By Pauline Waruguru
Nevis Reporter - SKNVibes.com
 |
|
Kiemour Mahoney and Faith Bertie
|
Reservations Manager of Oualie Beach Resort, Faith Bertie and Kiemour Mahoney, the Bar manager, will participate at a hospitality conference dubbed “Caribbean Small Hotels Retreat” scheduled to be held at the Barbados Hilton, Barbados from September 26-28, 2007.
According to the conference secretariat, small hotels, defined as hotels with 75 rooms or less, are often referred to as the very essence of Caribbean hospitality and make up two thirds of the region's hotels.
The conference, titled the Caribbean Small Hotels Retreat, is being organised by the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), in conjunction with the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA).
The two-day meeting, which is being sponsored by the Barbados Tourism Authority and Caribbean Airways, has a different approach from traditional hospitality conferences by emphasising small group discussions of eight to ten people and a departure from the formality of large conventions.
~~Adz:Right~~President of the Caribbean Hotel Association Peter Odle said small hoteliers would come together to focus on practical considerations based on their day-to-day experiences of inn keeping.
Discussion topics include public relations strategies, budget redecorating, niche marketing for small hotels, hidden potential revenue streams, the advantages of 'green' practices specific to small hotel operations, management issues, food and beverage considerations, insurance and the all important technology trends, among others.
The first-ever annual Small Hotels Retreat was held in 1989 in Grenada; following a seven-year hiatus, the event is back in CHA's calendar of meetings in response to feedback from the membership.
