Alkesh Patel on his first 100 days as AAHOA Chairman.

1. The First 100 Days
Class In Session
AAHOA Chairman Alkesh Patel
in Atlanta during the 2012
Annual Convention
AAHOA Chairman Alkesh Patel reviews his first 100 days and outlines
some exciting changes and developments coming this fall for all members
W
hile it’s only been 100 days By Jonathan Springston, Educational Seminars, followed by
since Alkesh Patel became a three-hour Trade Show in the mid-
AAHOA Chairman, he and AAHOA Lodging Business dle of the afternoon and an evening
the rest of the Board of Directors have Business Meeting.
been hard at work planning events Regionals so you can plan your “Up to two or three in the af-
and making decisions for the future. personal business and personal life ternoon, you are really busy. In 50
During the first Board meeting along with AAHOA business,” Patel percent of the Regions, you have
on May 22, the Board made a prior- said. “[Vendors said] it’s good to an audience that arrives at 3 p.m.
ity to plan agendas and set dates for have Regionals done by Thursday to 4 p.m. in the afternoon,” Patel
more than a dozen Regional meet- so they can be home by Thursday said. “It’s not that they don’t want to
ings in order to give vendors, at- evening. If they can’t, they’re back by get the education, it’s that they are
tendees and Board members plenty Friday. If we do Regionals on Friday, working. They’re running the hotels
of time to prepare. then they’re traveling on Saturday and taking care of the kids. If we
After receiving feedback from and that takes out from their work were to do a Trade Show and then
vendors who exhibit during Re- schedule. When you have it planned, do some education pieces during the
gional Trade Shows, Patel felt it was it makes a big difference for them.” evening, I think it makes sense.”
important to be careful how AAHOA In addition to sensible timing, Rather than Officers reciting
scheduled the events. Patel said the Board will focus this information members can find in
“We put the Regionals on Tues- fall on adjusting Regional schedules AAHOA Lodging Business, Patel
day and Thursday. Strategically, it in order to maximize resources and hopes to use the Business Meeting
makes sense so you’re not running provide members the best value. as a platform for vendors to educate
around the whole week back and Traditionally, the day-long Re- members on different products,
forth. You know you can do two gional meetings begin at 1 p.m. with services and other industry issues.
AUGUST 2012 AAHOA Lodging Business 31

2. The First 100 Days
“The evening is when you have “I have a bigger role as Chair- ticipated in a business roundtable
the most attendees and we need to man to fill. Before, it was more of a hosted by Red Roof Inn and Hotel
take advantage of that. It’s a pre- supporting role as a member of the Business in Columbus, Ohio.
mium time,” Patel said. Board, a committee chair or as an “As Chairman, what’s different is
you go and meet with these industry
When you have three or four different executives and find out what are the
things [they] can offer to the AAHOA
individuals that come and speak on a membership they are already offering
to their members,” Patel said.
topic that matters to [members], they
In late June, Patel traveled to
Baltimore for HITEC, where he and
other Board members strengthened
are going to pay attention relations with members of the Hos-
pitality Financial and Technology
Professionals (HFTP) leadership, in-
During the May 22 Board Officer. As Chairman, it’s decision cluding Frank Wolfe and R.P. Rama,
meeting, Patel said each Regional time and every decision is that much who invited the new Chairman and
Director agreed to send letters and more important,” he said. “Before, it the Board to upcoming HFTP events
e-mail invitations to elected officials was speaking for the Board or a com- in Orlando and Goa, India.
and candidates for office from their mittee opinion. Now, it’s making a “[HITEC] was amazing. I met
respective Regions. decision for AAHOA and the with the executives there
“We expect we’ll always have membership.” [and] we talked about
two to three elected officials, plus Even though travel how they can bring
professionals. We want to make sure has been light, Patel some of their exper-
during that one-hour Business Meet- has been active. He tise to AAHOA. We
ing, we are as productive as pos- attended the NYU spent a lot of time
sible and spend more time answer- Conference in New with them discuss-
ing questions from members than York. The Board met ing how they do
making long speeches,” Patel said. with Best Western their educational
“When you have three or four differ- executives to discuss seminars,” Patel
ent individuals that come and speak partnership ideas. In said. “Their
on a topic that matters to [members], early June, he par-
they are going to pay attention. They
don’t want to listen to me talking
about something that is already in
the magazine. It’s boring for them.”
Before becoming Chairman in
May during the AAHOA Annual
Convention in Atlanta, Patel knew
there had to be detailed plans to
ensure he could not only meet the
demands of his new leadership role
but also those of his personal and
professional life.
“I always wanted the meetings
planned in advance so I know what
my AAHOA responsibilities are.
That way, I can prepare my business
schedules and family schedules
too,” he said. “I have a great
family and partners who help
me with [my business]. You also
want to make sure you spend
time with the family. I have a
young daughter and son. I try to
get business done by Friday [so] I’m
home with them on the weekends.”
In the weeks since the Conven- Alkesh Patel no longer
tion, Patel has begun crafting his speaks for just a few
message and slipping into a members or the Board but
the entire association
broader leadership role.
32 AAHOA Lodging Business AUGUST 2012

3. The First 100 Days
Alkesh Patel has his eyes on executive team is so “The second and third genera-
the future knowledgeable. They tions are coming into business. The
gave me a lending hand. youth can sit with [HFTP]. They can
They said ‘let’s come up take so much out of it. That informa-
with special seminars at tion is essential,” he said. “When
the [AAHOA] Conven- you have that information and you
“Every time you speak, you have
to think about it. That’s different.
Before, it was speaking for the
Board or a committee opinion.
Now it’s important. More of it is
making a decision for AAHOA
and the membership.”
tion for the youth.’” use that in your new project, that
Patel said bringing saves you a lot of money. Rather
such knowledge to the than doing something without that
new generation of AA- knowledge, you do it with that
HOA hoteliers could be expertise. Then five years down
invaluable. the road, you’re not scrambling to
AUGUST 2012 AAHOA Lodging Business 33

4. The First 100 Days
change something that’s already
Alkesh Patel at the Annual Convention
come along.” in Atlanta shortly before announcing the
Education has emerged as an im- results of the election
portant theme for Patel’s Chairman-
ship. While AAHOA remains “the
sword you need and the shield you
deserve,” as the new Chairman put it
You meet with
these industry
executives and
find out what
are the things
[they] can offer for positions on association com- them in their second committee of
to the AAHOA
mittees. choice.”
“Every month I was writing “It worked out pretty well. We
about the committee participa- got our orientations done and the
membership tion. At the Convention, I told the
members that in order to be a part of
committees elected their chairs. It’s
something we’ll work on improv-
they are already it, you need to apply. We had a lot of
people apply and show interest. We
ing,” he added.
AAHOA recently commissioned
offering to their
were able to get 95 to 99 percent of a survey through Xavier University
those who applied onto committees and the University of Kentucky that
to serve,” Patel said. “There were seeks to answer many important
members certain committees like Governmen-
tal Affairs, Strategic Planning
questions for franchisees.
“We want to get the stats out
and Youth that had on the performance of certain
during the Convention, the associa- greater interest than brands so we can have a book
tion is ready to make individual the others. If people or a sheet,” Patel said. “If we
members their own best weren’t able to serve can produce guidelines for
advocates. on their first com- [a first-time hotelier] that
As part of the new mittee of choice, I shows how much it’s going to
governance model was able to put cost, the different categories
that took effect of hotels, and the brands that
after the Convention, give the most ROI, that will
members had the help him to make the
opportunity to apply decision.”
The new Chairman constantly works
with other AAHOA leaders to chart a
new course for the association
34 AAHOA Lodging Business AUGUST 2012

5. The First 100 Days
order to ensure the protec- meeting, Board members chipped in
tion of those business inter- $75,000 for the PAC.
ests. In recent years, AAHOA “It was a good start. Before, cer-
has become a lobbying force tain regions would go heavily after
on Capitol Hill. PAC funds, and we would raise tons
With the help of the of money. But other regions would
Washington, D.C.-based firm be dry,” Patel noted.
Patton Boggs LLP, AAHOA Members who cannot afford to
has made many friends on donate at this level, will have the op-
Capitol Hill. The Board is portunity to donate smaller amounts
working on hiring a lobby- as part of a raffle to be held at each
ist who would work out of Regional meeting.
the Patton Boggs office and “They can give $20 or $25, but I
focus exclusively on AAHOA want to make sure the member under-
and hospitality industry stands why it’s important to commit
interests. that money and to contribute to the
“Having a permanent PAC,” Patel said. “I have no doubt
office - AAHOA’s office - will we will be able to reach or exceed our
make a big difference,” Patel goal.”
said. “You need to have a
Alkesh Patel has put heavy presence [on Capitol Hill] Alkesh Patel
emphasis on raising funds speaking during
doing this full time. It makes
for the AAHOA PAC the Northeast
a big difference.” Regional in July
In order to wield greater
The survey will also reveal influence within electoral
franchise fees details and which politics, Patel has put a heavy em-
brands are easier to work with. Patel phasis on raising more money for
said raw data could be extracted to the AAHOA Political Action
determine how many AAHOA mem- Committee (PAC).
bers own a particular brand of hotel “The PAC is the biggest thing
and what percentage of a particular this year, being an election year.
brand that number represents. Part of our governance model is
For the new term, AAHOA has to have a healthy PAC,” Patel
completely revamped the Certified said. “Our goal is to have $1
We want to make sure that as
long as the members are getting
education, they will be able to
operate their business smartly
Hotel Owners (CHO) program*, million in the PAC.”
with plans in place for classes to oc- In order to raise more
cur almost every week and expecta- money, the Board has devised
tions that the program will produce a strategic plan that includes
more graduates than ever before. three PAC club levels: 101, 365
“With our mission statement, and 1,001, where these num-
education is a key piece of it,” Patel bers represent dollar amounts.
said. “The first generation believed “For each Regional Direc-
on providing good education. We tor, we have come up with a
want to make sure that as long as the goal of $9,000. Let’s say we have
members are getting education, they a $9,000 goal that each Regional
will be able to operate their business Director raises on a five year
smartly.” renewal basis. That gives you
Part of running a smart business an idea of how to get to that
means reaching out to elected of- million,” Patel said.
ficials at all levels of government in During the first Board
*Developed by Kapoor & Kapoor Hospitality Consultants
AUGUST 2012 AAHOA Lodging Business 35