USVIHTA Update | August 2021
Greetings Members,

Thank you for reading these and other important updates. Please remember to use the web link at the bottom to share with your teams.
Next Week - Navigating Insurance Ahead of the New Hurricane Season and Storm Prep Aug. 12 - RSVP Now!
Join Smith Orloff & Associates, Theodore Tunick & Company and Marshall & Sterling Insurance as well as the Hotel & Tourism Association on Aug. 12 at 11 a.m. for a Zoom meeting entitled Navigating Insurance Ahead of the New Hurricane Season and Storm Prep. This meeting is intended to assist members with preparing for the forthcoming hurricane season prior to the event including what you need to consider for your property from an insurance standpoint and what plans need to be in place. Most importantly, you will also have the opportunity to ask “those questions” you might have of these experts. RSVP with Lisa Hamilton at lisa@usvihta.com. A link for the Zoom meeting will be provided closer to the event date. Click here to download the presentation. Thank you!
Survey on Sargassum in the Caribbean: Incidence, Impacts and Management
The HTA requests member feedback via the below survey on the economic impacts of Sargassum. We have a meeting on Aug. 30 with NOAA to find federal funding to assist with research and mitigation, and require the financial impact numbers to support our need for funding. Please read the below and take the survey as soon as possible.

Do you live or work in the Greater Caribbean region? Do you have experience with fisheries, tourism, recreation or other coastal businesses? Do you have knowledge of coastal management? Have you experienced any seaweed or other algae blooms in the Caribbean?
 
If you answered YES to any of these questions, we want to hear from you!
 
Our team of researchers is conducting a survey to learn more about how Sargassum events and related management strategies impact people who live or work in the Caribbean region. As someone with strong ties to the Caribbean region, your participation will be valuable for us whether or not you have seen or experienced seaweed events in your area.
 
The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete. Click on this link to take the survey: https://uri.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4NLhaRYdjDAMI0S (available in English, Spanish, and French)
 
Please forward this survey to colleagues and friends who might be willing to share their thoughts on resource management, coastal businesses or Sargassum. For more information on the project, visit our project website: https://web.uri.edu/maf/2021/06/30/saragassum/. Read in Spanish and French.
The Caribbean is Open for Business—Ready for Investing
Office of Management & Budget Revenue Estimating Conference
The Office of Management & Budget Director, Jenifer C. O’Neal, informs the public of the upcoming Revenue Estimating conference to be held on Aug. 10. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference will be a hybrid event, held via Zoom from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and streamed online on the Office of Management & Budget Facebook page and WTJX VI Public Broadcasting System Facebook page.

Presentations will be given by revenue generating agencies, departments and semi-autonomous agencies regarding their projected revenues for Fiscal Year 2022. Presentations will be approximately five minutes with ten-minute question and answer segment that are open to the public for participation.

If you have any questions, please contact Monique C. Creque, Special Assistant to the Director, at 340-774-0750 203, or Cadesha Brathwaite at extension 208.

Meeting ID: 850 5230 0378
Passcode: 603870

More local news:
USVI Small Business Resources August
Click here to view VI Small Business Development Center Resources for August 2021.
Bryan Williams' Tip: KEY to Attracting & Retaining the Best Talent
Many leaders are stressed over staffing and turnover woes, and rightfully so! So how can you position your company as a place that's not offering "just another job," but rather a place that is a magnet and haven for high-performers?

Let's start with the fact that the most important person on your team is not you (the boss); it's whoever is directly serving the customer. It is THAT person who will either help the customer fall more in love or less in love with whatever your organization is offering. And it is THAT person who will be a primary reason for WHY the customer returns AND tells others to come also.

How important is that person to you? Your honest, visceral answer is exactly what your potential and current applicants will feel. They will know if you're merely looking to fill an open position or if you want someone to join you in achieving the goals and dreams of your organization.

If your line employees are TRULY important and they are TRULY the most important person to the customer, then how do you (the leader) make sure that they know it?

How is their significance clearly revealed in:
  • The recruitment messaging
  • The application experience
  • The interview experience
  • The orientation experience
  • The job offer experience
  • The department training experience
  • The daily reinforcement experience

Carefully consider and clearly answer how your organization addresses each of the points above. Those answers are what will attract and keep high-performers on your team.

Takeaway: Employee retention BEGINS with the onboarding experience, then continues with how you engage your team daily.
Association Health Plans Available Now through Elan
The Hotel & Tourism Association continues to work to identify great opportunities for our members. We've recently signed an agreement with Elan Insurance Group to offer Association Health Plans. Click the photo to view the PDF version in your browser. The PDF lets members know about:
  1. This great NEW benefit
  2. Who is qualified to receive it
  3. How to get started

For more information, contact Omar Andres Haedo directly at omar.a.haedo@elan.insure.
Save the Date
Click here to view upcoming events. And don't forget to share your special events with members today by emailing kaufmann.laurel@gmail.com.
Lisa Hamilton 
USVIHTA President 
340-774-6835