-The achievement of this important milestone coincided with the Annual General Assembly of the Association which took place at the Excelsior Venice Lido Resort Hotel.
An excellent programme focusing on human capital and the challenge of involving young professionals in hospitality was organised, welcoming General Managers from the most prestigious European hotels who gathered at the iconic Hotel Excelsior Lido Resort in Venice from 12 to 14 April for the Annual General Assembly and the 50th anniversary of the Association.
“Our Golden Jubilee was celebrated with great success in the magnificent city of Venice,” commented EHMA President Panos Almyrantis, and Chief Development Officer of Ella Resorts in Athens.”This milestone gathering not only demonstrated our commitment to education and industry, but also highlighted the spirit of our association over the past fifty years. Venice provided an exciting backdrop for this occasion, enhancing the overall experience for all participants, supporters and partners who contributed to its success. I express my sincere thanks to all those involved in making this event memorable, from the organizing team to the distinguished speakers and participants. We have set a remarkable precedent for future efforts.
Our shared vision for excellence in hospitality management across Europe is continued success and innovation for the next fifty years.
Three awards were presented during the magnificent closing dinner in the impressive Louis XIV “Sala degli Stucchi” of Hotel Excelsior: Alessio Lazazzera, General Manager of Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort was elected European Hotel Manager of the Year 2024. Pedro Pinto, General Manager of Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel won the EHMA Sustainability Award by Diversey 2024 and Michael Gray, former General Manager of the 5-Star Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill and UK Vice President for Hyatt International, received the Hans Koch 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award.
The programme
The official meeting on Friday 12 April opened with the video “EHMA – Celebrating 50 years of excellence”, produced by Gianni Buonsante of Ingenia Direct, with memories of a continuous series of extraordinary Annual General Assemblies held each year in a different European city.
Among other issues discussed, the President of EIMA Panos Almyrantis referred to the current situation of the Association.
To reward members’ efforts to protect the environment, uplift communities and demonstrate good business behaviour, EHMA has conceived the Best Practice Award, which this year, with an ESG theme, was awarded to André Cheminade, General Manager Hotel des Horlogers, Vallée de Joux, in the Swiss canton of Vaud, for meeting the most demanding ecological standards that work in harmony with the hotel’s environment. This was followed by the presentation of the cities that will host the next annual events – Warsaw in 2025 and London in 2026.
HOTREC’s President, Alexandros Vassilikos, referred to new developments across Europe related to key issues such as talent shortage and sustainability, while Executive Vice President Europe Preferred Travel Goup, Brenda Collin, explained the benefits of the recently established partnership between the two organisations in terms of mutual opportunities in the high-end hotel industry, networking, promotion, publicity and communication.
The EΗMA in brief
EHMA – European Hotel Managers Association was founded in Rome in 1974 by prominent hotel General Managers of unquestionable professional ethics with the aim of maintaining and enhancing the image of the hotel industry. It is made up of high-level hotel general managers who envision themselves to be the preferred Hotel Managers Association, representing the most prestigious and unique hotels in Europe. Supporting an inclusive and encouraging networking environment, sharing experiences, knowledge and support and effective communication within the hotel industry, with integrity, loyalty and trust are the core values of the Association. The Association currently has over 440 members representing 23 European countries, 400 hotels, 86,000 rooms and 66,000 employees.
