|
EVENTS CALENDAR
September 13
Chicago Hotel PAC
Golf Event
Tuckaway Golf Club
September 29
Hilton Chicago
October 19
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bloomington
October 20
Collinsville, IL
October TBA
Hyatt Regency O'Hare
December 15
Sheraton Grand Chicago
|
UNDER 30 GATEWAY
Are you 21-29 years old and employed at an IHLA member hotel? Then you need to connect with other young professionals of the Gateway! Membership is
free!
|
IL-Women in Lodging
Not a member of I-WIL yet? Membership is
free
to any female employed by an IHLA member hotel.
To sign up, visit:
AHLA.com/WIL
|
STAYGREEN
For questions about the StayGreen Program, contact: Karrie Teel.
|
GUEST SERVICE GOLD
AHLEI Certified Guest Service Professional Designation (CGSP) Personalized Training
|
IHLA 2016 OFFICERS
CHAIRMAN
Nabil Moubayed
VICE CHAIRMAN
Dean Lane
TREASURER
Tom Robertson
SECRETARY
Mark Lauer
PRESIDENT & CEO
Marc Gordon
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jenna Beyers
John Brooke, CHA
Mike Cassidy
Jerry Cataldo
*Mike Cohen
Brian Cooney, CHA
Kim Corrigan
Paul Daly
Darin Dame, CHA
Doug Dean
*Patrick Donelly
Mike Feigenbaum
Pierre-Louis Giacotto
Stefan Gruvberger
Kirsten Guill
*Bob Habeeb, CHA
Dan Hance
Chris Hansen
Rick Harmon
Patrick Hatton
Stacy Hinrichs
Greg Horeth
Steve Horve
Mark Huntley
Michelle Irvin, CHA, CFBE
David Jacobs
Fred Jones
Jerry Keyes
Tony Klok
Dean Lane
Mark Lauer
Damien McArdle
Dale McFarland
Michael McGilligan
Karen McGuigan
Ginny Morrison
Nabil Moubayed, CHA
Dan Naughton
Atul Patel, CPA, CHA
David Prentiss, CHA
Jeff Pritts
Tom Robertson
Jay Rosenthal
Peter Simoncelli
*Lisa Timbo
Tommie L. Van
Raymond Vermolen
*Ron Vlasic
Scott Warren
*John Wells
ALLIED DIRECTORS
Jim Buczek
Rich Cialabrini
Jim Donivan
Rick Simon
John Tomasiewicz
HONORARY DIRECTORS
*Dick Betty
*Ed Copeland
*Joan Geary
*Jim Gould
Arnie Karr
Mike Levy
*John Osmanski
*Rex Parker
*Gene Rupnik
Andy Schwebel, CHA
David Sowell
*Past Chairman
|
|
|
|
May was a very busy month highlighted by IHLA's Hospitality Awards Luncheon during the National Restaurant Show at McCormick Place in Chicago. Steve Horve, Dr. Misty Johanson, Dean Lane, Everett Rand, and Jim Abrahamson were all honored at this event. Over 400 hotel industry guests attended this great event that recognized the many contributions to our industry by these worthy recipients. Just prior to the Awards Luncheon, IHLA hosted a very informative hotel industry leadership presentation at the NRA Show that included Jim Abrahamson, CEO of Interstate Hotels and Chairman of AH&LA's Board, and Katherine Lugar, AH&LA President & CEO.
Also in May, IHLA participated in AH&LA's
annual Legislative Action Summit (LAS) in Washington, D.C. on
May 17-18.
This year, AH&LA joined forces with the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AHHOA) to demonstrate a strong voice for the lodging industry on Capitol Hill. IHLA had 12 members who registered for the event along with 5 AHHOA members from Illinois. Our Illinois group heard from several keynote speakers and then met with and educated both of our Illinois Senators and 12 members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation on key issues affecting our industry at the federal level. Thanks to all our IHLA members who joined us and represented Illinois at this national political event during a critical election year.
June will be another eventful month starting with our General Managers Breakfast Meeting on June 7th hosted by Tommie Van at the new Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/Loop. Our featured speaker during the breakfast will be Senator Kwame Raoul, Illinois State Senator representing the 13th Senate District which includes many of our Chicago Hotels. IHLA Member Hotel GM's should confirm your attendance with Jen Chase by June 2nd.
June will also be highlighted by our 10th Annual Pony Up for the Kids Fundraiser at Arlington Park Racecourse on June 24th. This event will be a lot of fun and raise money for IHLA's Educational Foundation Scholarship Program. Click HERE for more information and to register.
Finally, IHLA's Educational Foundation Scholarship Committee will begin the process of evaluating all those who have applied for 2016-2017 academic scholarships. The process will conclude with personal interviews of the final candidates in IHLA's office. We look forward to awarding approximately $42,000 in 2016-2017 scholarships to deserving students from Illinois who are pursuing hospitality management degrees.
Thanks to all of our members for their continued support.
Marc
|
|
Recent Articles of Interest
Connect with us on Social Media!
|
Welcome New Hotel Member
780 North Ave.
Glendale Heights, IL 60139
General Manager: Fahad A. Balagam
Welcome New Allied Members
Fabric Images is a dynamic global solutions provider of printed and non-printed tensioned fabric architecture. Their focus is on integrating structural frame and textiles into environments to enrich brand quality and the expressive identity of a space.
Great Lakes Plumbing & Heating Co.
Behind the brick, mortar, and glass of Chicago's architectural treasures, you will find the essential groundwork needed to provide functionality and safety - heating, plumbing, and fire protection systems. Great Lakes Plumbing and Heating Company has performed these installations in many of Chicago's most notable structures.
The Illinois Institute of Art Chicago is a culinary and hospitality school that focuses on fundamental culinary skills, and on leadership, operational and business skills which allows students to become future leaders in the hospitality industry.
IHLA Partners with Class Action Capital
 IHLA is excited to announce that we have partnered with Class Action Capital, a market leader in class action settlement claim management.
"We are proud to be working with IHLA," said JJ Thomas, CEO of Class Action Capital. "We look forward to educating their membership about opportunities to receive potentially sizable refunds on past product purchases and, for those interested, offer our claims management service that allows members to recover their pro rata refund with minimal investment of internal time and resources."
Class Action Capital will host two complimentary webinars for IHLA members in 2016. The first will take place on
Tuesday, June 14th and discuss the refund recovery process for two recent class action settlements. For more information and to register, click
HERE.
IHLA Chairman, Nabil Moubayed, Featured in Hotels Magazine
 "Nabil Moubayed runs for exercise at 5 a.m. to help fire up his brain as early as possible. Because he is increasing his responsibility to eight hotels from five, the Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants' Midwest director of operations in the U.S. and general manager of the soon-to-open Gray Hotel in Chicago, as well as the husband and father of two young children, says he does some of his best thinking during those early morning runs. The 13-year Kimpton veteran's thoughts today are mostly focused on The Gray (about to become the fifth Chicago hotel), as well the oversight of the Schofield Hotel in Cleveland slated to open this winter and a new project in Milwaukee that will open in the summer. Compared to when he first began to manage Kimpton's Palomar in Chicago six years ago, the challenge has ramped up significantly and how he manages his time and energy is evolving. 'Now I have to be more thoughtful about how I'm able to spend not only time on the phone and on conference calls but actually physically being at a property,' says the native of Canada and a graduate of Cornell's hotel school who has lived and worked in Cyprus, Nigeria, Singapore and Germany." Click HERE and go to page 17 to read more about how Nabil successfully manages it all!
Congratulations Expedia Partner Award Winners!
-Top Producing Hotel 2015: Hyatt Regency Chicago
-Best New Hotel 2015: Chicago Athletic Association
-Top Package Producer 2015: Hyatt Chicago Mag Mile
-Best of the Best +VIP Access Hotel 2015: The Thompson
-Top Egencia Producer 2015: Warwick Allerton
-Best Guest Reviews 2015: The Langham Chicago
-Top Mobile Producer 2015: The Godfrey
-Top TravelAds Partner 2015: Sheraton Grand Chicago
-Hotwire Top Guest Score: The James
-Top Producer Suburbs 2015: Hyatt Regency O'Hare
-Top Package Producer Suburbs 2015: Crowne Plaza O'Hare
-Top International Producer Suburbs 2015: Comfort Suites Oakbrook Terrace
|
|
HOSPITALITY AWARDS LUNCHEON
|
|
On May 24th, IHLA members enjoyed the 21th Annual Hospitality Awards Luncheon at McCormick Place, in conjunction with the 97th Annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. Roe Conn, Host of The Roe Conn Show on Chicago's WGN Radio and Contributor to ABC7's Windy City Live, served as the Master of Ceremonies.
Congratulations 2016 Ambassador of Hospitality Award Winners:
-Steve Horve
| President, Horve Hospitality Management, Inc.
-Misty Johanson
| Director, School of Hospitality Leadership, Driehaus College of Business, DePaul
-Dean Lane
| General Manager, Palmer House A Hilton Hotel
-Everett Rand
| President/Chief Beverage Officer, Midway Wholesalers, Inc.
Congratulations J. Patrick Leahy Lifetime Achievement Award Winner:
Jim Abrahamson
| CEO, Interstate Hotels & Resorts
Pictured L-Rt:
Dean Lane, Everett Rand, Steve Horve, Jim Abrahamson, Misty Johanson
Special Thanks To:
- Culinary & operations team at SAVOR...Chicago at McCormick Place Convention Center
- Michael Kingsley, Executive Chef & Chanda Dunmars, Catering Sales Manager
- Roe Conn, WGN Radio/The Roe Conn Show
- Event Co-Chairmen: Peter Simoncelli, Westin Michigan Ave & John Wells, Hilton Chicago
- Event Committee: Mike Cassidy, Jerry Cataldo, Patrick Donelly, Mike Feigenbaum, Bob Habeeb, David Jacobs, Arnie Karr, Lisa Timbo, John Tomasiewicz, Ron Vlasic
Many thanks to all those who attended, we hope to see you there next year!
|
|
ILLINOIS WOMEN IN LODGING
|
4th Annual Illinois Women in Lodging
Mentorship & Networking Boat Cruise
Spirit of Chicago - Navy Pier
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Boarding 3:30pm | Cruising 4:00-5:30pm
|
Security Upgrades to Illinois Driver's License & ID Card
The Illinois Secretary of State will be upgrading the driver's license and ID card and changing the issuance process. With implementation of these changes, Illinois has moved closer to achieving full REAL ID compliance, which is a federal mandate by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These changes also benefit the public in that they provide better fraud and identity theft prevention. Click the links below for more information:
AH&LA's LAS
On May 17th and 18th, IHLA Members traveled to Washington, D. C. to participate in AH&LA's LAS (Legislative Action Summit) and meet with the Illinois Congressional Delegation. Featured speakers at the Summit touched upon the important issues and provided the tools needed when meeting with lawmakers on these issues.
Meetings were held with 12 Congressman from Illinois and Illinois' two Senators where key issues facing the industry were discussed. Lawmakers were asked to 1) Call on the FTC to complete a study on the commercial operators of Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms so policy-makers across the country have the information they need to formulate appropriate policies; 2) Co-sponsor Legislation aimed at stopping drive-by lawsuits; 3) Co-sponsor Legislation to protect consumers from online booking scams; and 4) Co-sponsor Legislation that would support the hotel industry workforce.
Pictured below: IHLA members with Congressmen Cheri Bustos, Randy Hultgren, Robin Kelly, Darin LaHood, Peter Roskam, and Senator Durbin.
|
|
AH&LA STARS OF THE INDUSTRY
|
AH&LA Honors 2016 Stars of the Industry
AH&LA announced on May 18th the winners of its most prestigious prize: The Stars of the Industry Awards, honoring the nation's top employees and properties for their outstanding accomplishments, service, and leadership in the hospitality and lodging industry.
This year's awards have gone to employees who have all performed at the highest level of excellence, showing superior leadership, dedication and most importantly, a passion for service, whether they are veterans in the industry or just starting long, promising careers. Host of the Travel Channel's hotel turnaround show Hotel Impossible, Anthony Melchiorri, recognized honorees during a ceremony at the Kennedy Caucus Room in the Senator Office Building on Capitol Hill. The winners were chosen from nine categories.
"These men and women represent the outstanding talent, dedication and service that make both the hospitality industry and the hotel experience so unique," said Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. "The stories of each hotel professional are truly special, and it is our privilege to celebrate their accomplishments - because their triumphs and stories define who we are as an industry. Whether a 25-year veteran whose leadership inspires colleagues and the community, or a dedicated newcomer whose drive and talent sees her promoted in rapid succession, the hotel industry welcomes hardworking professionals and fosters an environment that allows them to receive the training and resources they need to move up the ranks and establish life-long careers."
The honorees were chosen among a talented pool of more than 400 nominees nationwide. To read about the 2016 National Stars of the Industry winners, click HERE.
|
Recent StayGreen Spotlight Article
IHLA Partnership with TripAdvisor GreenLeaders
 IHLA has partnered with TripAdvisor GreenLeaders, offering an opportunity for IHLA member hotels to earn dual recognition and additional marketing exposure for their green efforts. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 315 million unique monthly visitors.
To become a recognized StayGreen Hotel, IHLA members must meet the minimum GreenLeaders program requirements and score a 30% or above on the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders Survey. Properties that score a 40% or above are recognized as StayGreen Elite. Achieving these scores will also qualify a property as a TripAdvisor GreenLeader.
Complete the online survey
HERE
|
Upcoming Educational Webinar
Complimentary Member Webinar
Refund Recovery Process for Recent Class Action Settlements
Tuesday, June 14, 2016 | 11:30am - 12:00pm CST
IHLAEF Pony Up for the Kids X
Friday, June 24, 2016 | 2:00pm - 7:00pm
Post Time:
3:15pm | Chef's Table: 2:30 - 4:30pm
Arlington International Racecourse | Beverly D. Suite
2200 W. Euclid Avenue | Arlington Heights
Win, Place, & Show Your Support:
Get ready for an exciting day at the races in the classy yet comfortable Beverly D. Suite of Arlington Racecourse. Guests will mingle in the private room and covered walkout terrace with stunning bird's eye views of the track, indulge in the delicious fare and premium cocktails, and enjoy the benefit of a horseracing professional on hand to offer winning selections and betting strategies. Perfect for your executive team or client outing and a great setting to network with Chicagoland's finest in the hospitality industry!
Thank You Event Sponsors
Chicago HEat
Chicago HEaT or the Chicago Hospitality, Entertainment, & Tourism Security Association, was founded by a core group of industry security personnel with the assistance of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and our federal partners to maximize safety and minimize crime in our community. It is a public/private business sector partnership for the State of Illinois, Northern Indiana, and South-Eastern Wisconsin security investigators, law enforcement personnel, and prosecutors. The Association's mission is to share communications, alerts, training, and bulletins that affect the Hospitality, Entertainment, and Tourism Industry with the assistance of our partners in law enforcement, reducing the impact of incidents on our industry.
|
|
| |
|
