On October 5, 2017, HAC hosted the first #HotelHillDay. This significant advocacy event brought over 30 industry leaders from across Canada to Ottawa for meetings with more than 60 federal decision makers.
Delegates met with a number of high-level Members of Parliament throughout the course of the day, including the Hon. Geoff Regan, Speaker of the House of Commons; Mr. Rodger Cuzner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour; Ms. Alaina Lockhart, Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Tourism; and Mr. John Nater, Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Interprovincial Trade and the Sharing Economy. Meetings were also held with chief policy advisors to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
Of special note, during Question Period, Mr. Terry Beech, MP for Burnaby North-Seymour (BC) rose to welcome HAC delegates in the House of Commons and acknowledged the hotel industry as an integral part of Canada’s economy.
Social media engagement included a special Twitter hashtag #HotelHillDay, which was viewed by more than 150,000 Twitter users and reached 58,000 Twitter accounts. In addition, a prominent transit shelter advertisement was placed just outside Parliament Hill, showcasing the need for fair rules for the short-term rental industry.
On all accounts, HAC’s Parliament Hill Day was a huge success. Two key objectives were achieved: the association and the industry’s profile was strengthened, and traction was generated on the industry’s key advocacy issues.
