Introducing … IAAPA – Hotels, Resorts, and Casinos

The purpose of these "Membership Minutes" is to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting when you join or renew your IAAPA membership—and why it’s even more essential to stay connected to the industry as we all head into what will be a challenging economic year. This week's post focuses on what IAAPA provides to Hotels, Resorts, and Casinos.

In the past several years, IAAPA has seen more hotels, resorts, and casinos coming to our events and joining the ranks of membership. Now, it’s important to note this doesn’t mean IAAPA is going to add hotel room furniture and casino games to our trade show floor. Rather, it's an acknowledgment that these hotels, resorts, and casinos are looking to expand what they offer to their guests and are counting on IAAPA members to teach them how to do so.

And that’s really what IAAPA is all about, connecting members who run different operations, in different countries, so they can learn from each other and offer the best experience for their guests.

With that in mind, here are some of the core benefits IAAPA offers to hotels, resorts, and casinos …

Industry Buyers' Guide and Online Membership Directory
All manufacturer and supplier members of IAAPA are listed in the Industry Buyers' Guide. This resource is open to members and nonmembers alike to search for products and services you may want to add to your attraction. In addition, all members have access to search the Online Membership Directory. Here, you can search for facilities by geographic location, facility type, and more. Once you enter your search criteria, the online tool searches our membership database and provides you with full contact information for you to reach out to other operators who may be able to offer their expertise.

News Flash
News Flash is a daily e-mail service that provides you with all the headlines from the global attractions industry. You can follow the trends in the industry including openings, closures, successes, struggles, and other situations. News Flash is an incredibly powerful tool, but you have to read it, AND use it. If you’re currently a member and don’t receive News Flash, sign up: membership@IAAPA.org.

Legislative Issues
These days, most hotels, resorts, and casinos offer some sort of water attraction, whether it be a pool, waterslide, or a full-blown waterpark within their facility. That’s why it’s so important to stay on top of the all the water safety issues and specifically, the Virginia Graeme Baker Act. Your membership dues guarantee you have two dedicated full-time IAAPA staffers in Washington, D.C., working to protect your business interests. And we’re not just limited to federal issues; we have worked on a variety of state legislative initiatives as well. As a member, if you EVER need any support regarding a government relations issue, all you have to do is ask! Go ahead, it’s easy: gr@IAAPA.org.

Finally, FUNWORLD
Our monthly magazine covers a lot of ground with feature stories on a variety of issues facing the attractions industry including hotels, resorts, and casinos. Here are just a couple recent articles that were cross-posted to our blog, highlighting our coverage of this market. If you want more, check out the magazine's new digital edition.

And of course, I am always open to suggestions of additional benefits. What else do you need from IAAPA? Let me know what you think and if there is anything else we can do to help support you. My e-mail address is haulakh@IAAPA.org and I look forward to hearing from you.