Insider: A New President Equals a New Day for Hotel Management: Or Maybe Not
By Professor Marcel R. Escoffier, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Florida International University
Mr. Marcel R. Escoffier
Well, we’ve gone and done it. We have elected a new President of the United States. And with him, we have a new Administration with a new outlook on what needs to be done to help get America “back on track.” Of course, both political parties have differing views on what in America is “off the track!”
Let’s get prepared for the solutions the new party in power will try to implement and how these new policies may affect the Food and Beverage operations at your hotel. The proposals brought forth by the Presidential candidates during the campaign are, of course, going to be modified, perhaps even reversed, but there are some changes ahead in the direction our country will take, and with those changes will come both opportunities and potential pitfalls that the F+B Director will have to watch closely.
Some things never change, and with a new Presidential administration, irrespective of which party comes to power, there will be certain alterations to the public’s perceptions, behaviors, and biases which will be different from the first half of 2008. Primary among these will be a change in attitude from a “let’s wait and see who gets elected” to “Well? When are you going to do something?” The incoming Administration, like most previous administrations will be held to the “100 days” test… what can they propose, put into effect, or at least get the country moving toward resolving in the first 100 days of the administration. That means the hotel F+B Director had better watch current events carefully from now to about mid-March in order to be ready to quickly take advantage of the opportunities this traditional period of rapid policy making will present. Of course, on the flip side, the savvy F+B Director will have to recognize the potential roadblocks to doing business as usual that often are enacted during this Presidential transition.
In reading my article "A New President Equals a New Day for Hotel Management: Or Maybe Not" in the Hotel Business Review, let's address the things we know will change, no matter who we elected as our new President, then go on to look at how a Democratic or Republican Administration will affect our business.
Click here to read the full article
Sincerely,
Marcel R. Escoffier
Professor
FIU School of Hospitality Management
escoffie@mediaone.net
