For someone whose title is “assistant dean,” NYU’s Lalia Rach gets the kind of audience reaction more closely associated with professional entertainers – overflow crowds and even standing ovations.

The reason: Rach is on top of hospitality trends; she’s not afraid to tell her listeners what they don’t want to hear; and she’s laugh-out-loud funny. Typical Rach performance took place recently at a meeting of the Big Apple chapter of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association, comprised of sales and marketing directors for New York hotels. Here are the bullet points:

• Credit card crisis makes 2008 “the year of living dangerously.”
• Recession? Don’t repeat your head-in-the-sand attitude of 2001
• Technology for web networking will impact meetings in 2008
• You have become ‘product lovers,’ -must  become ‘people lovers’
• It’s all about techmobility. The iPhone will revolutionize travel
• Economic downturn - Do your salesman know how to sell?

• 2008 will be the “year of living dangerously” with a credit card crisis the next shoe to drop, as companies like American Express report soaring delinquencies. “This should scare you in New York City.”
• Don’t repeat your head-in-the-sand of attitude of 2001 with a credit crisis the next shoe to drop as companies like American Express report soaring delinquencies. “This should scare you in New York City,” Rach declared.
• Hotels will face significant cutbacks in meetings – partly because of technology for Web networking. While this technology has been around,” said Rach, “It will really take hold in 2008.”
• Hotels across many brands offer similar amenities and services. “You have become product lovers,” Rach asserted, “and you have to become people lovers. Help guests live their fantasies. We don’t reach out and touch them enough. Love the one who’s staying with you. If you don’t treat them right they will go away.”
• “It’s all about techmobility. The iPhone will revolutionize the travel industry. People will bring their tech to you – they won’t expect you to have it for them. For younger people, technology now just is – it is simply there.”
• The mass affluent have already been affected by this economy. Will the economy hit the mid-tier affluent? Will they be buying down and doing less?”
• Don’t repeat your head-in-the-sand of attitude of 2001 when the last downturn happened – even before 9-11. You have to be active. Have you tested your salespeople? Your salespeople have to know how to sell.”

Harvey Chipkin

Dr. Lalia Rach is divisional dean of the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Spots Management for New York University. She also heads up Rach Enterprises, a consulting firm. She is a professional speaker and facilitator with experience in conducting industry overviews, focus groups, panel facilitation, team building seminars, strategic planning sessions and customer service training.  She is recognized internationally for work in tourism development and planning.  In January 2008, she was named by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International as one of Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing. In November 2007, Rach was included in Travel Weekly’s Club 33,  a list of the 33 most influential people in the travel industry.