The HBAA Annual Forum is an event which is frequently spoken about in our office and words that I’d kept hearing since joining Triggerfish earlier this year. So, when the time came for the event to take place, it was Paola and I who were going to be attending.
For a trade event; for all those in the industry, it was incredibly interesting and insightful and I took away so much from it. Listening to industry leaders speaking about the markets and trends which hotel bookers are facing was hugely beneficial and provided me with very relevant information for me to pass onto my clients. The speaker from STR Global kept the entire audience engaged with interesting proven facts and figures:
- It was noted that business travel is the most affected segment as travel expenditure is cut.
- The leisure industry, however, over the weekends saw an improvement in occupancy levels.
- All hotel segments, especially upmarket, saw a decline in demand. However, the midscale and economy class hotels saw demand holding up the longest.
The networking opportunity which tagged onto the Forum gave agents and members the opportunity to speak with each other and build relationships. Taking everyone by surprise was the Spanish themed evening event with tapas, tap dancing and tasty authentic food – this really was a treat for all. Professional stoicism was put aside for an hour or two, marking the end of a very successful annual forum.
What did I come away with? A very clear insight to the movements within the industry and how members of the HBAA can come out of the recession with positive results. For my first stint at a trade forum I found it very interesting and the people I met and discussions I engaged in over the 2 days made it what it was.
Shivani
