Innkeeping Association Announces 2011 Industry Award Winners
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
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Posted by: Ingrid Thorson
The Professional Association of Innkeepers International
(PAII), the largest organization representing the needs and interests of the
innkeeping business, announced the slate of their annual award winners, all of
whom will be recognized at the upcoming Innkeeping Conference & Trade Show
in Charleston, South Carolina.
"Each year we are honored to show our appreciation and
admiration for people and organizations which have made an indelible mark on
our industry – either over the long haul or as a result of recent actions,”
says Jay Karen, PAII’s chief executive officer.
The Hardy-Bell Award is given to a member of PAII who has
made a significant and long-term contribution to the organization. The 2011 award winner is John Felton, former
innkeeper at the One Main Street B&B in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. John served on the PAII board of directors
for many years and continues to serve as a volunteer editor for Innkeeping Quarterly magazine. "John was often the most sought-after voice
of reason on our board, and he was unflagging in representing the voice of the
small B&Bs,” says AnneMarie DeFreest, owner of the Inn at the Round Barn
Farm in Waitsfield, Vermont, and chair of the PAII board of directors.
The Award of Merit is bestowed upon individuals who have
made a lasting and positive impact on the entire innkeeping industry. Eric Goldreyer, the founder and former chief
executive of BedandBreakfast.com, who sold the company to HomeAway.com earlier
in 2010, is the 2011 recipient of this award.
"Eric and his work were nearly synonymous with the B&B industry for
fifteen years,” says DeFreest. "Through
the efforts of BedandBreakfast.com, Eric was able to lead innkeepers into the
new age of internet marketing, as well as draw significant levels of exposure
to the B&B product through meaningful PR work. We are grateful for the tireless efforts he
made to advance this industry.”
Recipients of the annual Champion Award have accomplished
a significant victory on behalf of innkeepers or our industry at the local,
regional, national or international level within the past year. "We honor these people and organizations for
championing a cause important to our corner of the lodging and hospitality
industries. They are shining examples of
going above and beyond,” says Dan Brown, innkeeper at the Swift House Inn in
Middlebury, Vermont, and PAII’s awards committee chair.
The following are all recipients of the 2011 Champion Award:
Kathleen Panek, innkeeper at the Gillum House in
Shinnston, West Virginia
Kathleen was the brainchild and stimulus behind the
"B&Bs for Vets” initiative, which attracted the support and participation
of over 900 B&Bs and inns from coast to coast. Participating properties donated at least one
free room night to active duty or retired military personnel the night before
Veterans Day this past November 10th.
This program garnered significant coverage from local and broadcast
media from coast to coast, as well as introduced the B&B experience to
several thousand first-timers.
Jim Ford and Jeanne Muir, innkeepers at the Thomas
Shepherd Inn in Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Jim and Jeanne spent countless hours supporting the
"B&Bs for Vets” program, fielding emails and phone calls, getting the web
site launched and updating hundreds of entries over many weeks. Their efforts were critical in making the
initiative a success.
The U.S. Travel Association
Only due to the efforts of the U.S. Travel Association
was the passage of the 2010 Travel Promotion Act possible. This piece of legislation, which received
unusual bipartisan support in Congress, creates the first-ever national travel
promotion and communications program to attract more international travelers to
the U.S. The Travel Promotion Act will
counteract the downward trend of inbound travel by creating a campaign to
promote the United States as a premier destination and explain changing travel
security policies to foreign visitors.
Hoyt Dottry, innkeeper at the Walnut Lane Inn in Lyman,
South Carolina
Through his role as president of the South Carolina Bed
and Breakfast Association, Hoyt has taken on many causes on behalf of the
state’s innkeepers. Of note, Hoyt wrote
successful grant applications to receive financial support from the state’s
tourism office. He worked closely with
officials from both Horry and Kershaw counties to update their B&B
ordinances. These feats were
accomplished in addition to his work on the association’s print and online
directories, oversight of the monthly newsletter, gift card program and so many
more initiatives.
Shar and Brian Scott, innkeepers at the American
Country Bed and Breakfast in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
In 2010, Shar and Brian succeeded in founding the new
Idaho Bed & Breakfast Association to serve the interests of innkeepers
throughout the state. In its first year
of existence, the association recruited dozens of new members, held an annual
conference and received financial support from the state tourism office to
create new marketing materials aimed at promoting the state’s B&Bs.
Barbara Shadomy, innkeeper at the Stonehurst Bed and
Breakfast in Atlanta, Georgia
Upon renovating a property in the Atlanta market to
operate it as a B&B, Barbara discovered that only "homestays” of up to two
bedrooms were legal. Due to Barbara’s
leadership, she was able to work with the city to rewrite the ordinance, which
now allows for B&B operations in properties with up to ten bedrooms. This allowed all existing properties in the
area to be legal and licensed.
For additional information on news from PAII, contact Ingrid Thorson or visit www.innkeepingshow.com.
About PAII:
The Professional Association of Innkeepers International, founded in
1988, is the innkeeping industry's largest trade association. PAII is
committed to fostering a knowledgeable, caring and conscientious
community of professional innkeepers, networking with each other
throughout the world. PAII provides education, communications, public
relations, advocacy, networking, and research services to its membership
and the greater industry. PAII hosts the world's largest annual
gathering of innkeepers, The Innkeeping Conference & Trade Show, and
publishes the industry's leading trade publication, Innkeeping Quarterly (IQ), which reaches over 16,000 innkeepers.
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