After over a year of waiting, the industry gathered in Dallas, Texas, in August 2021 to reconnect in person, to network, to learn, and to get inspired.
It didn’t disappoint… although, did anyone else find that it went in the blink of an eye?!
I was blown away by the camaraderie and connectedness of everyone. It really goes to show just how strong and resilient we are, and how true the event’s phrase, “The Road to Recovery Runs Through AAHOA”, was.
It’s hard to choose a “favorite” thing about AAHOACON, but here a few of my highlights:
The return of events and connecting with the industry in person. We all missed it, but until it happened, it was hard to really understand how much we love people and all being together. A VERY big shout out to the companies that sponsored networking events and the Block Party. You made it an event to remember for everyone.
Attendee attitudes. Everyone was so positive, friendly, and seemed genuinely grateful to be back at the conference and all together again. I saw somewhere on social media that it was “the superbowl of the hotel industry”, and that pretty much sums it up (and not just because the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center seems like you’re walking across a number of football fields!).
People coming to our booth and really loving what we had to offer. My favorite moments were when customers interrupted me in order to bring over their family, friends, or colleagues. We value Exceptional Experiences, and it is safe to say that the team was buzzing every single day when we spoke to more people we can help.
I have a few thank yous in order to round up my recap of AAHOACON:
Thank you to AAHOA and its members for such an amazing group of people coming together to celebrate the hospitality industry and each other.
Thank you to HF’s fellow exhibitors and sponsors; without you, the show would not be possible, and it was fantastic to be aside you all.
And last, but not least,
Thank you to my team. You put countless hours into the HotelFurniture.com platform to make it the best it can be, and you dedicate so much of your time to talk to everyone interested in HF. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to do this alongside, and I’m excited to see what comes next
I’m signing off for now, but you’ll see us again soon at a number of other industry events.