Social Events
Date for your diary - BAHA Annual Awards Luncheon - Thursday 16th December
Grand Connaught Rooms, 61-65 Great Queen St, London WC2B 5DA
This year we are delighted to announce that we will be hosting the prestigious Annual Awards Luncheon at the recently refurbished and opulent Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden, London . Click here for more information about the venue.
This is always a sell-out event so email phillipa@baha-uk.org to book your table NOW!
Review of the BAHA 2009 Annual Awards Luncheon
The winner of the prestigious BAHA ‘Hospitality Accountant of the Year 2009’ award is Andy Thomas, Group Financial Controller, Red Carnation Hotels. In the presence of 258 guests at the 2009 BAHA Annual Christmas Awards Luncheon – held 17th December 2009 at Radisson Edwardian’s The May Fair Hotel in Stratton Street, London –Andy Thomas was presented with his award by BAHA President David Cook, Chief Executive Carl Weldon; and Chairman of the Association’s Revenue Management Forum Michael Prager, who was also guest speaker at the event.
Nominations for this category, put forward by Members of BAHA to the BAHA Council, had to have: an exemplary track record; be willing to train and lead their staff; be totally dedicated to the hospitality industry, with the intention of remaining in the profession; demonstrate strong attention to detail; keep abreast of current codes of practice; and command respect within the hospitality sector and wider business community.
2009 BAHA Company Awards for commitment to training
In recognition of outstanding commitment in promoting and developing financial education in the hospitality industry, the BAHA ‘Corporate Employer of the Year 2009’ was awarded to Principal Hayley Hotels and Conference Venues; and the BAHA ‘Individual Property Employer of the Year’ was won by the Lancaster London hotel, also in the capital. BAHA Chairman Paul Dukes presented Carole Taylor – Group Operations Financial Controller, Principal Hayley Hotels and Conference venues; and Stephanie Timsit – Finance Controller, Lancaster London, with cut-glass trophies. Nominees in this category had to actively promote and sponsor education and development; operate a monitoring scheme; have a written education and development policy; and recognise and reward success and achievement.
2009 BAHA ETP education awards, including ‘BAHA Student of the Year’
The BAHA Education and Training Programme (ETP) is the entry route to Associate membership of BAHA for new and inexperienced finance personnel in the industry. The programme provides learning and skills development for aspiring hospitality accounting professionals wishing to gain the skills and knowledge required to manage hospitality finance divisions, or gain an understanding of the accounting function of a hospitality unit. The 3-stage blended learning programme, studied over three-6-month periods, provides the flexibility for accounts personnel to fit their learning around their busy working day. Stage 1 is an introduction to Financial Accounting; Stage 2 is Operational Management Accounting; and Stage 3 is Strategic Management Accounting.
At the luncheon, BAHA recognised the outstanding student successes in the three stages of the ETP programme. The top student award – the coveted ‘BAHA Overall Student of the Year Award 2009’ – went to Gary McQueen, Cluster Finance Manager with Jarvis Hotels at the Ramada Ayr Hotel, Ayr, Scotland. ETP September 2008 Stage 2 winner in ‘Operational Management Accounting’, Gary was presented with his top student award – a cut-glass trophy and certificate – by BAHA’s Head of Administration and Education Debra Adams and Education Committee Chairman Paul Mitchell, who also gave him a voucher for attending the 2010 BAHA Annual Conference.
Cash prizes and certificates were then given to the top students in each of the BAHA ETP categories, studied in both September 2008 and February 2009, by Debra Adams, Paul Mitchell and members of BAHA’s Education Committee: Cathy Burgess and Sarah Dovey. The recipients of the awards, based on the results of the September 2008 ETP examinations, were: for Stage 1 in ‘Introductory Financial Accounting’ – Branko Milovanovic, Food and Beverage Cost Controller, Brown’s Hotel, London; for Stage 3 in ‘Strategic Management Accounting’ – Felicity Wan, Finance Executive at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai.
The winners, based on the results of the February 2009 ETP examinations, were: for Stage 1 – Nora Miczak, Hotel Accountant, Crowne Plaza Marlow, Marlow, Buckinghamshire; for Stage 2 – Fabien Ecard, Financial Controller, London-based Castlechain Ltd (including Bleeding Heart restaurants); and for Stage 3 – Alberto Osorio Ruiz, Income Auditor, Hilton London Metropole hotel.
The next group for the BAHA Education and Training Programme - Finance commences on 1st February 2010. Click here to apply to be a student member of BAHA.
Successful students can claim some exemptions from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) examinations and each stage of the course is accredited by the Open University which provides an endorsement of the quality, amount and level of the learning. For more details about the course click here.
