AAHOA Women’s Conference

Just last week, I attended the AAHOA Women's Conference in Anaheim, California. The AAHOA Women's Conference is for women of all ages to attend to broaden their knowledge in business and hotels to gain a deeper knowledge that will benefit their future. Attending one of my first hotel and business conferences, I kept an open mind and a positive attitude for the duration of the conference. At around 10:30 am, my sister and I arrived at the conference, ready and eager to learn more. I was a little tired from the night before, but this was a new experience for me so I decided that I would make the best out of it. We enjoyed a light breakfast with fruit and some typical continental breakfast. Following breakfast, the main event began. The event began with some networking and meeting many successful businesswomen like Congresswoman Judy Chu. Meeting Congresswoman Chu was a memorable experience because I felt so lucky to be able to meet a political figure. After the opening remarks, we participated in some icebreakers. The goal was for everyone to feel comfortable around each other, which I felt soon enough. I went to a table where I knew absolutely no one and introduced myself to everyone. The icebreaker was a good experience for me because I felt more comfortable with strangers and I also learned a little bit of teamwork when we had to come up with ideas for a potential invention.

The event began with some networking and meeting many successful businesswomen like Congresswoman Judy Chu. Meeting Congresswoman Chu was a memorable experience because I felt so lucky to be able to meet a political figure. After the opening remarks, we participated in some icebreakers. The goal was for everyone to feel comfortable around each other, which I felt soon enough. I went to a table where I knew absolutely no one and introduced myself to everyone. The icebreaker was a good experience for me because I felt more comfortable with strangers and I also learned a little bit of teamwork when we had to come up with ideas for a potential invention.

Besides icebreakers, my favorite session on the agenda was when we had to choose a hotel that would allow us to gain the most revenue. This was my first time that I had looked at so many large numbers (besides in math class) and I realized how hard it was to pick the perfect hotel. Not only is location key, but the number of rooms and what is near the hotel is also very important. Even though this was only an activity and not actually purchasing any hotels, I felt like I was making such a tough decision and I really could not decide.

After attending the event, I feel that my knowledge of hotel and buisness has grown greatly in just half a day. I now know what Rev PAR is and the next time I hear someone say revenue, I'll know exactly what they are talking about.