Message From The President

The RI Hospitality Association has been representing some of the finest restaurants, hotels and suppliers in the industry for nearly 30 years. With a membership of more than 600 strong, we continue to monitor and lobby on important issues affecting our industry, form beneficial partnerships with private and government agencies, and take necessary steps to ensure the continued growth of our industry.

This has not been an easy task in the last two years. Our country has faced record unemployment levels, a recession and a stock market crash. The effects of the economy combined with unexpected natural disasters made it another difficult year for businesses to stay afloat in Rhode Island.

However, the RI Hospitality Association stressed the importance of sticking together during these tough times. Despite the down economy and Mother Nature, RIHA’s membership is up, retention is solid, and there are still good cost savings programs in place. By going back to the basics and embracing a Culture of Community, RIHA was able to work through these tough times.

Through the implementation of the four “Cs,” which are: Cooperation – working together for a common effort to benefit the industry; Collaboration – encouraging teamwork, support and community partnerships; Communication – exchanging ideas, information, and opportunities; and Connection – creating lasting relationships within the industry; we’ve continued to strengthen partnerships with community and government agencies, saved members more than $550,000 on their energy costs through our electricity and natural gas buying programs, and provided a reimbursable training program through our Education Foundation training and workforce development programs.

Sincerely,
Dale J. Venturini
President/CEO
Rhode Island Hospitality Association