One of AIHP’s founding pillars is to consistently deliver to our members and prospective members, important industry knowledge, that is timely, relevant and vital to small independent lodging. AIHP's educational opportunities and content will be built around the needs of our members. Our success will be achieved by effectively delivering critical information to them through our various member communication channels.
Rob Fulton, CEO of AIHP (Association of Independent Hospitality Professionals) joins the podcast to talk about “The State of B&B’s in the U.S.” and the findings of a recent study, conducted by Phocuswrite. We talk about what innkeepers can take away from the study and use as they think about their business in 2019 and beyond. We talk about the growth of the industry overall, what guests expect from B&B’s, the competition that B&B’s face, and other opportunities for guest satisfaction and increased profits.
Instagram "micro-influencer" Kourtney Barish joins the podcast to talk about her advice, tips, and tricks for getting more engagement on your Instagram posts. She gives advice on how to quickly and easily manage & add hashtags to your posts, re-share other people's posts, manage Instagram posts that people take at your place, etc.
Kourtney is on Instagram.com/TasteOfBend a local foodie Instagram account. In addition to her own posts, she is compensated to visit local restaurants and share pics of their food. Kourtney also runs the Instagram accounts for Odysys and the InnSpeak Podcast.
“If a picture is worth 1,000 words then a video has to be worth at least 10,000 right?” Videographers James & Jennifer from Kingdom House Media join the podcast to help me understand video for B&B’s and hotels. We talk about how to hire videographers, what makes for good video, how to create a do-it-yourself video for your social media, how to incorporate video into your website and tell your property’s story in a way that the written word and photos cannot.
Nicolette Johnston of Colette Publications joins the pod to talk about creating great content for your property. Nicolette is the publisher of Bed & Breakfast Magazine and Chateaux & Castles Quarterly, but she’s also spent quite a bit of time being a travel blogger. Nicolette shares her tips for innkeepers to create great content for their blog and for their social channels and we also learn a little about Bed & Breakfast magazine and how to pitch your inn for a story!
Diane Rogers of the Pinecrest Bed & Breakfast in Asheville NC joins the podcast to talk about her tips for managing OTA listings on Expedia. Diane gives practical advice for managing your OTA listings for higher yield (ie – more profit) and direct bookings. Hint: it’s about actively managing availability.
Rob Fulton, CEO of AIHP (Association of Independent Hospitality Professionals) joins the pod again. This time we talk about a hot topic in the industry right now – ADA compliance & website accessibility for B&B’s. There’s been a lot of predatory lawsuits, or at least threats of lawsuits, going around over the last several months for websites that aren’t accessible. We talk about what’s happening and how to protect yourself.
Terry Hammer joins Megan in our latest episode to discuss how to maintain relevance in the ever-evolving and competitive hospitality industry. Terry has been an innkeeper for 24 years, growing a 5-room Inn into 20 rooms, a wedding venue, and spa services on two properties that will gross about $3 million in 2019. Terry is a Super Session Speaker at the AIHP Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, Monday, March 25th - Thursday, March 28th, 2019.
At our 2018 Knowledge Sharing Summit & Marketplace in Norfolk, Megan was joined by Nikki Harth, owner of a chic boutique hotel with surfing at its center, and Phil Jenkins, a long-term Innkeeper, and musician, to discuss combining your passions in life with your Inn or Bed and Breakfast.
Mark Smith and Matthew Lovette of Jumping Rocks Photography, join Megan to discuss how their time as Innkeepers has influenced their work as the leading interior, architectural and food photographers in the hospitality industry.
Recorded Webinars/AIHPLive Chats
Topic: AIHPLive Chat- Are We on the Verge of a Parity Nightmare?
Unlocking Your Full Potential: Discover How ThinkReservations Can Transform the Way You Operate Your Business
The lodging industry has continued to evolve. It’s more important than ever to analyze the way you are operating your business, pricing your rooms, and the way you are interacting with your customers. At ThinkReservations, we have worked with hundreds of businesses and created a professional and comprehensive platform that will enable you to take advantage of these new opportunities. Join E Scot Fuller-Beatty, Senior Account Manager at ThinkReservations and Owner of The Chadwick Bed & Breakfast, as he walks you through features such as Yield Management, Channel Management, Guest Interactions, and Operation Management. This is guaranteed to be a presentation you will not want to miss!
Learn how to use online travel agencies like Expedia and Booking.com to connect with more potential guests and increase revenue!
*Allied Partner Sponsored Webinar
February 13th, 2019
Presenter: ResNexus Vice President & Creative Manager Nathan Mayfield
Nathan will highlight recent research studies and strategies conducted by various companies in the hospitality industry on best practices with OTA's.
Wellness Tourism: Top Ten Ways to Introduce Wellness Travel Into Your Property Immediately
Wellness Tourism: Top Ten Ways to Introduce Wellness Travel Into Your Property Immediately
April 3, 2018
Presenter: Julie Pankey
Learn why Marriott and other large hotel groups have has added wellness rooms to some of their hotels with amenities such as air purification and water-filtering systems; circadian-rhythm lighting; a memory foam mattress derived from plant extracts; mattress and pillow encasements; shower water infused with vitamin C; healthy menu items; and guided meditations narrated by Deepak Chopra AND how you can too! In this webinar, Julie will discuss her Top Ten tips to introduce the wellness travel trend to your inn.
The Power of Integrated Marketing and How to Create Your Plan
October 3, 2017
Integrated Marketing is the key to success in today's increasingly complicated marketing world. In fact, Seth Godin recently said "It's the only marketing left". This webinar will follow the stories of several innkeepers and how they used the integrated marketing approach to increase traffic and bookings. Matt will walk you through the development of your own integrated marketing plan that you can begin implementing as soon as you leave the webinar.
Matt Bare, Q4Launch
The Transition from Aspiring Innkeeper to Reality: What Can You Do Now? July 11, 2017
There is so much you can do now to prepare for this exciting new industry so when you greet that first guest, serve your first breakfast, you'll do it with confidence and a smile. From staying at inns and asking the right questions, to building your profile and creating your menus, join this session to learn what you can do now.
Linda Hayes, Owner, ijk Partners, LLC
How To List On Airbnb - Build a Listing from Scratch with Cam
May 31, 2017
Cammy Houser is Airbnb's first Traditional Hospitality Program Manager. In this job, Cammy serves as a liaison to the B&B and Boutique Hotel industries, and oversees partnerships, account success, events and other industry needs as they relate to doing business on Airbnb. She is incredibly excited to present this series of webinars to the AIHP community and is looking forward to continuing to expand and support Airbnb's partnership with the Association in 2017!
Cameron Houser, Traditional Hospitality Program Manager
SEO Strategies for Innkeepers: what it takes to drive direct booking
May 11, 2017
Ben’s presentation will cover, how to rank better in the map in Google results, how to use free online tools to improve your website's SEO, how to use analytics to drive even more direct bookings and optimizing your website for search engines AND visitors.
Ben Lloyd, VP of Strategy & Customer Success, Odysys
Financial Strategies for New and Seasoned Innkeepers March 28, 2017
You have made a purchase and now have a business loan to pay a lender. Local lodging markets are dynamic environments that can change over time. How do you recognize and grab on to the possibilities for growth? Or, is it time to downsize or make a graceful exit from your inn? Whether you seek to add more rooms, acquire multiple properties or sell part or all of your inn, best practices and lessons learned are available to help you create a strategy and make informed decisions on the what, how and when of your next move.
Carol Edmondson, Innkeeping Specialists
How New Innkeepers Lose Money Right Out of the Gate February 22, 2017
Once you sign on the dotted line for your Inn, new Innkeepers have many tasks on the to-do list. As items are prioritized, the things that are most important to financial success sometimes end up falling to the bottom of the list, when in reality they should be at the very top in LARGE BOLD PRINT.
This session will discuss a list of to-dos that new innkeepers should make a priority on day one of owning a new property so they do not lose money right out of the gate.
Lisa Kolb, Acorn Internet Services
What You Need to Know about Your Google Analytics December 6, 2016
Data by itself is useless. Data is only useful if you apply it. Google has given us a powerful tool in the form of Google Analytics. With more information than you ever might need, though, how is it even possible to parse out the important info. This presentation will cover the following:
Why you need to consistently track your data
How to understand where all your website traffic is coming from
Basic steps you can take to better understand your data immediately
A few advanced Analytics tools that help you take a deeper look at the data
Matt Bare, Q4Launch
What the Soap? Why Bathroom Amenities Matter November 9, 2016
Melody discusses current travel trends, how amenities play into those trends, and how your amenities can work harder for you, without you having to work harder.
Melody Landis, Gilchrist & Soames
What’s In Your Communications Toolbox? October 25, 2016
Effective communication with both current and prospective guests is critical to the success of any bed & breakfast or small inn. Recognizing the demands for an owner’s time and resources, RLB Marketing, which has more than 25 years of experience in hospitality and tourism marketing, will discuss the fundamentals of a marketing communications tool kit that can be easily and affordably implemented.
Julie Payne and Meagan Cassel, RLB Marketing, LLC
The "Change" is Coming: Quick and Easy 3 Step Approach to White Collar Exemptions September 27, 2016
Review of the new overtime regulations, effective December 1, 2016, focused specially on the following:
The basics of the Fair Labor Standards Act
What to Do Next (the 3 steps)?
Other considerations for the innkeeping industry to consider
Karen A. Young, SPHR, SHRM-SCP - Founder & President – HR Resolutions
AIHP Town Hall - Presenting Our Strategic Plan September 13, 2016
Presented by Rob Fulton - AIHP CEO
B&B for Vets Webinar - The How, Why and What? September 8, 2016
AIHP hosted a webinar with Kathleen Panek and members of our B&B for Vets Committee to talk about the following:
Background/history of B&Bs for Vets
Website and data entry - making this easy for you
What are some of the acceptable IDs that vets can show and why we ask them to prove their service?
Goals for B&Bs for Vets – to reach 1000 participating inns/B&Bs this year
Hear how this program enriches lives – not only for the veterans but for the innkeepers.
Ways for your inn to garner publicity from this program?
Do You Have a Winning Reservation Strategy? July 12, 2016
While you’re busy at your property are you noticing your website visitors are busy exiting your reservation process? Don’t lose out on any more room nights and attend this webinar where you’ll learn conversion-focused booking engine best practices, how to effectively re-market your property online, how to craft email copy to drive reservations, and more! Liz Day, RezStream’s Digital Marketing Manager, will teach you how to implement these strategies and tactics at your property so you can recover your reservations.
Liz Day- Digital Services Manager at RezStream
Sprintingto the Finish June 28, 2016
White Stone Marketing discussed a disturbing trend permeating our industry. We are seeing many innkeepers put their inns on the market and give up during the last mile of the race. We've witnessed recent casualties when an innkeeper decides to put a property up for sale and then abandons new marketing initiatives and necessary maintenance. Discover why saving a few bucks here and there can wreck havoc on your ultimate selling price. With expertise from both the B&B Team and Inn Partners, White Stone will interview a successful innkeeper to discuss their strategy in commanding the highest selling price.
Scott Crumpton - White Stone Marketing
AIHP Virtual Town Hall June 21, 2016
Presented by Rob Fulton, CEO
The Traveler's Journey to You - (Allied Partner promotional webinar) May 11, 2016
All travelers go through an online booking journey. Is your property a part of it? In this webinar, learn about all of the stages that travelers go through so that you can ensure that it always leads to you. We will give you practical ideas on how to reach travelers during the dreaming, planning, booking, and experiencing stages of their online booking journey. Presented by Alex Brown, Little Hottelier
Universal Analytics - R U Ready? May 17, 2016
Most Innkeepers have Google Analytics installed on their Website and Blog, but do you know if it’s the original Traditional (Classic) version or the new Universal Analytics (UA) version. As per Google’s online documentation they say, “it is strongly recommended that you upgrade to use Universal Analytics.” But the decision to upgrade is just not that simple. Not all Reservation Software supports Universal Analytics. Do you know if yours does? Please plan to attend this Webinar session, and we will show you how to create a plan of action to get moved over to Universal Analytics before time runs out.
What innkeeper doesn’t want to get more direct bookings? In this webinar, learn actionable tips for driving direct bookings with digital marketing. We’ll cover how to:
Get found by travelers online
Convert site visitors into paying guests
Use OTA strategies to YOUR benefit
Presented by Ben Lloyd, VP of Strategy and Customer Success at Odysys.
Top Digital Marketing Trends in Hospitality February 24, 2016
Join RezStream’s Digital Marketing Manager, Liz Day, as she introduces you to the top trends in digital marketing for 2016. See how other independent properties enhance their online marketing through tactics like Bing Ads, videos, apps, and better reputation management. With real-world examples, you’ll get some creative ideas to apply in your marketing for a successful 2016.
State Association Training Tools (for state and local association leaders) January 26, 2016
Join Jeff Bryce with ResNexus for this informative and practical webinar that offers training best practices and tools for state and local associations.
Easy Steps to Generate Extra Revenue with Elopements at Your Inn January 19, 2016
AIHP's Membership Manager, Mary Hughes shares the secrets to her success when it comes to increasing your revenue at your your inn with Elopement Packages with all the bells and whistles? And she means Whistles! She gives great advice with creative ideas and wraps them up in a nice bundle by adding incentives that are money makers!
Inns Magazine Editor Mary Hughes is a Marketing Specialist. A professional writer and Editor for over 20 years, she has visited over 500 properties in her career. She has helped countless B&B owners identify themselves and their needs. She also owns her own wedding venue Walkerbrae House & Weddings and started out offering elopements 4 years ago and has built a larger venue to host up to 60 people. Intimate weddings are her specialty and she is happy to share her recipe on how to add $100,000 revenue to your B&B business!
Texting for Piece of Mind - A Primer for Using Google Voice to Communicate with Guests on Arrival Day December 16, 2015
Join Steve Hiatt of Bottger Mansion as he guides you through setting up and using the texting features of Google Voice to send texts to your guests welcoming them to your destination, gently reminding them of check-in hours, and other critical information in 140 characters or less.
What You Need to Know About Insuring Your B&B November 11, 2015
You’ve poured your heart, your life savings into your B&B. Are you protected from financial disaster? Risk management can influence your business strategy and bottom line in unexpected ways. This education – and –entertaining – webinar features real stories from other B&B’s. Presented by MItch Pies, Mitchell J Pies Agency, Lodge and Inn Insurance
Google's New Booking Feature - What It Means for You October 21, 2015
Google is launching new hotel booking features that position the internet company as a major player in the industry. Innkeepers and hoteliers must stay abreast of these changes to avoid being left behind. Lisa Kolb, President of Acorn Internet Services, will discuss these changes, what innkeepers and hoteliers can do to take advantage of them and open up for a Q&A Session.
The Future of Hospitality in The 21st Century October 14, 2015
Join us for this webinar that will focus on a broader, more visionary perspective on the trends in hospitality from someone who was early-on in identifying boutique hotels and Airbnb as long-term trends in the industry. Presented by Chip Conley, Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy at Airbnb.
Membership Recruitment and Retention for State and Local Association Leaders September 22, 2015
Survey Says! The Latest Traveler and Innkeeping Trends August 11, 2015
Janice Hurley, In-Market Strategic Sales Executive at BedandBreakfast.com will share detailed information dissecting BedandBreakfast.com's quarterly traveler trends surveys. BedandBreakfast.com conducts quarterly surveys of thousands of B&B goers so as to better learn how we, as an industry, can always stay ahead of and surpass traveler expectations. In our surveys we monitor many things including online booking habits, triggers that get folks to book, etc., but in particular, trends among those folks who specifically love staying at B&Bs. In our Traveler Trends presentation we'll dig deeper into some of the trends we're seeing, and share with you various ways in which you can capitalize on the ever emerging trends of today's traveler.
Create Value-Packed Email Newsletters for Your Bed & Breakfast July 8, 2015
Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to build trust future guests, stay in contact with past guests, share valuable content related to your Bed & Breakfast, and promote upcoming events and specials in an authentic and engaging way. eNewsletters don't need to cause you anguish each time you sit down to write them! In this webinar, M. Shannon Hernandez, Founder of The Writing Whisperer, shares her best eNewsletter tips so that you can start writing value-packed newsletters on a regular basis--and make more money in your business through consistent email marketing.
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