Thank you, Ohio Hoteliers!

The 2025 OHLA Annual Conference & Gala once again brought together Ohio’s lodging professionals for two days of learning, networking, and celebration. With hoteliers, staff, vendors, educators, and aspiring professionals from around the state in attendance, the conference delivered a rich mix of education, industry insights, and community-building, all set at the Hilton Columbus at Easton on November 24–25.

The conference lived up to its promise as “the largest annual gathering of hoteliers in Ohio.” Attendees had access to a robust agenda spanning leadership, operations, hospitality industry policy, and guest-service excellence.

A key feature was the lucrative chance to explore new tools, vendors, and services at the Allied Network Tradeshow. This year, the tradeshow offered hotels and lodging businesses opportunities to modernize operations, enhance service, and boost profitability by making connections with OHLA Allied Members. Special contributors to this year's exhibitor experience were OHLA's Anti-trafficking partners and America 250!

A meaningful component of the conference was the built-in support for future hospitality professionals via the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (OHLEF). The 2025 Silent Auction, held in conjunction with the conference, aimed to fund scholarships for individuals entering the lodging industry. The auction this year netted nearly $6,000, reinforcing OHLA’s commitment to growing and strengthening the talent pipeline in Ohio hospitality.

From the general sessions to specialized tracks, the 2025 Conference delivered a broad spectrum of relevant content. The opening general session, titled “Unleashing the Genius of Your Team”, offered attendees strategic insight into team performance and organizational development.

Concurrent sessions covered a wide breadth,  from topics such as leadership, personal branding, and public policy to customer service, marketing, and food & beverage. Overall, the conference agenda balanced strategic leadership with hands-on operational insights, thus giving attendees tools they could bring directly back to their properties.

Attendees were sent out into the world with inspiration from our finale keynote, James Ferguson, and his Confetti Culture method. No matter your role or experience, everyone had distinct, tangible takeaways from this touching, thought-provoking session. Each person in the room got to celebrate little and big wins by, you guessed it, throwing confetti in the air!

However, the OHLA Conference would not be complete without its cornerstone, the Ohio Stars of the Industry Gala. This awards dinner showcases outstanding individuals and teams across Ohio’s lodging sector, and this year was no different!

Attendees heard from Ohio State Representative Melanie Miller, music stylings from Nelson Cade III, and a special surprise message to President & CEO, Joe Savarise, for his 10-year tenure at OHLA.

The excitement continued into the awards program, where 20 associates & teams were recognized for their exceptional contributions to our industry!