M arcPAU o Pier Rum L’SiniS -P IRI T EHistor D T R ian AV EL
Spirited Travel: 2022 Tales of the Cocktail Rum Recap
T h e h o s p i t ali t y i n dust r y, f o r t h e past t wo ye a r s, has e n dur e d i nnum e r ab l e c h a ll e n g e s an d st r u g g l e s. Ac c o r din g to Fo r tun e m ag a zi n e, i n 2 0 2 0, t h e U.S. l o st 110,0 0 0 e st ab li s hm e nt s, w i t h m o r e c l o sur e s i n 2 0 21 an d 2 0 2 2 to f o l l ow. U nfo r tun ate ly, t hi s r e sulte d i n t h e s e r v i c e b u s i n e s s l o s i n g an unf at h o m ab l e am o unt of t a l e nt . N ow we ar e i n a p has e s o m e ar e c a l li n g “ T h e G r e at Re s et ” as t h e in dust r y st r u g g l e s to r e g ai n i t s f o ot i n g an d di s c ove r h ow to m ove f o r war d. O n e of t h e i n di c ato r s t hat t hi n g s we r e g et t i n g b et te r a n d r etur ni n g to s o m et hi n g r e s e m b lin g n o r m a l h a p p e n e d w h e n Tal e s of t h e C o c k t ai l ( TOTC) ann o unc e d i t wo ul d b e i n p e r s o n a g ai n at t h e R i t z C ar lto n in 2 0 2 2 . A f te r t wo ye ar s of h o st i n g v ir t ual c o nfe r e n c e s, t h e TOTC Fo un dat i o n o nc e a g ai n g at h e r e d t h e g l o bal h o s p i t alit y i n du st r y fo r an i n - p e r s o n c o nfe r e nc e in
Got Rum ? A u g u st 2022 - 5 2
N ew O r l e ans. In s o m e ways, it was like a f ami ly r e uni o n; in ot h e r s, yo u c o ul d s e ns e t h e un d e r ly in g te ns i o n an d c at har t i c r e l e as e as par t i c ipant s r e unite d f o r t h e f ir st t im e in ye ar s. B ef o r e g o in g v i r tu a l, t h e Fo un dat i o n had int r o duc e d st r o n g h e alt h an d we ll - b e in g p r o g r am min g, al o n g w it h ad dr e s s in g di ve r s it y an d s o c i al c hall e n g e s in t h e in dust r y, c r e at i n g a f o un dat i o n of inc lus i v it y t hat had b e e n mi s s in g b ef o r e. A ll t h e s e t hi n g s we r e p r e s e nt t hi s ye ar but , w it h su c h a lar g e insur g e nc e of n ew t al e nt in t h e in dust r y, t h e r e was a hi g h e r f o c us o n t r ainin g, te c hni qu e s an d b r an d e du c at i o n. C o ll e c t i ve ly, all t h e s e f ac to r s s et t h e st ag e f o r w hat wo ul d b e by f ar o n e of t h e m o st inte r e st in g Tal e s of t h e C o c k t ai l I have eve r ex p e r i e nc e d. Fo r t h e r um in dust r y, t h e Tal e s of t h e C o c k t ai l p r o g r am min g was a b it di f fe r e nt f r o m p r ev i o us ye ar s. Equi an o r um, Fl o r d e C aña, M ai s o n Fe r r an d ’s Plant at i o n r um s, Par anub e s r um, an d Ro n Z ac a p a e ac h had s e minar s d evote d to t h e ir b r an ds at t h e h o st h ote l, t h e R it z C a r lto n. W h e r e r um b r an ds r e ally sh o n e was at t h e p o r t f o li o an d t h e m e d t ast in g eve nt s
