PAII/AIHP Merger

Scott makes a good point. And unless the new organization is willing to help us lobby to level the playing field with unlicensed properties (and given AIHP's partnership I don't see how it can), it will be of little use to us. 

Some perspective from a vendor who's been in the industry 25 years. Please take it for what it's worth and who it's from...

Associations can serve many different purposes whether they're a local business association (e.g. Chamber) or a trade association. Trade associations provide a central information source about the industry and its issues, establishing best practices guidelines, lobby local, state and federal government, and promote the image of the industry through licensing, membership standards and public service advertising (just to name a few things).

Having two associations which serve the same purpose is not only stupid because they're redundant, it divides our strength through numbers in half and caused our industry to be divided by their very existence.

Put simply then, what our industry needs right now is one organization we can all be a part of which goes to bat for us against unlicensed properties. I'm not against short term vacation rentals as I personally like and stay at them, I'm against unfair competition against licensed properties and that's something we can call agree on and get behind. All the other features and benefits could be provided by others such as when we partnered with Acorn to host our own conference. But lobbying -- that's the purpose of a trade association.

So let me put that in stronger terms in the hope that someone is listening. If the newly merged organization (ALP or Association of Lodging Professionals) does not focus on lobbying then they've missed their most important purpose. Taking that a step further, if they do and an innkeeper does not join this organization to vote with their dollars, do they really have a right to complain about unlicensed properties?

There's a lot of "ifs" in the above and I apologize if this comes across too strongly worded but this is a fight which cannot be fought alone and thus must be fought for the industry. As such, we have to hire someone to do it for us and that's an association.

On the more personal side of things -- vendors are sick of paying membership in two organizations and going to multiple small conferences each year rather than one big one as that makes very little sense.

I encourage everyone to get behind this merger and to get involved lest our little industry get smothered by unlicensed lodging properties.

For what it's worth.

SC

I'm glad to hear it. I joined PAII when buying my inn, and dropped it when they ditched Jay and raised dues. 

I never joined AIHP because I was unhappy about them "laying down with the enemy" as I saw Air at the time. They're still my major competitor, but there's nothing I can do now other than compete with them on an unequal playing field and try to win with one arm tied behind my back. 

Will be interested in seeing what changes. Whatever the new organization is like, it has a lot of work to do to bring innkeepers like me back into the fold. I know the value of a single, powerful organization. We'll see. 

I quit PAII when the dues went through the roof AND because they fired Jay Karen. I thought he was doing a good job. HE got TA to sit down in the same room and talk.

I joined AIHP as a Charter member because I believe in Associations - NUMBERS are listened to (Kathleen voicing an opinion is spitting into the wind) - for the advocacy. I am not one of those idiots that think an Association is going to put heads in my beds - that is MY responsibility. BOTH have had education opportunities and workshops. AIHP picked up the B & Bs For Vets when PAII dropped the ball.

I already voted FOR the merger - rather than a turf war, we will have unity and even greater numbers. They had already jointly supported the Vets program this year and the Congressional Hearings efforts against Google. I just hope the dues can be kept at a reasonable amount to be affordable to us little properties.

I have not been able to afford a Conference since the 2011 PAII Conference - and that was because I was able to  find someone else looking for a roommate to share expenses.

I hope Gillum will weigh in on this. I think it was partly that AIHP was more proactive in working with TA to boost visibility for traditional inns, and more responsive to the needs of smaller inns such as the ones who are members of this group.  I still have membership, but have never gone to the conferences. 
perhaps the merger will be a good thing.  Cooperative marketing might help with boosting the idea of booking direct as most beneficial for travelers as well as innkeepers.

when I suggest guests seek out lodgings to book direct, partly because the more difficult to fill rooms are more likely what you get when booking through an OTA, I sometimes see the ah-hah look on the guest’s face.  
 

I got the email for the merger vote this morning, and may go back and vote for it.  
 

Just wanted to check in here and see what you all are thinking.