HOSPITALITY & HUMAN CONNECTIONS – WE’RE BACK!
A casual conversation over a cup of coffee, shaking hands while sharing ideas with industry colleagues, and clinking glasses with friends old and new …. It’s what we’ve missed the most during social distancing.
Attending the recent Hunter Hotel Investment Conference in Atlanta and being in person with so many of our clients and industry friends for the first time in over a year was a strong validation of why we love what we do! The overwhelming feeling of being back – experiencing all the energy and excitement – and witnessing the positive vibes about recovery from hotel owners and operators was so inspiring.
Engaging sessions and speakers focused on trends and topics close to the heart of every hotelier – navigating through recovery, diversity and inclusion, the rise of millennials in leadership, and leading with purpose. Franchising, buying and selling, renovating and converting – professionals were gathered together to turn opportunities into business agreements.
Conversations also surrounded the labor market challenges and the current strain on hotel staff to take care of their guests and provide positive experiences. The iResponze team was grateful for the chance to offer solutions for responding to guest reviews, managing social media, and replying to direct messages for hotels by becoming an extension of their team. A few comments from Owners included, “We’ve needed this for some time now,” “My GMs can’t keep up with this,” “Wow, this is great! We need this!”, and "We’re ramping up and my GMs are making beds – we could really use your services.”
Engaging with representatives from all the major hotel brands, sponsors of the conference and integral to its success, was an opportunity we loved! A special shout out to Best Western Hotels & Resorts for their brilliance in sponsoring the popular ‘Puppy Therapy’! Believe me when I say our team took full advantage of the ‘therapy,’ which made things a little easier for those of us missing our fur babies!
Connecting with people is our nature in the hospitality industry. We’ll never take for granted the power of spending time engaging with fellow hoteliers and sharing our passion for taking care of guests. Being together again proved what we already knew – something of great value was missing from our lives! Thank you to the #HunterConference team for a warm welcome to an incredible, in-person event that gave us all a kick-start to traveling and meeting in person once again. Together, we are #hospitalitystrong!
Heather Cardone
Client Success Director
864.630.5525
