provide a powerful networking opportunity for hospitality industry leaders. Understanding the importance of connecting people and connecting thoughts, BHN facilitates networking opportunities with social icebreakers like speed meets, where new attendees are introduced to other conference goers in a fun and fast speed-dating format.
“What’s exciting about this program is the immediacy of the results,” says Burba. “After a six-month internship, many of these kids can join the hotel industry workforce and make a living. We are hoping to bring some of the graduates on stage at our conferences to shine a spotlight on this wonderful organization.”
To keep its network of hospitality industry professionals in the know, BHN regularly queries its clientele to produce industry-related surveys. For example, BHN’s first Hotel Opinion Report, which debuted in March 2012, had with more than 1,000 industry professionals weighing in on their travel-related opinions.
The duo also has a book project in the works, focusing on how to establish successful partnerships—in business and in life. Based on a checklist of 15 principles for successful partnering, the book covers everything from deciding if you really need— and want—a partner to how to pick a partner you trust who shares your core values. The book will be the first in a series of upcoming tomes from the long-time partners.
When Burba and Hayes aren’t producing events, they are involved in a number of charities, including the Youth Career Initiative (YCI), which helps train and educate young people who have nearly no chance of breaking out of abject poverty.
“We are always looking for opportunities,” says Hayes. “Sometimes they find us, so we are pursuing them and seeing where they lead.” Burba and Hayes are currently co-producers on Space Station 76 in conjunction with Rival Pictures and have recently signed on for development in film and television with first-time author Catherine Tondelli. The film is a character-driven, domestic dramedy that takes place in a 1970s version of the future where personalities and asteroids collide. Directed by Jack Plotnick, the film stars Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler, Marisa Coughlan, Matt Bomer, Jerry O’Connell, Kali Rocha, and Kylie Rogers. “If you look at the big picture, the hotel industry and film and television share a common bond as both have the unique ability to take consumers away from their everyday lives for a period of time,” says Burba. “We have also been approached a number of times about developing TV shows about the hotel and travel industry, so this started the wheels churning.” Even after all of BHN’s professional achievements, its biggest milestone has been donating over $10 million for humanitarian aid, scholarship, research, and educational product development for the hotel industry. “The company was founded on the principle of giving back. Our efforts over the last decade have demonstrated this commitment and that it works,” says Hayes. In the LGBT community, Burba and Hayes have donated to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and to Palm Springs’s Desert AIDS Project (DAP). They are active members of the former, donating not just money and time but also opening their home for fundraising events. “We like to give back to the communities in which we live or work,” Burba mentions. These thriving partners know one of the keys to their success as a couple is to set aside well-deserved downtime. They enjoy escaping to Palm Springs for rest, relaxation, and martinis. “Palm Springs is our happy place, and we also have a 7&7 rule. We don’t talk business before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. It’s a great way to recharge ourselves.” It is obvious why Out Magazine recently declared Burba and Hayes one of the 15 Power Couples You Should Know.
photos courtesy of BHN
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