It comes as no surprise that the hotel industry is hurting. The drop in travel and occupancy was quickly reflected in the supplier community, group and event locations, technology companies and the wide array of companies that service the hotels that welcome the world's travelers. We need your help!

By adding your name to www.HotelsAct.org now you directly help raise the visibility of the message that the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is advocating for on our behalf. On an HFTP Hangout around three months ago, Rich Siegel of Hospitality Upgrade identified a gap in support for the technology sector. Raising awareness, his team pulled together a small group of folks, working with our friends at HFTP and HTNG, to connect with AHLA to raise the awareness of the needs of the small and medium sized technology companies that support the hotel industry. This has been a collaborative effort and has resulted in AHLA having the tools it needed to educate their team and incorporate the needs of the small to medium sized technology companies in with the overall industry needs.

Today in the United States House and Senate and continuing over the two to three weeks, the next round of relief legislation will be finalized and approved. By going to www.HotelsAct.org and registering your name (it's fast and free) you directly add to the momentum that AHLA has generated. This is important to all of us that work in this industry and I am calling on everyone that works in the technology sector to register!

Why is this important? Simple - AHLA works tirelessly on behalf of the industry to serve, support and advocate for the American hotel industry. AHLA is working with the House and Senate to drive significant industry assistance into the next round of relief. You may have heard that the House has proposed a $3 Trillion dollar relief package and the Senate has proposed the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act. These proposals include various opportunities to support the industry and AHLA is working with the House and Senate to protect the best pieces of both into what the final Act will become.

Have you registered yet? (I can wait…)

There are various items being negotiated that would positively impact technology companies including focusing loans to those companies that have significant year over year revenue losses and cleaning & safety related funding/tax relief which may also now include technologies related to Points of Sale, Compliance, contactless, wellness and a category of 'other technologies'. The goal? To enable hotels to safely invest in technology through this pandemic.

Bottom line? Your voice counts, there are many people working on protecting the hotel industry and by registering, you help grow the volume of people represented.