When experts brainstormed on hospitality dynamics

It was a meeting of stakeholders in hospitality industry where ideas to move the sector forward were deliberated. UKO ETIM reports.

Experts from the rank of general managers, heads of department, supervisors and other key players in the hospitality industry gathered recently for two days in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state for training and review of performances aimed at improving customer service delivery in line with international standard and best practices with a view to generate profit for investors and increase welfare package for staff.


Tagged: “Sales, Service and Standard’, it was organised by a Lagos-based hospitality firm, Tojum Hospitality Ltd and attracted over 300 participants across 10 states while others from Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, UK, Ethopia and United States joined through zoom.
Delivering the keynote address, the team leader and chief operating officer of Tojum Hospitality who is also the convener, Mr Olugbenga Sunday, said the training was the third edition in the series of capacity- building discourse for hotel managers.


He said the training was targetted at bridging the gap between international hospitality brands and indigenous or local brands both in administrative and general operations standards. He added that the conference was a platform where hotel managers, owners, managing directors, consultants, general managers and heads of department interface with experts for professional exploits.
“You took time to be here. I know how busy your schedule is especially the general managers in our midst. Creating time to attend a conference of this nature is a wise profitable decision.”
He said the theme was the anchor point where everything about hospitality rests; therefore, he charged the participants to uphold them in their operations.


According to him, “The leadership of any hospitality brand must understand how these three interrelate and affect each other. You can’t have the assurance of sustainable sales without looking at the hotel service culture and of course the standard operating procedures.
“Every hotel manager who is diligent enough to uphold excellent customer service and ensure the standard of the hotel meets the minimum acceptable standard is sure of good sales output.”


The resource persons include renown hospitality experts and honarory chairman, Institute of Hospitality, UK branch Professor Wasiu Babalola as lead speaker, the national president, Women in Hospitality Nigeria, Mrs Justina Ovat and the 2020 best hotelier award winner and country manager, International Hospitality Institute, Mr Brian Efa as well as other speakers with intimidating credentials and profiles in the industry.
The conference had the endorsement of Akwa Ibom state government just as the state commmissioner for culture and tourism, Mr Orman Esin, charged participants to address basic tenets of totel sales as key towards ensuring efficient management and innovations.
“There is need to address basic tenets of hotel sales as key to ensure that best services and standards in our hotels are kept.”


Esin said the conference would serve as a medium on feedbacks for development and improvement to eliminate substandard service delivery and unprofessionalism in the sector.
The commissioner who was represented by his special assistant on protocol, Mr Tony Isonguyo, maintained that the Association of Hotel Managers would present a gateway that can project Nigeria as a destination point to the world.
Delivering a goodwill message to the participants, chairman, Akwa Ibom State Hotels Management and Tourism Board, Mr Ini Akpabio, said experiences acquired would place hotel managers on a higher pedestal for service delivery.


Akpabio regretted that some investors in hotel business claimed to be more knowledgeable in hospitality instead of recruiting and training managers to become professionals.
“Hotel investors have claimed to be well experienced hotel managers. Once anyone has money to establish a hotel, that person feels he knows the best to do and throws all sanity and professionalism to the dogs.


“For the fact that you invest in a hotel business does not qualify you to be a professional; therefore, both the investors and managers need some certification to perform in line with international standard and best practice obtainable in the hospitality industry.”
He disclosed that hotel managers would soon be trained to meet with international standard and procedures in hospitality.
“Guidelines would be handed out to hotel managers as operations manual in the state to make Akwa Ibom a destination point for tourists,” he said.