AIHP Knowledge Sharing Summit and Marketplace | DOWN inc. Trade Secrets

We’re excited to be members of the Association of Independent Hospitality Professionals (AIHP), and attending our first Knowledge Sharing Summit & Marketplace, Sunday February 23rd to Wednesday the 26th at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Look out New Mexico, we’re coming for you!

Let’s back up a little, what is AIHP? 

According to the website, AIHP is a non-profit association that represents, supports, educates, and advocates for independent hospitality professionals to enhance their personal satisfaction and business success.

Since we’ve joined the association late last year we’ve learned it’s so much more than that. We’re excited to join the workshop “ 2020 and Beyond: Creating a Vision for the Future of our Industry”, as some major changes are happening in the structure of the organization. AIHP as we know it, and the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) are joining forces after this conference to create a new industry association for independent lodging properties of all types, aspiring lodging professionals, and Allied Partners. Stay tuned on this update on their social channels, our favorites are Facebook and Instagram, though they are also active on LinkedIn. 

What’s the summit all about?

The annual AIHP Knowledge Sharing Summit & Marketplace is full of fun, networking, learning – and even has a marketplace. Collectively, this event is a gathering place for those independent hospitality professionals, including  innkeepers, professional hosts, and industry service providers.

From the loads of testimonials we’ve heard, the hospitality market is exceptionally friendly – we believe it, it’s a conference FULL of 2,000 hospitality professionals! Leave us a comment if you’ve been to a summit in the past, and let us know what to expect.  

Check out this review from last year: 

Things we’re most excited about:

Get your calendars out and start planning your 2020 Summit experience! View all the summit details here. To help save you some time, here’s our list of events and experiences we’re most looking forward to: 

• All the opportunities for knowledge! With so many events on the schedule, how do you choose? From all the markets and events we’ve participated in, we’re most impressed at the breadth and lineup of the educational paths at the AIHP Summit. From Back of House Operations, Guest Experience and Revenue Development Paths, to Open-discussion style Forum Sessions (new this year to discuss trending topics). 

 

• We can’t wait for the winner of our silent auction item – the Upside of Down Pillow – to spend an evening on our most popular sleeping pillow!

• Shameless shoutout – team DOWN inc. will be exhibiting alongside some of the industry’s best! View the complete list of vendors here.

 

• If you weren’t convinced that this market is a MUST, we recommend reading AIHP’s post, Top 5 Reasons to Attend 2020 Summit.

 

• The warm weather. It’s currently 29 degrees in Michigan and we’re ready for some New Mexico sunshine!

 

• With over fifty speakers from all areas of the map, you’re not going to want to miss the lineup of programming. See the full listing and bio’s of the speakers here. If we were attendees, we’d be looking most forward to these events:
  
  • Megan McCrea of the Hospitality Creator is presenting Guestroom and Common Space Makeover Ideas from $50 to $1500 (Monday 2/24 at 12:30pm).

 

• • We’re all about sustainability at DOWN inc. so naturally, we’re thrilled to see Minimizing Your Impact on the Environment on the calendar. This event will be presented by Amanda Stultz of Sitronu (Monday 2/24 at 1:45pm).

 

• • Revamp, Refresh, Renew: Smart Ideas for Winning Room Design: Joanne Pearson of Fair Haven Photographs will be taking inspiration to the next level, talking about cleaner, fresher looks to better appeal to shifting decor and design of the new decade (Tuesday 2/25 at 10am).

 

• • Lyse Perrogo of STR will be shedding light on where the Hospitality field is headed in her workshop, Lodging and Consumer Trends Among Independent Properties (Wednesday 2/26 at 9am).

 

• • Lastly, join Durk Johnson of the Housekeeping Solutions team for Best Practices on Cleaning, Laundry and Other Guest Services (Wednesday 2/26 at 10:15am). After attending, we hope you’re inspired to do some spring cleaning on your own. Check out our post on how to wash a down pillow; you can thank us later!
    

 

What can you expect from Team DOWN inc.? 

Meet with our Hospitality Channel Representative, Sam Rice, and National Account Manager, Luitjen Kiewiet, samples in hand. We’ll have a variety of  down bedding available for you to see, touch and feel the difference in duvet weights and even pillow firmnesses. 

Contact our hospitality representative, Sam Rice at hospitality@downinc.com to see a digital lookbook and learn more about our hospitality product line!