A silver lining: collaborative efforts help franchising relationship | By Tom Corcoran | hotelnewsnow.com

In the midst of an economic cycle that has imposed formidable new obstacles for the hospitality industry, franchisees have faced a host of new and complex challenges. From evaluating the state of local and regional markets in the context of new and emerging national financial realities, to assessing existing priorities and planning not just for tomorrow, but for the months and years ahead, hotel industry owners and operators have worked hard to respond positively and proactively to the challenges before them. In the face of such extremely challenging economic circumstances, one of the areas in which you might expect to see significant tension is in the relationship and engagement between the brand and the brand representatives on the ground; the push and push-back that takes place between franchisors and franchisees. Traditionally, one of the most important roles for an owners’ association is to inhabit that space and to facilitate clear and consistent communication between franchisees and franchisors, and the current economic crisis has highlighted the critical importance of that responsibility.