It's a bittersweet occasion as we open the final day of AAHOACON22. It's tough knowing it's our last day together in Baltimore, but today promises plenty of action, so we hope you've been staying hydrated and rested.

After powering up with breakfast, we'll convene in Ballrooms I-IV for our final General Session, where we'll discuss the latest issues on franchising from a hotelier's perspective.  Join us to hear from a collection of experts, including Jay Patel, CHA, of NashBuilt, Inc., Laura Lee Blake from Connor, Fletcher & Hedenkamp LLP, Keith Miller from Franchisee Advocacy Consulting, and Robert Zarco from Zarco, Einhorn, Salkowski & Brito, PA, on Franchising 2022: A Panel Discussion on AAHOA's 12 Points of Fair Franchising. AAHOA announced the release of its updated 12 Points of Fair Franchising, including a new member resource guide, earlier this month. Read more about it at aahoa.com/12Points.

We also have a very special guest joining us, Rohit Chopra, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of the United States. He'll sit down with AAHOA Chair Vinay Patel for an informative Q&A session that you won't want to miss. 

Today is also the final day of voting in the 2022 AAHOA Elections. Polls are open today from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. EDT, then results will be announced between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. today in Halls A-B.

Let's make today a great one!

Success in anything in life comes from focusing on two things: sincerity and strategy. Thursday's General Session keynote speaker Jay Shetty, an award-winning storyteller, podcaster, and former monk, Shetty said success comes from both how deeply and intentionally you care about what you're doing and who you're doing it with and how purposeful you define and design a strategy to meet your goals.

Shetty spoke to the General Session audience briefly before leading the room through a mindfulness exercise involving all five senses and participating in a fireside chat with AAHOA Director of Corporate Communications Melissa Stern.

He shared that living as a monk for three years helped him train his mind in ways that he still relies on today - he noted it's why his New York Times best-selling book is called "Think Like a Monk" and not "Live Like a Monk." His training gave him the mindfulness toolkit to work through challenges and find happiness beyond the material world. Top among those tools in his kit: gratitude. He strives to start and end every day with a grateful thought. "When you change your first thought, you change the trajectory of the entire day," he said.

The General Session kicked off an early morning with recognition of AAHOA Members and their accomplishments. The 2021-2022 AAHOA Award Winners were highlighted by Board Chair Vinay Patel, and the current board was brought on stage as a thanks for their last year of service to the association. Next up, AAHOA Members running for positions delivered candidate speeches, and the two candidates for Board Secretary participated in a debate covering a range of important issues to AAHOA and the hotel industry.

Joining the General Session all the way from India where he livestreamed a message for AAHOACON22 attendees, Swami Brahmavihari Das with BAPS shared how leaders create leaders. By empowering and uplifting others and by connecting hearts and minds, he said leaders can help themselves, their communities, and their entire organizations grow through trust, transparency, and togetherness.

"Everyday people are capable of extraordinary acts." That's the message Heather "Lucky" Penney delivered to a captivated audience at the Women Hoteliers Session & Luncheon. Penney, the first and only woman in the 121st Fighter Squadron, recounted her story of being in the D.C. National Guard on Sept. 11, 2001.

Penney said what she learned on that "gorgeous, terrible day" was how to be inspired by the ordinary heroes. While Penney and her fellow airmen were in the sky responding to the attack on the United States and ready to make the ultimate sacrifice, they didn't have to in the end because of others who stepped up. On 9/11, she said, it was the passengers on Flight 93, which crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after they overpowered the plane's attackers, and the people in the towers who inspire her.

"There are things in this world that are more important than ourselves," Penney said. "Having a clear mission and purpose in life helps us rise above the limits we set for ourselves and the distractions that creep in each day. But don't wait for a crisis to figure out what's really important in life. Know what your priorities are now, so you're ready when that moment comes."

AAHOA members gathered for a night of celebration and dance at Garba Night! Music filled the air, and friends joined each other on the dance floor. Here are a couple highlights.

While we still have plenty of excitement lined up for today, the final day of AAHOACON22, we hope to welcome you back for another spectacular event next year as we converge on the LA Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA, for AAHOACON23 on April 11-14.

Be sure to mark your calendars and we'll see you in sunny Southern California as we once again dive headfirst into the industry and celebrate our accomplishments, growth, and potential as a group. Whether this year was your first or your 21st at AAHOACON, we hope the experience was beneficial, and we're already counting down the days until we meet again next year.

Stay tuned for this year's AAHOACON attendee survey. It's through your feedback and opinions that we can continue to improve the Super Bowl of the hospitality industry. Thanks again for joining us! 

Yesterday marked the conclusion of two full days of Trade Show floor activity. Thank you to everyone who spent time with exhibitors, made new connections, and learned about better solutions for your businesses. Here are just a few quick highlights.

Thank you to everyone who has tweeted, posted, shared, and celebrated on social media their AAHOACON22 experience thus far. It has been wonderful getting a better look at the week from your perspectives.

Here's a quick roundup of just a few of our favorites.

Don't forget to tag AAHOA in your posts and include the #AAHOACON22 hashtag to spread the love and let everyone know about your experience.

AAHOA would like to thank all our valued sponsors for their support, partnership, and participation at AAHOACON22! You are a vital part of making this event possible. We couldn’t do it without you.