The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Americas today announced a new strategic partnership that will more closely align the two leading hospitality industry associations to benefit their respective members and advance the hospitality industry.

The partnership will create linkages to the industry’s sales, marketing, and revenue optimization professionals for AHLA while expanding HSMAI’s organizational reach by aligning it with America’s largest hotel association.

The new agreement, effective April 25, 2023, includes the following areas of collaboration:

• AHLA will provide HSMAI with opportunities to participate in AHLA’s On the Road events, and HSMAI will promote the events to its members and local chapters.
• AHLA and HSMAI will promote each other’s events, campaigns, and education and certification programs, and have reciprocal participation in distribution-focused committees.
• AHLA and HSMAI will also explore opportunities to align the work of both organizations’ foundations to address industry-wide initiatives on workforce and promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
• AHLA and HSMAI leadership will meet regularly to discuss and coordinate key strategic industry issues and shared objectives.

The AHLA-HSMAI partnership expands upon a relationship the two organizations started early last year, when HSMAI became a content partner for AHLA’s On The Road state hotel conference series, offering innovative and exclusive revenue generation insights at On The Road events.

“This partnership is a big win for AHLA, HSMAI, and our respective members,” said AHLA Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Kevin Carey. “HSMAI is the leading organization of hospitality sales, marketing, and revenue optimization professionals, and AHLA members will now have more exposure and access to HSMAI’s insights and capabilities. We are always strongest as an industry when we speak with ‘one voice’ and support each other. This relationship advances that objective significantly.”

“We look forward to working with AHLA to enhance the value we provide our members in the United States and the industry,” said HSMAI President and CEO Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA. “As HSMAI approaches its 100thanniversary, we welcome the many opportunities we have together with AHLA to move the industry forward with a shared commitment to grow business for hotels and their partners.”

The agreement announced today is one in a series of recent AHLA partnerships that are enabling the organization to better serve its members and keep the hotel industry moving forward. Other examples include:

• AHLA’s partnership with Questex to produce the industry-leading technology and operations trade show, The Hospitality Show
• AHLA’s 10-year agreement with HFTP to produce the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI)
• AHLA’s partnership with the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) to grow the hotel and hospitality industry workforce