August 1
August 20
Harborside International
Golf Center
September 17
Tuckaway Golf Club, Crete
October 22
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Bloomington-Airport
October 23
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bloomington
October 30
Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel
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STRATEGIC PARTNERS
GOLD SPONSOR
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We have many roles as an Association including serving as your voice in government, providing resources and education to our members, and representing and recognizing our valued colleagues, among others. I'm excited that over the course of the next few weeks, we will have the opportunity to make strides in each of these areas. You will read more below about recent updates in government affairs, but when it comes to providing value to our members, we have a series of upcoming events that are not to be missed. The first is on
August 1
, where we will host a
virtual webinar
educating our members about best practices in
crisis communications
. It doesn't take a major tragedy to spark a crisis at your hotel - it can be something as simple as a rogue employee posting something distasteful on your social media page that can quickly spin out of control. A seasoned PR professional will go through a series of scenarios and his suggested ways to handle certain situations to protect your brand and prepare for anything that comes your way. I hope you will join us
online next Thursday
.
Then, on August 15, we'll hold another webinar to share important details about the new requirement to provide certain hotel employees with safety devices as of July 1, 2020. We will go through the specific clauses of the new law, summarize some questions that you should ask potential vendors and let you hear directly from some of our Strategic Partners and preferred vendors in this space on what makes their products unique. If you do not already have employee safety devices at your hotel, this webinar is crucial. Don't miss this opportunity to prepare in advance for this looming deadline.
Lastly, we can never forget that our employees are our greatest assets within hotels. And once a year, we shine the spotlight on our front-line colleagues who make Illinois hotels second to none. Nominations are now open for the 2019 Stars of the Industry. I hope you will take a few minutes to nominate some of your employees for going above and beyond and embodying the spirit of hospitality.
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After two and a half years of debate, Chicago's City Council passed the Fair Workweek Ordinance on Wednesday. The past few months, and particularly over the last several weeks, we engaged in countless hours of negotiations with the Mayor's Office, City Council and Labor in an attempt to find a middle ground. As a result, we were able to achieve significant concessions that make the ordinance far more workable for hotels, and we view it as a fair compromise. As a result, IHLA removed our opposition in advance of the votes this week. You can learn more about the new law by watching this video and can read more about the concessions we were able to achieve here.
Our ability to influence change on the Fair Workweek Ordinance was the result of many IHLA members engaging in the advocacy process and reaching out to their Aldermen. I cannot stress enough how important it is to develop strong relationships with your elected officials. We have a unique opportunity to do this at the federal level in September during AHLA's Legislative Action Summit (LAS). I hope you can join us in Washington, D.C. on September 10-11. While I know it is sometimes difficult to be away for even one night, joining us for these appointments truly do help build our relevance as an industry at the state and federal levels. Learn more about LAS and register here.
Senator Melinda Bush Golf Fundraiser
IHLA's IHMPAC proudly supported State Senator Melinda Bush's golf fundraiser on July 17. Pictured left to right is Michael Jacobson, IHLA President and CEO; Brad Lajoie, Lincolnshire Marriott Resort General Manager; Senator Melinda Bush; Dale McFarland, Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza River North General Manager; and Samantha Stinson, IHLA VP of Government Relations.
AHLA Legislative Action Summit (LAS)
September 10-11
Capital Hilton, Washington, D.C.
 The hotel industry is coming together on Capitol Hill for this incredible event and you're invited! Join with hundreds of your hotel industry colleagues from across the country to meet with your Members of Congress and share what issues matter most to you and your business. Whether you work the front desk, manage a property, are a brand executive or hotel industry vendor, your voice is key!
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UPCOMING EVENTS & PROGRAMS
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IHLAEF Webinar: Crisis Communications
August 1 | 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
 When things go wrong at your hotel, make sure you get your communications strategy right. Hear from a seasoned crisis PR professional on the do's and don'ts when it comes to crises that may occur including natural disasters, protests, illegal activity within the hotel, data breaches and more.
IHLAEF Webinar: Employee Safety Devices
August 15 | 2:00pm - 3:00pm CDT
A new law in Illinois requires hotels to install and provide employee safety devices to certain employees by July 1, 2020. Join IHLA for an educational webinar that will go into detail about the new requirements, describe what hotels need to know when looking into providers and give you the opportunity to hear directly from IHLA's preferred vendors who we recommend you reach out to as you look into providers.
Stars of the Industry - Nominate Your Stars!
 Employee recognition and retention are invaluable elements to the success of hotels. IHLA's Stars of the Industry Awards Program honors IHLA member hotel employees for their outstanding accomplishments, service, and leadership in the hospitality industry. Illinois has thousands of exceptional hotel employees who help our visitors enjoy their stay, and the Stars Program recognizes the best of the best, those who truly go above and beyond and whose incredible hard work, dedication, attentiveness, and genuine kindness towards both guests and fellow colleagues is an inspiration their peers. Awards are presented to individuals in 11 categories from IHLA member hotels in 3 regions: Chicago, Suburban Chicago, and Central Illinois.
IHLA hosts 3 annual Stars of the Industry events:
-Stars of the Industry Central Illinois Regional Luncheon | 10/23/19, Bloomington
-Stars of the Industry Chicagoland Regional Luncheon | 10/29/19, Schaumburg
-Membership & State Stars of the Industry Holiday Luncheon | 12/13/2019, Chicago
We encourage all of our members to participate in this high profile employee recognition program; to nominate and show appreciation for your outstanding team members and give them the opportunity to be recognized by their peers at an entertaining celebration they will never forget. There is no cost to nominate an IHLA hotel member employee. #IHLAStarsoftheIndustry
IHLA Golf Classic
August 20
Harborside International Golf Center
 Join us for the premier hotel industry golf outing featuring an incredible day of golf and networking with the finest in hospitality, a perfect way to entertain VIP clients!
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Welcome New Members!
 Enseo's MadeSafe is a complete employee safety solution that accurately locates employees in distress. Currently on its fourth generation, MadeSafe has been in the hands of hotel staff since 2015. With the tap of a button, MadeSafe immediately transmits the name and location of distressed employees to designated emergency response personnel.
155 N Peoria St |
Chicago, IL 60607
 Opening this fall, Nobu Hotel Chicago is an oasis centrally located in the vibrant West Loop neighborhood. Stunning architecture and 115 rooms and suites seamlessly blend old-world Japanese influences with ultra-modern design.
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 Convene is a network of premium places to work, meet, and host inspiring events in Class A office buildings. Physical space has the power to make or break your focus, your mindset, your mood. It shapes behavior, molds culture. Convene applies the best in design, technology and hospitality services to unleash human potential.
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 Point B is a nimbly sized agency that for over 40 years has built its success by helping other companies achieve theirs. They are roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty marketers who judge their success by your bottom line. Point B builds brands that stick, resonate and connect with people on an organic level. They do it through compelling work, insightful strategies and meticulous planning - on time and on budget.
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 The Power Puck System is a groundbreaking new system that redefines how guests charge their devices. Created from a realization that with all the recent advancements in mobile technology, the convenience of charging has not kept up. This system brings power to where people are, efficiently using the existing electrical infrastructure and keeping guests happy
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IHLA Welcomes Kelsey Crawford
 We are excited to introduce the newest member of our team, Event & Administration Coordinator, Kelsey Crawford. Kelsey is a 2014 graduate from Michigan State University with a degree in Communications. With a background in marketing, Kelsey spent her first years out of college in northern Michigan as a marketing and sales manager for a vacation rental and property management company. Most recently, Kelsey worked in office operations and meeting planning and is now excited to step back into the hospitality industry with the opportunity to work on event and marketing initiatives.
Hospitality Young Professionals (HYP) Networking Cruise
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