Kirk Kinsell, President of IHG Americas (left), and 'Buggsi' Patel, Chairman of the IHG Owners Association, at the Association's Summit in Washington, D.C. last month. — Photo by IHG Owners Association

The IHG Owners Association, which has represented thousands of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) owners for nearly six decades, has been holding regional gatherings to hear directly from IHG owners and operators around the globe. The 2014 Summit series was launched in San Francisco and has visited Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Toronto and Washington, D.C. In addition, meetings have been held in Puebla, Mexico and Sydney, Australia.

According to Bakulesh "Buggsi" Patel, the first Asian-American chairman of the IHG Owners Association and president of BHG Hotels, "The Association is working hand-in-hand to meet with our owners and create opportunities to benefit them around the globe. The relationship between the IHG Owners Association and our owner members is truly unique in our industry and has helped us, together, to create some of the world's most successful hotels.

"We are proud that hundreds of owners have participated in these gatherings, uniquely designed to provide them with a forum to share ideas on best practices from a regional standpoint for quality and operations, and to globally work in partnership with IHG," Patel continued.

"It is my single greatest task as your Chairman to make sure each and every one of you knows that we are listening - and more importantly - that you are being heard."

Over the years, the IHG Owners Association has worked hard to support the long-term interests of the diverse ownership community of IHG hotels by improving hotel profitability, strengthening the system, and exchanging best ideas and practices. It has participated in the development of such pivotal industry programs as InnSupply, the proprietary procurement portal offered by IHG, and People Tools, IHG's program to recruit, retain and develop employees. In addition, recent Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Crowne Plaza re-launches were all greatly influenced by IHG Owners Association members, whose hotels were key pilot sites.

With seminars and networking opportunities, most Summits have concluded with a joint open discussion led by Patel and Kirk Kinsell, President of IHG Americas, to give franchise owners the opportunity to inquire directly about issues of concern. Owners' focus has been on such topics as corporate standards, technology and return on investment (ROI).

"We greatly appreciate Kirk's participation in our Summit program," said Patel. "I know of no other organization where the president and executives work as closely and openly with franchisees - real evidence of our unique and exceptional relationship with IHG.

"In addition, we take pride in the genuine exchange of ideas fostered by a committee structure and process that draws from owners' interests, extensive knowledge and expertise," he concluded.

Patel, who has had a long and distinguished career in the hotel industry, and whose leadership in the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and other industry organizations is well known, said he plans to continue to work closely on initiatives that create value for owners throughout his 2014 term as chairman of the IHG Owners Association.

The IHG Owners Association, originally established by Holiday Inn® founder Kemmons Wilson in 1955, was the first association of its kind in the hotel industry. The global organization currently represents the interests of more than 4,000 owners and operators of nearly 3,000 IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) properties around the world. The Association is a voice for its members and plays an integral role in communicating with IHG leadership on issues related to franchised hotel operations. The IHG family of brands includes Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent™ Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Vignette™ Collection, Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo®, voco™, EVEN® Hotels, HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Holiday Inn Club Vacations®, avid™ hotels, Staybridge Suites®, Atwell Suites™ and Candlewood Suites®. For additional information, visit www.owners.org.

Leora Lanz
LHL Communications
+1 516 680 8529
IHG Owners Association