Magazine Turistički Svet, “Ambassadors of Quality Service” Association and the Association for Tourism and Hospitality of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, organized in 2012 first Spring gatherings of hotel housekeeping managers, with a goal to support striving of hotel managers to gain higher revenue by long-term focusing, especially in the field of hotel maintenance, on costs rationalization. Gatherings are primarily created for hotel housekeeping managers, and then for managers on other levels and hotel owners, eminent guests, as well as exhibitors from country and abroad, who present their products for hotel industry.
- Mission of this event is to open new cognitive spaces to hotel housekeeping managers, to connect them with companies that have to offer something new, quality, different than others, to give them many valuable, useful information, possibility for them to spend a day in good company, networking, experience exchange and contacts, and to „feed“ them with optimism and positive energy they will share with their colleagues, and help them to, despite the challenges, stand high and dignified as members of ambassador’s profession – says Ljiljana Rebronja, author of the project.
I Spring gathering (2012)
Attractive topic „Eco trends in hotel cleaning & new standards of hotel cosmetics“ gathered a large number of hotel managers and hotel housekeeping managers, hotel owners and lecturers, as well as exhibitors from the country and abroad who presented their products (cleaning, cosmetics, DDD products, textile, hotel uniforms…). The first Spring gathering attracted many eminent guests, among which are professor Dr Slobodan Unković, manager of the Department for postgraduate studies at the University „Singidunum“, Dragan Gligorijević – president of SACEN International, Ivana Zeljković – president of the First Managers Club, Gordana Hašimbegović, secretary of the Trade Association of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Dr Nata Ćirić from the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development and many others. This professional event complemented the lectures of the professionals from the field of hospitality, like Rade Samčević, owner of the HT Agency, professor Dr Ljiljana Kosar from the College of Hotel Management, and Marija Miladinović – housekeeping manager of MK Mountain Resort, who shared with participants their knowledge and experiences from domestic and international hotels. There was also presented unique in the region „Operating handbook for housekeepers“, by Milana Šušnjar, who also wrote a handbook „Efficient hotel housekeeping“.
II Spring gathering (2013)
Second Spring gathering of hoteliers was held under the slogan „Preparations for big spring hotel maintenance“, which gave to the event a different, more casual tone.
Designed as a mix of evergreen, authentic impressions and observations of the guests, who have during their exiting public life stayed at the big world known hotels, presentations of suppliers that offer quality products and services, stories of hotels and modern hotel standards – II spring gathering at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce was an attractive event which gathered participant from more than 40 hotels.
This event through its interesting lectures and speeches was enhanced by the world traveler, adventurist and co owner of the tour operator „Kon Tiki“ Slobodan Mićić, famous journalist, novelist and diplomat Miloje Popović, our UNWTO representative Ljubica Milojević and manager of the Belgrade Tourism Association Dejan Veselinov.
III Spring gathering (2014)
„April in Belgrade“ was an fluttery introduction to the III Spring gathering of hotel housekeeping managers – event that in Serbian Chamber of Commerce gathered more than hundred participants from numerous hotels across Serbia, eminent professors, experienced consultants and industry representatives.
This eminent event was opened by the editor in chief of the magazine „Turisitčki Svet“ Ljiljana Rebronja, saying that this magazine and Association for Hospitality and Tourism of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce successfully organize, third year in a row, gathering of hotel housekeeping managers. This year’s topic was „Hotel housekeeping in the function of sales and promotion improvement“. In the name of Serbian Chamber of Commerce, a vice president Zdravko Jelušić addressed the participant and highlighted the importance of tourism and hospitality for the economy and reputation of our country.
The same observations had the manager of the Department for postgraduate studies and international cooperation of the University Singidunum professor Dr Slobodan Unković, who said that tourism in our country brings foreign exchange inflow higher than one billion dollars, and that this economy sector gains between 5 and 6 percents of gross domestic product, so as such has a large potential for development and investment.
In other part of the program, eminent consultant and manager of the HT Agency Radomir Samčević spoke about the role of hotel housekeeping in improving of promotion and sale, while in her presentation Slavica Bogosavljević, a manager of the „Holiday Inn Beograd“ Hotel said that successful hotel is – clean hotel. Students of the College of Hotel Management from Belgrade, lead by the professor Dr Saša Mašić, presented their research on the topic of online image of Belgrade’s hotels on the websites like TripAdvisor.
Professor Dr Ljiljana Kosar from the College of Hotel Management said that hotel housekeeping department is not only responsible for hygiene maintenance, but is also a creator of atmosphere, which confirmed on practical example Jugoslava Nešić – Heđeši, supervisor of the room division at the Hotel „Srbija“ in Vršac, then a housekeeper manager at the „IN Hotel“ Lidija Marinković. About the luxury and style in interior spoke the architect Ivana Banović – Đorđević, while suppliers of well known international brands, through live presentation drew participants’ attention about the thin line between style and kitsch. Exclusive guest and a star of III Spring gathering of hotel housekeeping managers was Slavica Squire, founder and manager of the NLP Institute in Belgrade, who in dynamic and approachable way spoke about „a science of personal prosperity“, highlighting that the key for success in any profession and field is – universal, and that it is based on optimism, support of other people, clear goals and skills to transform stressful situations into favorable opportunities.
And tourism is, together with hospitality, the best example of how unfavorable economy occasions could be transformed into favorable, which was the conclusion of this event, whose motto was „You can – if you believe you can“.
IV Spring gathering (2015)
That large number of operations in hospitality, especially in housekeeping, are „mission impossible “ – was the basic thesis of Radomir Samčević, a manager of HT Agency in his introductory speech on the IV Spring gathering of hotel housekeeping managers, under provocative name „Hoteliers in mission impossible“, which was held in May 2015, at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, in the organization of the magazine „Turistički Svet“, “Ambassadors of Quality Service” Association and the Association for Tourism and Hospitality of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.
Forth Spring gathering of hotel housekeeping managers opened Dragana Šabić – secretary of the Tourism Association of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, who stated that in Serbia there are 350 registered hotels, with the total of 17.000 unites, which shows a serious need for educated staff in hotel housekeeping departments and their stronger organization. In this regard, Jelena Ševo, a vice president of the Section of Hotel Housekeeping Managers within the Group „Serbia Hotels“ of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, recalled that this group, who is a co organizer of this event, marks 10 years since establishing and that during that period significantly improved the status of the profession.
How to make their jobs easer and give specific solutions to the problems that are in their opinion or experience in the domain of – unsolvable, and as such „mission impossible“, was the main topic of this event.
It was an opportunity for suppliers to give answers on challenges and to present new or improved products and services… or new ways to cut costs (but without sacrificing quality!) – which are the solutions for those problems hoteliers think are “mission impossible”! That task successfully completed companies „Austrochem“, „Beotim“ and „Duni“ from Belgrade, „Stotex“ from Stari Banovci and „P&F“ from Lučani.
This year, participants also had the opportunity to learn from eminent lecturers more about the style, interior design, new trends… Professor Dr Ljiljana Kosar spoke about the kitsch and kemp in hotel interior design, architect Ivana Banović Đorđević spoke about organizing hotel rooms and their instant redecoration, and special guest was stylist Ašok Murti, who spoke about harmonization of hotel style and the appearance of the staff, including new trends in decorations.
It was one rich, interactive and useful story in which enjoyed equally hoteliers and participants of the Forth Spring gathering of hotel housekeeping managers, proving once again that nothing is impossible and that this hotel mission was – successfully accomplished!
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