OAA celebrates its 60th with diamonds

PETERBOROUGH­, ORILLIA, ON—Diamonds are Forever is the theme of the Ontario Accommodation Association’s celebration of its 60th anniversary.

“We expect to be sued by the estate of James Bond, which will give us lots of publicity,” quipped Bruce Gravel, the association’s president.

Both The Hon. Monique Smith, Ontario’s new Minister of  Tourism, and deputy minister Drew Fagan will be attending the association’s Honours Banquet on March 30 at the Best Western Mariposa Inn and Conference Center in Orillia.

The capstone event of the evening will be entertainment by a hilarious Canadian comedian named Evan Carter. He’s “the new Bill Cosby” and someone who has a “clean act with no swearing,” Gravel says.

And of course there will be diamonds. Not only will the decor be diamond-themed, but there will be lots of prizes and a “special diamond memento” for attendees.

OAA is Canada’s largest non-profit association specializing in innkeepers. The association is proud to celebrate 60 years representing owners and operators of Ontario inns, motels, hotels, resorts, B&Bs and lodges.

The OAA convention will tie-in with the association’s SAXibition Trade Show, which will be held March 31 at the nearby Casino Rama Entertainment Centre, and which will mark the 10th Anniversary of that show.

A host of expert speakers and special events are being planned for this milestone convention, including special decor, valuable prizes, and an exciting audio-visual presentation of images highlighting the association’s six decade history.

During the afternoon on March 30, the OAA will present three sets of interactive concurrent seminars including the following.

Tourism trends—get the latest statistics about the tourism industry, especially the accommodation sector. Presenter: Fran Hohol, PKF Consulting Inc.

Energy conservation—measures for hotels, motels and resorts in lighting, HVAC, refrigeration/AC, solar, wind and more. Presenters: Steve Mooney, Ontario Power Authority and Rob Jackson, Harco Co. Mississauga.

Innkeeper’s Legal Rights—including evictions, room damages and theft, trespassing, employment standards and more. Presenter: John Illingworth, Gowlings Kitchener.

New Communication Tools—marketing with New Media: Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, weblogs and podcasts.  Presenter: D’Arcy McKittrick, The Tourism Company, Toronto.

Property Tax Assessments—hear about changes to the Property Tax Assessment System and how it affects your business. Presenter: J. Bruce Morgan, Altus Group, Toronto.

Promotional Ideas—how to build an effective website and market in a online world.  Presenter: D’Arcy McKittrick, The Tourism Company, Toronto.

Founded in 1949, the Ontario Accommodation Association is Canada’s largest provincial non-profit association specializing in innkeepers. OAA has 1,000 members across Ontario, totalling over 21,000 guest rooms. OAA provides 45 benefits and services to its members, including representing them to government. OAA members contribute over $362 million annually to Ontario’s economy.

OAA's list of firsts

As OAA celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2009, president Bruce Gravel looks back on the many times OAA has led the way in the accommodation industry.  For a complete list of OAA firsts go to: www.oaa.travel.

In 1964, as a result of association lobbying, the Small Loans Act becomes applicable to the tourist industry, and the Ontario Development Bank is included as a lending institution.  In 1973, after further lobbying, the tourism operator loan program is significantly broadened.

In 1979, OAA (then known as the Ontario Hotel & Motel Association) becomes the first association in the Ontario hospitality industry to offer its members VISA and MasterCard merchant discounts. The association remains the only association to offer these discounts until 1986. Even after 1986, their rates are the lowest of any association for over a decade.

In 1989, OAA government action results in legislation allowing mini-bars in otherwise unlicensed motel rooms.

In 1998, OAA becomes the first provincial tourism association to have so many name changes in its 60-year history: Ontario Tourism Courts Association (1949), Ontario Motel Association (1980), Motels Ontario (1987), and Ontario Accommodation Association (1998)