Featured Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Holly Stiel, Speaker, Trainer, Author, Thank You Very Much, Inc.
Back by popular demand, Holly Stiel will delight attendees with two sessions this year. Her program, The Magic of S.I.L.K.™ is the culmination of many years of philosophical inquiry and experience regarding customer service. Holly will teach us how to infuse S.I.L.K.™ threads together in work and life to create exceptional experiences. In the past year alone, Holly has offered this workshop in 12 countries around the world and consistently receives rave reviews.
Holly will expound on the Magic of S.I.L.K.™ in a corresponding Super Session and offer specific details and techniques to create the S.I.L.K.™ customer experience. This super session will be especially helpful for innkeepers with staff because she will expound upon how to create high-level, distinctive and memorable experiences that create guest loyalty and keep them coming back again and again.
Super Sessions:
Monique Greenwood, Akwaaba Inns
“How does someone eager to balance her life manage to get so busy? And how does someone so busy manage to have so much fun.” This is how Fast Company describes Monique Greenwood, former Editor-in-Chief of Essence magazine. How does she run four Akwaaba inns (Brooklyn, Cape May and Washington, DC), while restoring a luxury resort/spa in the Poconos? Monique’s motto is “Make it happen.” How DOES She Do It? Take away practical ideas to increase your operations/management skill set, as you spend time with Monique in an interview with PAII’s co-founder, Jo Ann Bell, for an informative talk-show style super session.
P. Allen Smith, Garden Design Expert
P. Allen smith is an award-winning garden and lifestyle designer and host of the public television program, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home and the syndicated 30-minute show P. Allen Smith Gardens. Smith is one of America’s most recognized and respected garden design experts providing ideas and inspiration through multiple media venues. He is the author of the best-selling Garden Home series of books. His latest book, P. Allen Smith’s Seasonal Recipes from the Garden, was released in December
2012. Smith is also a regular contributor on NBC’s The TODAY Show.
Tim Brady, Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast and Brand Pandemic
If there is one innkeeper who consistently rates Excellent scores on evaluations, it’s Tim Brady. This year Tim will enlighten audience members with a Diving Deep session focusing on using technology to make Innkeeping easier. Do you feel like new technology is fighting you or are you simply looking for techniques to make today’s technology work for you? Either way, this session will promises to help.
Jennifer Cole, Features Editor, Southern Living Magazine
Jennifer Cole is the Features Editor of Southern Living magazine and she will join us for two sessions at the conference. Her session, “Being Southern” will take a sometimes humorous but always honest look at the roots of southern heritage and culture. She will also join our panel discussion “Heeeere’s Johnny!” How do you Engage the Newest Generation of Travelers? Jennifer will focus on the connection that innkeepers are seeing with the needs and desired of younger travelers and the needs and desires of readers of Southern Living. This panel is sure to be thought and discussion provoking.
