March, 2010

MMHLAMMHLAMetropolitan Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association

MMH&LA - the source for information and education, and the advocacy voice forthe hotel and lodging industry in the metropolitan Memphis area.

MMHLA Offices:7730 Goshawk CoveCordova, TN 38016901-752-9902901-752-0743 (fax)MemphisHLA@earthlink.netwww.mmhla.comPeggy Callahan, Executive DirectorMMHLA Officers:Wayne Tabor...........................ChairmanMary Calorio............................PresidentSteve Smyka...................Vice PresidentDoug Owings..........................TreasurerTony Goebel............................SecretaryJohn Rucker...............Sergeant-at-armsMMHLA Board of Directors:Doug BrowneAnne-Marie FamaletteMohamad HakimianKevin KaneMatt LahiffPierre Landaiche

Craig MarshallChuck PinkowskiYogesh PurohitTerry UmbreitRick Zurburg

Phone: 901-752-9902Fax: 901-752-0743E-mail: MemphisHLA@earthlink.net

To Make Reservations:

Emergency Preparedness!

March 17

April 21: Stars of the Industry! Peabody Hotel

Stars of the Industry, April 21!

Forms at www.mmhla.com.

More info inside!

Courtyard by Marriott Downtown

Kathryn DeweyMarketing Coordinator,Solar-Techphone: 901-382-7670cell: 901-626-55038195 Dexter Rd. #119Memphis, TN 38013kathryn@gosolar-tech.com

NEW MEMBERS!Hemmy PatelDirector of Sales,Holiday Inn Express & SuitesPhone: 901-309-67007784 Wolf Trail Cv.Germantown, TN 38138sales.memhiexpress@gmail.com

Registration, 11:30 a.m.Luncheon, 12:00 noon

Guests - $25

Can you handle disaster?Emergency Preparedness!

Earthquakes in Chile, earthquakes in Haiti, Disasters on the evening news, floods and epidemics on the web. Read the story, finish your cof-fee and leave for work.

But what if it happened here?It has and it will again.Memphis suffered repeated yellow

fever epidemics in the 19th century, actually losing its city charter in 1879. It wasn’t restored until 1891.

But this isn’t a history lesson. It’s a warning: are you prepared?

Learn what you need to know in the event of disaster. Come to the March 17 (Happy St. Patrick’s Day!) luncheon meeting at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown and hear what our Emergency Preparedness panel has to say.

Panelists include:Bob Nations, Director, Emergen-

cy Management Agency for Shelby County.

Jesse Benton, Hotel Safety Consul-tant and former manager with InterCon-tinental Hotels’ Loss Prevention Depart-ment.

Brooks Sinquefield, Security One.That’s Wednesday, March 17, at the

Courtyard by Marriott Downtown, Main & Jefferson. Phone, fax or e-mail your res-ervations now. The numbers are in the green box to the right.

The Court-yard by Marriott

Downtown is the place

for this month’s

luncheon meeting, Wednes-

day, March 17. Make your res-ervations

now!

Alright pardners, this is the place to have fun! It’s Ridgeway Communication’s Jim Gordon with his wife Agnes, next to Teresa Wilson, all sitting across from Mr. & Mrs. Chuck Pinkowski.

Smile! Chuck Pinkowski takes a picture of the picture-taker.

Now there’s a smile! Anne-Marie Famalette with Tom Johnson of Holiday Inn University of Memphis.

Steve Smyka, Doubletree Memphis East, enjoys the presentation, while the AV guy makes it all work.

Well one thing’s fer shur - the gang from Enterprise Rent-A-Car is having fun.

Look out! I think we’ve got some sheriffs here! Mr. & Mrs. Bob Cox, all in denim. And some really nice hats too.

Joshua Spotts withThe Madison’s Mohamad Hakimian & his wife, Lynn. Doug & Debra Owings. (The guy with the

white hat always gets the girl!)A wild bunch of ranch hands - the Courtyard by Marriott Gang.

Friday, February 5, 2010, at the Holiday Inn at the University of Memphis, a lotta top trivia

wranglers got together & tangled til the cows came home!

Senate Hospitality’s Dave Jones check in, with Phineas Bresee, Kemmons Wilson Insurance, close behind.

All the signs are saying something big is happening today!

And a big happening gets a big crowd!

The UofM’s Dr. David M. Kemme presents a Regional & National Economic Update.

Shelby County Mayor The UofM’s AC Whar-ton offered insight on the future of Memphis.

Chuck Pinkowski, with a clicker in his hand.

The Lodging Industry Update panel: Kevin Kane, MCVB; Charlie Swan, Wright Investment Properties; Greg Averbuch; & Bob Hunter, Hunter Realty.

Another view of Wright Investment Proper-ties: Larry Wright, Sr. & Charlie Swan.

From the Hilton Memphis: Matt Lahiff, GM, & Tom Goodwin.

The Peabody’s Doug Browne speaks. Kimberly Brooks listens.

Listening hard: Kent DeVantier; Glenn Ma-lone; Dave Jones; all of the Westin.

One more time & looking the other way: Charlie Swan & Greg Averbuch.

State Rep, 86th District, Barbara Coo-per; Rick Zurburg; Regena Bearden. Standing: Gloria McCollum.

Camel coats rule! says John Rucker, Steve Smyka & the MCVB’s Chris Roan.

Shay Baranowski, Holiday Inn Select East GM.

The Gold Strike Casino gang: George Goldhoff, Sandra Brooks & Kimberly Jordan-Sides.

Is it the press taking notes? No. It’s Shawn Turner & Ted Raynor.

Richard Markham, Radisson Airport &, on the right, May-bra Holeyfield, Econolodge Downtown.

Line’em up & shoot’em! With a camera of course. It’s Marty Bocaccy; Rob Norcross; Chuck Pinkowski; Tom Wilson, of Russell, Montgom-ery & Assoc.; & David Kemme.

Were you there?February 12, 2010 Hilton Memphis12th Annual Lodging Industry Summit

Ted C. RaynorBURCH, PORTER & JOHNSON, PLLC

Attorney / MediatorServing the legal needs of the

hospitality industry for the last 18 years

ADA – ADR – Contracts – Franchise IssuesLitigation of All Types – Operational Issues

www.bpjlaw.com • 901-524-5122 • traynor@bpjlaw.com

Stars of the Industry!Start nominating! It’s Stars of the Industry time!

All Stars of the Industry nominations must be completed and returned no later than April 2, 2010. The rules: The nominator must complete and return the nomination form to

the MMHLA office by April 2, 2010, MMHLA 7730 Goshawk Cove, Cordova, TN 38016. Explain in up to four, typed, double-spaced pages why this nominee should be honored. Examples of out-standing service can include undertaking special services, showing outstanding leadership qualities or consistently adding to the well-

being of the industry.Include any materials which substantiate

the award entry, such as photos, letters of commendation, guest cards, news clip-pings, videos etc. for the consideration of the judges. Categories are:

MMHLA Achievement Awards• General Manager of the Year• Allied Award of Excellence• Associate Award of ExcellenceLodging Employee Achievement Awards• Food & Beverage Employee of the Year• Sales Employee of the Year• Manager of the Year• Roomkeeper of the Year• Maintenance Worker of the Year• Upcoming StarGold Star Public Relations Awards• Community Service• Guest Relations• Special Events

All entries should be mailed to MMHLA, 7730 Goshawk Cove, Cordova, TN 38016 by April 2, 2010; fax 752-0743; email: mem-phishla@earthlink.net. For more information please call Peggy

Callahan, 752-9902.Entry forms are available at www.mmhla.

com.Who are your stars!

Your “Total Recruitment Solution”Includes • 7 Day Large Display Ad in a Targeted Publication• Postings on 7 Recruitment Web Sites• Access to Hundreds of Hotel Applications/Resumes in our Database

Let Us Be Your GUIDE for

Hourly Employees

Call 901-213-2112

From the President:

BUY ALLIEDS

FIRST!

Providing Memphis’ first wheelchair accessible taxi services. Including airport transportation!

ellow Cab recently added 8 new wheelchair accessible

taxi cabs to its fleet!

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Call Yellow Cab: 577-7777

seeing your employees accepting a Star of the Industry Award, and the pride that you will feel because they work for YOU!No, I am not going to pass the collection plate

now (unless you want to send Peggy a check for our PAC). I realize that I have been preach-ing, but as the old preacher said, “If the shoe fits, wear it.” I love this industry and feel we do not promote our city and our employees enough. If I have offended any one, good. Now do something about it! Fill out that nomination and submit it before the deadline ends. Even if your employee does not win, it is such an honor to know that your boss thinks you are worthy of the award. Till next month, same time, same place.

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HLA

The Ides of March was a festive day dedicated to the god Mars. A military parade was usually held. The term idūs (ides) originally referred to the day of the full moon. In modern times, Ides of March is best known as the date Julius Cae-sar was assassinated in 709 AUC or 44 B.C. There is no doubt in my mind that if I said, have a good Ides of March, everyone would think I was nuts. No one would think I was actually wishing them a beautiful full moon to view on the Ides of March. Isn’t it strange that something good is over-

shadowed by something that is bad or evil? Isn’t it true that we all choose negative over positive to spread? Is your glass ½ empty or ½ full? Which are you—pessimist or optimist? Memphis needs OPTIMISTS! Mama always told us, if you don’t have something good to say about somebody, keep your mouth shut. Well, too many of us are keeping our mouths shut while Memphis gets repeatedly slammed, and we should be talking to everyone about our great City! Hats off to Mayor Wharton for taking on the media, and doing what all of us should be doing—defending our home, Memphis. Every year, we literally have to call General

Managers and ask that they please submit nom-inations for the Stars of the Industry Awards. GM’s: does that mean your employees aren’t worthy of nomination? Or are you ‘too busy’ to write the nominations. Shame on you! I have been a General Manager for 35+ years and I KNOW how hectic our life is. I KNOW how we work 24 hours a day, and I KNOW that we pack 30 hours into each 24 day. But our em-ployees are the ones who make us a success or failure. Please don’t let your schedule make you overlook those special employees who al-ways makes you look good. Take the time to honor them, the same way that you want to be honored. Because nothing means more than

Stars of the Industry Is Coming! Send Your Nominations Now!

MMHLA7730 Goshawk CoveCordova, TN 38016

2010 CALENDAR

FORD & HARRISON LLP

Representing management exclusively in allareas of labor & employment law.

Certification as a Labor and Employment Law specialist is not currently available in Tennessee.

795 Ridge Lake Blvd., Suite 300, Memphis, TN 38120Timothy S. Bland, 901-291-1500; fax, 901-291-1501

Mar. 15-16 -- AHLA’s Legislative Action Summit (LAS); Wash-ington, D.C.Mar. 17 -- Luncheon: Emergency Preparedness; Courtyard by Marriott Downtown.Apr. 21 -- Luncheon: Stars of the Industry; Peabody Hotel.May 19 -- Luncheon: Employee/Guest Liability; Doubletree East.June 16 -- MMHLA Golf Tournament; The Cottonwoods, Tunica, MS.Jly. 21 -- Luncheon: Be the BEST in Sales! Madison Hotel.Aug. 17-18 -- Southern Lodging Summit@Memphis.Sept. 15 -- Luncheon: L’eCole Culi-naire.Oct. 20 -- Luncheon: Housekeep-ing/Main-tenance; Courtyard. Collierville.Nov. 17 -- Lun-cheon: Hu-man Resourc-es; TBA.

REC

Ridgeway Communications Enterprises, LLCLLC 5694 Shelby Oaks Drive #1-3 ~ Memphis, TN 38134

P: 901-363-7262 ~ 800-900-7263 ~ F: 901-363-3242

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