Now that we’re on the other side of the pandemic, I’m able to get back to one of the activities that I’ve had to forgo and have missed: strengthening relationships and feedback loops with
members.
At the time of this article, I have visited eight cities and met in small groups with more than 200 operators, bringing up topics with members they may or may not know about, but whose real-world insight, feedback and ideas are crucial to shaping the industry's strategy over the next five years.
The Washington Hospitality Association is trying to get ahead of five issues we are facing. There are some issues that are facing us that we’re not necessarily geared up or prepared for nor is there an obvious strategic path. What are your expectations of us as we face these issues? What are your definitions of success and value in these arenas for your association? How do you want to be kept in the know as these things develop?
One of these topics is what I’m calling “community quality issues” that include issues like homelessness, crime, housing, employee safety, guest safety – things that have more to do with the state of the community you’re in than they do with operational issues. In each of the past three years, our Government Affairs survey of members has issues like these in their top issues for us to work on. But the strategic hurdle is we are an association with more operational industry knowledge and experience. We know liquor law, we know tourism, we know health code, we know the legal ins and outs of eviction notices for short term stays. We’re not experts today on how to solve affordable housing, proper policing policies/resources or homelessness.
Should we be switching gears?
Another area I am exploring during our meetings is the future of our workforce. Our employment situation today is at its high-water mark and is going to get progressively worse before it gets better. This is a problem that is in front of us and in theory we can plan for. For every 10 Boomers that retire there are only seven Gen Xers to replace them. This is going to be corrected in four to seven years when Gen X starts retiring. For every eight Gen Xers that retire, there are 10 Gen Zs or Millennials to replace them. But in that gap, what is your plan? What, if any, are your expectations of us and what resources are needed to get you through this?
In addition, we are exploring issues such as “the tourism crossroads,” the beginning of hospitality’s tech revolution and the looming threat of joint employer and regional labor board legislation.
Think about these issues and when I am in your town, join the conversation to help us develop the industry’s strategy. If you are interested, please email your local territory manager.
Upcoming dates for the CEO road show include:
March 20, Longview
March 21, Vancouver
April 3, Bremerton
April 17, Southcenter
May 1, Puyallup Valley
May 15, Thurston County
June 13, Everett
June 12, Spokane Chapter Meeting
Spring Seattle Hotel Association Meeting
Summer Seattle Restaurant Alliance Meeting
If you are in these areas, look for an invitation soon.
As always, it’s an honor to serve you,
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