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THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association has announced the dates, cities, and registration information for its "On the Road" State Hotel Conferences for 17 states in 2023. The conferences will provide hoteliers, suppliers, and service providers opportunities to connect with their peers as well as hospitality and policy leaders to learn about the latest news and information affecting the hotel and lodging industry, AHLA said in a statement. Anyone who works in the hotel industry can attend these half-day, free events, it added. "AHLA's 'On The Road' State Hotel Conferences are designed to help local hoteliers connect with their peers, gain insights on national and local market business performance trends and learn from top hospitality leaders, service providers and policy experts," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "The events are also a vital tool to help AHLA build coalitions, grow our grassroots network and rally hoteliers around the industry's goals and initiatives. We are excited to bring AHLA's successful On The Road State Hotel Conference series to a record number of cities in 2023." AHLA will host these conferences in partnership with its state or city lodging association partners. Since starting with four events in 2021, AHLA's On The Road State Hotel Conferences have brought together thousands of hoteliers in cities across the nation. Last year, 11 events were held.

GREATER ACCESS TO capital and addressing the severe labor shortage facing the hospitality industry were the major topics to address for AAHOA's Spring National Advocacy Conference last week. It was the final advocacy conference for Nishant "Neal" Patel as AAHOA chairman. "It was an honor to attend my final advocacy conference as chairman. We brought nearly 200 AAHOA leaders to Washington, D.C., to advocate on behalf of our industry and on behalf of AAHOA's 20,000 members," Patel said in a press release. "Creating relationships with our elected officials is a top priority for AAHOA, and we will continue to work on your behalf, strengthening relationships so we can continue to represent the entire hospitality industry with your best interests at heart." The AAHOA reps met with more than 200 elected officials. Their mission included educating those officials on the importance of hotels to their communities and the economy at large. The issues at hand were essentially the same as those addressed during AAHOA's Fall National Advocacy Conference in September. AAHOA's main advocacy objectives include: More access to capital by increasing Small Business Administration loan caps/limits - Currently, SBA 7(a) and 504 loan limits are capped at $5 million, but AAHOA wants that raised to $10 million, which would be the first increase in the cap since 2010. AAHOA said hoteliers' costs of constructing and purchasing properties have risen past that cap over the past decade.

AT THE 2024 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show held last week in Orlando, Florida, history was being made at the same time it was being recalled. Miraj Patel assumed his role as the youngest chairman the association has had, while his predecessor Bharat Patel and AAHOA President and CEO Laura Lee Blake spoke on the legacy that led to the association's current success. AAHOACON24, the 35th national conference for the association, saw more than 7,000 registered attendees and 524 exhibitors at the Orange County Convention Center, blocks away from Disneyworld and Universal Studios. It included more than 44 education sessions and had two times the number of sponsors than in 2023 with 26. Event revenue was 6 percent higher than 2023 and 31 percent higher than in 2022. The tradeshow sprawled over more than 84,500 square feet of exhibit space. In a speech during the first general session, Bharat presented his theory on what led to AAHOA's current status: compound success.