The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) officially kicked off its 2016 convention and trade show yesterday in Nashville with a packed-house at the opening general session. This year’s sold-out conference theme is “Success by Design.”
The general session began with an all-star panel of industry CEOs, which included Steve Joyce, president and CEO of Choice Hotels, Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotel Group, David Kong, president and CEO of Best Western, Elie Maalouf, CEO, the Americas, IHG, and Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International. The panel discussed the current state of lodging and hospitality, new technology, the importance of making hospitality visible on Capitol Hill, and disruption in the industry.
Following the panel, Tennessee governor Bill Haslam took to the stage to talk about the growth of travel and tourism in the state, and the opportunities that the hospitality industry presents for business-minded individuals in both Tennessee and all over the country. In closing, Haslam expressed his gratitude to AAHOA for choosing Nashville for its 2016 conference.
A hot topic of the morning general session was the importance of the hospitality industry to the overall U.S. economy. Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AAHOA, spoke passionately about AAHOA’s role in lodging. “As the largest hotel owners’ association in the world, we, all of us, are in a unique position of leadership and responsibility. You see we made an industry that is thriving. And it is thriving in no small part because of the incredible efforts made every day by the very people in this room,” Rogers said. “However, we also share a responsibility. An obligation to serve millions of Americans every day in their home away from home. By every measure, we are meeting and exceeding our obligations.”
Citing the latest industry data—like the fact that the travel and tourism industry is responsible for over 8 million jobs in the United States—Rogers detailed how the lodging industry helps to prop up the country as a whole. “While these numbers are impressive, think about what it means in the lives of those who actually make our industry what it is,” he said. “You see the millions of jobs it helps create, and the billions of dollars of economic effect. It ultimately means that kids get to go to college, families get to take vacations, and the American Dream is realized in all corners of our country.”
Rogers also took an opportunity to introduce the inaugural issue of Today’s Hotelier magazine, AAHOA’s new official publication, as well as an upgrade to the AAHOA website. The magazine was completely redesigned from its last iteration.
The morning general session closed with a keynote speech from recently retired NFL quarterback Peyton Manning.
