Exciting new era began last night for BAHA as the Association officially changed its name to HOSPA – the ‘Hospitality Professionals Association’ for Hospitality Finance, Revenue Management and IT.
Last night, BAHA (British Association of Hospitality Accountants) took a major step forward by officially changing its name to HOSPA – the ‘Hospitality Professionals Association’ for Hospitality Finance, Revenue Management and IT. The new name is accompanied by a flexible strap-line that defines the membership – ‘Finance, Revenue Management and IT’. This can be adjusted to allow for any future changes in finance and other commercially related roles within the hospitality industry.
To mark the occasion, an official launch was held last night (19 September) in London at the Radisson Edwardian Mayfair, Stratton Street, W1J 8LT, where HOSPA Chairman Paul Dukes introduced the newly elected President of HOSPA – award-winning hotelier Robert Cook, Chief Executive of Malmaison and Hotel du Vin Hotels, who addressed 150 HOSPA members on the future of the UK hotel industry.
At the event, the new logos for HOSPA and HOSPACE – the new name for BAHA’s highly acclaimed Annual Conference and IT Exhibition – were unveiled by HOSPA Chief Executive Carl Weldon. HOSPACE is HOSPA plus CE, which is short for Conference and Exhibition. In addition, members were given copies of the first edition of the new-look BAHA Times monthly magazine, which is now called The Overview, using the segmented ‘O’ representing the three HOSPA Communities: Finance, Revenue Management and IT. Also members were given a flavour of the new state-of-the art interactive website pages which are due to go live on 3 October.
“The new brand image and enhanced quality are inspirational,” said the HOSPA Chief Executive. “They provide a fresh outlook and a strong base for further growth and development. But the real changes are in those areas that members most regularly access – for instance, the pages of our new look BAHA Times – renamed ‘The Overview’; and our state-of-the art interactive website. The former has been created as a quality informative and engaging monthly magazine that includes the latest HOSPA Community information, the most up-to-date hospitality industry developments and issues that affect Finance, Revenue Management and IT professionals, as well as access to current industry statistics and analysis.
“Our new website has been designed to be much more interactive and vibrant – with more facilities and resources, especially for registered HOSPA members. Perhaps the most innovative feature on the website is our new ‘Communities’ area with a portal which accesses the three separate but connected Communities of Revenue Management, IT, and of course Finance. Each discipline will have its own dedicated zone for discussion, debate and latest updated information.
“Another website highlight will be the ‘HOSPA Solutions Showcase’ where members can review systems and service solutions by category specific to the field of hospitality”
Carl Weldon also welcomed Frank Wolfe CAE, Chief Executive Officer of HOSPA’s strategic partner Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), who had flown from Texas especially for the launch. HFTP is partnering its popular European Hospitality Technology Educational Conference (EHTEC) with HOSPA’s HOSPACE 2011 by adding an extra day (25 November) to the one-day HOSPACE 2011 Conference and Exhibition on 24 November at the Sofitel Hotel, London Heathrow at Terminal 5.
The HOSPA Chief Executive concluded the launch by giving an overview of HOSPA and its aims and objectives – supported by short presentations on the latest HOSPA Education programmes and by the Chairs of the three HOSPA Communities: Diana Mountain – Finance; Warren Mandelbaum – Revenue Management; and Bryan Steele – IT.
Background to name change to HOSPA
‘HOSPA’ is the new name for an exciting new era of growth for BAHA – the rapidly approaching 1,000-member strong non-profit UK-based educational organisation, with the objective of bringing together those hospitality industry professionals involved in financial management, revenue management and IT.
Following a specially convened BAHA Extraordinary General Meeting in May 2011, BAHA members overwhelmingly voted and approved the name change to ‘HOSPA’.
BAHA Chairman Paul Dukes explained why the BAHA Council took the decision to give the Association a new identity. “Finance in the UK hospitality industry has changed markedly since BAHA was formed over 40 years ago,” he said. “It is not only the sector that has changed, but also the way it functions – from the emergence of IT in hotel management, guest services, administration, and guest-room technology, to raising finance and the new approach to maximising room revenues – to name but a few examples.
“BAHA has developed accordingly – continually seeking to provide cutting-edge knowledge; and greater opportunities for personal development, education, meetings, debates and special events for its membership, helping them to enhance skills, networking and employment potential. In 2009, recognising the increasing inter-dependence of Finance, Revenue Management and IT professionals, the then BAHA Council and members took the decision to enable Revenue Management and IT professionals to become full members of BAHA. Already this has had a positive impact on our membership, as highlighted at the highly successful 2010 BAHA Annual Conference and IT Exhibition which attracted a record attendance of 365 delegates, speakers, and IT exhibitors.
“Now, BAHA would like to encourage much wider membership and professional opportunities for all; and the BAHA Council believes that the change in the Association’s name to ‘HOSPA’ – together with a new distinctive logo and flexible strap-line – will more accurately reflect our rapidly growing membership and their professionalism within the hospitality industry.”
Carl Weldon added: “This is a new name for an exciting new era of growth for BAHA. The name change to ‘HOSPA’ embraces and takes into account our current development of individual ‘Communities’ for each of BAHA’s three membership disciplines of Finance, Revenue Management, and IT, which each have their own education requirements and issues. Indeed, we are developing further our education qualifications and programmes for our Revenue Management and IT Communities. These are being created along similar lines to that of our highly acclaimed hospitality industry-specific finance qualification – the BAHA Education and Training Programme (ETP) – which has proved very popular with the industry for over 20 years.
“Under the ‘HOSPA’ banner, the Association’s members will be able to work better, smarter and more together through understanding the synergies with Finance, Revenue Management and IT colleagues – resulting in greater efficiencies and opportunities gained from the Association’s centrally located resources.”