…Highlights service delivery, innovations
With over 400 participants and guests across 16 countries in one space, the 2024 edition of the annual Hotel Managers Conference and Awards (HMCA), is no doubt a huge success.
It has also reaffirmed the fact that Lagos, the host city, is a big deal for the bourgeoning Meetings Incentives Conference and Events (MICE) sector.
Of course, Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the host hotel, also leveraged its world-class facilities to boost the convenience of the participants and fruitful deliberations from July 13-14, 2024, that HMCA held on the theme; ‘Innovative Strategies: Nurturing Resilience and Excellence in Guest Experience in African Hospitality’.
For the two days, the events were jam-packed, starting at 9 am and ending by 5 pm, to ensure that the participants benefited from the various practical sessions and panels.
From the lead speaker’s presentation titled, “Guest Experience And Service Excellence”, to Samuel Alabi, company secretary, Eko Hotels/guest speaker’s presentation on, “Liability Issues in Hospitality: Mitigating Risks and Ensuring Guests Safety”, to “Tech-Driven Hospitality: A Gateway to Excellence” by the lead speaker, to “Guest Experience And Service Excellence”, by Karl Hala, group general manager, Continental Hotels in Nigeria, there were enough drilling and impartations for the participants.
Michael Pinder, general manager, JS Signature Hotel, Port Harcourt, took the impartation further with his presentation on “Employee Engagement and Training”, while Lydia Akunja of the Department of Hotel & Hospitality Management, MOI University, Kenya, handled “Resilience in Hospitality”, and Ekene Nnabuihe, a pan African hotelier, reviewed “Sustainable Practices for African Hotels”.
There were panel discussions especially on “Adopting Global Standards: Enhancing Quality & Competitiveness in Africa’s Hospitality Sector”, where the expert panelists offered professional solutions to industry challenges.
Other activities of the conference included; visitation of the various exhibition booths, mentorship session, sponsors/partners highlight, B2B hour, special feature by Ednah Rosen (World Cookbook Gourmand Winner) from Botswana, tea and lunch breaks among others.
Worthy of note is the LG facility tour in Lagos, which wrapped the day one activity and the presentations by LG Electronics, the lead sponsor of the conference, by its executives at the conference on innovative products that enhance the experience of guests in hotels, and save money for hoteliers too. The products range from innovative air-conditioners, power saving, chillers and air filters, among others.
But what seems to be the most important for Tojum Hospitality, the organisers of the two-day conference and awards, is the fact that the participants are going home more knowledgeable, upskilled and more inspired to lift the hospitality industry to greater heights from their little corners and big offices.
The confidence of Tojum Hospitality in the ability of the participant to deliver more professionally, going forward, stemmed from the quality of impartation, coaching and hands-on sessions by renowned hospitality experts at the conference, who were carefully chosen and did not leave any stone unturned in their various sessions, panels, and keynote addresses, and in offering workable solutions during the various question and answer sessions at the conference.
From industry gurus such as Adebayo Adedeji, CEO, Wakanow; Karl Hala, group general manager, Continental Hotels in Nigeria; Olufemi Abayomi, CEO/founder, Nethermentor, regional chairman, Institute of Hospitality (UK) Nigeria Region; Lydia Akuna, lecturer, Department of Hotel and Hospitality Management, Moi University-Eldoret, Kenya; Michael Pinder, general manager, JS Signature Hotel, Port Harcourt; Ekene Nnabuihe, group chief executive officer, Boulevard Hotel Group Lagos; Justina Ovat, national president, Women In Hospitality Nigeria, and to others, HMCA 2024 has enough facilitators from within the country.
As well, the participants benefited from a continent-wide experience as experts from other African countries also imparted them with their wealth of hospitality experiences. The African experts included; Molly Apio, chairperson, Hotel General Manager’s Association, Uganda and general manager, Arch Apartments and Hotel, Uganda; and Amir M. Adamu, founder and executive director, Hospitality Innovation and Leadership Forum, Cameroon, among others.
Their participation and that of others from 16 countries across the continent enabled the conference to live up to its new billing as Hotel Managers Conference Africa.
The HMCA 2024 also enjoyed generous support from the government as the presence of Lola Ade-John, Nigeria’s Minister of Tourism, further confirmed that. Internationally, it had the blessings of the UN Tourism, the global umbrella body of the tourism industry, as Lai Mohammed, special advisor to Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general, UN Tourism, graved the conference.
As well, the Nigerian tourism private sector was in full support as Nkereuwem Onung, president, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) and Samuel Alabi, former FTAN BOT chairman, were both present at the conference.
In his goodwill message at the conference, Lai Mohammed, former Minister of Information and Culture, highlighted impressive data to support investments in the tourism industry and the need for quality assurance and professionalism. He commended the organisers for sustaining the conference for years now, noting that the knowledge sharing, upskilling and networking provided by the conference platform are what the industry needs to grow at home front and also play at the global level.
On her path, Lola Ade-John, Minister of Tourism, was impressed that a single event could attract over 400 participants from 16 countries. She equally commended the organizers, while reiterating government support for future conferences.
For Nkereuwem Onung, FTAN president, the conference provided an excellent platform for sharing best practices, learning from industry experts, and networking with peers. He commended the convener’s dedication and entrepreneurial spirit, noting that HMC has become a transformative force in the industry.
A major highlight of the HMCA 2024 was the award and gala night on the second day, where several awards were presented to deserving personalities and hospitality companies.
The award night saw Lagos Continental Hotel, emerging as the Hotel of the Year 2024, the biggest of the awards; Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel Victoria Island, Lagos won the 2024 Best Luxury Business Hotel in Nigeria; Park Inn by Radisson Hotel Lagos Victoria Island, Lagos won the 2024 Best City Business Hotel in Nigeria, while La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort won the Best Resort In Nigeria Award 2024.
In other categories, Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort won the Best Holiday Resort in Nigeria 2024 against the likes of Obudu Mountain Resort and Whispering Palms, an award it also won last year, Delborough Lagos won Best Luxury Boutique Hotel in Nigeria 2024, among other winners.
However, the most excited and also fulfilled participant at the conference is Olugbenga Omotayo Sunday, CEO, Tojum Hospitality and the convener of Hotel Managers Conference and Awards.
According to him, with over 400 participants and guests across 16 countries in one space, the HMC 2024 recorded a huge success.
“This year’s conference has been fulfilling for me. Thank you for trusting us because, without you, there would be no HMC Africa 2024,” Sunday said excitedly on the last day of the conference.
He was also happy that his team was able to pull off an expanded conference for Africa this year.
“I had always wanted this conference to be a continental event. For the first time in the last 8 years, we were able to pull the stunt from East Africa, West and Central Africa, with about 16 countries represented; Cameron, Ghana and East Africa.
“Our international experts were here too from Europe to Asia. It has been fulfilling for me,” HMCA convener explained.
The appreciative Sunday commended LG Electronics for staying true to the HMCA year after year. “LG, our headline sponsor, has been great. We even had a facility tour of their factory in Lagos on the first day of the conference. We cannot thank them enough and other sponsors for believing in us,” Sunday said.
While the conference ended at Lagos Continental Hotel on July 14, 2024, it continued on the following day with tours, especially to La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort, Lagos, where some of the participants, particularly foreigners; Lydia from Kenya and Ednah from Botswana, and others enjoyed the Nigerian beach life and fun.
As the stakeholders await next year’s edition, Sunday assured that it would happen, saying, “Let’s do it again in 2025”.
