President's Address

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

As my first year as IHI President draws to a close, the Annual General Meeting offers an opportunity to reflect on the past year and look forward to a future where we see our industry emerging from two years of apprehension and uncertainty.

In years to come, history students will wonder where to even begin when asked at exam time to summarise what happened across the world between 2020 and 2022. We continue to live in extraordinary times and every aspect of life and business is being tested daily. As business stress levels go, 2021 was one of the toughest to endure with our own industry closed until mid-year.

The pandemic is estimated to have cost Irish tourism and hospitality businesses as much as €12.2 billion. Along with that, research by Failte Ireland has identified a total of 40,000 vacancies within the sector, 24% of which are roles at senior levels. However, as our industry emerges from the pandemic, we have an opportunity to build a sustainable and robust tourism product that focuses on the environment and its people.

Membership & Financial Overview

2021 was a difficult financial year for all businesses and it was no different for the IHI. Recognising the financial impact Covid-19 had across the sector, in January 2021, the IHI Board took the decision to support our members with complimentary IHI Membership for 2021, pledging our commitment to you as a valued member.

As a membership organisation solely funded by membership subscriptions and sponsorships generated annually by our key events, your continued membership demonstrates not only your commitment to your professional development but also as recognition as Hospitality & Tourism professional.

At a time when recognition is crucially important and helps to support retention within our teams, I ask that you give strong consideration to supporting your team members with IHI membership.

The importance of networking and developing relationships for our younger managers cannot be measured and the benefits of IHI Membership on that journey is hugely important.

It is also important that I acknowledge the commitment of our Patrons. Through their financial support, we have been able to undertake and deliver IHI work programmes on behalf of the industry. I would like to personally thank The Guinness Store House, Aramark Northern Europe, Unilever Food Solutions, The Restaurants Association of Ireland, Broadline Recruitment Group, Vamoos, Great Place to Work, TU Dublin, Tierney’s, Irish Times and NetAffinity.

I would also like to thank our Business Partners for their commitment and engagement throughout.

Amendment to the IHI Constitution

Founded in September 1966 by some forward-thinking young managers who firmly believed their education and profession were not receiving the professional recognition it merited, the Irish Hotel & Catering Institute was established.

This group of six young dynamic managers went on to become some of Ireland’s leading hoteliers both at home and abroad. They were pioneers in driving training and development for Hospitality and Tourism and were instrumental in the promotion of careers.

Since its formation, the IHI Constitution had not undergone a comprehensive review. Therefore, a complete review was undertaken in line with corporate governance practices. The aim and objective of this work were to strengthen the IHI in its current iteration and as much as possible, to future proof our governance framework.

Presidential Hand Over

The 2021 Annual General Meeting marked the completion of the term of office for our 28th President, Oonagh Cremins FIHI. As the first President to lead us through a pandemic, Oonagh’s stewardship played a pivotal role in raising the profile of the IHI during this very challenging period for our industry.

It was my pleasure to serve as her Deputy President, and her guidance and advice were greatly appreciated. On behalf of the Board and the IHI Membership, I would like to thank Oonagh for leaving the IHI in a position of strength, prepared to tackle the challenges ahead.

Strategy Plan 2021-2023

Our 2021 Strategy Day in August was the first opportunity the IHI Board had to physically meet in a very long time. We focused on our core values; the promotion and facilitation of management development and supporting our members at each stage of their careers.

Goal 1: Development of IHI Regional Network: The launch of the Connaught Chapter took place in Galway in March and additional plans for physical events at the Munster and Leinster Chapters are underway.

Goal 2: Membership: Members are at the core of the development and growth of the IHI. The success of programmes and events we host is dependent on member engagement and your feedback is fundamental. A key element of strategy Goal 2 has us looking at how we can provide more tangible member benefits and improved technology for better member engagement.

Goal 3 Education and CPD:

Our industry is consistently evolving and as professionals, Continuous Professional Development is imperative to maintain and improve our knowledge and skills.

Goal 3 will see our Education and CPD committee working on developing two new initiatives: IHI Network Mentor Programme and the IHI Graduate Development Programme. We believe both programmes will play an essential role in supporting the development and retention of our teams. In addition, we will continue to work with our Academic Partners to develop relevant microcredentials for the sector and revamp the current IHI Academic Partnership Programme for inclusion in all colleges.

Overall Activity

Throughout 2021, we continued with our series of webinars and online events. We held twelve webinars and created conversations around topics such as Lean Six Sigma, Mental Health & Wellness and fireside chats with industry stalwarts.

Early 2021 saw the IHI National Hospitality Business Management Game online for the first time. This was some feat and instead of the event taking place in a centralised location over two days, it took place remotely for all participants over a period of a week. This event was a great success due to the IHI team, Events Committee, the Russell Partnership, and IHI Business Partners IMS who facilitated the online platform.

For the second year in a row, we hosted a very successful and well-received IHI Hospitality Tourism & Professionals Day. The event welcomed highly regarded speakers, including Duncan O’Rourke, CEO of Northern Europe at Accor and Bill Walshe, CEO of Viceroy Hotel Group. Attendees were made up of both members and non-members who enjoyed global insights on the importance of brand within our industry and initiatives to combat labour shortages.

We were greatly disappointed that we were again unable to hold our annual Management Conference and Founders Evening. Plans were in place for a fantastic Founders Evening to be had at the fabulous Guinness Storehouse at the end of November, but due to an increase in Covid cases at the time, we were once again faced with the difficult decision to postpone the event.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the team at the Guinness Storehouse for their support and understanding and I look forward to working with them again in the not-too-distant future.

The work we continue to do has strengthened and will continue to enhance the IHI for the future. I wish all Patrons, Business Partners, Fellows, Members and Student Members all the very best for the remainder of 2022 and would like to thank you most sincerely for your support throughout 2021.