By all accounts, the AH&LA’s Fall Conference in November in New York City was a winner. Sessions burst out into hallways, business got done, fundraising broke records and major networking was accomplished.
In the Mandarin-Oriental’s ultra-glamorous 34th floor ballroom overlooking Central Park, the AH&LA feted incoming 2009 chairman Joe Martin. An Oklahoma hotelier and long-time industry volunteer, Martin succeeds 2008 chairman Tom Corcoran. In its meeting earlier that day on Nov. 9, the AH&LA board of directors elected John Campbell, general manager of the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, as secretary/treasurer. They are joined by 2009 Vice Chairman and 2010 Chairman David Kong, president & CEO of Best Western International.
With just a few online items still to be bid on, the AH&LA’s Educational Foundation estimates the proceeds from its annual Big Apple Auction will top $51,000. The proceeds will be used to fund hospitality scholarships and research in the coming year.
In a special breakfast ceremony, the AH&LA’s Educational Institute honored 11 certified professionals with a distinguished Emeritus status during its “Celebration of Excellence.” This year’s breakfast marked the first time individuals holding an EI Master Hotel Supplier (MHS) certification were honored with Emeritus status alongside Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) professionals. AH&LA President/CEO Joe McInerney presented retiring EI President/COO Roy Kennington with a plaque of appreciation for his many years of work.
Proceeding the official start of the Fall Conference the AH&LA held its third Lodging Leadership Forum at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. In her keynote luncheon speech, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin discussed her two bestselling biographies on Abraham Lincoln (Team of Rivals) and Franklin Roosevelt (No Ordinary Time) and the similarities of their terms with the situation facing President-elect Barack Obama.
At the 93rd International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show held in conjunction with the Fall Conference, editors with the industry’s trade press selected LG Electronics as the winner of the Kenneth F. Hine “Best of Show” in the Editor’s Choice Awards. The electronics manufacturer entered its ART COOL Picture, a 17.5- by 17.5-inch frame that combines the high-end style of artwork or photography with an air conditioner.
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Scouring for Dollars
Bedford International helps hoteliers with cash flow and balance sheets.
by Elizabeth Johnson
AH&LA member properties can save hundreds of thousands of dollars by enlisting the expertise of Bedford International, a national firm that has partnered with AH&LA to provide incentives negotiation, compliance services and tax solutions to members.
“The core competence of our company is about helping people who own commercial real estate improve their cash flow and balance sheet,” says Bedford CEO Gregory Wing.
Bedford provides two distinct service offerings for its hotel and resort clients. The first is called GAIN—Gains, Abatements, Incentive-Negotiations. GAIN provides new projects with the identification, negotiation and collection of the billions of dollars available through federal, state and local financial incentives and tax credits. If a business has a physical plant with costs exceeding $10 million or has the possibility to generate more than 100 jobs, it’s worth investigating the availability of incentives, according to Wing.
“We can help clients identify and secure cash and equivalents for between 10 and 20 percent of the capital expenditures of their facilities,” he says.
The second area where Bedford works with hospitality clients is tax solutions based on cost segregation and accelerated depreciation. By classifying shorter depreciable life assets properties can save in taxes and recoup tax payments from the prior two years, if no taxes are due for a current year.
More information is available at www.bedfordint.com, or by contacting Rich Schleier at 602-324-7107 or rschleier@bedfordint.com.
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