General Manager …

Read more]]> Registrations opened today for the first ever Australian Hospitality Conference. The Conference is being convened by the Tasmanian Hospitality Association to coincide with the AHA’s National Awards for Excellence, to be held in Hobart on 5 September, 2012.

General Manager of the Tasmanian Hospitality Association, Steve Old, revealed the theme for the Conference will be improving profitability in your changing world and said the landmark event will be staged at Hobart’s Wrest Point, 3 to 5 September, 2012.

“The chance to use the AHA’s National Awards for Excellence as a platform to convene a national conference in Hobart was too good an opportunity to pass up,” Mr Old said.

The Conference will feature high profile international, national and local presenters in a bid to attract in excess of 250 senior representatives from the Australian hospitality industry.

“There are many tourism conferences and summits across Australia, but our Conference will be the only one of its kind because of its focus specifically on the hospitality industry.”

“We knew we had to assemble a first class line up of presenters, and we’ve certainly achieved that. Our speakers include celebrity chefs, international strategists, State and Federal politicians, expert marketers, television personalities, industry leaders and hospitality entrepreneurs.”

But it won’t be all business, with the Conference set to showcase some of Tasmania’s most celebrated hospitality providers.

“We’ll be throwing an unforgettable party at Mona, celebrating Hobart’s finest restaurants, and providing many other social opportunities for delegates to exchange ideas with their hospitality industry colleagues from across the country.”

The Conference will aim to appeal to the broad spectrum of hospitality industry professionals, with keynote presentations, workshops and panel sessions focusing on the themes of profitability, people, and best practice.

“Whether they are in the business of running a local hotel, making great coffee, operating a restaurant, or providing accommodation, the Australian Hospitality Conference will be a memorable and highly valuable experience for all delegates,” Mr Old said.

Registrations for the Conference are open online at www.hospitalityconference.com.au, where the full program and presenter details may be viewed.

Information: Steve Old, General Manager, Tasmanian Hospitality Association

p 0418 363 566 w hospitalityconference.com.au

(http://the-riotact.com/just-what-is-act-policing-trying-to-say-with-this-video/68014).

“The …

Read more]]> Canberra’s peak hospitality industry bodies, the Australian Hotels Association and ClubsACT have called for targeted and sophisticated messaging to discourage excessive drinking following the release by ACT Policing of a new YouTube Video ‘Too Many Drinks and You’re a Galah’

(http://the-riotact.com/just-what-is-act-policing-trying-to-say-with-this-video/68014).

“The new clip from ACT Policing, set in the ACT, includes mixed poor messages and is unlikely to have any impact on excessive drinking”, according AHA ACT General Manager, Gwyn Rees.

“Whilst the message is too many drinks is bad, it also conveys a message that the choice confronting young people is either have no alcohol at all or having too much turns you into a squawking parrot. Messages that convey and encourage moderate drinking at sensible levels whilst looking out for your mates would better serve the community.

Chief Executive of ClubsACT agreed that a more realistic approach to advertising targeting young people needs to be adopted.

“Clearly the vast majority of young people are going to drink so we need to be realistic about the messages we adopt in the effort to reduce excessive drinking. The most effective way of reducing excessive drinking is to encourage the attitude amongst youth that there is such a thing as drinking in moderation and that having a sensible number of drinks does not automatically lead to throwing up in the back of a car as is portrayed in the clip.

“We of course support the use of clever and effective advertising to address the issue of excessive drinking but the advertising needs to be smart enough to actually engage with the target audience”, Mr House said.

Mr Rees and Mr House both agreed that had the AHA and ClubsACT been consulted, ACT Policing would have had the benefit of that input before the ad was produced.

There are a number of ads already circulating which could have provided ACT Policing with some useful guidance on what can be effective from a messaging point of view. The New Zealand Transport Agency released a commercial towards the end of last year aimed at preventing young people from drinking and driving. This ad has very defined and effective messaging”, Mr Rees said.

NZ Road Transport Agency ad can be found here:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtWirGxV7Q8&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLD303E656CD9A3872)

It is important that we get the messaging right and showing young people dressedup as native Australian birds may not necessarily be the right message”, Mr Rees and Mr House concluded.

AHA ACT General Manager, Gwyn …

Read more]]> New statistics show that unless the ACT Government implements urgent reforms to reduce the cost of running a retail business in Canberra, many local cafes and restaurants will be forced to close their doors for good.

AHA ACT General Manager, Gwyn Rees, said findings released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveal that in November 2011 the ACT recorded the highest fall in retail trade in the country.

“Only two jurisdictions experienced drops in retail trade in seasonally adjusted terms and the ACT had the highest fall of 1.9 per cent.

“The hospitality sector is definitely being impacted by this reduction in trade. According to the ABS, the turnover of restaurants, cafes and takeaway food services in Canberra was $2 million less in November 2011 than in November 2010.

“The outcome of this is that we are seeing many businesses struggle to keep on staff. With trade falling, the ACT Government must step in to reduce the cost of doing business in this sector.

“Some of the most onerous financial and regulatory burdens that have recently been imposed on the hospitality sector include an increase in annual liquor licensing fees; preparation of risk assessment plans; outdoor licensing restrictions and fee increases; smoking management; and increased wage costs.

“The tourism and hospitality sector is responsible for employing about 13,000 Canberrans and if businesses continue to close, these people will lose their jobs.

“The ACT Government has in the past highlighted the success of the restaurant and café sector as evidence of the strong local retail sector. Steps must be taken to ensure it remains a key indicator and contributor to the strength of the ACT economy in the future.

“The AHA urges the ACT Government to work with it to identify viable options for regulatory reform to ensure we turn this trend around and continue to have a vibrant and growing hospitality sector.”

HOSTPLUS‘ Cook for Your Career competition is offering a full-time apprenticeship at one of Australia’s top restaurants to help one lucky Australian realise …

Read more]]> Australia’s top chefs, including Peter Doyle, Camillo Crugnale and Adam D’Sylva, challenge you to Cook For Your Career.

HOSTPLUS‘ Cook for Your Career competition is offering a full-time apprenticeship at one of Australia’s top restaurants to help one lucky Australian realise their dream of becoming a professional chef. C4YC is a national cooking competition open to all working age Australians who have a passion for cooking.

Stay tuned – C4YC 2012 entry will open shortly and remain open until the beginning of February 2012.

Finalists will hash it out in a Grand Final Cook-Off during the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, Friday 16th of March 2012, to heat up their career in one of Australia’s toughest and most exciting professions.

For more information and details about entering, email c4yc@mail.hostplus.com.au today

Like C4YC on Facebook

Follow @cook4yourcareer on Twitter

The AHA Hospitality Awards gala …

Read more]]> The Australian Hotels Association today opened nominations for the 2012 AHA Hospitality Awards being held at Hotel Realm on Monday 19 March where standards of excellence in the ACT hotel and hospitality industry will be recognized.

The AHA Hospitality Awards gala dinner will feature numerous awards covering all sectors of the Hospitality Industry such as accommodation hotels, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs.  Five will be presented to outstanding employees in the industry the only of awards of their kind in the ACT.

AHA ACT General Manager, Gwyn Rees, said last year saw over 150 nominations in what had been a busy year for the industry – this year’s awards will take on greater importance given the regulatory landscape in which the industry has to operate.

“The Awards in 2012 will be credit to the strength of the industry as a whole, a time when businesses have never faced such increasing scrutiny, regulation and red tape.

“Fewer venues are entering the industry but those that do keep improving.  In the accommodation sector we have Burbury and soon to open East Hotel.  Funky bars like Public, La De Da and Honkytonks.  In the restaurants we see amazing refurbishments in Urban Pantry, The Artisan, Bellucis and Sage.

“The ACT community’s expectations are refining and they want quality venues that offer the complete package of great food, beverage and service.

“Nominations are underway and lead to a thorough assessment programme where venues are personally visited by independent judges to ensure the validity of the entry, and to test against the national criteria.

“This is a rigorous process but underscores the credibility of the judging process.  Many winners will go on to represent the ACT at the AHA National Awards for Excellence in Hobart in September.

“The AHA Hospitality Awards continues to be the most prestigious awards night attended by over 500 industry leaders and members of the ACT and Federal Parliament.

“Special mention must also be made to Carlton & United Breweries, HostPlus, Lion and our industry partners whose generous support makes the industry’s night of nights possible.” Mr Rees concluded.

Accommodation Criteria

Pub/Bars/Restaurants Criteria

In the last decade there has been …

Read more]]> The Australian Hotels Association ACT Branch is working closely with its national and state counterparts to remove regulatory loopholes that give some short-term accommodation providers a significant and unfair advantage in the tourism marketplace.

In the last decade there has been a rise in the prevalence of furnished apartments in residential buildings being rented out as tourist accommodation.

This has been partly driven by the rise of the internet and sophistication of booking engines, allowing easy interaction between holiday makers and apartment owners.  It is also being caused by the perception that this type of rental arrangement provides investors high returns compared to long-term tenants, and by governments turning a blind-eye to the problem and placing it in the ‘too hard’ basket.

The issue it has created is that as this type of accommodation is housed in buildings zoned as residential, it is not subject to the same rules and regulations as other types of accommodation such as hotels.

“Legally, tourism accommodation developments must be Class 3 buildings,” AHA general manager, Gwyn Rees explained.

“However, apartments in Class 2 buildings are being converted to tourism use simply by advertising room nights directly to travellers.

“The reason the AHA is concerned about this trend is that Class 3 buildings are subject to much stricter standards and building codes, for example in relation to disabled access and fire safety.

“These new providers also don’t have to acquire liquor licences and public liability insurance, or lay claim to star ratings, and they avoid innkeepers liability and paying GST.  Obviously, they don’t require space dedicated to public areas or food and beverage services; they can avoid commercial rates on utilities; and don’t have to employ full-time, on-site staff.

“Therefore, the serviced apartments in Class 2 buildings have lower building and operational costs and can undercut traditional tourism providers in terms of room rates.

“Unfortunately the outcome is that we are seeing less Class 3 buildings being developed to service the Canberra tourism market because they cannot compete with this residential
short-stay accommodation.

“Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson recently recognised the disproportionate burden placed on developers of Class 3 buildings. He said, ‘the cost of building a 350-room, five star hotel in Sydney, for example, is 40 per cent higher than building a similar sized residential apartment and one in three hotel development applications are likely to experience delays greater than the statutory timeframe.’

“What the AHA wants is a level playing field where anyone providing tourist accommodation must play by the same rules.

“For their own safety, tourists should be demanding the same thing. It has long been accepted that the less familiar an occupant is with a building that provides sleeping accommodation the higher the risk to life. That is why we have such stringent standards for hotels and the like.”

In its 2010 Annual Review of Regulatory Burdens, the Productivity Commission called on the Australian Building Codes Board to consider whether the current variation in standards is appropriate when buildings are used for similar purposes, especially when they are used for tourist accommodation.

“Planning authorities can’t keep ignoring this issue not only for reasons of personal safety but also for the sake of national economic prosperity,” Mr Rees said.

“In addition to not paying GST, these providers are seriously hurting legitimate tourism operators and discouraging investment in hotels. During non-peak times, these rooms take business that hotels need to stay viable.

“In 2006 there were 58 hotels in the ACT, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. By 2010 this number had fallen to 54 and as at the March quarter of 2011 was down to
just 51.

“This means we have less people employed in the local hotel industry.

“A good example of the impact these providers can have on the local tourism sector is the upcoming Renaissance Exhibition at the National Gallery. While this will be a big drawcard for visitors to Canberra, we know short-stay providers are advertising directly to this market and this will be at the expense of hotel room bookings.

“It can also harm the reputation of the local tourism industry if people have a bad experience. Unlike for hotels, there are no regulatory bodies ensuring this accommodation meets standards and there are no complaints organisations people can go to with concerns.

“The other problem it creates for Canberra is that it helps drive up the price of residential real estate by making it attractive for investors to spend big dollars on apartments believing they can profitably rent them out as tourist accommodation.  This trend is increasing and being driven by unscrupulous developers and real-estate agents.

“Nationally we would like the Building Code of Australia amended to include definitions of some key words and terms used in distinguishing tourism use from residential use for the purpose of providing clarity to governments,” Mr Rees said.

“The AHA is also pushing for introduction of a threshold for distinguishing tourism use of a building or part of a building from residential use.

“Locally we would like to see the Government and authorities taking ownership of compliance loopholes and assisting to ensure hotels in the National Capital remain viable. This is essential if the Canberra is to truly become a destination for travellers and host events of scale like CHOGM.”

AHA ACT General Manager Gwyn Rees said this is fantastic news for the …

Read more]]> The Australian Hotels Association says the announcement that the Queen’s Australian tour will include a visit to Floriade presents a once in a lifetime opportunity for Canberra Tourism.

AHA ACT General Manager Gwyn Rees said this is fantastic news for the tourism accommodation industry providing a welcome boost to business.

“The inevitable media entourage and the excitement from loyal royal fans, eager to catch a glimpse of the Queen will bolster numbers during the final week of Floriade.

“This is great news for all sectors of the Canberra tourism industry more importantly the media exposure to the event is an invaluable promotional opportunity to visitors around the world.

Mr Rees said that while Floriade remains a strong domestic tourism initiative it was yet to reach its potential as an international drawcard.

“Opportunity still exists to attract greater numbers of international visitors and a visit from the Queen provides unique opportunity for Floriade and Canberra to be showcased internationally.

“Being awarded the right to use the name ‘Royal’ could assist in increasing its profile.  Floriade – Canberra Royal Spring Festival is an opportunity to capitalise on the grand vision and majesty of the event.”

The AHA encourages the ACT Government to explore the possibility to maximise on the long term benefits from the Royal visit.

AHA ACT General Manager Gwyn Rees said patrons would be shocked to hear that many of their …

Read more]]> The Australian Hotels Association has revealed a move by the ACT Government to make a greedy cash grab under the new liquor licencing regime.

AHA ACT General Manager Gwyn Rees said patrons would be shocked to hear that many of their favourite pubs were told they would be deemed a nightclub because they supported local bands.

“Two businesses that could only be described as Irish style pubs serving meals Monday to Friday and providing entertainment of an evening were informed they were now a nightclub come renewal.  Both businesses would be subject to a slugging of over $18,000 the highest licencing fees in the country.

“On licences are now determined by three subclasses; a restaurant, a bar and a nightclub, this forms part of the licence fee.  However the Government has introduced a new clause in the fee determination allowing regulators to nominate two subclasses and to levy the highest fee.

“The AHA received desperate calls from members and immediately demanded answers on behalf of industry.  The Office of Regulatory Services advised that 19 venues were to be targeted in a disgraceful move that involved no prior consultation businesses.

“Being described by the Office of Regulatory Services as ‘fringe’ businesses, the operations falling under scrutiny were restaurants with a bar area and bars that provide entertainment.

“The ORS has since agreed to defer these changes until 2012 subject to consultation with industry and the affected businesses.” Mr Rees said.

The AHA calls on any similarly affected venues to contact the ACT Branch.

Canberra hotels will be hurt by new changes to the liquor licencing fees, according to the Australian Hotels Association.

AHA ACT General Manager Gwyn Rees said at first glance …

Read more]]> Cost of hotel liquor licence 2009 $3,000 to 2010 $8,500 to 2011 $11,500

Canberra hotels will be hurt by new changes to the liquor licencing fees, according to the Australian Hotels Association.

AHA ACT General Manager Gwyn Rees said at first glance where reprieve has been offered to many sectors the Government has glossed over the impacts to the tourism accommodation industry.

“The Government claims this new structure is evidence-based on risk however places hotels at the same level as a full-service entertainment club. There is no comparison that can be drawn with a venue that has access to gaming and poker machines.

“During the six month review, more than half of the 931 police reported alcohol-related incidents occurred at nightclubs and clubs. Clubs however have been spared with nightclubs subject to a 44% increase.

“The impact of these fees will hurt the hotel industry. An average hotel operating to 2am will now be slugged with a licencing fee of $11,500, up from $8,661.

Mr Rees also commented that hotels were over regulated and this was having a profound effect on the industry.

Canberra’s late night venues have been slammed with another massive increase in liquor licence fees that will threaten the viability of many venues, according to the Australian Hotels …

Read more]]> Cost of late trade licence 2009 $3,000 to 2010 $16,000 to 2011 $23,000

Canberra’s late night venues have been slammed with another massive increase in liquor licence fees that will threaten the viability of many venues, according to the Australian Hotels Association.

AHA General Manager Gwyn Rees said the $23,000 per year gouge of local small business will come as a shock to some licensees.

“This is a devastating blow and threatens the viability of Canberra’s late night entertainment.   Venues will be forced to cut back their trading hours which means less revenue for the business and less work available for staff in the industry.

“The ACT Government has left this to the last minute.  Although there is good news here for many sectors of industry, the timeframe for some is completely unreasonable.

“It is a 44% increase for these venues and comes despite the Attorney-General stating the liquor licencing regime was working with a 20% decrease in alcohol related crime and on a sustained downward trend.  The price of a nightclub licence now the most expensive in the country.

“The Melbourne late night model added a vibe to the city however similar businesses pay $10,000 less for their licence, a model adopted by Sydney.  However Canberra struggling to escape the stigma of being boring is moving to force late night venues out of business.

The AHA strongly opposed liquor fee increases and calls on the Government to defer the payment for those affected by increases until next year.