IN THIS ISSUE

WELCOME NEW ALLIED MEMBERS

TRAINING SURVEY

HOSPY AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

NOVEMBER 8TH

AMERICAN HOTEL & LODGING ASSOCIATION UPDATES

MISSOURI HLA ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT OCTOBER 14TH

ZEALOUS STAFFING, LLC SPONSORED AD

HLAKC EDUCATION FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Q3 EVENTS RECAP

New Allied Members

We’re excited to introduce and welcome our newest Allied Members to the Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City! These companies bring valuable products, services, and expertise to our industry.

Be sure to check them out and see how they can support your operations.

Parking Services:

Parking Company of America

Carson Adcock

info@parkwithpca.com

WEBSITE

Utility Savings:

Vurge

Gabby Sole

gsole@vurgeco.com

WEBSITE

Landscaping & Landcare Maintenance:

Seasonal Solutions

Tara Eubanks, teubanks@seasonalsolutionskc.com

WEBSITE

Insurance:

Holmes Murphy

Isaac Anderson, ianderson@holmesmurphy.com

WEBSITE

Renovations:

Mick White Renovations

Scott Henderson, scott.henderson@mickwhite.us

WEBSITE

Commercial & Residential Exercise Equipment:

Push Pedal Pull

Kimber Manes, kmanes@pushpedalpull.com

WEBSITE

Outdoor Furniture Restoration:

New Again

Raquel Hamman, raquel.newagain@gmail.com

WEBSITE

Plumbing & Water Cleanup:

Roto Rooter Services Company

Drew Clark, drew.clark@rrsc.com

WEBSITE

Training Survey

The Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City is working to expand professional development offerings that meet the real needs of our members.

By sharing your input, you’ll help us identify the training topics and formats that will have the greatest impact on your team and your property—especially as we look ahead to welcoming the world during the 2026 World Cup.

This survey should take 3 minutes or less to complete, and we thank you in advance for lending your voice to help shape these opportunities.

The HOSPY Awards & Nominations

November 8, 2025

The HOSPY Awards: The Glow of Greatness will be held inside the stunning new Sobela Ocean Aquarium at the Kansas City Zoo.

Nominate your outstanding peers today and register for this great event to celebrate the amazing people who make Kansas City's hospitality industry shine!

2025 AWARD CATEGORIES

Click on any award below to see a description and submit a nomination

HOTELIER OF THE YEAR

ALLIED MEMBER OF THE YEAR

HOSPITALITY HEART AWARD

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION AWARD

BEHIND-THE-SCENES HERO AWARD

OUTSTANDING DEDICATION AWARD

Regulatory Affairs Update from AHLA

NO TAX ON TIPS RULEMAKING AND USMCA JOINT REVIEW REQUEST FOR COMMENTS

As you have likely seen, the Administration has released notice of proposed rule making and a public hearing regarding the implementation of No Tax on Tips and a request for comments and notice of public hearing related to the joint review of the U.S., Mexico, and Canada Agreement (USMCA). AHLA is considering weighing in on these issues.

Please let us know if your company has specific feedback on these items or if your company may be submitting comments separately.

a. No Tax on Tips Proposed Rulemaking and Public Hearing.

Deadline: October 22.

A few noteworthy points:

i. Re: Impact of NTOT provided in the supplementary information: “Using confidential tax return data, the Treasury Department and the IRS estimate that, in 2026, more than 10 million returns will have tips reported on Form W-2, Form 1099-NEC, Form 1099-K, Form 1099-MISC, or Form 4137.”

ii.      Re: defining voluntary payment from the proposed amendment to regulations: “(3) Amounts must be paid voluntarily. Amounts are qualified tips only if they are paid voluntarily and without any consequence in the event of nonpayment, are not the subject of negotiation, and are determined by the payor. Qualified tips must be paid without compulsion. Thus, service charges, automatic gratuities and any other mandatory amounts automatically added to a customer's bill by the vendor or establishment are not qualified tips, even if the amounts are subsequently distributed to employees. If a customer is expressly provided an option to disregard or modify amounts added to a bill, such amounts are not mandatory amounts.”

iii.      Re: definition of “cash tips” as described in the supplementary information: “The proposed regulations clarify that “cash tips” are amounts received from customers or, in the case of an employee, through a mandatory or voluntary tip-sharing arrangement that are paid in a cash medium of exchange, including by check, credit card, debit card, gift card, tangible or intangible tokens that are readily exchangeable for a fixed amount in cash (such as casino chips), and any other form of electronic settlement or mobile payment application that is denominated in cash. Cash tips do not include items paid in any medium other than cash or charge, such as event tickets, meals, services, or other assets that are not exchangeable for a fixed amount in cash (such as most digital assets).”

iv.      Re: tip-sharing as described in the supplementary information: “The Treasury Department and the IRS considered the language in section 224(d)(3) to indicate that, for purposes of the deduction for qualified tips under section 224, there is no distinction between employees in occupations receiving tips directly from customers and employees in occupations receiving tips through tip-sharing arrangements with other employees that interact with customers. While certain employees in tip-sharing arrangements may not have extensive, or any, customer interaction, they do assist employees who do interact with customers or otherwise contribute to the overall customer experience.”

b. USMCA Request for Comments and Notice of Public Hearing. Deadline: November 3. This is an element of the public consultation process leading up to the joint review between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico on July 1, 2026. Public comments are invited particularly on:

• “Any aspect of the operation or implementation of the USMCA.
• Any issues of compliance with the Agreement.
• Recommendations for specific actions that USTR should propose ahead of the Joint Review to promote balanced trade, new market access, and alignment on economic security with Mexico and Canada.
• Factors affecting the investment climate in North America and in the territories of each Party, as well as the effectiveness of the USMCA in promoting investment that strengthens U.S. competitiveness, productivity, and technological leadership.
• Strategies for strengthening North American economic security and competitiveness, including collaborative work under the Competitiveness Committee, and cooperation on issues related to non-market policies and practices of other countries.”

2. CYBERSECURITY INFORMATION SHARING ACT (CISA 2015). The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA 2015) authorities expire at the end of the month. CISA 2015 authorities relate to information-sharing between the private sector and government on cybersecurity threats. (A recent CyberScoop article provides a helpful recap of the issue and recent Congressional activity.)

AHLA joined with dozens of trade associations and other organizations in calling for a clean reauthorization of this program (multi-trade CISA 2015 reauthorization letter linked here) and is engaged with the broader business community on CISA 2015 reauthorization. AHLA will keep members closely apprised on developments.  

Tariff Announcement on Furniture and Cabinets

Thursday evening, President Trump announced on Truth Social that the U.S. will be “imposing a 50% Tariff on all Kitchen Cabinets, Bathroom Vanities, and associated products, starting October 1st, 2025. Additionally, we will be charging a 30% Tariff on Upholstered Furniture.” This follows an August 22 post by the President announcing “a major Tariff Investigation on Furniture” as part of a broader investigation into timber, lumber, and its derivatives.

These new tariffs are poised to provide further challenges to hoteliers, who already face broad and continuing cost increases.

Over the last several months, AHLA has been in direct communication with the White House and leaders in Congress regarding the headwinds our industry is facing, including negative trade policy impacts and the need for efforts to spur travel demand and contain costs. We will continue to amplify those concerns and share the effects of these tariffs on hotels across the country.

Details about implementation of this set of tariffs are not yet available. We will provide more information as we receive it.

If you would like to share how these changes will specifically affect your business, please write to govaffairs@ahla.com. 

Click here to access the updated tariffs and trade inflection point tracker

Missouri Hotel & Lodging Association Annual Golf Tournament

The Missouri Hotel & Lodging Association (MHLA) is heading back to Kansas City for its annual golf tournament on Tuesday, October 14th at Tiffany Springs Golf Course. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy a fun and relaxing day on the course with industry colleagues.

Join MHLA President and General Manager of the Holiday Inn KCI Expo Center and Atwell Suites, Michael Rose, along with fellow MHLA members, for a day of friendly competition, networking, and camaraderie.

Whether you're aiming for a hole-in-one or just along for the fun, it’s sure to be a great event!

Attention Kansas City Hotel Managers – Be World Cup Ready!

Message sponsored by Zealous Staffing LLC

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 coming to Kansas City, your hotel has a golden opportunity to shine on the global stage. Six matches—including a quarter-final on July 11, 2026—will bring hundreds of thousands of guests to our city. Is your team ready?

🔔 Limited-Time Promotion for New Hotel Clients

As part of our 2025 hospitality push, Zealous Staffing LLC is proud to offer an exclusive promotional package for newly partnered hotels. This deal is available only through the end of 2025 and is designed to help you meet rising guest demands with confidence and flexibility.

What You Get:

• Pre-screened hotel staff for housekeeping, front desk, and event support
• On-demand scheduling with scalability for peak periods
• Local expertise backed by national resources

We provide top-tier talent for:

• Housekeeping
• Banquet Servers
• Kitchen Staff
• Maintenance & Public Area Cleaners

All with no payroll headaches or insurance burdens.

⚖️ Hiring Alone vs. Hiring Smart

Hiring Method | Traditional DIY | With Zealous Staffing

Payroll & Garnishments You manage it We handle it

HR & Complaints Your responsibility Our team handles it

Workers’ Comp You pay premiums We cover it fully

Liability & Risk You assume it all We carry full coverage

Recruiting & Turnover You absorb the costs We deliver ready-to-work

talent

📉 Reduce Risk. 📈 Increase Flexibility.

With our tiered pricing model, you start at a competitive rate and grow toward premium coverage and service as the relationship builds.

Time Frame / Markup Rate / Built-In Benefits

0–6 Months / 38% / Staffing + Full HR

6–12 Months / 42% / Consistency & Support

After 1 Year/ 45% / Loyalty = Priority Placement

(The rates above are for new accounts)

📞 Call Zuhair at 913-957-9886

📧 Email: zalhussain@zealousstaffing.com  

🌐 Visit www.zealousstaffing.com

We staff. You shine. Let’s elevate hospitality together.

Our Education Foundation was proud to award $10,000 in scholarships this year to 10 outstanding students pursuing careers in hospitality. This investment not only helps ease the financial burden of education but also strengthens the pipeline of future talent that our industry depends on. Each recipient embodies the passion, dedication, and creativity that will carry hospitality forward, and we are honored to support them as they take the next steps in their journey.

Congratulations to these Scholarship Award Recipients!

Jennifer Elder

Sophie Ezell

Matthew Goertzen

Hasnain Haider

Stephanie Nuzzo

Elaina Shonkwiller

Sydney Snelson

Abby Keller

Henry Swink

Josephine Valdivia

Q3 Events Recap

Quarter three was packed with energy, collaboration, and connection for our HLAKC Community!

Hospitality Day at The K

We kicked things off in July with Hospitality Day at the K, bringing together hoteliers, suppliers, and our restaurant partners for a day of camaraderie and Royals baseball. It was a perfect opportunity to showcase the strength of Kansas City’s hospitality industry while cheering on our hometown team.

First-Ever Reverse Trade show

August marked a milestone with our first-ever Reverse Trade show. This innovative event flipped the traditional trade show model, giving our hotel members and suppliers the chance to meet, speed-dating style, and have meaningful discussions. The feedback was outstanding, and we’re already looking forward to building on this success in years to come.

Annual Golf Tournament

We couldn’t have asked for better weather for our Annual Golf Tournament. This year, players enjoyed a fun-filled day of networking at the beautiful Adams Pointe Golf Course. From the early morning welcome to the final putt, the course was filled with camaraderie, competition, and plenty of laughs along the way.

City & State Leaders Networking Reception

In September, we hosted our third annual City & State Leaders Networking Reception at the beautiful Loews Kansas City. This meaningful evening gave our members the chance to connect directly with elected officials and policymakers. These conversations help ensure that hospitality’s voice is heard and that our industry remains top of mind as decisions are made that impact the future of Kansas City.

Together, these events not only strengthened our industry connections but also underscored the momentum our association is building heading into the final stretch of 2025.

A special thank you goes out to all of our sponsors who made each of these events possible!