2010 Scholarship Recipients 

Congratulations to the students being awarded AH&LEF scholarships for the upcoming school year.  This year academic scholarship disbursements will total more than $400,000.  Click here to view a complete list of scholarship recipients and specific scholarships they won.  Contact Christa Boatman at cboatman@ahlef.org or (202) 289-3139 for questions regarding the scholarship programs. 

YOUR AH&LEF CONTRIBUTIONS ARE SENDING JOE BACK TO WORK AT TWO HOTELS

 The industry rose to Joe McInerney’s challenge and met the Foundation’s 2009 Annual Giving Campaign goal of $115,000.  Joe promised that if the initial goal was met he would report to work at The Carlyle Suites in Washington, D.C. for a day.  Additionally, he promised that if $120,000 – a record for the annual giving campaign – was reached, he would also work for a day at the J.W. Marriott in D.C. as well. 

Two recent $5,000 contributions helped put us met the goal – one from Burba Hotel Network and the other from Marriott International.  A final gift of $1,000 from the J.W. Marriott in Washington, D.C. pushed the total over the $120,000 record-breaking level.

Since a total of $120,150 has been collected, Joe is going back to his career beginnings of working at a hotel for two days – it could be the front desk, kitchen, housekeeping, bellman, or laundry.  We will keep you updated on the exact date of service, position, and, of course, post any pictures.

In the meantime, start the New Year with a contribution to the 2010 Annual Giving Campaign. Make your donation online or contact Michelle Poinelli at 202-289-3181 or via email at mpoinelli@ahlef.org for more information. 

 2009 Big Apple Silent Auction 

The seventeenth annual Big Apple Auction closed with a total of $88,700 in item sales. All proceeds benefit AH&LEF’s scholarships, outreach, and research programs.  

A total of 229 items were offered in categories such as Business Builders, New York Packages, Golf Getaways, Vacation Packages, and Merchandise.  A special branded category, called Parade of States, was co-sponsored with the International Society of Hotel Association Executives which raised approximately $5,000 that was split with them.  The Foundation gives a special thanks to USA TODAY for its donation of a one full page ad as well as the other generous donors who made this auction a success.  Click here for more information and to view the list of 2009 auction donors. 

THREE GRANT PROPOSALS AWARDED FUNDING AT THE AH&LEF BOARD MEETING

The AH&LEF Board of Trustees approved the following grants at their meeting on November 7, 2009 in New York City:

·       2010 Lodging Survey – Considered one of the most comprehensive surveys of the industry available, it is used as a tool for educating the industry and public on emerging trends.  Conducted approximately every two years by Smith Travel Research, AH&LEF has funded the survey since 1998.  Owners and general managers are questioned on more than 100 topics, including in-room amenities, security and technology features, food & beverage options, number of beds, pet friendliness, frequency of renovation, and newly added to the last survey was a section pertaining to green practices.  The final product is anticipated to be completed by August 2010.

·        Managing Electronic Distribution Channels Primer – Members of AH&LA Technology Committee were granted funding to create a primer that would be a general guide for hotel operators in the various aspects of administering electronic distribution channels and cover the following topics:

-       The Evolution of Electronic Channel Distribution Strategy

-       Rate Parity

-       Control of Electronic Distribution Channels

-       Control of Inventory

-       Customer Service and Loyalty

-       Inventory and Rate Management

-       Channel Management Systems

-       Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

-       Interfaces

-       Websites

The primer is anticipated to be completed in April 2010.

·       The third approved grant was for support of the Economic Significance Study of the Meetings, Exhibition, and Events Industry being conducted by the Convention Industry Council.  The study will provide data that can be used at the local, state, regional, and national levels to articulate the economic driver that meetings and events represent.  The study will be completed in 12 to 16 months and funding will be for a two-year period in 2010 and 2011.  Additional sponsors of this project include Meeting Professional International, Professional Convention Management Association, American Society of Association Executives, and the Convention Industry Council.

To-date AH&LEF has funded eight grants this year totaling $248,400.  All results will be available through AH&LA’s Members Only Website. 

Four Tech Primers Updated

Last year the Foundation provided funds to update the following technology primers which can be downloaded from AH&LA’s Members Only section on its Website.  Additionally, copies can be ordered through the Educational Institute.

Principles of Privacy
Provides a descriptive overview of the nature of practicing privacy in today's hospitality industry, including actionable recommendations and checklists.

Strategies and Tactics in System Selection
Describes an overview of the range of strategies and tactics that one can employ when selecting computer and communication systems for a hotel or hotel company. 

Food & Beverage Systems
Provides an overview of various aspects of technology used in F&B operations, both in the front of the house and in back including point-of-sale system fundamentals & trends, table management applications that can drive increased revenue, gift cards and loyalty programs, hardware & cabling requirements, interfaces, inventory & purchasing systems, and centralized applications.

Computer System Failure Planning
Deals with the why's and how's of maintaining service levels in your hotel during a failure of key hotel systems.