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B M & T ••• March/April 2020 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 27 TOURISM INDUSTRY PREPARES FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF) Set For Miami This Summer In the midst of an unprecedented decade of Caribbean tourism growth when hoteliers, tourism-related businesses and destinations successfully tackled a number of chal- lenges, industry stakeholders are gearing up to address anticipated new challenges and share active solutions to help steer a course through uncharted waters. Drawing upon the theme "Riding the Wave – Smart Actions in Uncertain Times", challenges and solutions will be front and center at the Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF), the Caribbean region's annual net- working, education and best practice sharing event for hospitality and tourism business stakeholders. The timing for this year's CHIEF and its value to industry participants could not be more important during these uncertain times according to the forum organizers. CHIEF's overarching goal is to help ensure the industry's profitabil- ity and that the region remains one of the world's most desirable desti- nations. Organized by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), and slated for Hyatt Regency Miami from June 26-28, 2020, CHIEF will draw more than 400 hoteliers, sup- pliers and other hospitality and tourism sector stakeholders from across the region, as well as from the United States and Canada. "Through CHIEF, owners, managers, supervisors and tourism industry leaders will connect and compare lessons learned about effec- tively addressing the impacts of devastating storms, threats of pan- demics, shifting marketplace dynamics, escalating operational costs, and the mind-bending array of marketing and technical options as they look to protect and build resilience and profitability," states CHTA's CEO and Director General Frank Comito. Regional and global industry experts will lead panel discussions and connect one-on-one with attendees as they share their expertise in hos- pitality, tourism and the cultivation of diverse and high-performing tal- ent at all levels focusing on enhancing efficiencies in operations, sales and marketing, and environmental sustainability. Quickly recognizing and acting on rapidly emerging trends to stay ahead of the competition is a major focus of CHIEF, which is why the theme this year is so apt, said Comito. "'Riding the Wave - Smart Actions in Uncertain Times' means we want to stay on top while ensur- ing we can continue to learn quickly about what needs to be done when there are unforeseen bumps, and we'll have speakers, panels and interac- tive discussions which will amplify these prerogatives for progress." Over the two days of CHIEF, participants will be able to attend gen- eral and breakout sessions, an awards presentation, an innovative trade show, and other activities to complement the core program. CHIEF is taking place concurrently with CHTA's highly anticipated Taste of the Caribbean, also being held at Hyatt Regency Miami, and featuring top culinary teams from participating Caribbean nations and territories competing for recognition and awards, from June 26-30. For more information visit www.chtachief.com or contact events@caribbeanhotelandtourism.com. CARIBBEAN HOTEL ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES ELECT TRINIDADIAN BRIAN FRONTIN PRESIDENT Trinidadian Brian Frontin is the newly elected President of the Caribbean Society of Hotel Association Executives (CSHAE). Frontin, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Trinidad Hotels, Restaurants & Tourism Asso-cia- tion (THRTA) and the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI)(, dis- closed that human capital development, governance and sustainability are the priorities he will tackle as he takes over the reins from seasoned hotel and tourism association executive Stacy Cox of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Over his two-year term, Frontin said "considerable emphasis will be placed on enhancing the profiles of CSHAE and all of its Association CARIBBEAN CORNER CHIEF is the Caribbean region's annual networking, education and best practice sharing event for hospitality and tourism business stakeholders.