Network Opportunities

"I was brought in at the last minute and we were up against a firm deadline," says Magnan, Director of Development & Operations at CherryTree Hospitality Management. "We needed everything from amenity dispensers to trash cans, and had limited time and a limited budget to finish up. Using the relationships I've built through the years at BITAC, I picked up the phone and leveraged my suppliers, pulled some strings, and called in favors to get things done."
 
"The hotel reopened on time and on budget. I couldn't have done it without BITAC."
 
Presented by Hotel Interactive, BITAC – the Buyer Interactive Trade Alliance & Conference – has been rated as the #1 event in the hospitality industry…and it’s easy to see why.
 
Unlike traditional conferences or trade shows, BITAC doesn’t focus on walking a show floor to see who has the flashiest booth. At BITAC, buyers and suppliers are matched up for pre-qualified one-on-one meetings. Cutting-edge interactive educational sessions keep you up-to-date on the latest industry news and trends. There are also many more networking opportunities available – such as relationship building dinners and peanut butter & jelly challenges – providing additional access to some of the industry’s top decision-makers.
 
“Ever since I started attending BITAC, it has continued to be a great tool for networking,” says Magnan. “I know suppliers on a first name basis, and use the contacts I’ve made as a resource for every hotel I'm working with. During projects like the one at the Maxwell, every system, every purchase came from a relationship I created at BITAC.”
 
BITAC’s proprietary scheduling system arranges meetings based on the buyer’s product needs and the supplier’s product offering. Buyers are scheduled with suppliers they may be familiar with as well as suppliers that they may not have the chance to visit at a typical trade show.
 
“It would be impractical, if not impossible to recreate the one-on-one opportunities you get to meet with executives from independent and large corporate brands that you do at BITAC,” says Ray Burger, President of Pineapple Hospitality – the premier distributor of Greener Products and Marketing Programs for the Hospitality Industry.
 
“I know I’ve accomplished more in just a few days at a BITAC event than I could by spending countless hours and thousands of dollars flying across the country for individual meetings,” Burger adds.
 
Green Partner
 
For the past several years, Pineapple Hospitality has partnered with Hotel Interactive to present green-themed presentations, and to provide sustainability guidance for the meeting itself. With 10-plus years of experience, Pineapple Hospitality has become one of the most-trusted names in greening hospitality, providing products, programs and services to the lodging industry that are known to conserve resources and leave a light footprint on the earth and your bottom line.
 
“Through the years, we’ve not only found new buyers at BITAC, but we’ve built partnerships with other manufacturers and suppliers of greener products and services,” says Burger.
 
In fact, Magnan and Burger worked together at BITAC to bring Tommy Bahama amenities and dispensers into four Seattle-area hotels.
 
With Tommy Bahama amenities, hotel guests will feel relaxed and pampered as they experience the gentle formulas that have been developed and packaged with the environment in mind. And with Tommy Bahama dispensers, the environmental benefits combine with the cost savings that come from a gallon amenity program.
 
“We selected Tommy Bahama for a number of hotels here in Seattle because of the approach Ray presented to us: it’s an economical solution that reduces the waste from hundreds of individually packaged amenity bottles every day,” says Magnan. “We liked the product, we liked the business model. Plus, Tommy Bahama is a Seattle-based company, so it helps us build relationships right here at home.”
 
Upcoming Events
 
Each BITAC event is focused on different products and service areas and the top buying decision-makers specifically seeking those products and services.
 
BITAC™ Owners Event 2011
December 04-December 6
The Breakers
Palm Beach, Florida
 
BITAC™ Food & Beverage 2012
January 29-January 31
The Ritz-Carlton
Naples, Florida
 
BITAC™ Luxury 2012
March 11-March 13
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Terranea Resort
 
HI Connect Design
March 21- March 23
Nashville, Tennessee
Gaylord Opryland Resort
 
BITAC™ Tech & Operations 2012
May 06-May 8
Red Rock Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
 
BITAC™ Purchasing & Design East 2012
July 22-July 24
Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa
Hollywood, Florida
 
More Than You Know
 
For Magnan, sometimes he attends a specific BITAC event to build relationships and get new ideas. Other times, he’s in search of a specific product or supplier for one of his hotel projects.
 
For instance, one of his properties was undergoing a complete renovation – going from a 1 star to a 3.5-star property. The furniture at the hotel was old and outdated, but at BITAC he found a connection to The Refinishing Touch. A longtime Pineapple partner, The Refinishing Touch provides environmentally safe, on-site furniture modification and reupholstery.
 
“They were able to take the old furniture and completely rework it so that it looked brand new,” says Magnan. “We stayed under budget, the designs look fantastic, and no one knows that it isn’t brand new.”
 
Other times, relationships pop up completely unexpectedly.
 
“Sometimes I find a company does something that I didn’t know they could do,” says Magnan. “You get preconceived notions about what a company does and you may not realize the full extent of their product offerings.”
 
Magnan says that he had recently furnished a hotel with new televisions, so he didn’t think anything would come from a meeting set up through BITAC with Real TV. He didn’t initially realize that they were a television content provider.
 
“If I had I blown the meeting off, I would have missed something valuable,” he says.
 
Benefits of attending BITAC include:

• Knowledge gained from the sessions
• Interaction with your peers (the top people and companies in our industry)
• Forge new vendor relationships 
• Stimulate ideas to improve the guest experience
• Improve efficiency and reduce costs
• Time = Return On Investment!

 
Most importantly, though, is that the contacts and relationships built at BITAC multiply.
 
“Sometimes a supplier might not have what I am looking for, but they'll refer me to someone else who does,” says Magnan. “They aren’t worried about competition – they just want to do what’s right. That’s why this is just such a great event – you just can’t get that anywhere else.”
About Pineapple Hospitality

Headquartered in Saint Charles, Missouri, Pineapple Hospitality™ brings fresh ideas to hospitality guests’ doors and owner/operators’ bottom lines — including FreshStay^® (www.freshstay.com), EcoRooms & EcoSuites (www.EcoRooms.com), Environmentally Sensitive Amenities™, EO^®, ecossential elements, Sonoma Soap Co. , Earth Perfect, Earth Simple, Save Your World, Pharmacopia, and greenSPA™ amenities, AVIVA and WAVE dispensers, Energy Efficient Lighting and Controls, Custom Linen & Towel Re-Use Programs, Green Earth Key Cards, Sleeves and Folders, Energy Management Systems and Controls, High Performance showerheads, Zero Odor, and dozens of other products and programs. For more information, please visit www.pineapplehospitality.net, or call us at 636-922-2285.

FreshStay^® is a registered trademark of Pineapple Hospitality, Inc.
Breathe Easy, Sleep Great™ is a trademark of Pineapple Hospitality, Inc.

Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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