A delighted Bob Cotton – one of the hospitality industry’s most influential champions who has raised the profile of the profession in the UK to unprecedented levels in recent years – is pictured (left) receiving a special award of Honorary Life Fellowship of BAHA from its Chairman Paul Dukes, who publicly thanked Cotton for his immense contribution to the hospitality, tourism and leisure industry during his almost ten year period at the helm of the BHA. Applauding the award were over 200 delegates attending the 4th Annual BAHA Hospitality Finance and IT Professionals Conference and Exhibition, held at the Sofitel Hotel, London Heathrow at Terminal 5.

Commenting on the award, BAHA Chief Executive Carl Weldon said: “We were honoured and delighted that Bob Cotton agreed to address the 2009 Conference; and we wanted to publicly acknowledge Bob’s exceptional stewardship of the BHA, following the recent announcement that he has targeted the 2010 General Election as being an ‘appropriate’ time to step down from heading-up the UK hospitality industry’s trade body.

“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. Indeed, the BHA could not have had a stronger, more robust or more articulate chief executive. Who can forget, for example, Bob’s outstanding leadership during the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis?

“He has achieved so much during his time as Chief Executive; and much of this success can be attributed to the following factors: first, his depth of understanding of how government works and his enormous contribution in raising the profile of the industry to unparalleled levels in government – in London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“Second, his ability to present the BHA’s and the industry’s views to the media coherently and forcefully. He is known, for example, for almost never turning down an interview opportunity with television, radio or press. Third is his tireless capacity for sheer hard work which has paid dividends not just for the BHA, but the industry as a whole. Indeed, whoever succeeds Bob at the BHA is going to have a very hard act to follow.”

Examples of Bob Cotton’s many notable successes, resulting from his outstanding leadership of the BHA, include:

• achieving a favourable response for the industry from the government to the 2001 foot-and-mouth crisis
• successfully leading the campaign for the government to abandon a suggested bed/tourist tax
• the creation of the National Skills Academy for Hospitality, of which he is Chairman
• being the principal driver in the creation of the Best Practice Forum – with the BHA being a founding member
• the merger with The Restaurant Association
• as part of the 2012 London Olympic bid, the Olympics organising committee had to secure 60,000 rooms – Cotton successfully co-ordinated this task, getting the major hotel groups together to commit to providing this number of rooms for 2012 (at a given rate plus inflation)
• close liaison with devolved administrations to encourage a greater understanding of the importance of tourism
• key support for the harmonised hotel classification and grading scheme
• successful lobby against local authorities' go-it-alone’ approach on smoking bans; and opposition to other government inconsistencies in this area
• support for the Tourism Alliance, of which he has twice been chairman
• discussions over a long period with HM Revenue and Customs on tips and tipping, resulting in a favourable outcome to the industry
• the inclusion of chefs in the skilled category of worker in the new immigration points-based system