Great business relationships and opportunities were realized and strengthened this year at the 17th Annual International African American Hotel Ownership & Investment Summit and Trade show, according to its organizers.
Former National Basketball Association champion Rick Fox and Prime Minister Perry Christie also made an appearance at the closing of the event, where four hotel industry leaders and a congressman were granted top honors from the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) for their work in the industry.
Speaking at the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay hotel, Christie assured the 200-plus attendees that The Bahamas is still a prime destination for tourism, as evidenced by several new developments in the pipeline, and that any investments in the country were made even better by the historical ties between the U.S. and The Bahamas.
Several outstanding hoteliers were honored at the annual awards luncheon, with the marquee Hank Thomas Freedom Rider Award going to Hilton Worldwide's Senior Vice President of Development for the Americas Bill Fortier.
Receiving the NABHOOD award for Emerging Hotel Owner of The Year was David Hunt, president and CEO of Hunt Services Inc./Hampton Inn and Suites.
Sheila Johnson, founder and CEO of Salamander Hospitality LLC got the NABHOOD Trail Blazer Award. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson won the NABHOOD Chairman's Award. The Outstanding Hotelier Award from the Asian-American Hotel Owners Association went to LeRoy Howard and Deanne Ayers-Howard, Esq. from Howard Hospitality of Cascades LLC and TownePlace Suites Sterling Dulles North.
Hank Thomas was the keynote speaker at the luncheon and encouraged more black and minority business ownership.
"A people cannot be free unless they own and supply the businesses that supply their needs," he said. "We have to change the way they think of us."
The conference started on July 26, with African-American hotel owners, top hospitality industry professionals and international and national leaders meeting with government delegates from throughout the Caribbean region, including Jamaica, Barbados, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos.
This year's theme was "Networking-Connect for a Lifetime" and provided insight into how the travel and hotel market has begun a turnaround and many opportunities are becoming available.
The four-day educational summit is also designed to inform attendees on the ways to become a hotel owner or investor, share minority investment trends, supplier opportunities, how to market to minorities, and diversity issues affecting the industry.
NABHOOD seeks to increase the number of African-Americans developing, managing, operating and owning hotels; as well as increase vendor opportunities and executive level jobs for minorities, with the aim of creating wealth within the African-American community.
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