AHLEF’s 23rd ANNUAL BIG APPLE AUCTION OPENS FOR BIDS

Exclusive Vacation Packages for Las Vegas, Hawaii, Broadway Tickets, Golf Getaways & More!

Washington, D.C. – November 7, 2016 – The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF) today announced that the annual Big Apple Auction is ready for bids with almost 200 items ranging from exclusive getaways to advertisements in national publications.

The auction is now live and will remain open for bidding through Wednesday, November 16, at 3 pm (EST).  The Big Apple Auction features items donated by lodging properties, CEOs, suppliers, and other industry supporters. 

Bidding starts at a fraction of retail value on amazing items like these:

• A full-page black & white ad in the national edition of USA Today.
• Three-night stay with Ocean View at the Waikiki Parc Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• Two-night stay in a luxury suite at either the Venetian or the Palazzo in Las Vegas, Nevada, including two show tickets, dinner for two, and a private gondola ride for two.
• Two tickets to the Tony-award winning musical, Hamilton, playing on the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City.  The two tickets are for Sunday, November 13, 2016 for the 3:00 PM showing.  This item has a special closing of November 9 at 3 PM EST.
• Three-night, all-inclusive stay at Miraval Resort and Spa in Tucson, Arizona.
• A two-night stay with golf for two in an ocean-view room at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
• A three-night stay in a premium room at Lake Yellowstone Hotel or Old Faithful Inn in Wyoming, including breakfast, dinner and tour or activity.

“The AHLEF Big Apple Auction, one of our most popular and successful fundraising events, provides us the resources to ensure we can provide the next generation of hospitality employees with a chance at life-long careers,” said Joori Jeon, CPA, CAE, AHLEF president/COO. “We are grateful to all our auction donors and encourage everyone to help us raise funds for more scholarships for hospitality management students.”

For those attending HX: The Hotel Experience at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, an auction kiosk will be available in the HX Connect area starting Sunday, November 13. Easy-to-use iPads allow participants to peruse items and place a bid. Participants can also bid from home, via a laptop or smartphone, by visiting AHLEF’s website at www.ahlef.org.

Last year’s auction generated more than $90,000 in proceeds, which benefited AHLEF, the charitable educational arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). Since its inception, the AHLEF has disbursed more than $20 million through its scholarship, workforce development, and research programs.

For more information about the auction, including donating items, contact Michelle Poinelli, senior vice president of foundation programs, at (202) 289-3181 or access the auction online.

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About the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF)

Founded in 1953, the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF) has spent 63 years identifying, cultivating, and supporting the human talent, research, and initiatives most vital to the progress and prosperity of the lodging industry. The Foundation works in tandem with the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) to educate the future hospitality workforce, research trends and opportunities that will impact the sector, and empower the industry to grow stronger and faster.

About the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)

Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the 8 million jobs the U.S. lodging industry supports, including hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, bed and breakfasts, state hotel associations, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and educational resources for an industry that advances long-term career opportunities for employees, invests in local communities across the country and hosts more than one billion guests’ stays in American hotels every year. AHLA proudly represents a dynamic hotel industry of more than 54,000 properties that supports $1.1 trillion in U.S. sales and contributes nearly $170 billion to the U.S. economy. Learn more at www.AHLA.com.