Hospitality NL held it’s Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at the Delta St. John’s. During the meeting the results of the recent board election were announced.

Successful Directors-at-Large joining the board are:

   Renee Collins, Hare Bay Adventures
   Jessica Holmes, Arbour Holdings Inc.
   Cathy Lomond, Hotel Port aux Basques
   Rick Stanley, Ocean Quest Adventures
   Ian Stone, Tour Gros Morne

Continuing on the board are:
   Deborah Bourden, Chair,  Anchor Inn Hotel & Suites
   John Devereaux, Vice Chair, Edge of the Avalon Inn
   Todd Perrin, Secretary/Treasurer, Food & Beverage Sector Rep, Rabble
   Robbie Hickey, Director-At-Large, Gros Morne Adventures
   Autumn Gale, Director-At-Large, Hew & Draw Hotel
   Larry Laite, Hotel/Motel Sector Rep, Steele Hotels
   Joe O’Brien, Bed & Breakfast Sector Rep, The Narrows Bed & Breakfast

Finishing their term on the board of directors is:
   Ed English, Director-At-Large, Linkum Tours                                                        

With the guidance and leadership of our new 2024 Board of Directors, we are excited for the journey ahead as we strive to elevate our industry to new heights. Here’s to a future filled with innovation, collaboration, and success for all!

TORONTO, March 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The bar and beverage scene in Canada continues to evolve year over year reflecting changing consumer preferences, emerging trends, and constantly evolving innovations from  industry leaders. Bringing together creative solutions and techniques from global bar experts as part of this year's LEVEL UP theme, RC Show, Canada’s leading hospitality and foodservice expo is shaking things up at Toronto's Enercare Centre from April 8-10.

Here's what RC Show 2024 has in store this year:

Noteworthy Leaders Take the Stage

RC Show presents a lineup of some of the leading industry experts to discuss the latest bar research and consumer data, the future of spirits and beer, and the evolving role of bartenders and sommeliers. Guests can gain insight from a variety of panels including a beer leadership panel and Canada’s best bars presented by American Express Canada and many more. Speakers and panelists include:

Andre Hueston Mack, bar keynote speaker, recently proclaimed 'one of wine's most inspiring people', is a true wine Renaissance Man. After leaving the corporate world and working his way to Head Sommelier at Chef Thomas Keller's 3 Michelin-starred Per Se restaurant before once again making a radical change and founding Mouton Noir Wines (now Maison Noir).

Michael Tremblay, Founder and SSC Instructor, Sake Scholar and Nancy Matsumoto, author of the James Beard Award-winning book Rice Water, Earth: Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake, present an overview of the basics of sake: what it is, how it is made, and how to serve and drink it, as well as the back story on how the book went from an idea to a published reality.

Scaling of Bar Concepts includes panelists Chantelle Gabino, Beverage Manager, Recipe Unlimited, Robin Goodfellow, Owner, Vela & Little Bones Beverage, and Brian James, CEO, Warm Welcome who will engage in a discussion on how growing beyond a single location can be more than a daydream. Sharing tactics and tips for scaling up operations and turning your idea into a solid strategic plan. From changes in decor to tweaks in your bar program, if you're thinking about expansion, this panel is for you.

Competitions

The much anticipated Beyond the Rail Competition presented by Beam Suntory, is back and better than ever hitting the Bar and Beverage Stage Monday, April 8 from 3 to 5 p.m. This year's competition focuses on 'leveling up' the art of hospitality - where Canada's top bartenders will pair up in teams and are tested on not only their creativity and bartending skills, but also scaling up craft cocktails for large-scale events and operations without sacrificing service for a chance to win $5,000.

Hosted by the Canadian Chapter of the Specialty Coffee Association, the RC Show is bringing not one but THREE national coffee championships to the bar and beverage stage this year. Watch some of Canada's most talented baristas craft masterpieces in the Latte Art Championship, observe true innovators creating unique coffee cocktails in the Coffee in Good Spirits Competition, and join in making history at Canada's NEW Cezve/Ibrik Competition. The champions of these events will advance to represent Canada at the World Championships in Copenhagen.

Workshops and Masterclasses

RC Show Bar & Beverage Ambassadors Christina Veira and Evelyn Chick, are curating sessions and workshops that touch on the state of Canada’s bar and beverage scene. Along with that, programming will also include Aperitivo Hour But Make It All Day, Data, Not Vibes: Building Successful LTOs in Coffee, Dairy Farmers of Canada: Mocktails & Cheese, Exploring Coffee Versatility: A Masterclass, Sake and the Umami Factor, Elevation without Pretension, Whisky and Cheese, Ontario Cider and Corks & Grooves, The Vinyl Revolution In Bars and more.

Don’t miss Exploring Coffee Versatility: A Masterclass with Nespresso Professional's Coffee Ambassador Julien Carbone and Langdon Hall's renowned Chef Jason Bangerter co-hosting an immersive workshop exploring the world of coffee with different angles and a unique passion for excellence. Discover the full potential of a great coffee experience and elevate the way you position coffee in your establishment.

A One-Stop Pop Up Experience

Visit RC’s Pop Up Experience where food and beverage innovation comes alive. Taste, learn and connect through intimate hands-on workshops, savour curated sips and bites, and check out the latest state-of-the-art equipment and technology. Inspired by and/ore restaurant's signature palette and featuring original artwork by artist Tisha Myles of New Love Collective, the RC Pop Up Experience features a visually stunning setup that will immerse guests in an atmosphere of creativity and innovation. Indulge in alcoholic and non-alcoholic creations by renowned mixologist Abigail Rubiales from and/ore, and taste  Molson's newest brew Madri Exceptional Spanish beer.

Visit the Pop Up Bars, curated by RC Show’s Beverage Ambassadors Veira and Chick, where you can enjoy drinks and find inspiration from Canada’s leading bartenders. They will be presenting their distinctive methods for crafting menus and blending flavours to create delicious cocktails and mocktails. Featured bars from across Canada and the USA include: 

Clive’s Classic Lounge, Victoria

Bar Bello, Montreal 

Bar Pompette, Toronto

Keefer Bar, Vancouver 

Happy Accidents, Albuquerque

Bar Mordecai, Toronto

For more information on this year’s event, visit www.rcshow.com.

WASHINGTON – 21 March 2024 – Canada’s hotel industry reported a third consecutive month of occupancy declines but continued growth in average daily rate (ADR), according to CoStar’s February 2024 data. CoStar is a leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets.

February 2024 (percentage change from 2023):

• Occupancy: 58.0% (-1.6%)
• Average daily rate (ADR): CAD181.55 (+3.8%)
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): CAD105.37 (+2.2%)   

Group ADR growth (+7.9%) was the strongest among the segments.

“Both transient and group occupancy declined, down 2.4% and 1.2%, respectively, contributing to the third consecutive decline in Canada’s monthly hotel occupancy,” said Laura Baxter, CoStar Group’s director of hospitality analytics for Canada.

“A greater decline in the metric occurred over the weekends as opposed to weekdays, suggesting that leisure travelers continue to reel in discretionary spending. Meanwhile, weekday occupancy was only marginally below last February, indicating that business travel is not pulling back to the same degree.

“Room rate growth, while slightly lower than January, continues to outpace inflation, but the gap between the two measures has narrowed. While group occupancy was down, group rates grew at a healthy pace year over year. The segment is becoming more lucrative and prevalent as group demand continues its recovery to pre-pandemic levels.”

Among the provinces and territories, Manitoba recorded the highest February 2024 occupancy level (69.8%), which was 0.5% below 2023.

Among the major markets, Vancouver saw the highest occupancy (73.5%), down 1.4% over February 2023.

The lowest occupancy among provinces was reported in Prince Edward Island (38.6%), down 38.1% against 2023. The decline was due to comparison to the province’s Canada Winter Games host period last year.

At the market level, the lowest occupancy was reported in Edmonton (+4.6% to 53.3%).

“Supply pressure continues to be minimal for most markets,” said Baxter. “New openings across Canada in 2024 are expected to be down roughly 30% compared to the 10-year average.”

For more information about the company and its products and services, pleasevisitwww.costargroup.com.

TORONTO, ON (March 20, 2024) – In recognition of consistently delivering outstanding guest experiences, Days Inns - Canada is thrilled to announce that 32 of its locations across the country received a Traveller Review Award from Booking.com, showcasing their dedication to excellence in hospitality. Now in its 12th year, the Traveller Review Awards recognize the most highly rated accommodation partners.

Traveller Review Award 2024 Recipients:

• Days Inn by Wyndham 100 Mile House, BC
• Days Inn by Wyndham Dawson Creek, BC
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Langley, BC
• Days Inn by Wyndham Bonnyville, AB
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Brooks, AB
• Days Inn by Wyndham Calgary North Balzac, AB
• Days Inn by Wyndham Camrose Norsemen Conference Centre, AB
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Cochrane, AB
• Days Inn by Wyndham Grande Prairie, AB
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Edmonton Airport, AB
• Days Inn by Wyndham Lamont, AB
• Days Inn by Wyndham Medicine Hat, AB
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Sherwood Park, AB
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Strathmore, AB
• Days Inn by Wyndham Wainwright, AB
• Days Inn by Wyndham Whitecourt, AB
• Days Inn by Wyndham Estevan, SK
• Days Inn by Wyndham Saskatoon, SK
• Days Inn by Wyndham Swift Current, SK
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Warman Legends Centre, SK
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Yorkton, SK
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Brandon, MB
• Days Inn by Wyndham Steinbach, MB
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Thompson, MB
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Winkler, MB
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Collingwood, ON
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Lindsay, ON
• Days Inn by Wyndham Sarnia Harbourfront, ON
• Days Inn by Wyndham Thunder Bay North, ON
• Days Inn by Wyndham Berthierville, QC
• Days Inn by Wyndham Miramichi, NB
• Days Inn by Wyndham Stephenville, NL

Review scores are based on the average of all the verified guest reviews that a property receives on their website and app over a three-year period (between 1 December 2020 and 30 November 2023).