By Dale J. Venturini
President and CEO, Rhode Island Hospitality Association
“Our distrust is very expensive.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
This simple statement by one of the most well-known orators of his time is as true today as it was in the 1800s. Focusing the message and relating it to our industry is an easy adaptation, and one that can serve as an important lesson for growth and saving money.
The RI Hospitality Association is not alone in its mission to provide members with the highest level of services, offerings and training. In fact, every hospitality association throughout the nation does its best with the resources allocated to provide the very best for its membership.
I don’t think that the industry actually realizes the level of in-depth research, vetting and exploration by committee that occurs to ultimately provide our membership with what we consider to be the best offerings and options to help them do business more efficiently, safely and productively.
Members need to embrace their associations and trust that their best interests are being represented. No association would offer services or training to its membership without doing all of the lengthy and necessary legwork and research to provide the best options.
The RI Hospitality Association recently launched an electricity buying program. We vetted many energy providers and did what seemed like an insurmountable amount of research to find the right fit for our membership. And, we are pleased that so many members have taken advantage of cost-savings in our natural gas and new electricity buying programs. Members are saving up to 30% on their energy bills by simply trusting that the Association has done the proper research to provide the best buying program for them.
However, many more members have gone off on their own and signed contracts with energy brokers whose deals might have looked good on paper, but ultimately weren’t reflected in the savings on their energy bill. Why? Because they didn’t do the right research, didn’t explore fees and didn’t vet their supplier.
I recently received a letter from a member who owns and operates one of the largest family-owned restaurant groups in the Ocean State. This is what he had to say:
“I have a hard time understanding any member’s reluctance to get involved in RIHA’s energy purchasing program. I saved close to $20,000 on gas alone last year. This year will represent the second year that I have expanded my purchases with the group to include electricity and I anticipate significant savings in this area as well.
Beware of unscrupulous vendors offering you savings that seem too good to be true…they usually are! Why not trust the association to do the work of sorting out the options and identifying the ones that are legitimate and will save us money...you are a member of the association because you recognize the work they do to keep our industry alive and well. Here is an opportunity to make that membership pay dividends to your business.” – Robert Bacon, owner, Gregg’s Restaurants & Pubs.
The hospitality industry in Rhode Island, and throughout the nation, has continued to prove itself as a cornerstone of the community. Through strategic partnerships, mentoring programs, safety and job training, and lobbying, we are instrumental in furthering the cause of the industry. This didn’t just happen overnight, it has been a gradual progression over time that is built on a foundation of trust, dedication and accomplishment.
Your continued path to success is to trust that each state hospitality association is keeping its membership’s best interests at heart. I implore you to take advantage of the services and programs that your own association is currently offering. Without your critical buy-in, trust and support we cannot continue to grow.
