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WH&LA named in top 25 largest state associations

January 4, 2012 in WH&LA in the Media | No comments

The Milwaukee Business Journal has named the Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association the 24th largest association in Wisconsin. The list is ranked by the number of members in Wisconsin (ties are broken alphabetically). WH&LA was also ranked #24 last year.

The top five associations include:

1. Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation (previously ranked #2)
2. State Bar of Wisconsin (previously ranked #3)
3. Wisconsin Realtors Association (previously ranked #4)
4. Wisconsin Medical Society (previously ranked #5)
5. Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants (previously ranked #6)

The complete list can be found at milwaukee.bizjournals.com (subscription required).

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WH&LA Welcomes New Officers & Directors

November 11, 2011 in WH&LA Members make news | No comments

WH&LA is proud to announce its newly-elected Executive Committee Officers and Board Directors.

Officers
· Chairman of the Board: Connie Barbian, Inn Development & Management, Fort Atkinson
· Chairman-Elect: Buck Drossart, The Pointe Hotel & Suites and Conference Center, Minocqua
· Vice-Chairman: Kevin Gallagher, Marcus Hotels & Resorts Inc., Milwaukee
· Secretary/Treasurer: John Chastan, Kalahari Resort Convention Center & Waterpark, Wisconsin Dells.
· Past-Chairman: Robert Y. Dove, Jr., Best Western Premier Bridgewood Resort Hotel, Neenah

New Directors
· John Lindsey, Ambassador Hotel, Milwaukee
· Mike Patel, INNsight Management, Stevens Point/Eau Claire
· Greg Stillman, Foremost Management Services Inc., Fish Creek
· Bob Willow, Motel 6, Menomonie
· Joe Bishop, Procter & Gamble, New Berlin
· Keran Farrell, Steinhafels Commercial Interiors, New Berlin

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WH&LA Member Benefit: Constant Contact Email Marketing

October 5, 2011 in Marketing & Social Media | No comments

Has your property taken advantage of discounted rates for using Constant Contact for your e-mail marketing? While WH&LA does not endorse any product or service, we wanted to let you know about the availability of this discount, which, depending on your Constant Contact uses, could be as great as 25% off!

Get more information on WH&LA-member rates on Constant Contact e-mail marketing services here. The rates on the Constant Contact website do not reflect the discounted price.

If you are already a Constant Contact user, you can still take advantage of this discount! Just e-mail your Constant Contact username to Bill in the WH&LA office and we will arrange to have the discount applied to your Constant Contact subscription.

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WH&LA Advisory: Non-Profit Appeals for Assistance

September 2, 2011 in Industry Update | No comments

WH&LA occasionally is contacted with appeals for charitable assistance. Rather than sending frequent communications, we plan to accumulate requests to send out twice annually as appropriate. Several that may be of interest include appeals for rooms of furniture needed for veterans, fitness equipment needed for a Wisconsin-based youth program, hotel rooms needed for cancer patients and more.

The entire text of this WH&LA Advisory can be found here by clicking the August 29, 2011 link. (This link is password protected for lodging members only. Email Michelle in the WH&LA office or call 262/782-2851 if you need help logging in.)

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Lodging Conference Session Highlight #3

August 31, 2011 in WI Lodging Conference & Trade Show | No comments


Over the coming weeks we will feature information on each educational session to be held at the Wisconsin Lodging Conference. The highlight series will give you a glimpse into the sessions, introduce the speakers, and provide a link to register to take advantage of the abundance of lodging information planned.

Creating a Customer-Focused Mindset

REGISTER NOW!

Wisconsin Lodging Conference & Trade Show
November 6-8, 2011
Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, Appleton

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WH&LA Capitol Insider: New Federal Per Diem Rates Released

August 30, 2011 in Legislative & Regulatory Issues | No comments

Last week the Federal General Services Administration (GSA) released the new Federal Per Diem Rates for Lodging and Meals & Incidentals (M & I) that will go into effect Oct. 1, 2011 and expire Sept. 30, 2012. While the “CONUS” rate, for all communities & counties not specifically listed, stayed the same, there were numerous changes for those listed.

Full text of this Capitol Insider can be found here by clicking the August 25, 2011 link. This link is password protected for lodging members only. Contact Michelle in the WH&LA office or call 262/782-2851 if you need help logging in.

 

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Call for Nominations for Innkeeper & Associate of the Year and new Spirit Award

June 23, 2011 in WH&LA Members make news | No comments

For more than 35 years, WH&LA has honored the best of those in Wisconsin who have distinguished themselves in the lodging industry. In keeping with tradition, WH&LA is now accepting nominations for the 2011 Innkeeper and Associate of the Year awards and the new Spirit of Hospitality Award!

Download the nomination form here. To receive a copy of the nomination form in the mail, call the WH&LA office at 262/782-2851 or email Jennifer. Forms must be completed and returned to the WH&LA office via mail, fax or email no later than August 5, 2011.

All nominees must be employed by a current WH&LA member. An official nomination form must be submitted for each nominee. Once WH&LA receives a nomination, staff will notify the nominee by forwarding a 2011 official entry form, which notes the award’s criteria and the materials needed for review by the judging committee. Judging will be performed by the WH&LA Awards Committee and the entry form will list all judging criteria in detail.

New for 2011 – the Spirit of Hospitality Award! This award has been created to honor employees who reflect exemplary role models of the true spirit of hospitality in Wisconsin. Recognition will be given to each eligible employee nominated for the Spirit of Hospitality award. Limit one entry per property and owners, operators and general managers are not eligible.

All submitted materials become property of WH&LA and will not be returned. In fairness to all candidates, no extensions will be permitted in the case of missed deadlines. Recent recipients ineligible for the 2011 award include innkeepers of the year Robert Dove, Brian Brandstetter and Kari Zambon; and associates of the year Joe Holland and Doug Nysse.

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Be on the cover of the 2012 Wisconsin Lodging Directory!

March 2, 2011 in Marketing & Social Media, Wisconsin Lodging Directory | 2 comments


Want to get great exposure across the Midwest as the featured property on the cover of the 2012 Wisconsin Lodging Directory? Then Enter the Lodging Directory Cover Contest! It’s free to enter and open to all sizes and types of WH&LA member properties in Wisconsin. Plus, we’ve changed the fee structure for this year’s contest and have added a social media promotion campaign where the traveling public gets to pick the winner.  Be sure to check out the program’s new structure, deadline and fees in the details below.

Details
WH&LA member properties may submit up to two photos featuring indoor or outdoor locations at their Wisconsin lodging property. No identifying signage is allowed. Web-resolution photos may be submitted for judging, but a high-resolution, print-quality version must be available should your photo be chosen as the winner. No exceptions.

Photos must be e-mailed to Michelle in the WH&LA office by Friday, April 1 at 5 p.m. Photos received after the deadline will not be considered. Hard-copy photos may be mailed to WH&LA Lodging Directory Cover Contest, 1025 S. Moorland Road, Suite 200 Brookfield, WI 53005.

All photo entries will be submitted to a third-party, outside design firm for first-round judging, where 12 finalists will be chosen. Each of the 12 finalists will be charged a $300 promotion fee.

The 12 finalists will each have a 2012 Lodging Directory cover designed and displayed at a special page at wisconsinlodging.org from Tuesday, April 12, through Monday, May 9. The traveling public will be able to vote for their favorite cover on the page. Each finalist will also be featured in a special edition of the WisconsINN Getaways e-mail newsletter n April, sent to nearly 6,000 subscribers. Additionally, finalists will be promoted via WH&LA’s Facebook and Twitter accounts throughout the voting period, and finalists are encouraged to promote the contest through their own social media channels. The winner of the cover contest will be announced on Tuesday, May 10.

The Fine Print
Finalists will be notified and billed the $300 promotional fee on or around April 12, 2011. If payment is not received by April 26, 2011, the property’s image will be disqualified. Only properties that have paid by the deadline will be featured in the promotional e-mail. The finalist that is chosen as winner must renew its WH&LA membership on or before to June 30, 2011 to be eligible to be featured on the cover. The winner must also continue or expand its Lodging Directory advertising commitment from 2011. If a property wins the cover contest but chooses not to renew membership, it will be disqualified and the second-place finalist will be named the winner. WH&LA reserves the right to refuse any photo submission for any reason.

Questions? Contact Michelle in the WH&LA office via e-mail at communication@wisconsinlodging.org or call 262/782-2851.

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WH&LA Wins Excellence Awards

January 5, 2011 in WH&LA in the Media | No comments

The Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association has been recognized by the International Society of Hotel Association Executives (ISHAE) in its 2010 Awards of Excellence program in the categories of Communications and Public Relations. The awards were presented at the ISHAE Winter Conference in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association (WH&LA) Award of Excellence for Communications was for their “ Smoking Ban Guide for Wisconsin Lodging Properties”, providing important and timely guidance to lodging properties in implementing the new statewide smoking ban that went into effect July 5.  The Public Relations Award bestowed upon WH&LA was for their online 2011 Wisconsin Lodging Directory Cover Contest, attracting thousands of visitors to their www.WisconsinLodging.org website to vote to select the new cover and qualify for a getaway weekend prize, while also experiencing the valuable searchable lodging functions at the site.

Other state associations recognized for their efforts in 2010 include the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association, Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association, Rhode Island Hospitality Association, California Hotel & Lodging Association, Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association, Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association and Michigan Hotel & Lodging Association.

“ISHAE is pleased to recognize these ten award winners,” stated Christina Pappas, executive director of ISHAE. “The dual award winning associations in Ohio and Wisconsin deserve special acknowledgement for their level of excellent programming in this past year.”

ISHAE presents the annual Awards of Excellence for the best lodging association programs and services, and are widely recognized as the “best of the best” within the hotel and lodging association industry representing innovation and creativity that has brought tangible results to the association and its members.  Award winners presented their winning entries to all conference attendees at the ISHAE Winter Conference.

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WH&LA Advisory: New National Room Tax Resource

December 8, 2010 in Industry Update | No comments

A new Room Tax resource with a national perspective has just been released, called “Lodging Tax Primer.” The purpose of this new resource is to provide a nation-wide explanation of Room Tax/Lodging Tax, how it varies around the country, what some of the primary challenges have become and some solutions that can be pursued to restore the integrity of the tax.

The target audience ranges from the lodging industry to all of the tourism industry to state and local government officials and to the media, who frequently do not know any background helpful in presenting a fair overview in their writings. There previously was no overview of this tax and it’s implications.

The entire WH&LA Advisory e-mail can be found here (password protected for lodging members only) by clicking the November 9 link, and the Lodging Tax Primer is available to the public from the Room Tax Tools page at the members site on wisconsinlodging.org.

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