Greetings SHFM Members,

Apa Kabar? (This is our greeting for friends and family in Malaysia, and roughly translates to “how are you?”.) The holiday season is not over yet! The Lunar New Year celebration is on January 22nd, and I wish you and your families good health and prosperity.

As your President, I am working hard to add to the value of your membership. Our industry is at its greatest moment of reinvention, and you are an important part of that future. Thank you for your support and encouragement since I began my term as President this year.

• SHFM has released our new Strategy Assessment Surveys which you should have received via e-mail for your membership category. This is to learn how we can help you in your day-to-day work and how we can build SHFM to meet your needs in the future. Your input is important as this will help our strategic team work on our 3-year plan for our organization. Please be sure to add your voice to the future of SHFM!
• We will be launching our traditional Benchmarking Study in early 2023. This survey has been conducted for a number of years and the data provides valuable information for your operation. Our Benchmarking Champions will be reaching out to our SHFM member operators to participate in this important industry study. We plan to launch the Study prior to the National Conference in September. Be sure to participate!
• One of our top goals is to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) throughout SHFM. The DEI Council created a comprehensive Mentorship Toolkit, and we look forward to hearing your feedback about this new addition to your membership benefits. It is a useful guide to roles, expectations, and best practices that can be customized to foster a successful mentoring program and culture. Mentors empower a person to realize their inherent abilities and achieve their goals. Please consider donating your valuable time and expertise to guide our next generation of hospitality professionals to success.
• SHFM has released the Affinity Group Toolkit, a resource that provides you with a step-by-step guide on forming a successful Affinity group within your organization. Groups can be structured around any common cause, status or understanding such as ethnic status, gender empowerment, service affiliation.
• In partnership with the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC), the Meeting Room of the Future Barometer Study has just been released. The focus of this study was to look past the pandemic and on to the recovery in order to uncover new insights into how the meetings and events industry is responding to the changing needs and expectations of meeting planners. Be sure to check it out! (Members only content under original research.)
• We are excited to announce that the Young Professionals Summit and the Critical Issues Conference will be held back-to-back this April in Washington DC. The YP Summit, April 25th, and CIC, April 26th, will take place at the Reagan Building in the heart of downtown DC, one block from the museums and attractions on the National Mall. For those of you who have never been to our Nation’s Capital this is a beautiful time of the year. The CIC team is preparing a great program for you: “Winning the Race for Talent – How to Find, Hire and Keep the Best!” We look forward to seeing you there.
• The talented National Conference Planning Committee recently met and is working their magic for our 2023 annual Conference in Tucson, Arizona on September 11, 12, and 13. We’ll be sending out the details of our premier event this Spring.
• Lastly, your SHFM Committees have been busy working on various initiatives for 2023. The local committee has established an annual event calendar. This will help us establish equal number of events throughout the calendar year. In addition, other industry events are included as this will help us plan around competing events and allow you, our members to attend a wide variety of events in various destinations throughout the year.

In the spirit of the New Year, I’ve always enjoyed the quote below:

"In the New Year, never forget to thank your past years because they enabled you to reach today! Without the stairs of the past, you cannot arrive at the future!"
~ Mehmet Murat Ildan~

Terima Kasih (Thank you!),

Sharon Eliatamby
SHFM President