5 minute read
The Changing Face Of Hotels
by Boylen
From the CEO
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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.
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”.
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.
Political Recognition
At the political level, it was reassuring to hear the Treasurer, Stephen Mulligan, speak in support of our industry.
This is critical because we operate in areas that attract vocal minority groups that would destroy our livelihoods if they got their way.
The Treasurer was representing the Premier, who had attended the five previous awards nights but fell ill that day.
“Can I assure you and your industry that you are very well supported by Members of Parliament across the spectrum in both Houses,” he said.
“We realise how important your industry is …”
“So thank you so much for the work that you do. Thank you to all of those business operators, those family businesses, those mums and dads that over the years have invested their own hard-earned money to take a risk, to get in behind an operation, to employ South Australians and to make such a success of it.
“You are such an important part of our State’s economy and we look forward to continuing the support into the future.”
In reality, the government has been highly supportive of our industry and we are very grateful.
The Treasurer noted how “challenging” the environment had been for the hospitality industry in recent years, and described the Covid period as “horrific” for pubs, but welcomed a return to better trading conditions in the last 18 months.
“I know that it doesn’t replace all of the impacts of those two very difficult years but it does feel like the strength of the last 18 months has been some reward for the resilience of all of the operators in this industry.”
Realising that, I am sure there could not possibly be any tax increases on the horizon!
Treasurer Mulligan also reiterated the government’s commitment to big events to attract “thousands of interstate and international visitors to our State and contribute so much to our economy - but particularly to your businesses “.
He acknowledged the work of the AHA in lobbying government “to make sure we don’t forget the bread butter; to make sure we are investing in attracting conventions to our city and to our state, to support the overall level of activity throughout the year.”
I would like to reiterate just how important it is to be organising “magnets” that will draw people to South Australia during the winter months and also to thank the state government for their consistent investment in major events and the drive to make South Australia a destination of choice.
