H1N1 Flu Information from AH&LA

Those of you who subscribe to the AH&LA SmartBrief may have caught this information in yesterday’s e-newsletter, but if not, here it is again:

Make sure your property is prepared to handle employee absenteeism, sick guests, increased sanitation efforts and the many other challenges H1N1 is predicted to bring to our industry. AH&LA’s new 25-page guide can help answer many of your questions about the flu in the workplace. Visit www.ahla.com/flu for updates throughout the season, as well as additional resources and guidelines.

Also included on AH&LA’s Flu Information page, you’ll find links to:

• Ecolab materials with prevention info as well as “hotel-specific prevention tips”
• Action & Prevention of H1N1 Flu in Hotels
• Current & future H1N1 flu risks for hotels and travelers

Finally, to get the latest information on the 2009 H1N1 Vaccines from the Centers for Disease Control, click on over to their information page here.

As a Partner State of the AH&LA, WIA members with 51+ rooms automatically have dual membership in AH&LA.  For properties with less than 51 rooms, click on over to see the benefits of joining the AH&LA as well as WIA.  Not a WIA member? Check out what you’re missing at JoinWIA.com!

UW-Stout Professor Joe Holland named WIA Associate of the Year

The Wisconsin Innkeepers Association (WIA) is pleased to honor Professor Joseph Holland J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Stout as the 2009 Associate of the Year. Given annually, WIA awards this honor to an individual who services Wisconsin’s lodging industry in an exemplary manner.

Joe is a current member of the WIA Board of Directors who, along with Student Director Rachel Bernstein, has helped connect lodging industry professionals with students in Hospitality. He is a tenured full professor in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism, teaching Hospitality Law & Liability, Foodservice Finance & Cost Controls and more.

Participating in articulation agreements as far away as Singapore, Spain, and RAI University in India, as well as here in Wisconsin with Lake Geneva High Schools and Gateway Technical College, Joe has learned and shared his expertise through UW-Stout for 23 years. In 1998 he was awarded the Educator of the Year Award from the Menomonie Chamber of Commerce.

Part of Joe’s work has been to coordinate the AH&LA Educational Foundation scholarships for students in the Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management Program, with many students at UW-Stout receiving valuable scholarships to assist with their education over the years.  In addition to his role on the WIA Board of Directors, Joe also serves as Faculty Advisor to the American Hospitality Professionals chapter at UW-Stout, two national committees with the American Resort Development Association, chairs the Menonomie Tourism Commission and is the Associate Director of the Groupware Competency Center at the University of Paderborn in Paderborn, Germany.

Joe received his award earlier this week at the 2009 Wisconsin Lodging Conference & Trade Show at the Glacier Canyon Lodge at the Wilderness in Wisconsin Dells. Congratulations again to Professor Holland: the 2009 Associate of the Year!

Brian Brandstetter, CHA named 2009 WIA Innkeeper of the Year

The Wisconsin Innkeepers Association is proud to honor the 2009 Innkeeper of the Year, Brian Brandstetter from Cornerstone Hotel Management in DeForest. The “Innkeeper of the Year Award” is a time-honored tradition to recognize an outstanding individual who exemplifies the hospitality industry in our state.

Brian has served as the President of Cornerstone Hotel Management, operating five hotels in Wisconsin and one in Illinois, for the last 12 years.

Beginning with attending committee meetings in 1991, Brian began his service on the WIA Board of Directors in 1992, serving as a Chair or Vice-Chair of every WIA Committee.
He was elected WIA Secretary-Treasurer in 1998 and moved
up the ladder through all officer positions, serving as the WIA Chairman of the Board in 2002. He receiving the AH&LA Most Valuable Volunteer Award for Wisconsin in 2003, and has continued to serve on the WIA Board until his term expires this December.
Tops on his list of successes, he was voted “#1 Dad” by his kids which he described as his “best award and reward of them all.” His list of Awards for the properties he has overseen, representing multiple franchises, includes:

• Hampton Inn’s Circle of Excellence Award
• Two retention awards with Country Inn as well as their 2000 Inn of the Year
• Four Quality of Excellence Awards with Holiday Inn
• Four consecutive Gold Awards with Choice Hotels
• Five consecutive Director Awards with Best Western

A graduate of UW-Stout, Dale Carnegie Training, a CHA and a Certified Pool Operator, Brian also served as President of the Chamber of Commerce for two years, initiated a Tourism Commission in DeForest, and has served on room tax committees in 3 different communities.

Revised CFBE Program Now Available

To learn more or order the program, click on the image itself. Need help with your AH&LA ID Number or not sure if you’re an AH&LA Member? Contact Denise in the WIA office for assistance.

Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Trade Show

3:00-7:00 pm, October 26, 2009
Glacier Canyon Conference Center,
at the Wilderness Resort, Wisconsin Dells

by Bill Elliott, WIA
Win a Night & Make Some Deals!

It’s time for the WIA’s Lodging Conference again, and just like always, you should be prepared to find some great values at our TRADE SHOW! There are a host of new vendors exhibiting – from an exterminator with a bed-bug-sniffing dog, to companies who’ll help you with wall coverings to insurance agents, you are sure to find something that you didn’t even know about last year.

Of course, what would a WIA trade show be without some of the regulars as well? Don’t worry… they will be there, too! To see a complete list of the exhibitors, click here.

While you’re in the Show, make sure to fill out & return your “Sherlock’s Tour” game sheet. It’s a great way to meet some of the exhibitors that support the WIA, and one lucky participant will win a free night at the Wilderness Resort in the Wisconsin Dells!

The trade show is open to all Lodging Properties free of charge. Either register for the conference or email me for a free pass!