Washington, D.C. – July 19, 2016 – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) today launched: “Dreams Happen Here,” a campaign showcasing the strength of the hotel industry and amplifying the industry’s unique story of supporting good jobs and pathways to long-term careers in this industry. As all eyes turn to the upcoming political conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia, AH&LA is launching the campaign as part of a bipartisan sponsorship of all hotel keycards being distributed at both the Republican National Convention (RNC) and the Democratic National Convention (DNC). In total, some 45,000 keycards will be distributed at “host” hotels in the next two weeks. 

As an integral part of the fabric of every community across the country, and located in every congressional district, the hotel industry has a unique story of upward mobility. So many employees who began their jobs as front desk agents or dishwashers rise through the ranks to become general managers and even onto the C-Suite level. 

“We are excited to amplify our industry's story of job creation and growth to key influencers from across the country on both sides of the aisle during these prominent, widely-attended events,” said Katherine Lugar, AH&LA president and CEO. “As a guest-centric industry, there’s no doubt that we could not be successful without the nearly 8 million jobs employed by individuals who deliver memorable experiences and make destinations great each and every day. We pride ourselves on our unique ability to provide our employees with opportunities to achieve the American Dream. Dreams do happen in our industry. So many of today’s global and local hotel CEOs started out in entry-level positions. These are unique realities in our business. We strive to provide our employees the training and resources they need to get ahead and make significant investments in developing the next generation of hospitality leaders. As a key driver of economic growth and job creation, the hotel industry is truly an industry of people. The jobs and opportunities we create help advance community development and boost local economies.”

This initiative is part of a larger campaign to be unveiled this fall that showcases the career advancement, community commitment, and economic importance of hoteliers to every city and state across the U.S. As part of the campaign, AH&LA will be unveiling a national economic impact study that reveals new data on the industry’s contributions to the country and the communities in which we operate, including the significant impact of the nearly 8 million jobs which generate some $170 billion in federal, state and local taxes, which goes back into local communities. 

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Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the nearly 2 million-employee U.S. lodging industry, including hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, bed and breakfasts, state hotel associations, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides focused advocacy, communications support, and educational resources for an industry of more than 53,000 properties generating $176 billion in annual sales from 5 million guestrooms.