The AH&LA is a 92 year-old federation of state lodging associations throughout the United States with some 13,000 property members worldwide, representing more than 1.7 million guest rooms. While that footnote appears on every press release from the AH&LA, it's important to be reminded of the sheer numbers involved and thus the voices that could be heard as well. The AH&LA's Bill Hanley joins me for a discussion on the upcoming Legislative Action Summit in Washington, DC in March, which is an opportunity for hoteliers throughout the country to have their voices heard. Bill also touches on the success of the AH&LA in lobbying for terrorism insurance and what the AH&LA is doing to provide education to hoteliers on how to deal profitably and effectively with the overwhelming number of on-line room distributors.
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William (Bill) J. Hanley, is executive vice president of corporate and member relations for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA). Prior to joining AH&LA in January 2002, Hanley served as senior vice president and managing director for Cendant Corporation's International Hotel Division. In his new role, Hanley oversees all aspects of the association's membership activities, including marketing and communications, to solidify AH&LA's corporate relations program. Additionally, Hanley works closely with the association's president and chief executive officer, officers, board of directors, and member state associations in determining the direction of the U.S. lodging industry. A 25-year career veteran of the hospitality industry, Hanley has held various executive positions at some of the leading lodging companies including Americana Hotels; Forte Hotels, Inc.; ITT Sheraton Corporation; and Radisson Hotels & Resorts. Also, he is a founding member of Thisco/Pegasus, a global technology company in Dallas that provides an assortment of services to the travel industry. Hanley is a member of the International Franchise Association's International Section and formerly served on the board of the Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1970 and is a decorated Vietnam War veteran. He received his bachelor's degree in accounting from Stonehill College in North Easton, Mass., in 1966. Hanley and his wife, Jane, have four children.
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AH&LA is a 92-year-old federation of state lodging associations throughout the United States with some 13,000 property members worldwide, representing more than 1.7 million guest rooms. AH&LA provides its members with assistance in operations, education, and communications, and lobbies on Capitol Hill to provide a business climate in which the industry can continue to prosper. Individual state associations provide representation at the state level and offer many additional cost-saving benefits.
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Kevin Heilbronner is the US Editor for wiredhotelier.com and hospitalitynet.org, providing streaming multimedia-content for these websites. Based outside of Washington DC, Heilbronner has worked with Hsyndicate to conduct interviews at several hospitality trade shows in the US and Europe over the last couple of years. His column and content are featured in the Hospitality Net weekly newsletter. A familiar voice in Washington, DC, Heilbronner is the stadium announcer for the NBA's Washington Wizards, WNBA's Washington Mystics and WUSA's Washington Freedom. He resides in Centreville, VA and can be reached via email: [email protected].