AHLA Conference focuses on Leading Change

The AHLA’s 98th Annual Convention & Trade Show consists of three days of networking, learning, and celebrating with industry colleagues from across Alberta and Canada, and will take place at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge April 15 – 17, 2018. The deadline for early bird registrations and award nominations is today, March 20, 2018. 

The theme of this year’s convention, Leading Change, captures the resilience, creativity, and agility of our industry, and recognizes our need to recognize the forces of change, and adapt quickly in order to succeed and prosper.

The convention will give delegates a unique opportunity to connect with hotel owners, managers and front line staff from over 200 Alberta hotels and motels, take part in discussions about the economic and political realities facing Alberta’s tourism and hospitality industry and celebrate the achievements of front line staff at the Gold Key, Employer of Choice, and Housekeeping Awards ceremonies. 

Michael Timms, principal of Avail Leadership, will bookend the conference with keynote presentations on "Leading Talent Development" and "Legendary Leadership."

"I believe that everyone has the right to be inspired and uplifted by their leaders at work," says Timms in his LinkedIn profile. "As principal of Avail Leadership, I show executives how to create a people-first culture and build a pipeline of leadership talent.

"Often, the biggest difference between industry-leading organizations and mediocre ones is the ability to consistently develop their employees. Think of any industry-leading organization – you’ll almost always find that talent development is one of their top strategic priorities," he says.

Timms is the author of the book, Succession Planning That Works, which has received critical acclaim as an invaluable guide for identifying, and taking advantage of, talent within organizations. Prior to forming his own consultancy, he was a consultant with Deloitte and an HR leader in the construction and manufacturing industries.

Michael Timms

Leading Talent Development reveals the fundamentals of continuous leadership and talent development, and will show you how to become a talent magnet.

Participants will learn: the mindset that sets industry-leading companies apart from their competitors; how to turn their hotels into talent development machines; and how a world-class leadership and talent development program works, and the necessary steps to implement one.

Other topics at the Convention include hotel security, the value of connectivity, maximizing labour productivity, insight on Alberta's evolving political landscape, accessibility, and employment standards questions. 

Delegates will have a chance to take a unique guided tour behind the scenes at Jasper Park Lodge, one of Alberta’s premier resort properties. This tour will focus exclusively on housekeeping and grounds maintenance, showing what it takes to make this grand hotel run smoothly on a daily basis.

HAC president & CEO Susie Grynol, who has spent the last year building the profile of Canada’s hotel industry and leading national advocacy efforts on issues like short term rentals and labour, will be on hand to discuss what’s next, and solicit feedback on how these issues affect delegates' businesses.