The InnDependent Lodging Summit (ILS), and INNJOY Travel (IJT), took place March 15-17, 2015 and surpassed all hoteliers, world-renowned speakers and leading hospitality service providers to
The summit also attracted premier sponsors including Hotel Management/Questex, Lodging Magazine, Hotel Interactive, Ecolab, AAHOA, HD Supply, American Hotel Register, Par Springler-Miller Systems and Hotel Emporium.
“The summit was very interesting, had a lot of great information and very good ‘nuts & bolts’ about online marketing. It also gave us great things to take back and change to improve our business,” said Nathan LaFont, of the Elephant Butte Inn and Spa.
Despite being in its first year, IBC Hotels Founder and President, Pamela Barnhill, and ILS Co-Founders/Organizers, Bobbie Singh-Allen of ILIA and Jason McKee of IJT, expected turnout to be substantial after uncovering a need that was not previously met by other industry conferences.
“Most hospitality events don’t adequately address the unique sets of challenges that indie hotels face on a daily basis. ILS was developed to specifically highlight the independent hotel industry and bring together the resources and information many don’t currently have access to as independents,” Barnhill said.
Based on the success of this year’s ILS, its co-founders hope to continue to build upon the foundation set by this event to create an annual gathering for independent hoteliers, activity providers and hospitality service providers.
“This is only the beginning,” said Singh-Allen. “Due to the overwhelming success of this first event, we’re not stopping here. Independent hotels finally have a place to gather, learn from one another and bring visibility to this incredibly important part of the travel and tourism industry.”
Planning for InnDependent Lodging Summit 2016 is already under way with tentative dates selected for March 13-15, 2016. Interested individuals can stay updated on news and announcements by visiting: http://www.independentlodgingsummit.com/ or emailing pbarnhill@ibchotels.com or bsinghallen@clia.org.
