The Changing Face Of Hotels From the CEO ANNA MOELLER
Our recent awards night speaks volumes about our industry as a whole. On the surface, it is a celebration of the best hotels in South Australia and this is acknowledged in our special coverage in this issue of Hotel SA, and by our President in his column (see previous page). Yet at a deeper level, our awards give a compelling insight into our sector as a whole. Several aspects struck me on the night and I would like to share with those you. One was the youthful vibrancy in the room. I know that in previous decades the awards were a lot more formal, with mandatory dinner suits and gowns, and a lot higher average age! It was a reflection of the times. Today, publicans are a lot more inclusive and this is seen in the profile of the awards audience at the Entertainment Centre. Our members now see it as an opportunity to invite key staff to the event as a way of saying “thank you” and to share in the joy of success. It was so wonderful to see minibuses pull up, full of excited young staff looking forward to an exciting night and with any luck victory for their own venue.
“Hotels have become a melting pot of cultures. As I so often say our hotels are, and absolutely should be, a reflection of the communities within which they reside.” Our youth is the future of the industry. They bring modern skills, new expectations and lifeblood into an ever-evolving and vibrant industry that employs over 26,000 people in this state. Another feature of the night was the gender balance. When I look back at photos from previous decades, the room was largely filled with men. Now we see equal representation of women of all ages and all positions. We are a female-friendly industry and this is reflected in our pubs and hotels, and in their success. A politician I spoke to on the night was impressed by the multicultural nature of guests and asked if this was reflective of hotel staff in 2023. The answer I gave was a resounding “Yes”.
6 | Hotel SA | W W W . A H A S A . A S N . A U
What was a predominantly white, Anglo Saxon industry last century, is now incredibly diverse and very reflective of society at large. Hotels have become a melting pot of cultures. As I so often say our hotels are, and absolutely should be, a reflection of the communities within which they reside. This is significant because not only does it bring fresh ideas into hotels, it makes hotels more appealing to the Australian public. We mirror the society we operate in. We have always taken pride in the fact that our venues support local communities like no other commercial sector, and the diversity of ‘culture and creed’ makes us truly representative of these communities. Back to Contents
