Social media gives travelers a voice — a loud, almost immediate, and unfiltered voice. Whether you're out there or not, your guests are — sharing their preferences, talking about their experiences with your hotel, your staff, even Tweeting about the chocolate and turn down service they did (or did not) receive. As a hotel leader, if you're not participating in social media, you're missing out on an opportunity to connect with highly engaged travelers and you can guarantee your competitors will jump at the chance to disrupt the conversation. There are so many opportunities to connect with current and prospective guests through social media. Let's take a look... READ MORE

No hospitality facility or destination is immune from potential threats and emergencies caused by nature or human action. Considering tragic disasters like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina or, more recently, the flooding which left the atriums of Nashville's landmark Opryland Resort under 10 feet of water, the time to plan for an emergency certainly isn't in the middle of one. Properties and convention and visitors bureaus (CVB) who take a proactive, collaborative approach to crisis management by creating and continuously updating an emergency plan are far better prepared to respond, minimize negative outcomes and recover faster. READ MORE

With increased public interest in accountability and transparency by the private sector, many hospitality programs and technical colleges have realized the need for qualified environmental engineers and sustainable management professionals in the hospitality industry. In this article I will highlight a few of the driving forces behind the formation of company - university partnerships and why some of these programs would be helpful in training your team. READ MORE

The most hotly contested yet least publicized piece of President Obama's agenda since taking office is the Employee Free Choice Act, the most notable provision of which is "card check." The Act proposes changes that will have dramatic effects on the nature and scope of collective bargaining, including that between hotel management and employees. Falling just nine votes shy of passing in 2007, the Democratic Parties' dominant performance in the 2008 elections seemed to all but assure the Act's passage. Today, however, the law remains unchanged. This article offers insight into what happened, and why hotel owners and managers should still be paying careful attention. READ MORE

Many hospitality employers may not be aware of the numerous state and federal  hiring-based tax incentive programs available to them and the benefits these can have on their bottom line. With the most current tax incentive programs in place, hospitality employers can receive an average of over $600 per new employee hired.  Over a three year period, including retroactive credits, this can easily add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars per location. Here are some best practices on implementing such programs, specifically the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, the Hire Now Tax Cut and the Enterprise Zone and Empowerment Zones programs. READ MORE