AAHOA To Host 2023 Florida Regional Conference & Trade Show with Esteemed Guests and Hotelier-Centric Education

The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the largest hotel owners association in the world, is hosting its 2023 Florida Regional Conference & Trade Show Tuesday, May 30, at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street in Tampa, FL, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

 

More than 300 AAHOA Members are expected to join AAHOA Florida Regional Director Chetan (Chris) Patel and his Florida Region Ambassadors at this region’s largest event of the year. AAHOA’s Regional Conferences & Trade Shows are the best way for attendees to network and connect with hoteliers and vendors across their region.

 

Special guest speakers include Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Government Relations General Counsel VP Samantha Padgett and Visit Tampa Bay President & CEO Santiago Corrada, who are sharing the latest developments their organizations are working on to ensure hotel owners thrive in the Sunshine State. Additionally, Florida members are invited to earn their certificate for the BEST Inhospitable to Human Trafficking Training, sponsored by AAHOA, from 2 to 3 p.m. 

 

AAHOA Regionals offer the ability to connect and network with AAHOA regional exhibitors, providing the latest in products and services needed to operate hotels. Like AAHOACON, regionals often draw regional and local companies ready to help save attendees money and protect their bottom line.

 

“AAHOA Regional Conference & Trade Show features Officer and Regional Director updates, the latest news on the advocacy front, and region-specific education sessions,” said AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel. “Each year, we assemble an incredible lineup of topics and industry experts to share their knowledge as it relates to owning a hotel in your region. We’re proud to bring elected officials, local tax experts, and other respected leaders to speak and interact with AAHOA Members and attendees.”

 

“Our Regional Conferences and Trade Shows draw hospitality leaders from across the country to engage with our elected officials on issues that matter most to our industry,” said AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake. “These events allow AAHOA Members the opportunity to build, develop, and maintain relationships with elected officials throughout the year.”

 

Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) introduced H.R. 2601, the National Human Trafficking Hotline Enhancement Act, in April this year. If passed, this bill would require Human Trafficking hotlines that receive federal grants to cooperate and provide certain information to local law enforcement. AAHOA welcomes open communication about how our industry can work with law enforcement to put an end to human trafficking. This issue is important to our industry, and AAHOA looks forward to being part of these discussions and solutions.

 

Human trafficking awareness and prevention is top of mind for AAHOA’s 2023 Regional Season. AAHOA is committed to promoting awareness by educating hoteliers and their employees on how to spot and report suspected instances of human trafficking. As mentioned, AAHOA will offer BEST Inhospitable to Human Trafficking Training, Sponsored by AAHOA, for which AAHOA Members and their employees can earn their certificate of completion, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street. 

 

“The Florida Regional Conference & Trade Show is known to bring together hundreds of hoteliers from across the state,” said AAHOA Secretary Rahul Patel, who is based in Bradenton, FL, and previously served as AAHOA Florida Regional Director for three years before being elected AAHOA Secretary in April 2023. “I’m looking forward to joining Chetan (Chris) Patel, Bharat Patel, and other AAHOA leaders for one of AAHOA’s most well-attended regional conferences.” 

 

“I’m excited to get together hoteliers, from the Panhandle to Miami, for this event in Tampa. My main goal is for members to experience a successful Trade Show, be engaged, and feel united,” Florida Regional Director Chetan (Chris) Patel said. “Florida is dependent on the hotel industry and tourism, which is why it is vital to include industry leaders as a part of our guest speaker lineup, and show how AAHOA has great working relationships with other state organizations that are focused on seeing every aspect of the hospitality industry succeed.”

 

You do not need to be an AAHOA Member to attend this event. All hoteliers are welcome. For more information or to register, click here.

 

AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the nation, with Member-owned properties representing a significant part of the U.S. economy. AAHOA’s 20,000 members own 60% of the hotels in the United States and are responsible for 1.7% of the nation’s GDP. More than one million employees work at AAHOA member-owned hotels, earning $47 billion annually, and member-owned hotels support 4.2 million U.S. jobs across all sectors of the hospitality industry. AAHOA’s mission is to advance and protect the business interests of hotel owners through advocacy, industry leadership, professional development, member benefits, and community engagement.