During The Lodging Conference, on Wednesday morning’s General Session titled “From the CEO Perspective,” AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake discussed a multitude of topics with the other panelists regarding issues and trends in the hospitality industry. Moderated by Rachel Humphrey, founder of Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance, the panel was an illuminating and important discussion.
Laura Lee touched on the importance of practicing empathy when it comes to being a leader during the pandemic, and she also touched on how important Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives need to be in this current climate. “Women's initiatives, women seeking to own hotels…we need to be celebrating what women are doing, but the ultimate goal is to make sure there are opportunities for everyone. It's not because an individual is a certain race or gender in that they should be able to take on a certain position. AAHOA's minority-owned businesses have now become a majority in the industry; they worked hard, they overcame challenges.”
Rob Palleschi from G6 also spoke about DEI initiatives, echoing Laura Lee’s thoughts: “It has to be ingrained in everything we do. Keep plowing forward, keep improving...we have to stay focused on it; we better deliver on it. There is no better industry poised to lead than us.”
Some of the biggest issues brought up during the panel discussion were immigration reform, staffing, and labor shortages. One topic of discussion focused on low unemployment, why the hospitality industry has so many empty positions, and how fast food workers are now earning $22/hr in California, therefore the hospitality industry has some catching up to do.
When asked about current industry trends that they are keeping the closest watch on, some of the answers from the panelists included homelessness and government interference, such as the recent California bill, government forces at play, inflation data, and more.
AAHOA is proud to have leaders who are dedicated to attending important industry events, and who are speaking with other top industry leaders about pressing issues and topics in hospitality.
Original source can be found here.
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