Summary: <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/lodgingleaders/LL001.mp3" target="_blank"></a>Jon Albano is the Founder and CEO of the LodgingMetrics dashboard for hotels, and host of the Lodging Leaders podcast. For more than 13 years, he defined Membership Services for AAHOA, one of the fastest-growing organizations in the hospitality industry, with more than 12,500 members owning more than 20,000 hotels that total $128 billion in property value. After effectively executing 13 national conventions, hundreds of regional trade shows, and attending numerous industry events, Jon is recognized by many as a leading hospitality needs expert in bringing owners and vendors together for mutual gain. As Vice President of Membership, he led the Membership, Education & Professional Development, Public Relations & Communications, and Information Technology departments. Jon used his engineering background and passion for efficiencies to improve staff productivity and enhanced members' experience by implementing countless technology solutions, designing custom software, and overseeing the development of multiple websites and mobile applications. The Vision Thank you for joining me for the very first episode of the LodgingLeaders.com podcast. For this first session, I'll share the vision for this podcast so you know what to expect. I'll also talk about what it means to be a hotel professional and the responsibility that entails. And finally, I'll share a little bit about myself, my background, and my "why" for doing this. LodgingLeaders is about bringing together the best and brightest minds - the collective intelligence of the hotel industry - to share their stories, their insights and their advice. It's engaging interviews with inspiring hoteliers and industry professionals that have produced amazing results, both professionally, and personally. It's also about effective leadership - in your business, in your communities, and in the industry. The fact that you are listening to this podcast suggests you're already a leader. Leaders are always learning, right? They're on the lookout for new ideas, trying new things, constantly measuring, evaluating, and adjusting. You know, running a hotel is a BIG job, and it's an awesome responsibility. I want to take some time today to think about the service you provide, because I think it will help set the context for this podcast. People stay at a hotel for many reasons. It may be a businessperson away from their family in an unfamiliar place, or a family taking that vacation they saved up for all year. It may be a couple trying to recharge and rekindle their relationship. It may be a family member in town to spend quality time with loved ones, to celebrate the birth of a new child, or to support a loved on in the hospital. It may be a displaced family who just lost their home, or a family moving to your city and looking for a permanent place to live. Whatever the reason, your guest is longing for the comforts of home at your hotel, right? They may expect to be pampered by your housekeeping staff making their beds or cleaning up behind them, or a good meal from room service that they didn't have to prepare, or a refreshing swim in your pool, or drinks in the hot tub (lol). Staying at your property is so much more than a bed and shelter. Your guests expect a clean room, a safe and quiet environment, and good service. Hotels make it possible for people to do business globally, take vacations, bring friends and family together. They add value to a community. Many provide the space for people to do business and celebrate special occasions. Hotels provide many jobs and stimulate growth in the economy. The profession you have chosen has the potential to add tremendous value to tens of thousands of people, to create lifelong memories, to make difficult situations more tolerable, and joyful occasions even better. As leaders, we need to honor this responsibility any way we can by exceeding expe...
