AH&LA Joins Hospitality Partnership In South Carolina

Washington, The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and its partner state association, the Hospitality Association of South Carolina (HASC), have formed a ground-breaking partnership with the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (MBACC), the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association (MBAHA), and the National Restaurant Association (NRA). This collaboration allows hospitality industry members that are affiliated with the three local and/or state organizations automatic membership to all organizations with a single annual membership renewal each year.

The partnership is the first of its kind in the United States involving a local chamber and local, state, and national hospitality organizations. These businesses include hotels, lodging, condominium rentals, nightclubs, restaurants, golf courses, theaters, and other similar businesses.

“This is a unique and innovative partnership between organizations that represent the hospitality industry,” said AH&LA President and CEO Joseph A. McInerney. “It will increase legislative visibility and lobbying power on the local, state, and national levels and will add educational and networking opportunities for our members.”

Each organization remains independent of each other with their own board of directors, staff, and financials. Under the partnership agreement, the MBACC will be the single organization that promotes and advertises South Carolina as a vacation destination, while the MBAHA becomes the main advocate in the local area for the tourism industry. The HASC will continue to be the primary lobbyist on tourism and hospitality issues for the industry at the State House in Columbia, while both AH&LA and NRA lead the legislative efforts in Washington, D.C.

“This partnership helps all organizations politically as the number of members supporting the industry’s legislative activities – locally, statewide and nationally – increases significantly,” said Tom Sponseller, president of the Hospitality Association of South Carolina. “When Congress is looking at bills that impact hotels, restaurants, or tourism, our national organizations will have more members to help communicate to Congress how that legislation might impact their business, their state, or local community. The same holds true on issues that the South Carolina General Assembly considers—the current debate on reducing property taxes. With more members getting involved in our state’s largest tourism destination, the state association’s voice will be more effective as we shape this and other legislation to protect the state’s largest industry.”

For questions or more information, contact Thomas L. Sponseller, HASC executive vice president, at (803) 765-9000 or [email protected].

AH&LA is a 95-year-old dual membership association of state and city partner lodging associations throughout the United States with some 10,000 members nationwide, representing more than 1.3 million guest rooms. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it provides members with advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other services to ensure a positive business climate for the U.S. lodging industry. Individual state associations provide representation at the state level and offer many additional cost-saving benefits.

The Hospitality Association of South Carolina, a statewide, nonpartisan trade organization, was founded in 1993 when the South Carolina Hotel & Motel Association and the South Carolina Restaurant Association united under the common umbrella of the Hospitality Association of South Carolina. The South Carolina Hotel & Lodging Association and the South Carolina Restaurant Association, which were formed in 1947 and 1950 respectively. With its affiliate, the South Carolina Tourism & Hospitality Educational Foundation, the Hospitality Association of South Carolina works to represent, educate and promote the state's hospitality industry that consists of over 14,000 lodging and restaurant outlets that employ over 189,000 people.

The Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association was formed in 1974 as a local hotel association and has grown to become one of the largest city hospitality associations in the United States.

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has stood for 65 years as the unified voice of the Grand Strand’s business community. The chamber serves Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Little River, Atlantic Beach, Garden City Beach, Loris, Conway, Aynor, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach and Pawleys Island.

Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association's mission is to represent, educate and promote a rapidly growing industry that is comprised of 900,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets employing 12.2 million people.