Guide to Hospitality and Lodging Organizations Education and Training

Hospitality professional organizations offer the opportunity to learn more about hotel management

By Sherril Steele-Carlin

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Attend hospitality organizations annual conventions to uncover educational opportunities

Annual conferences are a great way to update training and education while networking with other hospitality professionals. Often, round table discussions and other breakout sessions offer new innovative ideas, as well as the chance to brainstorm with industry experts on a variety of topics. Joining hospitality and lodging organizations with education in mind can really pay off.

I recommend: The Travel & Tourism Research Associationn (TTRA) holds an annual conference that includes training seminars on a variety of subjects vital to travel and tourism for the hospitality professional. The U.S. Travel Association's annual conference holds seminars on all aspects of the travel and hospitality industries.

Join hospitality professional associations that offer their own high-quality educational centers

Some of the largest hospitality organization groups have their own educational institutes, where members and their staff can take part in ongoing training and educational seminars and classes. They often offer certification, too, in everything from hospitality management to safety and safe food handling topics. Look for lodging organizations that offer classes in several areas, or present classes online, for easier attendance and completion.

I recommend: The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation offers a variety of training classes online for staff members to complete on their own schedules. The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute offers CourseLine, online courses in all areas of the hospitality industry. They offer distance learning programs, too.

Sign on with a hospitality council that offers virtual learning opportunities for you and your staff

Squeezing training in can be time consuming, so look for a hospitality professional association that offers educational opportunities online. You can offer these programs to staff members during down times, or they can complete them at home or on-site at their own pace.

I recommend: The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) offers virtual training for hospitality marketing professionals. The Network of the Hospitality Industry (NEWH) offers ongoing webinars on their site for many different areas of the hospitality industry.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Look for local chapters of national organizations that may offer hospitality and lodging organizations education and training. They may offer everything from safety seminars to continuing educational opportunities for you and your staff, and you won't have to travel so far to take advantage of them, either.

Guide to Hospitality and Lodging Organizations

Hospitality and lodging organizations provide the busy professional with numerous resources

By Kelly Shetsky

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use hospitality organizations to meet and network with professionals

Lodging organizations range from national groups to local associations. The organizations share a common goal: to promote and advance the hotel industry.

I recommend: Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA) is an international lodging organization with the goal of promoting and accelerating the use of electronic hotel reservation methods. Attend HEDNA´s bi-annual conferences to hear from speakers about technological advancements affecting the hospitality industry. Attendees are given a variety of opportunities to network with colleagues. International Society for Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) is a trade association for consultants specializing in hospitality. Find information on conferences, access to a global network of hospitality professionals and a speakers bureau, with dynamic speakers online. Choose your topic ranging from time shares, hospitality design and franchising.

Pay membership dues annually to belong to lodging organizations

Hospitality organizations' dues vary depending on the commitment you're willing to give. There are several levels including professional and student memberships.

I recommend: Network of Executive Women in Hospitality (NEWH) is a not-for-profit hospitality organization that brings professionals together with educational, networking and professional development opportunities. There are 18 chapters in many regional areas. Join as a general, associate, student or education professional member. There are different membership dues depending on the chapter. New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association (NYSH&TA) has more than 1,300 member businesses and professionals. It's America's oldest lodging association, with services and programs to help add value to your properties. NYSH&TA members include hotels, conference centers, resorts, country inns, attractions, bed and breakfast establishments, historical sites, colleges and universities, chambers of commerce and even industry suppliers. Download and print an application and fax it to NYSH&TA.

Benefit individually and professionally from joining hospitality and lodging organizations

When you join hospitality professional associations, you obtain access to many career development tools such as magazines, business reports, scholarships, education, leadership development, courses and seminars. These tools and resources allow you to advance your skills, increase your knowledge and optimize your performance and position.

I recommend: Green Hotels Association is an organization for hospitality establishments that are committed to ecological consciousness. Green hotels save energy, water and reduce solid waste. Keep up-to-date on green industry news, updates and products online. Pennsylvania Travel Council's goal is to promote and protect the interests of the tourism and hospitality industry in Pennsylvania. There are newsletters online, as well as a hospitality operations guide, to help you develop your career.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider a company membership instead of individual membership to a hospitality professional association, so that several employees can benefit.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Tour operator

A tour operator usually offers several different aspects of a trip for one price. For example, a tour operator may sell a package trip that combines airfare, lodging and transportation.

I recommend: To better understand how a tour operator works, check out the United States Tour Operators Association.

Rack rate

Paying the rack rate for a motel or hotel simply means that you pay the highest rate charged. Rates charged through a travel agent, tour operator or third-party website, such as Expedia or Travelocity, will generally be lower than the rack rate.

I recommend: For a more comprehensive description of what the phrase "rack rate" means, read what wiseGEEK has to say about it.

MICE

MICE is an acronym for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions. This segment of tourism refers to business travel and trips tailored for business meetings, with some opportunities for recreation.

I recommend: Visit Best Incentive Tours to glean a deeper understanding of how your business could benefit from MICE tourism.

Hospitality industry

The hospitality industry includes not only food and beverage service but also any business related to travel and tourism. This ranges from chambers of commerce to travel agencies to lodging facilities.

I recommend: To get a better idea of how to define the hospitality industry, read the industry profile from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Lodging industry

The phrase 'lodging industry' refers to any hotelier, chain of hotels, single inn, bed and breakfast, motel or hotel. Any business that offers travelers a room to sleep in is part of the lodging industry.

I recommend: The American Hotel & Lodging Association offers different types of memberships for different types of lodging. Each of these memberships represents a disparate part of the lodging industry. Bitpipe also has a glossary-style entry defining the lodging industry.

Tour wholesaler or travel wholesaler

Tour and travel wholesalers work in much the same way as a tour operator, but because they buy travel and tours in blocks they pay a lower price and, ostensibly, so do their customers.

I recommend: To see a tour wholesaler in action and better understand what tour and travel wholesalers do, read up on how South Seas Adventures conducts its wholesale travel business.