MONDAY Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals politely declined an offer from the American Hotel and Lodging Association to merge the two organizations. Instead, the HFTP board has offered to enter into a memorandum of understanding with AHLA similar to agreements it has with other associations, such as AAHOA.
HFTP said in a statement that as a global organization “with members from across the hospitality spectrum,” it would not be beneficial for those members to merge with a localized association such as AHLA. Instead, he suggested the MOU in accordance with HFTP’s agreements with AAHOA, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association, Hotel Asset Managers Association – Middle East, Hotel Controllers and Accountants Association of Hong Kong, the National Club Association and the Association of Private Club Managers.
“As a former director of AHLA, I know they are doing a good job for the industry and their recent takeovers of HTNG and HAMA will certainly help these smaller associations,” said Frank Wolfe, CEO of HFTP. . “But HFTP is a global association with global brands: HITEC, PineappleSearch.com, the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry and Global Certifications/Certificates, not to mention our members in the non-hotel segments. Our mission is education, not advocacy.
HFTP will host HITEC Dubai from May 24-26 and HITEC Orlando from June 27-30. Plans for HITEC Europe will be announced in June and HFTP, along with its partner events dmg, are in the due diligence phase for HITEC India in 2024. Two other major projects to be completed this year will be the publication of a global dictionary of accounts with KPIs and the publication of the 12th Revised Edition of the Uniform System of Accounts for the Accommodation Industry, currently being developed in collaboration with AHLA and some of its members.
“HFTP is and wants to be a good corporate association partner,” said Michael Levie, Past President and Global Partner of HFTP and COO of citizenM Hotels. “Ultimately, we are all ambassadors of hospitality and with close cooperation we achieve the most.”
A spokeswoman for AHLA said the organization had no comment on HFTP’s decision.
In March, at the Hunter Hotel Conference in Atlanta, AHLA’s charitable wing, the AHLA Foundation, announced its merger with The Castell Project to strengthen and accelerate the industry’s commitment to uplifting women in the workplace. ‘hotel. Castell Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing women to the highest levels in the hospitality industry.
Last year, AHLA and AAHOA formed the American Hospitality Alliance to advocate for hotels at the state and national levels. The purpose of the alliance is to pool resources and streamline efforts, the associations said, and it will also work with state hotel associations.