Networking: It’s now or never

Hoteliers are people who like to mingle, talk, chat and have discussions. This can take place within your property and beyond it, with your team and with others. After all, competition is good, but why not also share thoughts, trends and knowledge on a common platform? It doesn’t mean revealing your pricing strategy or sharing upcoming restaurant promotions with your rivals. It is just all about networking, which ultimately means helping each other. Do you want to create awareness? Invite hoteliers to your events — they are number one when it comes to word of mouth marketing.

This is especially important in Doha, where the leisure, culture and sports sectors are starting to emerge with a high profile. Situated just around the corner from the UAE, the peninsula, with a current population of more than 1.4 million people, is establishing itself on the international stage, yet staying constant to its traditional roots.

Qatar hosts sports events such as the Qatar Masters, Qatar ExxonMobil Open and Qatar Fencing Grand Prix, as well as the Asian Cup in 2011, while also focusing on establishing itself as a cultural hub with the opening of the I. M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art, the Waqif Center at Souq Waqif and the Third Line Gallery.

So, while Qatar is not known as one of the top 10 leisure spots in the world, the country is developing new events and recreational facilities in order to create an excellent work/life balance. Consumers are not spoilt for choice, therefore, creative thinking, being proactive and making things happen are daily priorities for people in these sectors.

This is something that should translate to the country’s hotel industry. There is a real gap for networking solutions. In Doha specifically, there are currently a few small get-togethers taking place once in a blue moon when the ‘foodies’ or PR girls meet for a catch up. No-one has ever thought of setting up a hotelier event targeting all hotel professionals, yet who doesn’t want to connect, learn and grow, belong, have fun and keep it real?And that’s where we, at Hot Hoteliers, walk the talk!

Kicked off in March 2008 in Dubai, and founded and championed by Erin O’Neil and Jitendra Jain — who hold day jobs respectively as assistant director of sales and e-commerce manager at the Le Méridien Mina Seyahi and The Westin Dubai Complex — this networking group aims to connect hospitality professionals everywhere.

Realising their full potential through a platform of diverse opportunities offered by networking and building relationships, Hot Hoteliers established itself in the UAE over the past year, with events growing from 100 attendees to 700. It was just a matter of time until the expansion beyond the UAE into the rest of the Middle East would take place.

And that’s where Doha comes into the picture. The Hot Hoteliers, Doha Chapter, has its first event scheduled for April 2009.

Qatar’s hotel industry is expanding, with hoteliers expected 1 million annual visitors by 2010 (up from 400,000 tourists in 2004), with 10,000 rooms in 45 hotels planned, according to Qatar Tourism Authority.

Our aim at Hot Hoteliers is to establish a clean database of hotel professionals, invite them to our events and network. The first meeting in April will focus on the induction of the Hot Hoteliers, Doha Chapter, to local experts.

Moreover, guest speakers, trade specialists and training companies will join upcoming events to update participants about new developments in the industry.

Every aspect of the hospitality industry will be covered, from food suppliers talking about new trends or the availability of products and mixologists highlighting innovative cocktail creations, through to HR professionals emphasising how to spot talent and local business partners talking about the economic situation in Qatar.

Networking is our bread and butter, but it is not all about online communities. While Facebook, Xing, Hi5, MySpace, Orkut or Frienster all have a role to play, Hot Hoteliers brings it back to the basics — meeting people face to face, not just an email address or profile. This hands-on approach will be critical to ensuring our continued success.

We all have to be more creative due to the impact of the global financial crisis, so let’s start by sharing best practice and ideas during networking events.

If you are a devoted hotelier who would like to meet industry counterparts and like-minded people, share experiences and combine business with pleasure, then join us: www.hothoteliers.com/join/doha. Let’s write the first chapter together!

Sandra J Schulze is the director of public relations & marketing communications for the Renaissance Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott and Marriott Executive Apartments in Doha. She is setting up the Doha Hot Hoteliers network. Contact: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

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