Anguilla is being represented at the 18th annual International African American Hotel Ownership and Investment Summit and Tradeshow, scheduled to take place from July 16th to 18th, 2014 in Miami. Anguilla’s Youth Delegation is being led by Junior Minister of Tourism, Ms. Arielle Gaskin and includes Messrs. Theron Niles, Jharik Richardson and Devon Carter. Also attending the event are the Hon. Haydn Hughes, Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, and Ms. Chantelle Davis, Deputy Director of Tourism with the Anguilla Tourist Board.
Under the theme “Creating Opportunities for a Diverse Generation”, the 3-day educational summit is designed to educate attendees on becoming a hotel owner or investor, share minority investment trends, explore supplier opportunities, learn how to market to minorities and discuss diversity issues affecting the industry, and is presented by the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers (NABHOOD), Black Meetings & Tourism Magazine and Horizons International Group.
The summit opens on July 16th with the NABHOOD/HBCU Scholarship Deep Sea Fishing & Shark Tournament to raise money for minority hospitality students, followed at noon with the Orientation Program for new & prospective hotel owners, Committee Meetings, Opening General Session and a Welcome Reception in the evening. General Sessions & workshops will be held Thursday and Friday with Student workshops on Friday and Saturday morning followed by the NABHOOD Career Fair & Job Expo.
Speakers for this year’s event include Geoff Ballotti, President/CEO, Wyndham Hotel Group; Sheila Johnson, Founder/CEO, Salamander Hospitality; Tom Baltimore, President, RLJ Lodging Trust; Congressman Alcee Hastings; Warren Fields, Principal, Pyramid Advisors; and many other speakers.
The Anguilla delegation will be given the opportunity to meet African American hotel owners, top hospitality industry professionals and international and national leaders, as well as to meet and network with other students from across the United States and the Caribbean.
“I am very honored and excited to be given this opportunity to lead Anguilla’s delegation as my island’s Junior Minister of Tourism”, states Ms. Gaskin. “My colleagues and I are committed to representing Anguilla and learning as much as we can about the many opportunities available in hotel ownership, investment, supplier diversity and employment, as the information we bring back can be of benefit to tourism and hospitality development in our country, Anguilla, which is so heavily dependent on Tourism as the main industry and the largest generator of employment.”
The participation of the students is made possible through the support of the NABHOOD organization and the Anguilla Tourist Board, who sponsors this event annually as part of its mandate to foster tourism awareness and create learning opportunities for Youth interested in the field of Tourism.
