TORONTO — At the recent 2024 Days Inns – Canada Conference held at Hotel X Toronto, attendees gathered from across the country for three days of education and networking. From strategic educational sessions to networking with Days Inn colleagues from across Canada, the event provided a unique opportunity to gather information about relevant issues that’ll influence the way operators think about their hotels.
The theme for this year’s conference was Together We Can, and Irwin Prince, president & COO, Realstar Hospitality, said “it’s more than just a slogan — it’s a vision; it’s a promise; it’s a call to action; and it’s a celebration of our collective efforts to build a brand that guests want to stay at, employees want to work at, and we’re all proud to be part of.”
Following an opening night reception, the sessions kicked off a presentation called Let’s Get Started, featuring Prince; David Blades, SVP, Realstar; Ally Wesson, VP Marketing, Realstar; and Eric Barber, VP, National Sales, Realstar, who all offered an overview of the company’s performance from the perspective of their individual departments.
“I’m proud to tell you that every single metric measured by Medallia has improved, every single one — even breakfast. Overall, satisfaction is up, our brand-wide net promoter score just hovering under 28 and working with you, our goal is to move this score solidly into the high 30s by the time we meet in May of next year. A tall order, but one that we can do, because together we can.”
International hospitality financial leadership pioneer David Lund, delivered the morning keynote titled Seven Secrets to Create a Financially Engaged Leadership Team in Your Hotel. Known as The Hotel Financial Coach, Lund has held positions as a regional controller, corporate director, and hotel manager with an international brand for more than 30 years and is the author of the book, The Prosperous Hotelier, along with a popular weekly blog on all things financial in hospitality.
After a refreshment and networking break, attendees rolled up their sleeves for the day’s Master Classes, including Optimizing Hotel Management with SynXis Property Hub and Optimizing Hotel Management with Opera Cloud. Other sessions included Empower RevIQ: Discover the Power of Intelligent Algorithms; Update on the Canadian Insurance Market and Understanding the Key Factors that Shape Property Insurance Rates and Coverage; and How to Reduce Hotel Property Tax to Improve Profitability.
After lunch, Jonas Prince took the stage for a talk titled The View from 35,000 Feet. The Chairman/co-founder, Realstar Group recounted his professional journey starting at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) followed by a post-graduate degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science earning a Master of Laws degree (LLM). He talked about the challenges of opening his first hotel and the opportunities he was able to seize over the years. As Chairman, he’s actively involved in all the activities within the Realstar Group, taking the lead in hospitality and international matters.
After another keynote panel titled Optimizing Hotel Financial Performance with a Back-to-Basics Approach, back-to-back panel discussions tackled the world of sales as well as the impact of technology on the hospitality industry in Canada.
Talking Sales with Major League MVPs featured panellists Tyler Childs, founder/CEO, Tournkey; Terry Engesser, managing director, Canadian Tours International; and Chris Vautour, vice-president, Commercial Sales & Supply, LodgeLink. The final panel of the day, Travel Titans in the Age of AI, featured Daniela Musse, area manager, Partner Services, Booking.com; Uchechi Udeoka, International growth consultant, Google; and Bonnie Vesterfelt, area manager, Central Canada, Expedia Group. Moderated by Ally Wesson, the trio of tech-savvy women discussed the evolving roll of technology in all aspects of the hotel industry and how operators can stay ahead of this ever-changing landscape.
