, and federal level will be key. However, your participation will be critical.
As your AAHOA Chairman, I will help improve and streamline our strategies when it comes to our bottom line – and only focus on things that help us make more money, save more money, and protect our investments.
Like the AAHOACON24 saying goes: I’m looking forward to building a better tomorrow, today. As we celebrate AAHOA’s 35th anniversary, I will continue to build on the success this association has built over the last 35-plus years with simple, straightforward solutions.
You have my commitment.
