Survey Results

1. Survey Results

2. What do you believe, currently, are the three primary reasons a lodging property belongs to your state association? • Other responses: • News briefs and updates • Networking • Networking and relationships • Networking with their peers • Just a comment – we surveyed the membership last summer and asked this question and these were their responses accurate to +/- 3%

3. What need does your lodging community have that you are not currently able to provide due to budget, staff, time or other constraints? • Do you mean “need” instead of “have”? If so – we have limited resources to address issues, such as bed taxes, city ordinances and other local issues that spring up on a regular basis • More local educational programs • Don’t know • State lodging research statistics regarding labor. A lodging industry legal problem solver database. • We would like to do a lodging guide for ten visitor centers around the state. We would also like to find a better way to more easily engage our members directly with the legislative process. • Educational outreach • Nothing we’re aware of. Currently doing focus groups to discover what they need to get them involved • Legal assistance • Stronger PAC Fund; Stronger Legislative Activation mechanism for all membership • Additional marketing tool that will bring them additional business • Guidance for ObamaCare; additional legal resources; online grassroots response system • Legal resources • More frequent informative communications • Updated Legal Guide • A marketing hook

4. Given the funding model changes with AH&LA, do you plan to reduce dues for properties with dual membership with you and AH&LA? • Other Responses: • n/a • We need more information from AHLA before we can determine how we will structure our dues in 2014. • I have recommended a reduction, but some board wants status quo • By about $1 we think right now but we are keeping options open • Weighing the possibility of using current funds to promote educational opportunities and other programs • We did this already after dropping the partner state contract last year. Hasn’t done a thing for membership so would caution others to consider before dropping their dues • Our board has voted to raise our state dues beginning in 2014 but had nothing to do with AHLA. Our state dues are separate • Reduce dues by $1 per room for hotels not currently discounted

5. Based on what you know about the new funding model with AH&LA, what kind of impact do you think this will have on your membership in terms of the following? • Other Responses: • There are too many variables in this new funding model to get a real feel for how this will impact our revenues and hoteliers in Florida. We have some serious concerns • It is not positive for the state associations. I think we will have to go it alone eventually • Not sure yet

6. How many staff in your association currently belong to ISHAE?

7. What top three benefits do you value the most from your membership with ISHAE? • Other responses: • We have not taken advantage of ISHAE’s benefits like we should. That will change moving forward. • WINTER CONFERENCE!

8. Choose all answers you think apply: ISHAE’s membership in 2014 should consist of the following: • Other responses: • I feel strongly that the current membership categories should remain the same. Allowing city associations creates challenges for state associations • I will get out if you allow direct states to be members. I may become a direct state if there is no consequence from AHLA which is now the case and soon to be ISHAE it sounds like

9. Given the changing relationship between the states AH&LA, do you think AH&LA will remain relevant to ISHAE? • Other Responses • ISHAE is kind of like a referee – to make sure state and AHLA play fair • We will play well but this is about the state’s professional development • They still need a strong state network if they are to be able to live with their chain and franchise members. They don’t have the bandwidth to cover all the states nor the revenues. States are spending way more on membership and retention than AH&LA • I think we may not be relevant to them • But I certainly hope so and I believe Katherine is that hope!

10. Given the changing relationship between the states and AH&LA, what do you think ISHAE could offer to help your association? (think out of the box – webinars, government affairs, social media, etc.) • Not sure. I would reach out to CSRA. I think some kind of joint agreement with CSRA and ISHAE would be worth exploring. Issues and concerns are “for the most part” similar. Dual states like Florida get overwhelmed with meetings and events. • More programs independent of AHLA • Volunteer award recognition for our members. A Leadership Orientation webinar for our executive committee or board. Legal information resource for states if AH&LA does not (connection to database, etc.) • Maybe we could all pitch in and share CAPWIZ licenses to track legislation countrywide. Maybe webinars with our board to talk about development and working together. Can Weblink develop more opportunities to link our web sites through ISHAE - have to think on that! • Regional sales team • Education seminars and training for staff not property members • We need to be careful about making this a political game of who can gain more support. The industry by nature is competitive enough, the beauty of ISHAE and AH&LA is that it provides a forum for collaboration and cooperation. We need to find ways to nurture that. • Yes – I think so – education, marketing and program ideas • *continued on next page*

11. Given the changing relationship between the states and AH&LA, what do you think ISHAE could offer to help your association? (think out of the box – webinars, government affairs, social media, etc.) • Webinars on hot topics - healthcare etc. Assistance in terms of needed training for small states struggling to survive in GA, administrative, program development, sponsorship sales etc. The states are only as strong as the weakest members and if they need assistance then ISHAE should provide even if it is brokering assistance by recruiting larger, more successful and trained state execs to step in and provide assistance and council as needed and/or requested. • When I look at the lack of communications in the past year I would say no. You need to do the basic communications well. This surely should have been done before you voted in D.C., not after. • More webinars on substantive issues, topical resource papers on key issues by experts. • Social media, grassroots systems, group insurance plans • Membership recruitment and retention, best practice, and continued networking opportunities. • Would love webinars that provide tangible information about things we can do today. Maybe a quarterly webinar about best practices – I’d participate every time! • Take over the state legislative issues calls, so we can freely discuss our state issues among peers, and the brands will want to get their properties in state membership to get state info.

12. Do you think ISHAE should join other associations (like USTA, US Chamber, Brand USA) and share that information among its members? • Other Responses • Especially if ISHAE members can then share the information with their state members • I think would make a powerful alliance for all of us... • ISHAE should always try to work collaboratively with other organizations but not give up autonomy by uniting with other organizations • Most of us probably get it now.

13. Under the new model with AH&LA does your association plan to pay a fee to belong to AH&LA in 2014? • Other Responses • n/a • Unless something changes or our Board decides something different • It would be our intent provided that our BOD approves the retention of at least partial dues normally paid to AH&LA to be kept for such purpose. • Yes for 2014, but will wait to see what happens beyond that

14. If so, do you plan to sell AH&LA memberships to unbranded properties in 2014? • Other Responses • n/a • Most likely

15. Given the changes between the states and AH&LA, do you think that AH&LA will remain relevant to the states? • This is “the” question. AHLA has to give the states support in recruiting and retaining members – or else this could hurt us in the next year or so. • We need to continue to let our members know that we have representation at every level. AHLA affords us this speaking point • From the majority of members we have polled, they believe that the value of the organization remains within its local attributes and that they don’t benefit greatly at an international level. They hire their own people to lobby at the Federal level and have legal teams to provide information • If they pursue their new goal of GA and PR for the industry nationally then they need to stay linked to the states to be able to say they are providing coverage at the state and local levels • Hope so, but we will find other partners if they don’t • National Legislative Action is important to all States • Their lobbying and expertise and PR on national issues still vital • AH&LA needs the states but I am not convinced they know it. • Because we will want to know federal issues and trends and they will be our resource to remain full service

16. Do you think the states will remain relevant to AH&LA? • Of course, you have to put a strong grass roots support – if you are going to put out issues that start at the local and state levels. • However, I think it will take constant reminders of why the PSAs are important. • Hope so. I think initially when they do not receive the funding from the brands the way they think they will • They get most of their funding either way • They need the fees • AH&LA should recognize all that the States have done to make AH&LA relevant to the members. Many of our members would have been happy with representation at the State only level yet it was the State that mandated participation in AH&LA because we recognized the value of representation at the international level and enjoyed the collaboration with AH&LA. • If they want to again be successful at the national level then they had better be sure the states are there to provide the grass roots lobbying network for the industry. All politics is local and AG&LA isn't local. • *Continued on next page*

17. Do you think the states will remain relevant to AH&LA? • If they want votes of our delegation on key issues they need us. I am not sure they realize that. • Local legislative issues will also be a sources of information for some National legislative issues. There is always shared information opportunities. • They need our grass roots help and funding • AH&LA cannot service member needs at the state level • I’m hopeful the new CEO will see the value of the states that the previous CEO did not! • Still a revenue source, and they will need to demonstrate connectivity to state issues just as we are expected to demonstrate connectivity to federal issues

18. Given the changes in the relationship between the states and AH&LA, are you concerned about your city and local associations requesting to become partners of AH&LA? • This is our biggest concern. Instead of us all being on the same page on state and federal issues. A clear voice is always better than a bunch of chatter. • I think the landscape because the model is changing it will motivate the city associations who have previously inquired to take a stab at it again in hopes they may also have a relationship with AH&LA outside of the PSA. I feel very strongly against allowing city associations and that engaging city lodging associations creates even more of a challenge for PSAs in establishing themselves as the "state lodging authority". • Absolutely. We already have members at the County Level that would love to branch away from the State and be direct partners with AH&LA. • I was not until you asked the question, I think AHLA will do what it takes to take care of AHLA. I hope the new leadership will change that course • We may have a drop off of Branded Properties as well as a drop of our Neighbor Island Branded Properties • *Continued on next page*

19. Given the changes in the relationship between the states and AH&LA, are you concerned about your city and local associations requesting to become partners of AH&LA? • They won’t be willing to pay the current fee for national membership • If AH&LA includes other local associations it will diminish the value for state associations to join. • Local associations don't have same issues as states and therefore we dilute the value of the information as it has to become more broad. And this is coming from someone who runs both the state and a local association. • We want to be the one source in our state to go to join AH&LA. We don't need more competition.