Hospitality Net

Bob Cotton OBE, Chief Executive of the UK’s hospitality industry’s trade body – the British Hospitality Association (BHA) – is to address BAHA conference delegates on his views on the immediate future for the hospitality industry and the challenges to be faced. Topics will include investment in the industry; taxation – with a change in VAT imminent; the ever increasing burden of legislation and demands on businesses; and the effect of a potential change in government in 2010.

Indeed, Cotton (see ‘Notes too Editors’ for biography) has targeted the 2010 General Election as being an “appropriate” time for him to step down as BHA Chief Executive, following what then will be a ten year period at the helm. This will give his successor, yet to be appointed, the vitally important opportunity to build up good relationships with the government departments right from the start of the victorious party’s term of office. “We are honoured and delighted that Bob Cotton has agreed to address the 2009 Conference,” said BAHA Chief Executive Carl Weldon. “In his role as BHA Chief Executive, which began in January 2000, Bob has been an outstanding champion and ambassador for the UK hospitality profession. Whoever replaces him at the Association will have a very hard act to follow.

“In his Conference presentation, Bob will provide delegates with an added bonus – his views on the real strength of hospitality as a business. He will be providing an overview of the industry during his tenure at the BHA – examining the many challenges, changes, and successes the profession has experienced. Who can forget, for example, the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis and Bob’s outstanding leadership?”

Cotton will be joined at the Conference and IT Exhibition – entitled ‘The Essential Toolkit for Managing the Bottom Line’ – by a distinguished line-up of UK and international speakers, all experts in their own fields, that include: Meinhard Huck, President of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts; Warren Mandelbaum, Head of Revenue Management at Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants; David Clarke, Chief Executive of Best Western Hotels; Alan Burns, Vice-President, Finance, Hotels.com and Venere.com; Jonathan Langston, Managing Director of TRI Hospitality Consulting; Robert Barnard, Partner for Hotel Consultancy Services at PKF; Ted Horner Managing Director of E. Horner & Associates – the first non-US person to be elected to the HITEC Technology Hall of Fame; and Frank Wolfe CAE, Chief Executive of US-based Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP).

The subjects under scrutiny will range from ‘Revenue Trends and the Value of Revenue Management Skills’; and the ‘Impact of Green Issues and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Terms of Responsibilities, Costs and the Bottom-line’; to an examination of ‘The Latest Cutting-edge Hospitality Information Technology (IT)’.

In this respect, as in previous years, the 2009 BAHA Conference will be supported by an exhibition of 25 ‘top-of-class’ IT suppliers, providing delegates with a ‘one stop shop’ to view the latest technologies relevant to the hospitality industry. There also will be a programme of highly topical education workshops on subjects ranging from the ‘National Minimum Wage and Hospitality’, to ‘Using Market Intelligence to Maximise Your Hotel Revenues’

The one-day event’s grand finale will be a drinks reception and sumptuous three-course ‘Gala Conference Dinner’ followed by entertainment, making it one of the top social networking occasions on the UK hospitality industry calendar.

For regularly updated information and attendance pricing options, visit the BAHA Conference Website: www.bahaconference.co.uk . For bookings and further details, contact: Chris Symonds, BAHA Conference Co-ordinator, on telephone: 01202 889 430; fax: 01202 887 967; or email: admin@baha-uk.org .

About Bob Cotton OBE, Chief Executive, British Hospitality Association | Bob Cotton OBE has been chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, the national trade association of the hospitality and catering and leisure industry, with over 40,000 establishments in membership, since January 2000. Before his appointment, he spent a year as tourism adviser to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

A graduate of the University of Surrey, gaining a BSc in hotel and catering management, he joined Gardner Merchant (now Sodexo UK Ltd), one of the country’s leading contract catering companies, working in various parts of the UK and abroad. At the time of his move to the DCMS, he was director of communications and strategic development, UK and abroad for Sodexo UK.

He is chairman of both the Hospitality Skills Academy and past chairman of the Tourism Alliance and Hospitality Action.

In 2002, he was presented with the Special Catey Award, organised by Caterer & Hotelkeeper, for services to the hospitality industry, as well as the Arena Accolade for his work promoting the industry. He is a Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University, an honorary Fellow of Thames Valley University and has an Honorary Masters’ Degree from London Metropolitan University.

He was appointed OBE in the 2003 New Year’s Honours List for services to the tourism and hospitality industry.

About BAHA | BAHA is a non-profit educational organisation – formed in 1969 with the aim of bringing together those professionals involved in financial management, revenue management and IT within the hospitality industry.

Since its inception, the membership has expanded to over 800 members and is recognised as the United Kingdom's authoritative voice in the hospitality industry on financial management, technical accounting issues, taxation, and hotel valuation. BAHA is also the leading arena for debate on hotel systems and Revenue Management topics through their annual Conference and meetings programmes.

BAHA provides the only industry specific Hospitality Finance qualification and is currently developing similar qualifications for Revenue Management and IT within Hospitality. For more information, visit: www.baha.co.uk