Inside Virginia Hospitality Fall 2017

a MAGAZINE from Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association

VIRGINIA HOSPITALITY

Fall 2017

INSIDE

Representing Virginia's Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Industries

Kings Dominion Announces

New Hybrid Steel Wood Coaster and Winterfest for 2018

Securing your payments processing

Two Years After the U.S. EMV Requirement

GET INVOLVED TO SAVE THEM

White House Threatens Summer Work Travel and other J-1 Exchanges

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CHAIR LETTER

Letter from the

S

Chair

o much to be excited about with your Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association.

Momentum is building and pointing VRLTA to continued growth and success in 2018.

Though our 2nd Annual Ordinary Awards will fall between the deadline of this issue of Inside Virginia Hospitality and the actual release of the publication, we are already certain that we will set new records. The number of nominations received were almost 200% over last year and I’m certain attendance will follow. Congratulations to all of the extraOrdinary Award winners and all who were nominated.

VA-1 is just around the corner. This year’s annual tourism conference will be the biggest and best yet. At the new Hilton Norfolk The Main in downtown Norfolk, expect over 500 of our industry’s best and brightest to gather, learn, network, and grow.

As the chief advocate for our industry, VRLTA is prepared for the 2018 legislative session and beyond. We continue our efforts to ensure that short-term online rentals play by the same rules as our lodging industry. We have initiated a new study into the economic impact to Virginia for schools starting prior to Labor Day. This study will be timely for the 2018 session.

So as members, what can you do? Here is my challenge to each of you:

1. Refer two new member prospects. Simply reach out to them and, with their permission, pass the lead on to the appropriate membership director. We can all come up with two people.

2. Attend the VA-1 and bring someone else who normally doesn’t attend. If you are a VRLTA Supplier

member, then become an exhibitor or sponsor of the event.

3. Engage with your state legislators on VRLTA key issues and join us in Richmond in January as

we storm the hill.

VRLTA is ONE STRONG VOICE FOR TOURISM in Virginia. Be a part of that voice and make it even stronger. See you at VA-1!

Randy Thompson VRLTA Chair

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Staff President

Eric Terry eric@vrlta.org

Northern Virginia, Director of Membership & Government Affairs Kristen Karrfalt kristen@vrlta.org

Director of Marketing & Communications Seth Petersen seth@vrlta.org

Director of Education & Workforce Development Jim Wilson jim@vrlta.org

Director, Member Development Jen T. Laws jen@vrlta.org

Director, Government Affairs Joe Wertz joe@vrlta.org

Administrator Jenny Latina jenny@vrlta.org

CONTENTS

10 8 CONTENTS 4 LETTER FROM THE CHAIR 6 WELCOME New members 7 Events 8 Securing your Payments

9 FOOD PROTECTION MANAGER 10 KINGS DOMINION 14 J-1 Exchanges 15 4 STEPS TO HIRE

BETTER HIRING

16 16 HOTEL TECH 17 MEALS TAXes 20 NEWS BRIEFS 22 PARTNERS For more info, visit connect.snagajob.com/vrlta

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new members

NEW MEMBERS SUPPLIERS Amazon Restaurants Falls Church Convert Solar Virginia Beach Data Business Systems Virginia Beach E. & J. Gallo Winery Yorktown Mobil Satellite Technologies Chesapeake Patrice & Associates – EMCS Inc. Chesterfield Patrice & Associates Floyd Sundeck of Tidewater Yorktown Tripleseat Concord, MA Queen of Virginia Skill Richmond The Vacation Channel Suffolk

Travel Bristol Convention & Visitors Bureau Bristol, TN Greene County Economic Development & Tourism Ruckersville

Halifax County Department of Tourism South Boston iFly Loudoun Ashburn

Lodging The Berkley Hotel/Restaurant Richmond Courtyard Charlottesville Charlottesville Courtyard Suffolk/Chesapeake Suffolk Courtyard Virginia Beach North 37th Street, Virginia Beach Courtyard Virginia Beach Oceanfront South 25th Street, Virginia Beach Hilton Garden Inn Blacksburg Blacksburg Hilton McLean Tysons Corner McLean Hyatt Place Richmond/Innsbrook Glen Allen Hyatt House Virginia Beach Virginia Beach Residence Inn Manassas Battlefield Park Manassas Springhill Suites Gainesville Gainesville TownePlace Suites Suffolk Chesapeake Suffolk

Westin Virginia Beach Town Center Virginia Beach

Restaurants/Breweries/Distilleries Allen’s Holy Smoked BBQ Chesterfield DB Capital, Inc. Roanoke Famous Toastery Ashburn Hot Tuna Virginia Beach KO Distilling Manassas Loulou Petite Purcellville Saladworks Virginia Beach-Hilltop Virginia Beach ServiceSource, Inc. Oakton

Education Debra Bontz, Massanutten Technical Center McGaheysville Mary Aina Bullard, Stratford University Norfolk Greg Harris, Johnson & Wales University Suffolk

“WE MAKE PARTNERSHIPS REWARDING” IS MORE THAN A SLOGAN…IT IS HOW WE CONDUCT BUSINESS.

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Our mission is to obtain maximum cost savings and greater profitability for our clients through our partnership purchasing programs, while offering innovative business solutions. Our partnership approach, knowledge of the business and broad service offerings allow our clients to focus on the management of their business and what they do best…we do the rest.

Sign Up at VRLTA.org/PrimeSource

(757) 622-7232 • sales@vbupholstery.com 6

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or contact Program Administrator Kristen Menniti kmenniti@primesourcepurchasing.com | 201.968.5505

EVENTS AND DATES

Upcoming Events / Dates October 1-3 VRLTA Fall Meeting Richmond | The Westin Richmond

November 12-13 AHLA @ The Hotel Experience New York

October 2 Ordinary Awards Gala Richmond | The Westin Richmond

December 1 Government Affairs Monthly Update Conference Call

October 4-6 NRA 20th Annual Richard E. Marriott Golf Invitational Pinehurst, NC

December 11 Fairfax-Loudoun Chapter Meeting

October 12 Greater Prince William Chapter Meeting + Mixer Woodbridge | Blu 1681

October 10 — Richmond • Midlothian October 12 — Harrisonburg November 13 — Suffolk November 14 — Richmond • Downtown December 7 — Harrisonburg Register now at VRLTA.org/ServSafe.

December 12 Norfolk Region Chapter Holiday Mixer January 5 Government Affairs Monthly Update Conference Call

October 19 Fairfax-Loudoun Chapter Board Meeting Chantilly | Ford’s Fish Shack South Riding

January 10, 2018 Virginia General Assembly Session Begins

November 3 Government Affairs Monthly Update Conference Call

January 31-February 1 Legislative Day on the Hill and Taste of VRLTA Reception Delta Hotels by Marriott Richmond Downtown

November 12-14 VA-1 Tourism Summit Norfolk | Hilton Norfolk The Main

Upcoming ServSafe Classes

2017

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Heartland

Securin

your Payments Processing Article provided by Heartland, A VRLTA Platinum Partner

O

ctober marks the two-year anniversary of the U.S. migration to EMV smart-chip enabled payment technology. Despite the fact that the migration was accompanied by a card-present fraud liability shift to the party using the least secure technology, Visa reports that only about 2 million U.S. merchants have transitioned to this new level of technology. This leaves nearly 67 percent of U.S. merchants vulnerable, as fraudsters turn their focus to non-EMV enabled businesses.

EMV, which stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa, is the Comprehensive Coverage global standard for cards equipped with computer chips and the EMV chip improves security by providing card Let us serve technology you from our technology used to authenticate chip-card transactions. EMV cards full authentication.

Menu of Payroll & HR options.

However, the most advanced credit card thieves can are embedded with a smart chip that creates a unique transaction rewrite the magstripe, tricking even new EMV chip-reading machines HR Support Center My Employee Files code that cannot be used again, improving theMypayment security to think the card is chipless when swiped. If you have purchased the for consumers.

EMV card-reading equipment, but are not encrypting transactions How Criminals Take Advantage as part of your upgrade, your business may still be at risk. While According to the Verizon 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report, EMV-enabled terminals offer increased security and reduces credit Accommodation and Food Services was “the top industry Our Info Center for Point of Business Partner Reporting card fraud, you Center need to employ a comprehensive approach for the Sale intrusions.” While this isn’t a new problem—hotels and restaurants best security. have been plagued by counterfeit, stolen and cloned credit card activity for years—the liability shift has further highlighted the issue.

• Tokenization – replacing card data with a “token” protects card Criminals prefer magnetic strip cards. When criminals purchase credit card numbers, the data—regardless if it is magstripe only or data while at rest in your POS system. This is particularly imperative in a hotel environment, where customer data is typically EMV technology—is loaded on a standard magstripe counterfeit

stored for days, weeks or even years. Even if your system card. If they attempt to use the counterfeit card as an EMV-enabled

is hacked, tokenization makes the data stored in it unusable terminal, the terminal can detect that the card being used has EMV to cybercriminals. capabilities and the system will prompt the fraudster to “dip” the card instead of swiping. Attempts to process the transaction without • End-to-end Encryption – this powerful technology removes “dipping” the EMV enabled card will be declined.

card data from the merchant’s network, protecting the data in Some fraudsters have been scamming your businesses for years transit so it cannot be intercepted or monetized. without you knowing about it because, previous to the liability shift, the • Incident Management Program – According to the Association issuing bank was taking the loss. All the scammer has to do now is call of Certified Fraud Examiners, nearly 50 percent of small the credit card company after their card is swiped at an old terminal businesses fall victim to fraud as some point in their business and claim the charges on their chip-enabled card weren’t accurate, life cycle. Every business should have a plan in place for how leaving you to empty your pockets. While the chargeback amount may they will handle an incident, should one occur. Containing the not be big, it wouldn’t take many of these false chargebacks to really breach, responding quickly and communicating appropriately is cut into your profits. Without the ability to accept EMV transactions, the best way to prevent reputation damage and stem losses. business owners are seeing liability shift chargebacks for which there is no defense.

Heartland Secure combines EMV, tokenization and end-to-end If upgrading to EMV simply isn’t an option for your business, here encryption together to give your business the most comprehensive are a few tips you can use to protect yourself from fraudsters.

• Verify that the last four digits of the card number match the last security solution on the market. We are so confident in our ability to protect credit card data the moment it is used, we offer an

four digits on the printed receipt unprecedented breach warranty to all merchants who are Heartland • Compare the signatures on the card and receipt • Check cards for legitimate features like holograms, logos, CVV/ Secure and employ Heartland Secure-certified devices for as long as they are processing with Heartland, at no additional cost.

CID/CVV2 and AVS verification, etc.

• Never rerun a card if it declines – for any reason Your single source for critical HR materials including

Our built-in electronic employee file system replaces

job descriptions, forms and other templates. Email

the need for paper files. With data kept securely off-

alerts keep you current with new federal and state

site, information is well protected from unauthorized

laws, regulations and court decisions that could

access and loss.

impact your business.

Much like an intranet site, this broad-based

Business partners can use Heartland Payroll+HR to

communication tool provides a reliable and secure

provide documents, alerts and information important

way to ensure employees have easy access to info,

for mutual client use. This service greatly enhances

including schedules, policies, employee handbooks,

your partners’ ability to provide you with efficient,

pay stubs, W-2s, PTO and external websites.

cost-effective services—eliminating the need for you to be the go-between.

To learn more, contact Angela Ihry: 605.940.9861 | angela.ihry@e-hps.com ©2016 Heartland Payment Systems, Inc. | heartland.us

To learn how Heartland Secure could help your business protect against fraud, contact VRLTA. 8

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VDH Food Protection Manager Certification Improving Food Safety in the Commonwealth

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ith the ever changing landscape that is public health, food safety has steadily become a “hot topic” not only within the regulatory community but also among foodindustry professionals. In recent years, the focus of food safety has shifted from a “reactive” approach to a more “proactive” approach. This change places emphasis on averting foodborne illness through various preventive controls, one of which is the institution of the certified food protection manager (CFPM).

The 2013 revision to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code introduced the CFPM as a requirement. In July of 2016, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) adopted various provisions of the 2013 FDA Food Code into the Virginia Food Regulations.

These provisions included the requirement that select food establishments in the Commonwealth of Virginia have a certified food protection manager on staff. This requirement will go into effect on July 1, 2018.

At least one restaurant employee with supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service shall be a certified food protection manager. To assist food establishments with meeting this new regulatory requirement, VDH is kicking off the “In or Out” Campaign to bring awareness, answer questions, and provide resources on how to obtain certification. The campaign will also focus on the various unseen benefits to certification.

What is a Certified Food Protection Manager?

A CFPM is any person who has completed a certified food protection manager program recognized as conforming to the Conference for Food Protection Standards for Accreditation of Food Protection Manager Certification Programs.

Why is certification important beyond “the law requires it”?

Certification will assist restaurant owners to understand complex regulatory requirements with the goal of preventing customers from getting sick. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Food Protection reported that restaurants that employ CFPMs have less violations in areas of food safety that were directly related to food borne illness. Also, the food protection manager certification communicates that the manager possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to oversee the safe storage, preparation, and service of food to the public.

How do I obtain my certification?

CFPM courses are offered throughout the Commonwealth, as well as online. VDH recognizes the following certification courses accredited through the Conference of Food Protection: (1) ServSafe®, (2) National Registry of Food Safety Professionals, (3) Prometric, (4) 360training.com, and (5) Statefoodsafety.com.

For information on Food Safety in Virginia, in addition to updates on CFPM resources, please visit the VDH Food Safety website site at www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/food-safety-in-virginia. You may also send an email to foodsafety@vdh.virginia.gov or call (804) 864-7473.

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KINGS DOMINION

DOMINION

Kings Dominion Announces

New Hybrid Steel Wood Coaster and Winterfest for 2018 T

he fun is bigger and better than ever at Kings Dominion, Virginia’s ultimate destination for laughs, smiles and thrills the entire family will love. 2018 will be the most exciting year yet at the park with the addition of a thrilling hybrid rollercoaster, a festive new holiday event and the 2nd year of the incredible Pre-K Pass, which allows FREE entry all year long for three to five year olds.

The park’s newest coaster, Twisted Timbers, is an innovative hybrid coaster that uses the latest technology to combine wood supports with a steel track. This gives riders an exhilarating experience with maneuvers

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previously unimaginable on a traditional wooden coaster.

Twisted Timbers will be located in the Candy Apple Grove section of the park and is themed to an abandoned apple orchard on the edge of town. The story behind the coaster is that an unknown force destroyed the harvest years ago and froze the orchard in time; now the strictly “off-limits” orchard has reopened for tours, with the ride as its highlight. This is ride with a twist… this is Twisted Timbers!

The coaster will feature several inversions, flipping riders upside down three times, including a 109-foot tall barrel roll drop. Twisted Timbers will

KINGS DOMINION

have 20 airtime moments along its 3,351 feet of track. It will be a ride unlike any other in the park and the first of its kind in the mid-Atlantic region. It will be a must-do ride for any budding coaster fan!

Also new in 2018 is WinterFest, a jovial immersive holiday experience.

It will be like something from a dream as the park transforms into a winter wonderland complete with millions of lights, uniquely themed areas, iceskating, entertainment, food, crafts and hands-on activities. The park will be dotted with dozens of brightly lit Christmas trees including the main event… a nightly tree lighting ceremony that will kick off each evening of

the imaginative holiday event. The park’s fountain on International Street will be transformed into Snowflake Lake where guests can enjoy iceskating in the shadow of the iconic Eiffel Tower; the tower will be converted into a 300-foot Christmas tree complete with a state-of-the-art light show as snow falls over the midway.

Winterfest visitors will be able to enjoy holiday-themed live entertainment in more than a dozen shows like Cool Yule Christmas, Jingle Jazz, and a special production of Snoopy’s Ice Show. Classic Peanuts™ characters along with special Winterfest entertainers like Jack Frost, the Sugar Plum ...continued on page 12.

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KINGS DOMINION

Fairy and Candy Cane will meet and interact with guests. The elves will help children mail letters to Santa at the North Pole Post Office. Kids can decorate cookies in Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen and shoppers will find unique holiday gifts at Crafter’s Corner, featuring handmade goods from some of Virginia’s best crafters. Throughout the event, guests will be able to enjoy dozens of the park’s rides and attractions.

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“2018 is going to be an amazing year for our guests,” said Gary Chadwick, vice president and general manager, Kings Dominion. “Twisted Timbers raises the bar for Kings Dominion’s high thrill level, and adrenaline junkies everywhere will crave experiencing its astonishing twists and turns over and over again. This, added to the magical Winterfest seasonal event, will let our guests experience the park in an entirely different way, creating new family traditions. These investments demonstrate our continued commitment to position Kings Dominion as a dynamic world class destination and the place to be for the most smiles in Virginia.”

These new additions join an already great lineup of rides, shows and attractions Kings Dominion has to offer. There are a dozen rollercoasters with some record breakers like Intimidator 305 featuring a 300-foot drop with speeds of 90 miles per hour. Or you can take a spin on Dominator, the world’s longest floorless rollercoaster. For the little ones, Kings Dominion is home to the world’s largest PEANUTS™-themed children’s area. Planet Snoopy was expanded and renovated in 2017 and features 20 rides that parents and kids can experience together.

Virginia can really heat up in the summer, so cool down at the park’s all-inclusive 20-acre water park, Soak City. Kings Dominion is the only Virginia destination offering two parks for the price of one. Soak City features two wave pools, dozens of water slides, a children’s splash zone, cabanas and more.

Plus – Kings Dominion is bringing back the popular Pre-K Pass. This grants FREE admission to children three to five years of age for the entire 2018 season, including the all-new WinterFest. Parents or guardians simply need to register online and activate the child’s pass at the park

by May 28, 2018. The child will need to be present in order to complete activation. Detailed information on the Pre-K Pass can be found on the park’s website.

A gold or platinum Kings Dominion Season Pass will get you unlimited visits to the park all spring, summer, fall and winter. Just visit www. kingsdominion.com for all the latest information.

LEGISLATIVE TOP 10

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White House Threatens Summer Work Travel and other J-1 Exchanges

White House Threatens Summer Work Travel and other J-1 Exchanges

Get involved to save them

By Nancy Perry, Eastern Regional Director, InterExchange

O

n August 27, the Wall Street Journal reported that an internal White House memo proposed the complete elimination of the J-1 visa Summer Work Travel, Intern, Trainee, Camp, and Au Pair programs. Statewide, Virginia hosts 11,113 J-1 exchange visitors in total—including 5,418 Summer Work Travel international students.

If the J-1 programs were to be eliminated, seasonal businesses everywhere would be dealt a devastating blow and would struggle to find enough staff to fill positions during their busiest seasons.

Virginia’s seasonal communities depend on the summer surge of tourists to thrive. In order for our businesses to meet the demand of that summer surge and serve our vacationers in the best way possible, we need a massive influx of seasonal help. Every one of our businesses goes to great lengths to attract American employees, and hire as many Americans as possible. But even so, as we all know, our businesses still cannot meet the seasonal workforce demands. Even with international students, many positions go unfilled.

SWT students come to experience our communities and our culture, to better their English skills, and to travel around our country after their work has ended. We hope to give them a sense of what the real America is like, to be the best hosts we can be. We want them to return home with a better understanding and view of America. We want to create lifelong friendships with these future leaders.

And SWT students contribute greatly to our businesses and our local economies. A recent study by the research firm Eureka Facts confirmed what we all know: that the international students on Summer Work Travel don’t displace local workers, but rather supplement our workforce in vital ways. They allow us to hire more Americans for full time jobs. We just couldn’t survive and thrive without them. And to top it all off, this same research report found that, in 2016, SWT students contributed more than $500 million the to U.S. economy via their spending on room and board, entertainment and travel. Nearly $29 million of that was spent locally in Virginia. Losing these international

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students would be a major blow to our economy, not to mention our ability to conduct diplomacy and make friends abroad.

As of this writing, no final decisions have been made public by the White House about the programs—so our advocacy efforts continue to be more important than ever! It’s been incredibly heartening to see the huge showing of support that has arisen across the country for SWT and other J-1 programs. More than 80,000 letters have been sent to Congress. More than 26,000 host families have signed a petition in support of the Au Pair Program. More than 800 host employers, associations, and chambers of commerce have joined the Americans for Cultural Exchange coalition in support of SWT. And recently, more than 300 host employers and businesses joined a call with the White House Domestic Policy Council to convey their support for J-1 programs.

Thirty-three Members of the House, and 17 Members of the Senate signed letters in support of SWT thus far. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amendment that requires any changes to the programs to receive Congressional consultation and to go through transparent, official rulemaking processes (i.e., not behind closed doors where we have no say). The House passed a resolution in support of all J-1 programs. All of these efforts have been bipartisan, and the states represented by these efforts have spanned the entire country. It’s clear that SWT and other J-1 programs are supported by so many American communities and by so many Americans.

To get involved and to keep up-to-date with the latest, visit www. americansforculturalexchange.org and sign up as a member. Call your Representative and Senators Kaine and Warner. Call Governor McAuliffe. Call your Mayor. Connect with your local chambers and business associations and tell them they need to get involved to save J-1 programs. Every effort is needed and it starts with us, the businesses who love hosting these international students and know that losing them would be devastating.

4 STEPS

NRA

4 1 2 4 steps to employing your next apprentice

T

The National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation is working hard to create career pathways for restaurant, foodservice and hospitality employees, particularly through its new apprenticeship program.

We officially launched the apprenticeship program earlier this year, after the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship awarded us a $1.8 million contract to help fund the project. We expect to enroll 450 apprentices by year-end.

For restaurateurs still undecided about hiring apprentices, it’s a lot easier than you may think. Follow these four easy steps, and we’ll take care of the rest: Contact John Shortt, the NRAEF’s director of program development, to set up your implementation consultation. Our program team will conduct a detailed telephone call to review our program’s competencies and standards with you. They will answer all questions and walk you through each detail of the program. The NRAEF will provide technical assistance and help manage administrative burdens to make implementation as simple as possible.

Make it official. Sign the following three pieces of documentation to become part of the program:

Identify the locations where you think registered apprentices will work. Once we have the locations, we can help research state-specific and additional funding options available to you. This will prepare you for hiring apprentices and help keep additional labor costs in check.

• Our employer acceptance agreement: This form states that the employer has reviewed the standards and agrees to adhere to them. We recommend your legal team review the standards before you sign the document.

• A commitment letter: This will identify how many apprentices you are bringing on; remember that apprentices can be employees who already work for you as well as new hires.

• Memorandum of understanding with the NRAEF: This document will help you learn how to access employerincentive funding and outline how employers can use those funds.

Start signing up apprentices! Review the apprenticeship qualifications. Apprentices must be 18 years old, have a high-school diploma or GED equivalency and submit to drug screening before employment, depending on the employer’s policy.

Once apprentices are recruited, complete and submit your apprentice applications to us.

Courtesy of National Restaurant Association. Read the article as it was originally published at www.Restaurant.org.

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HOTEL TECH

HOTEL

U.S. Consumers Want More Tech in Hotels

U

.S. consumers are more likely to show up, shop, eat, and stay at businesses that offer more technology and hotels are no exception, according to a recent survey of 1,000 consumers commissioned by commercial tablet and engagement company, Bouncepad. The survey showed that three out of four consumers (78 percent) agreed that they want business locations to do a better job of using technology to improve their experience.

“The bottom-line: U.S. consumers overwhelmingly want more technology in brick-and-mortar businesses, but they feel like those businesses are falling short in meeting their expectations,” said Andrew Earley, VP of sales for North America at Bouncepad. “Of course in today’s age, consumers want more technology generally, but it’s notable that a majority want their digital experience to extend to the physical businesses they visit.”

Consumers not only want more technology in the businesses they frequent—77 percent are more likely to visit businesses that offer technology, and the same number reported that they were more likely to shop at brick-and-mortar stores that offer self-serve or assisted tablets. When it comes to hotels, even the Boomer generation reported wanting to improve their experience, such as avoiding lines at check-in.

More than 70 percent ranked “skip the line” among their top two choices when asked what the most important area tech should

address at hotels. However, only a minority of consumers have used a tablet or kiosk at a hotel to check-in (35 percent), but two out of three would use one if only it were available. Additionally, 77 percent of consumers aged 52-65 wanted technology in restaurants to improve their experience versus 69 percent of the general population.

“It’s no secret that Millennials love tech, so we weren’t surprised to see their exponential preference for it in businesses, but unexpected demographics like Boomers, seniors, and lo-tech users all had higher than average preferences for technology in businesses,” said Earley.

“Consumers want tech in physical businesses available to them for a host of purposes, and they also want access to self-serve tablets, while still having sales associates available to help them.”

“77 percent are more likely to visit businesses that offer technology, and the same number reported that they were more likely to shop at brick-and-mortar stores that offer self-serve or assisted tablets.”

Courtesy of Lodging Magazine. Read the article as it was originally published at www.LodgingMagazine.com.

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MEALS TAX

New Study:

MEAL

I

n August, VRLTA, in partnership with the National Restaurant Association, called attention to a new report estimating the impact of meals tax increases in Virginia localities. The research, conducted and released by the Beacon Hill Institute for Public Policy Research in Massachusetts, found that Virginia localities would see steep declines in investment and consumer income, as well as job loss, should local meals taxes be increased or enacted.

The Beacon Hill Institute study used a 4 percent meals tax, or a 4 percent increase in the selected locality’s meals tax, as a metric. The study arrived as lawmakers in some Virginia counties and cities debate an increase in their meals tax.

In historic Williamsburg, the City Council increased in the city’s meals tax from 5 percent to 6.5 percent, as well as an increase in hotel taxes and a new admissions tax, in order to finance a tourism development fund. Using the study’s model, we can reasonably expect the 1.5 percent meals tax increase that Williamsburg, Virginia just approved will result in roughly 60 lost jobs, nearly $1 million in lost investment, and over $4 million in lost real disposable income.

In other cities, such as Alexandria, another tourist destination, a 4 percent increase in the meals tax would result in roughly 530 lost jobs, $8 million in lost investment, and over $38 million in lost disposable income.

Larger counties within Virginia would experience the largest impacts. Just over 2,000 jobs would be lost in Fairfax County, over 1,000 jobs in Arlington County, and roughly 650 jobs in Loudoun County. In these three counties, investment would fall by $39 million, $16 million, and $12 million respectively.

Real disposable income would fall by $200 million, $77 million and $63 million for these same counties.

In Fiscal Year 2016, over 70 of Virginia’s cities and towns and 45 counties imposed a meals tax averaging five percent across all localities. The State

The full study can be found at VRLTA.org/BHI_MealsTax.

Meals Tax Hikes Could Starve Virginia Localities Beacon Hill report finds lost jobs, millions of dollars in lost consumer income from tax hikes

of Virginia authorizes counties to levy a meals tax of up to 4 percent with the approval of voters in a referendum. Some counties and all cities in Virginia are allowed to levy a meals tax without a voter referendum.

Voters in Virginia’s counties have rejected meals taxes in 47 of the last 60 referendums, with 57.4 percent of all votes cast against a meals tax.

Meal tax increases continue to be an unpopular avenue for increasing local tax revenues, as indicated by overwhelming voter sentiment. The restaurant industry continues to be an industry of lower profit margins, adding a meals tax further exacerbates this trend. With the numbers learned during this study, and with Virginia restaurants employing more than 360,000 individuals across the state, we can say with a high degree of certainty that adding or increasing a tax on restaurants, would reduce the number of jobs, investment and disposable income. See the following table for the Economic Effects of a 4% Meals Tax on Local Economies:

Private Disposable

County

Arlington Loudoun Fairfax York

Prince William Floyd

Employment Investment($) Income($) -1,070 -649 -2,057 -174 -577 -6

-16,170,488 -77,329,294 -12,516,331 -63,276,819 -39,665,581 -200,530,953 -2,621,415 -12,535,936 -11,133,390 -56,285,307 -118,739 -600,291

-535 -107 -391 -307 -61 -141 -161 -211

-8,080,496 -38,641,940 -1,624,092 -7,766,610 -5,902,671 -28,227,309 -4,636,974 -22,174,589 -925,097 -4,423,929 -2,131,556 -10,193,367 -2,433,590 -11,637,730 -3,181,912 -15,216,300

Town/City

Alexandria Bristol

Newport News Hampton Staunton Danville Williamsburg Harrisonburg

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oVa Menu Guide sales ed to client file. Include

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Weekend Getaway to

VIRGINIA BEACH

Spirits Soiree

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Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association

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Fall 2017

VIRGINIA BEACH CONVENTION CENTER NOVEMBER 4 | 4PM - 8 PM

Presented by

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MEMBER PROFILE

SAVE THE DATE March

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10am - 4pm

Wednesday

Greater Richmond Convention Center Hundreds of Virginia food and beverage products Free admission for food and beverage buyers - Not open to the general public

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VRLTA NEWs BRIEFS

NEWSBRIEFS From Members + VRLTA

Want to see your news here & in the digital newsletter? Share it with us at VRLTA.org/SubmitNews, tag your Twitter & Instagram posts with #myVRLTA, & mention VRLTA on Facebook.

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Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association

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Fall 2017

NEWS BRIEFS

Campfire Grill Opens at Massanutten Resort Adorned with wood, stone, and metal accents from the local area, the NEW Campfire Grill will pay homage to the great outdoors and the spirit of exploration, making it a must-visit destination for hungry campers of all ages. Guests and locals alike will enjoy the vintage-outdoorsy décor including a large stone fireplace, campstyle lanterns, tent-covered seating area, outdoor fire pits, and hand-crafted sliding barn doors. Outdoor music and entertainment will be on tap as well.

Learn More: https://www.massresort.com/dine/campfire-grill/

DIRECTV Launches Limited Time Offer for “New and Renewing L&I Customers” DIRECTV Hospitality, through Mobil Satellite Technologies, has announced a promotion that could save Virginia Hotels ~$10,000 or more. Now through December 31, 2017 New and Returning customers are eligible to receive COM2000 or DIRECTV Residential Experience (DRE) Equipment at No Cost. Restrictions Apply. Contact Cheryl Spencer at 757.448.5144.

SMI Hotel Group Announces Opening of Delta Hotels by Marriott Richmond Downtown SMI Hotel Group, a Richmond-based hotel management company, announced in July the official opening of the 298room Delta Hotels by Marriott Richmond Downtown, located in Richmond, VA. This is Delta’s first branded hotel in the Richmond region and signals the continued global expansion of the brand since its endorsement into the Marriott signature portfolio. Delta Hotels by Marriott Richmond Downtown is owned by Sandhu Corporation of Virginia and managed by SMI Hotel Group.

Learn More: https://goo.gl/N8NYWD

Learn More: https://goo.gl/gAKLCp

Army Colonel Continues to Fight for Veterans Through Franchising The world, good parts and bad alike, is as familiar to U.S. Army Col. Ty Clifton (Ret.) [Patrice & Associates Hospitality Recruiting] as the Maryland shore that shaped him as a young man. Panama, Kuwait (twice), Kosovo, Iraq, Korea — the list of his deployments echoes the impressiveness of his rise through the ranks to Senior Policy Advisor for the Secretary of Defense. Throw in a Bronze Star medal and you have an individual who, by his retirement from the military in the summer of 2016, had lived more lives than most, in half the time.

Upon completion of his service, Col. Clifton knew he did not want, in his words, “to be stuck in an office all day. I did not want to work within another government job and wanted to make sure I could satisfy my entrepreneurial spirit.” More importantly, he felt a profound calling to give back to his community. Franchising afforded him both opportunities, providing a pathway to a successful business in his chosen field, and supporting the mission to help fellow veterans in the transition from active duty to civilian careers.

Read More: https://goo.gl/YehHE7

Gala Honoring Howard Feiertag’s Lifetime Contribution to the Hospitality and Tourism Industry The Pamplin College of Business Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management requests the honor of your presence on November 2, 2017 for a Gala Honoring Howard Feiertag’s Lifetime Contribution to the Hospitality and Tourism Industry.

Join nearly 400 hospitality industry leaders, as well as Virginia Tech Hospitality and Tourism Management alumni, students, and faculty for a gala honoring the lifetime contributions of Howard Feiertag to the hospitality industry at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner.

The evening will include a cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by a seated dinner and scholarship presentations. Three industry titans will share the stage as guest speakers.

Learn More and Register: https://goo.gl/ihpV7V W ww . V R L T A . O R G

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PARTNERS Platinum Heartland heartlandpaymentsystems.com

Heartland Payment Systems is an endorsed partner of VRLTA and the NRA. Heartland offers a complete suite of services, including card processing, payroll services, tip & check management, and gift marketing. With Heartland, restaurants and hotels can reduce expenses, enhance & improve operations, and increase profitability.

Angela Ihry • (P) 605.940.9861 • (E) angela.ihry@e-hps.com

Sysco Virginia & Sysco Hampton Roads sysco.com

Along with top quality ingredients, all of our products are proudly backed by the highest quality assurance demanded by Sysco. Our dedicated associates and foodservice experts can explain how easy it is to do business with Sysco.

Jason McGuire • (P) 757.855.4097 • mcquire.jason@shr.sysco.com

Gold

Better hiring tools, Silver right at your fingertips.

Snagajob and VRLTA partner to give your Fpis hiring an edge.

Fpis.Com

FPIS is the southeast’s premierfor brochure distribution Whether you’re looking servers, cooks,service. They can help you build an audience and awareness without spending the time and housekeeping, front desk, maintenance and energy doing it yourself. more,Higgins you can them fast• (E) with Snagajob.

Linda • (P)find 407.656.8818 lindah@fpis.com

You’ll get more applications, better applicants and a streamlined hiring process—saving you time and money. Post jobs, track applications and manage yourSil newinsurance hires, all in one place.

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VRLTA members save 10%.

SIL Insurance offers you expert advice, leveraged pricing, fast service, & flexible solutions for workers compensation insurance and more. Members Visit snagajob.com/vrlta today. can often save up to 25% on workers compensation premiums.

Derek Lynch • (P) 804.888.7216 • (E) dlynch@silinsurance.com

Snagajob Learn.Snagajob.Com/vrlta

Snagajob is America’s #1 spot for hourly employment. Posting your jobs on Snagajob.com gives you access to over 60 million job seekers, most of whom don’t visit other job sites. Millennials love applying using our mobile­ Performance friendly website and app. Hiring managers value Snagajob’s paperless Foodservice - Virginia application and new hire paperwork process, which makes it easy to quickly www.PerformanceFoodservice.com identify and hire quality workers. Now partnered with the Virginia Restaurant, Performance Foodservice delivers more than 125,000 food and food-related Lodging & Travel Association, Snagajob is proud to offer preferred pricing, products to 85,000 customer locations on a daily basis from distribution including a 10% discount for VRLTA members. centers nationwide. Everything we do is to serve the people on the front lines Joe Gabriel • (P) 703.457.7873 • (E) joe.gabriel@snagajob.com back with the Spark® Cash credit This card means helping you to find the best products and services of foodservice. ds of dollars backfeaturing into yourcustom-cut business. meat, produce, and local seafood. It also means bringing you technology innovations so you can place orders easily and stay on top of HOTELHelp, Inc. HOTELHelp, Inc. your operation wherever you go. hotelhelpservices.com Andrew Baserap • (P) 804.237.1001 • (E) Andrew.Baserap@pfgc.com HOTELHelp partners with some of the most innovative leaders in the arena developing partnerships that take these already flourishing operations to new levels of profitability and popularity. Providing a dependable, smiling, and dedicated labor product, while offering hands-on account management Silver and superior customer service, makes HOTELHelp a smart choice for any hotel operation. Your customers will see the difference and so will you!

Bollinger Energy Jeff Byars • (P) 901-624-5000 • (E) jeffbyars@hotelhelpservices.com

Potential: High

Corporation

bollingerenergy.com/preferredprovider/vrlta/ Bollinger Energy has partnered with VRLTA to bring Savings and Service to Members on your Natural Gas purchases. Our personalized approach to energy supply combines expertise, competitive prices and exceptional customer service. Contact us for your Preferred Pricing!

Gary Murphy • (P) 443-248-3927 • (E) gary@bollingerenergy.com

owth every time you make purchases dvertising and everything in between.

Ecolab Ecolab.Com

Around the world businesses in foodservice, food processing and hospitality Earn a one-time choose Ecolab products and services to keep their environment clean and $500safe, Cash Bonus operate efficiently and achieve sustainability goals. once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months of account opening* Katherine Hunt • (P) 240.629.9410 • (E) Katherine.hunt@ecolab.com

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Capital One https://captl1.co/VRLTA

Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association

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Fall 2017

OTHER MONEY-SAVING PROGRAMS Fishbowl Vrlta.Org/fishbowl

Fishbowl is the leading online marketing solution for restaurants and independent hotels. As a VRLTA member, you’re eligible for a free local email marketing account with 500 free monthly messages, 10% off list price thereafter, and more.

OFFICE DEPOT Vrlta.Org/officedepot

Register online using company tracking code 0337.

Prime Source Purchasing VRLTA.org/PrimeSource

Prime Source Purchasing (PSP) works with Virginia’s major food distributors to get money back for our member restaurants. By working with PSP and VRLTA, you can receive rebate checks quarterly on all the food you order. Exclusively available to Association members, simply sign up for the program and put money back in your pocket.

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To learn more, contact Angela Ihry: 605.940.9861 | angela.ihry@e-hps.com ©2016 Heartland Payment Systems, Inc. | heartland.us

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24

Virginia Restaraunt, Lodging & Travel Association

Fall 2015

Free listing for all VRLTA members. Upgraded and featured listings available. n

To ensure your listing contact: Tracy Thompson 757-422-8979 ext 156 or at tracy@vgnet.com