Australian Hotels Association Business Plan 2018-19

The Bridge Hotel, Richmond

BUSINESS PLAN 2018/19

Business Plan 2018/19 | Australian Hotels Association (Victoria)

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The Australian Hotels Association (Victoria) (AHA (Vic) is proud of and committed to maintaining a vibrant social and stable economic environment allowing members to; employ 50,000 Victorians, provide their local community with a unique hospitality experience and contribute some $4.3B to the Victorian GSP. As the pre-eminent Victorian hospitality industry association, AHA (Vic) provides; industry leadership, lobbies on members’ behalf and promotes best practice in hotel management with a keen eye on the latest trends and innovations that may provide members with a competitive advantage.

Tourism Accommodation Australia (Victoria) (TAA (Vic), a division of AHA (Vic), actively contributes to the development and growth of Victoria’s lucrative tourism industry while addressing its members’ specific needs and challenges.

AHA (Vic) provides a single, resolute voice of unity for its increasingly diverse membership incorporating business profiles that range from the recognisable four and five star international hotel brands, music entertainment venues, multi-facetted gaming pubs, the trendy food and beverage pubs through to the iconic unique country pubs.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES The ongoing strategic objectives of AHA (Vic) are to: • Protect, promote and advance the interests and rights of members, • Uphold and promote the quality, integrity and reputation of the hotel industry, • Provide timely, effective, relevant and value adding services to members, • Create a supportive forum for the new generation of publicans to network, discuss challenges and voice concerns which may direct specific lobbying efforts, • Enhance the diversity of our Council Group and Executive Board by creating an environment that values a diverse range of views, knowledge and experiences which can be leveraged to maximise our service delivery capabilities, • Develop and maintain value-adding partnerships with key industry stakeholders to the benefit of members and such partners, • As an organisation, achieve best practice in administration within the industry association sector, and • Maintain a position of relevance for the forwardthinking non-members, the next generation of AHA (Vic) members, as well as awareness around emerging market segments of interest in our industry.

PROTECT, PROMOTE AND ADVANCE THE INTERESTS AND RIGHTS OF MEMBERS • Effectively responding to the increasing business challenges being faced by members as a consequence of; monopolistic behaviours of a small number of industry suppliers, a general increase in costs and the variability of consumer discretionary spending, • Continuing representation to Government at all levels to ensure appropriate regard is had to Pub and Hotel rights and interests in policy decision-making and implementation, • In conjunction with the AHA National Office, making representation to the Federal Government, Fair Work Australia and relevant tribunals and agencies in respect of workplace relations matters that impact on the Pub and Hotel sectors, • Maintaining effective relationships with United Voice, other unions and industrial bodies and agencies, • Effectively contributing through TAA (Vic) to the development and growth of Victorian tourism and tourism-related industries, including major events, and facilitating and participating in Federal, State and Government industry tourism-related initiatives to increase visitation to Victoria and Melbourne, including identifying and, where appropriate, coordinating programs directed toward achieving increased occupancy rates and room yields, • Effectively contributing to the State Government’s consideration, development and implementation of key regulatory policies, schemes and initiatives that impact on the hotel industry e.g. liquor, gaming, wagering, smoking, food safety, planning, OH&S, environment, equal opportunity, energy and water conservation, etc.

• Actively advocating the implementation by the State Government of initiatives that will facilitate responsible innovation and growth within Victoria’s licensed hospitality sector, • Communicating AHA (Vic)’s position on, and responses to, priority issues affecting members, including: - Presenting a detailed policy agenda (2018-22) describing matters that are of significant interest and/ or concern to publicans and hoteliers across Victoria in the context of the November 2018 State Election.

- Ensuring that the proposed National Alcohol Strategy 2018-2026, does not promote further excessive interventions against pubs and hotels across Victoria.

- Continuing to oppose the current view of the regulator in seeking to significantly extend the requirement of CCTV or crowd controllers to low risk hotels, and - Addressing the overall burden of regulation and associated business costs impacting on Pubs and Hotels.

• Representing members’ interests in current Government inquiries, taskforces and initiatives, including: - Victorian Liquor Control Advisory Council, - State Government Responsible Gambling Ministerial Advisory Council and related working parties, - State Government Live Music Ministerial Roundtable, - State Government voluntary pre-commitment Industry Advisory Group,

- Visit Victoria,

- Workplace relations seminars,

- Various local government liquor and gaming accords,

- Delivery of topical seminars on emerging and relevant topics,

- OneMusic Australia: represent members’ interests through a consultative process in forming this new body, and

- Increase efforts in proactively educating members to their industrial relations responsibilities by way of venue-based gap analysis surveys, podcasts, webinars and face-to-face forums,

- Various liquor-related reviews initiated by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.

UPHOLD AND PROMOTE THE QUALITY, INTEGRITY AND REPUTATION OF THE HOTEL INDUSTRY • Maintaining an effective media management strategy, including: - Preserving effective relationships with the media, and - Ensuring that responses to media enquiries reflect the considered AHA (Vic) policy or position on relevant matters.

• Facilitating development of, participation in, and promoting appropriate voluntary self-regulatory initiatives related to the key Federal, State and Local Government regulatory schemes impacting on Victoria’s Pubs and Hotels, • Facilitating relevant events in support of, or to directly contribute to, appropriate charitable and community initiatives through ‘Hotel Care’, • Conducting events reflecting the diversity, quality and achievement of the Pub and Hotel sector in metropolitan and regional Victoria, • Promoting the value of attendance and involvement by way of member commitment to local liquor accords and forums across Victoria, and • Ensuring that members are always one step ahead of all legislative changes that may affect their business.

PROVIDE TIMELY, EFFECTIVE, RELEVANT AND VALUE ADDING SERVICES TO MEMBERS • Providing relevant workplace relations, liquor licensing and gaming advice to members and, where appropriate, representation to relevant tribunals and parties, • Acting as a key conduit for members and industry partners to engage for mutual benefit, • Delivering a range of resources, information programs and seminars to members, including: - Maintenance of an up-to-date website, - Implementation of a new member database, - Timely issue of member communications on priority issues, - Maintain and provide various social media channels for members and partners to engage with AHA (Vic) and each other, - Business development and information programs i.e. ‘Pubs, Pots and Profits’, Divisional Meetings, ‘Progressive Hospitality Network’ Forums, ‘Hotels & Hashtags’, ‘Pubovation’ Tour, ‘Women’s Network’ Events, ‘Pub Performance Forum’, etc., - Monthly accommodation hotel General Managers’ meetings through Tourism Accommodation Australia (Vic),

- Development and collation of a fortnightly email, efficiently delivering timely, relevant, valuable information to all members and partners, - Provision and regular review of the Registered Food Safety Program template, the AHA (Vic) Liquor Compliance Kit, and - Regular communication to the accommodation hotel General Managers via the ‘Check-In’ email and bi-monthly communication to the pub owners via the ‘Hotel Today’ magazine publication.

CREATE A SUPPORTIVE FORUM FOR THE NEW GENERATION OF PUBLICANS TO NETWORK, DISCUSS CHALLENGES AND VOICE CONCERNS WHICH MAY DIRECT SPECIFIC LOBBYING EFFORTS • Maintain and encourage an open dialogue to ensure AHA (Vic) is well informed of the specific challenges faced by these members, • Ensure there is an AHA (Vic) presence at various events where these members see value in attending (i.e.

TimeOut Pub Awards, GABS (Beer Festival), Pub and Restaurant Leaders Forum, A.G.E., Drinks Industry Show, etc.), • Facilitate meaningful, well-structured industry specific trips to challenge the mainstream thinking and gain inspiration through exposure to the latest hospitality trends; intrastate, interstate and overseas, • Actively align with innovative industry suppliers to not only encourage progressive thinking complemented by member-only discounts, but to reinforce AHA (Vic)’s position as the industry’s forward-thinking peak body, and • Continue ongoing engagement with these members to ensure that AHA (Vic) is aware of the needs of this emerging sector and is able to shape new tailored member services to suit.

ENHANCE THE DIVERSITY OF OUR COUNCIL GROUP AND EXECUTIVE BOARD BY CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT VALUES A DIVERSE RANGE OF VIEWS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES WHICH CAN BE LEVERAGED TO MAXIMISE OUR SERVICE DELIVERY CAPABILITIES • Target select members to attend Council Meetings in an observer capacity to gain an ‘issues management’ insight and, in due course, encourage meaningful contribution, and • AHA (Vic) to play an active role in seeking and considering a diverse range of views to challenge the status quo and encourage relevance and growth of the organisation.

DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN VALUE-ADDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH KEY INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS TO THE BENEFIT OF MEMBERS AND SUCH PARTNERS

• Operating within the approved budget and in accord

• Continuing to engage with commercial stakeholders to ensure they derive value from their partnership with AHA (Vic), including; regular briefings, various networking opportunities and access to multiple channels of communication to cost-effectively engage with members,

• Encouraging members of the AHA (Vic) Team to actively address member concerns and, where appropriate, present these solutions to our broader audience.

• Continuing to achieve growth in the investment made

by Corporate and Commercial Partners, • Optimising the benefit of the relationship between the hospitality industry superannuation fund HOSTPLUS and AHA (Vic), and • Working collaboratively with CUB on targeted onpremise initiatives to drive innovation.

AS AN ORGANISATION, ACHIEVE BEST PRACTICE IN ADMINISTRATION WITHIN THE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION SECTOR • Maintaining appropriate and effective governance practices, • Ongoing review of office structures and systems to optimise efficiency and increase output,

with the Business Plan, • Maintaining the requirement of a high standard of professionalism in all areas of our administration, and

TO MAINTAIN A POSITION OF RELEVANCE WITH THE PROGRESSIVE NON-MEMBERS, THE NEXT GENERATION OF AHA (VIC) MEMBERS, AS WELL AS AWARENESS AROUND EMERGING MARKET SEGMENTS OF INTEREST IN OUR INDUSTRY • Identify non-members and seek to address why these publicans have not seen value in AHA (Vic) membership to date while challenging these inhibiting perceptions, • Create opportunities for the next generation of AHA (Vic) publicans (current venue managers) to network and realise, through exposure to the young, innovative, dynamic AHA (Vic) Team, the relevance and value of membership, and • Challenge the paradigm of a traditional AHA (Vic) member profile. Consider the evolving pub business profile and how the increasingly diverse AHA (Vic) membership should evolve accordingly.

• Invest in the skills of the AHA (Vic) Team while fostering an enviable team culture with sustained productivity,

PRINCIPAL PARTNERS

CORPORATE PARTNERS