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HOSPITALITY RESEARCH FIRM Knowland recently launched the Knowland Certification Program. The program offers three certification credentials aimed at enabling hotel sales professionals to enhance their skills, elevate their professional profiles and demonstrate proficiency in management, Knowland said in a statement. "Today's data-driven solutions require hoteliers and software companies to work together to ensure software investments are being used to their fullest potential," said Jessica Carey, VP customer operations, Knowland. "Knowland is a vital sales skill and a must-have expertise for today's sales teams; therefore, having a certification program advances our efforts to demonstrate that sales teams are comfortable and knowledgeable in all aspects of the platform and can prove that knowledge." Sales professionals who come to the table with verifiable experience can advance their careers by documenting their skills and efficiently communicating that value to current or potential employers, Knowland said. The program provides three credential levels: Certified Knowland Sales Leader Professional, Certified Knowland Power User Professional and Certified Knowland Revenue Leader Professional (launching in 2024).

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association is weighing all options, including litigation, to contest the U.S. Department of Labor's final rule revising overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The association is concerned that many hoteliers may be forced to eliminate longstanding managerial positions, which serve as crucial paths to career advancement. The updated rule features two-tiered increases in the minimum salary threshold and the threshold for highly compensated employees, along with automatic updates to both thresholds, DOL said in a statement. The minimum salary threshold will rise to $43,888 on July 1, followed by an increase to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. This represent more than a 60 percent increase from the current $35,568 threshold, DOL said. The HCE threshold will jump to $132,964 on July 1, then to $151,164 on Jan. 1, 2025-an over 70 percent increase from the current $107,432 threshold, DOL added. The updated rule includes automatic updates to both the minimum salary threshold and the HCE threshold, which will be raised every three years.