Feb 3
4-7PM Introductions and evening mixer!
During our first evening together, all conference attendees sit in a circle and introduce themselves. We learn about where you are from, your dreams of opening a hostel or your years of experience. Dinner served by Atoon Catering.
Feb 4
9:15-9:45AM REGISTRATION and coffee
9:45- WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
9:45-10:30 CROWDFUNDING A HOSTEL
With over 60 different investors, Cream City Hostel welcomes Milwaukee’s first hostel. Wendy and Caroline will share how they got started and their experience in transforming an old bank into a hostel and how the first few months are going.
10:30-11:15 what to expect when you’re expecting… your first hostel
Joe Gill has been in the hosteling industry for over 15 years and owns three hostels and will share the best tips and practices of how to run your business the best you can, when nothing but the real experience can truly prepare you.
Part 1 - "Are you kidding me with this?!"
Joe opened a hostel and hilarity ensued. This is a real life case in point recounting of all the things that you never thought were possible, that you never would think to expect, but actually happened.
Part 2 - "Yeah, I did that."
Not to be outdone by the crazy and ridiculous things that guests have done, Joe will confess all the stupid things he did 15 years ago as a 26 year old entrepreneur with just a little business training, and even less maturity, yet somehow survived.
11:15-11:30 coffee break Assignment- if you didn’t have to work, what would you do?
11:30-1:00 compassionate communication
Do you have a disgruntled guest screaming at you in front of a lobby full of people? Same guy keeps booking and then canceling the same day, leaving you one star reviews for upholding your cancellation policy? If you are looking for a peaceful way to respond, this session can change you life. Not only with responding to guests, but interacting with your coworkers, your family and friends. Communication is at the core of how we connect, in this session, you will learn the fundamentals of compassionate communication along with techniques that will help you connect with the needs of yourself and others.
1-2:15 Lunch- catered by bahn ban mi
2:15-3:00 what are you really selling?
In this presentation, you’ll learn from local entrepreneur Maren Anderson about the mistakes that most entrepreneurs make, how to avoid them and how to make your business the most successful it can be.
3:00-3:30 rate plans that finally help my bottom line
Don’t you wish you could make sure your beds are sold weeks in advance and you did not have to deal with bad credit cards? Then joins us for some stats and tips on how to help your hostel to be more efficient and improve your cash flow. Presentation by Chris Morisseau from dorms.com
3:30-3:45 coffee break Assignment- what was your first hostel experience?
4:00-5:00PM make the most of your instagram in 2020
Liz Martin, the founder of Social Media University will be speaking about gaining followers, what people really look for when they are scrolling and how to understand the backend analytics of your social media.
Feb 5
10:00-10:45 you can do this!
No matter what sort of building you start your hostel with, you can turn it into a successful business with great reviews. Marc Desmarais is the president of Apple Hostels in Philadelphia and has lived this truth, having taken over a hostel with just 16, 24 and 28-bed sized dorm rooms. In this session, you will see what really matters in creating a hostel that guests will love.
10:45-11:15 How is Generation Z driving change to the travel experience?
How is the next generation of traveling? In this fast-paced keynote, Byron Bunda from Cloudbeds will share insights on trends in and changes to customer behavior focussing on young travelers. First, Byron will define the audience by sharing critical attributes of the next generation (Generation Z) followed by diving into their specific travel behavior. What expectations do they have? What products and services are successful? Finally, we will finish by showcasing the best practices adopted by hosts, hostellers, and hoteliers to engage successfully with this growing audience.
11:15-11:30 coffee break Assignment- what’s the strangest thing about you?
11:30-12:15 Heat maps and digital marketing- the first half of your business
There are two separate businesses it seems to running a hostel- the first is getting potential guests to discover your hostel online and then booking it. The second is when they arrive and creating a positive experience. In this session, Ben Alicea from Hedera will talk about the importance of digital marketing and using heat maps to discover where users are going on your website, and changes you can make to increase conversions to bookings.
12:15-12:45 hostelling international
Talia Hawley from Hostelling International will present on how their booking model has shifted over the years and future plans for Hostelling International.
12:45-2:00 LUnch- catered by the harbinger cafe
2:00-2:30PM from your first to your second hostel
Kent Roth from Firehouse Hostels will share his experience going from one hostel to two and the challenges, risks and rewards he has discovered in the process.
2:30-3:45 Panel Discussion - Big changes
What big changes have you made to your hostel that has revolutionized how you operate? Was it syncing calendars, dynamic pricing, or automated locks? Each hostel will share what big change they implemented to make their business thrive.
3:45-4:00 coffee break assignment- what are your goals for 2020?
4:00-4:30 why hasn’t the USA embraced hostels yet?
Kevin from the Hostel Helper conducted his own survey to answer this question. Why is it that there are so few hostels in the US compared to other countries? And is the US really going to be the next country to experience a BIG hostel boom?
If the following statements sound familiar to you, most likely you’re located in the US or you’ve worked at the front desk of a US hostel:
“Hi, this is Josh from Hostel X.”
– “Excuse me, which hospital are you calling from?”“No, hostel. I’m calling from a H-O-S-T-E-L.”
– “Which hotel?”
So, how come hostels aren’t popular in the United States? After all, less than 10% of hostels are located in North America. The results may surprise you. In this session you’ll learn the top 9 reasons 41 hostel owners gave for why the US hasn’t yet embraced hostels.