I was ecstatic to begin my career as a Front Office Manager with a major hotel company after I completed my bachelor's degree.

Approximately 6-9 months post-graduation I became antsy.

My work was going well but I was not advancing myself in a way I was accustomed to. I was no longer writing papers, taking exams, or otherwise being assessed weekly in ways I had become accustomed to. I began searching for outlets to continue this type of growth.

I found that there were many avenues available for lifelong learning. I was able to cross-train through my employer, read industry periodicals, have industry discussions with family and friends, and take on self-initiated projects. There are continuously more avenues available due to technology advancements. Technology has given us blogs, community forums, podcasts, social media sites, webinars, and certificates available through e-learning platforms (e.g., Coursera, edX, LinkedIn Learning, Udemy). Yet, it was a professional association that most challenged me, helped me, and improved my overall career path.

I spent the last decade in higher education. I have seen how important continued learning is to someone's business success. Some individuals graduate from high school, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate program and believe their schooling has completed. Perhaps formal education seems to have ended for many of us. Yet, staying abreast of trends, advancements in technology, and general accoutrement in our niche areas of hospitality and tourism does not happen without maintaining a focus on our lifelong learning. This is where professional associations shine the brightest.

One of the most effective way to ensure you are a successful lifelong learner is possibly through professional association involvement. I therefore began conducting research about professional associations in the field of hospitality and tourism.

Professional Associations

A professional association can be understood as a group of individuals who share an industry or field of expertise and band together to advance common interests, promote best practices, and foster collaboration and networking among members. These associations are typically non-profit organizations who serve the professional needs and development of their membership.

The hospitality and tourism industries feature a myriad of professional associations. The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), Meeting Planners International (MPI), Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), and Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) are organizations I have personally had experiences with. There are dozens more that I have heard wonderful things about. I recently curated a list of 68 active professional associations either directly in or overlapping with hospitality and tourism for my students in the city of Seattle. I have identified more than 400 global associations but I am certain I am missing many still.

My interest in professional associations resulted in me conducting research over the past decade in this field. For example, I led six focus groups in September 2023. This took place at a professional association's annual convention. Each focus group consisted of between 5 and 13 individuals who were involved in professional associations in the hospitality industry. These focus groups lasted approximately one hour. These are the primary reasons that participants chose to participate in professional associations:

  • Networking opportunities – Active participation in industry associations leads to valuable connections and potential career opportunities. Many of the participants agreed that they had obtained a job or promotion based on their professional association activities.
  • Knowledge and skill enhancement – Most professional associations offer training programs and certifications. The certifications in particular allow participants to acquire and showcase their specialized knowledge. This enhances their professional credibility.
  • Industry insights – Education is a core component of most professional associations. Many include the term education in their mission statement. Participants mentioned market trends, emerging opportunities, and challenges as trends they learned through professional associations.
  • Access to resources – Associations often provide their membership with resources in the form of white papers, case studies, publications, and research reports. These resources were identified as valuable for two primary reasons: participants were informed of their industry and they made decisions based on these resources in their professional capacity.
  • Career advancement – In general, employers value team members who are dedicated to their industry, engage in industry activities, and seek growth opportunities. This is especially true during the hiring process.
  • Leadership opportunities – Leadership opportunities abound in the form of committee service, board engagement, and even executive councils and chair roles. These positions offer industry visibility, leadership skill enhancement, and are a foundational platform for industry contribution.
  • Professional recognition – Association with respected organizations leads to an enhanced reputation in the industry. Furthermore, credibility can stem from recognition in association leadership.
  • Industry advocacy – Professional associations often advocate for their members. This takes the form of industry standards, policies, and regulations for most organizations. Professionals that join professional associations often get to have a hand in crafting the vision for their entire industry.
  • Mentorship opportunities – Whether formal or informal mentorship, there was agreement that the attendees had all found mentorship in some form from within the professional association.
  • An ability to create the future of one's industry – Associations often serve as drivers of change industry-wide. Individuals involved in associations, particularly those in leadership roles, help create the future of the industry they are professionals within.

Given members in professional associations are so positively influenced by their membership, it would be natural to believe companies overwhelmingly push team members to join these organizations. Yet, there is rarely a push from within hospitality organizations for their employees to join these organizations. In fact, some large hospitality companies actively push back against their team members being involved in associations.

Companies and Concerns

Leadership have voiced concerns about team members being actively involved in professional associations. The reasons I have been provided in my approximately fifteen years researching this field are wide-ranging. These are some of the primary concerns I have had voiced to me by hotel leaders about their team members joining professional associations:

  • Competitive concerns – Networking with team members from competing businesses is a positive of professional associations. It can also be a negative attribute. Hospitality can seem like a cutthroat business. Team members may not even realize what can, or should not be, said to potential competitors.
  • Time commitments – Hospitality is often a 24/7/365 business. Professional associations can pull professionals away from their work responsibilities.
  • Membership costs – Some organizations want to support their team members but cannot afford to support all team members. Professional associations can be expensive when all costs are added up (e.g., conference attendance, monthly events, education, fundraisers).
  • Recruitment – Turnover is a concerning issue in the hospitality industry. Members in professional associations can be recruited away from their current organization.
  • Conflicts of interest have been increasingly raised. Associations have goals that are not necessarily aligned with a company's objectives.

These are reasonable concerns. Business leaders have a responsibility to watch over their resources and align their team members with the organization's goals. They are otherwise not running a business properly. With this written, hospitality professionals are accountable to themselves.

The Power of Individual Accountability

Personal responsibility is real. We each bear the primary responsibility for our own careers. We cannot place the onus of our professional well-being on our organization. That could limit our personal growth and hinder our ability to evolve in alignment with industry trends.

Professional associations are a way to engage in lifelong learning. Through professional associations we gain autonomy and an ability to serve as architect of our own career trajectory. But which organization should you join? That should be driven by your goals. Understanding the types of professional associations that exist to assist us in reaching our goals is important.

There are many types of professional associations in the hospitality industry. Some primary types include:

  • Trade associations (also known as industry associations) represent a specific industry. The hospitality industry has standard-bearers in associations such as the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), National Restaurant Association (NRA), National Club Association (NCA), and Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA).
  • Professional societies advance a specific occupation. For example, the mission statement for International Live Events Association (ILEA) reads, ILEA advances the live events industry…to elevate all professionals engaged in live events. They clearly exist, even by mission, to advance professionals engaged in a niche sector of hospitality. Another example is the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC).
  • Academic associations exist to advance knowledge, research, and education within a community of practitioners. The Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (CHRIE) connects researchers in hospitality and falls under this definition.
  • Alumni associations are most often correlated with universities and colleges. Yet, these associations could also be for individuals who worked in the same company. Alumni associations facilitate networking, mentorship, and support for individuals who worked the same position, for the same company, or at the same property. For example, Hilton designed an alumni network for everyone who has ever worked at Hilton to stay connected (alumni.hilton.com). Alumni networks do more commonly exist for colleges. Cornell Hotel Society (CHS) exists to connect graduates throughout their careers.
  • Specialized associations exist for niche groups within a field. For example, young professionals, women, or individuals with any other shared interest or characteristic could be specialized association. Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) features an active Young Professionals (YP) group. Women in Travel Tech (WiTT) is another example.
  • Regulatory bodies exist to oversee a specific profession. These normally also provide licenses while enforcing standards. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) licenses and regulates the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation. This may not seem directly related to hospitality, but controllers nationwide hold this designation. The CPA exam is integral to our field's controllers and many other financial professionals.

Should you choose to join a professional association, you should do research. Make sure there is an active group that aligns with your purpose for joining in your area. Check the organization's history, website, and offerings. Are there certifications to earn, education for growth, webinars to watch, committees to join, opportunities for leadership, mentors available, and whatever else you are seeking in this organization?

CONCLUSION

Professional associations are integral to our professional growth as hospitality and tourism professionals. Yet, we may not receive the support we need from our employer in order to become and maintain an active role in an association. How you choose to approach this decision is a personal one.

We are ultimately responsible for our personal growth. Professional associations are seemingly wise to involve ourselves in, but how we go about being active is likely unique for each of us.

Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from http://www.hotelexecutive.com/.