We strive to serve our members with valuable programs and services. Here are several that members find valuable! Click on any of the headers below to learn more about these important membership benefits!

• Maine Lodging Guide
• Web Site for Travelers
• On-Line Internet Reservations
• INNterviews and Marketing Addendum Newsletters
• Credit Card Processing
• INNpower Energy Services Program
• Maine Restaurant & Lodging Expo
• Health, Dental & Life Insurance
• Lobbying
• Annual Meeting & Conference
• Laws & Regulations
• Educational Seminars
• Law Cards & Rate Cards
• Legislative Alerts
• ADA Kits
• Smith Travel Research

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MARKETING YOUR PROPERTY EFFECTIVELY

OFFICIAL LODGING GUIDE

Members can increase their business with a listing in the annual Official Maine Lodging Guide. With a circulation of 100,000 to active leisure and business travelers, this guide helps increase your occupancy. While all members receive a FREE listing, some 200 have chosen to participate in our enhanced listing program. The enhanced listing includes:

• Full Description
• Web Address
• Disability Accessibility
• Credit Cards Accepted
• Pets,
• Restaurant on Premises
• Dates of Operation
• 15 Searchable Amenities
• And More 

In addition, all of this information is included in the property's listing on our web site. This members-only, four-color, statewide lodging directory is a leading marketing tool for Maine properties. With a targeted circulation of 100,000 to active business and vacation travelers, this guide increases occupancy! Display advertising and enhanced listings again increased in the 2002 Guide. 

Our guide enjoys excellent distribution in the following key markets:

• More than Eight Travel Information Centers
• Trade Shows
• Direct Mail Campaigns
• E-mail Blast to 40,000 Travel Agents
• Direct Inquiries
• More

Travelers can now order the guide from our own internet site as well as from tile ads placed on other key Maine travel sites. In addition, we are using a new brochure company to place several thousand copies in brochure racks in major corporate offices throughout the greater Boston area. We distribute the guide at the Big E in Massachusetts and in a wide range of travel trade shows throughout New England and Canada.

For information on display advertising and the enhanced listing program, contact the Association office at (207) 865-6100 or e-mail us at info@maineinns.com.

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MAINE INNKEEPERS ASSOCIATION WEB SITE

Reach thousands of potential guests worldwide every month with a FREE listing on our Maine Innkeepers Association web site. Our site draws thousands of unique visitors each month who spend an average of five minutes per session viewing more than 12 pages. Best of all, the link from www.maineinns.com to your web site is absolutely free. Members report significant referrals from our site. 

"Our website link and the monthly newsletter alone are worth the price of dues," reports Sal Vella, Camden Harbour Inn, Camden

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REAL-TIME ONLINE RESERVATIONS

Through the partnership of Maine Innkeepers Association, Maine Office of Tourism, and Maine Tourism Association, internet-savvy travelers can make a reservation at your hotel through InnLink’s online booking tool. Visitors to mainetourism.com, maineinns.com, and visitmaine.com quickly become guests at your property as they are given the option to look and then book a room with a simple click.

After clicking the “Book Now” button next to your listing on these three websites, guests are treated to hotel photos, descriptions, and the information they need to successfully place a reservation. They receive an email confirmation and so do you.

Best of all, the guest pays you at checkout or through regular advance deposit policies. Then you pay InnLink only for the guests who stay at your hotel. You decide how much inventory to allot, as each room you contribute becomes a new opportunity for higher occupancy and more reservation revenue.

InnLink also offers GDS and internet connectivity, a branded booking engine for your property’s website, complete 24/7 Voice/Call Center services, and a wide selection of marketing programs to increase occupancy and revenue.

Click here to enroll online.

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CUTTING EDGE INFORMATION

MAINE INNKEEPERS ASSOCIATION WEB SITE

Our web site connects you with your industry. We've got critical links to all important state government sites so you'll be sure and have the strongest access to current laws and regulations. Through our web site, you can find your Maine legislators and write them e-mails or letters directly. In the future, you can search our allied database for products and services you need. Or search our members helping members section to gain the assistance you need from your peer!

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INNTERVIEWS AND MARKETING ADDENDUM NEWSLETTERS

Discover cutting-edge information, the latest trends, news, cost-saving methods and operations with your FREE subscription to INNterviews, Maine's finest regular newsletter dedicated to lodging. What are the trends on family vacations? How are we faring on international tourism? Get the latest media inquiries for marketing and promotion. Discover what changes are forthcoming in state and federal laws. To view our INNterviews and Addendums in PDF format, click here.

Members also benefit from the quarterly Marketing Addendum, packed with tips and suggestions from fellow innkeepers and marketing experts to help you put more heads in the beds. 

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LODGING MAGAZINE

Learn from the industry's leading magazine, Lodging, which is free with your membership in the American Hotel & Lodging Association. To experience Lodging online, click here.

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MAINE RESTAURANT & LODGING EXPO

Be the first to see and sample the latest in lodging and foodservice developments at the Annual Restaurant & Lodging Expo featuring some 165 booths and free industry seminars. The Maine Innkeepers Association is a partner in this show with the Maine Restaurant Association. The 2006 show is slated for Wednesday, March 29, at the Cumberland County Civic Center. For more information about the show and to register online, visit Maine Restaurant and Lodging Expo

Exhibitors, you don't want to miss this opportunity to reach thousands of foodservice and lodging operators. Call the Association office at (207) 865-6100 to learn more about this tremendous opportunity to reach the lodging and restaurant buying market.

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PROTECTING YOUR LODGING BUSINESS

EFFECTIVE, AGGRESSIVE LOBBYING ON YOUR BEHALF

We are the one organization dedicated entirely to working on behalf of the lodging industry in Maine. Protect your business interests with our dynamic and aggressive legislative program. We hire a lobbyist who roams the halls in Augusta on behalf of our industry. In addition, we have an Annual Day at the Capitol, Maine Innkeepers Association Political Action Committee, Legislative Alerts, Annual Legislative Reception, Tourism Caucus and Legislator Awards. We need your voice to join with ours as we lobby for more tourism funding for Maine and combat burdensome taxation, regulation and legislation.   

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STAY ON TOP OF THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS!

Save time and money with information on laws and regulations affecting the lodging industry in Maine. Do you have the required state and federal posters? What are the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act? Do I have to sprinkle my property? What are the child labor laws in Maine? Are my employees exempt from overtime requirements? We answer your regulatory questions and keep you up-to-date on laws and regulations that can literally save you thousands of dollars.

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LEGISLATIVE ALERTS GIVE YOU BLOW BY BLOW ACTION

Action at the legislature is fast and complicated, but make no mistake, it does affect your bottom line. Through our regular legislative alerts, we'll share with you what has happened, what's likely to happen and how you can play a role. 

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LAW CARDS AND MAXIMUM RATE CARDS

The Association provides members with required law cards and maximum rate cards FREE. In addition, we connect you with the right state agency to ensure that you have ALL necessary posters for free.

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MONEY-SAVING BENEFITS HELP YOUR BOTTOM LINE

VISA/MASTERCARD PROCESSING PROGRAM

Save hundreds of dollars with our Visa/MasterCard discount processing with a stable, top-ranked bank and rates as low as 1.95%. Hundreds of Maine properties are participating! Contact Diane Stetson at 207-623-5492 to find out more about this tremendous membership benefit.

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INNPOWER ENERGY PROGRAM

The InnPower Energy Program can save you money on your electricity. Contact Jason Thomas at Constellation NewEnergy today for more information at 1-866-237-POWER (toll free) or 617-717-7938 or e-mail him at jason.thomas@constellation.com.

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HEALTH, DENTAL AND LIFE INSURANCE

Receive competitive rates on health, dental and life insurance through our preferred vendor, Cross Insurance Agency. Contact Jane Lebrun at 800-244-7717 to find out how the Association can serve your insurance needs. Our dental program is second to none, and in the area of health care, Business Insurance Agency can provide quotes from all appropriate providers in Maine. You can find out more about Cross Insurance Agency, one of the largest in Maine, at www.crossinsurance.com

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ADA KITS

Under the 1992 Americans With Disabilities Act, lodging properties must make their facilities accessible to those with physical disabilities. Lodging properties are now required to provide rooms equipped with Notification Devices, Telephone Amplifiers, Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf and Television Closed Caption Decoders for hearing impaired guests. To help you in this regard, ADA kits are made available to borrow. These include three of the "1000" Portable Guest Room Suitcases. Each contains devices that make telephones accessible to the hearing impaired, a cable-ready telecaption decoder that puts TV dialog in captions across the bottom of the screen and an Alertmaster all-in-one unit that alerts hearing impaired guests to telephone rings, door knocks, built-in clock alarms and in-room smoke alarms.

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EDUCATION IS KEY IN TODAY'S MARKET

ANNUAL CONFERENCE BRINGS YOU KNOWLEDGE

Learn from your peers and industry experts at our annual meeting and conference. We bring in nationally known presenters like Peter Yesawich and tap local experts on topics such as Green Lodging Certification, Green Marketing, Solar Applications for the Hospitality Industry, How to Sell your B&B, Sales Tax Audits and Travel Trends. The event also features our Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner and exhibits of leading suppliers to our industry showcasing the latest in products and services. For more information, click here! Conference registrations will be mailed shortly.

Monday, November 2nd
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Registration & Silent Auction opens The Belmont Room Silent Auction benefits the Maine Innkeepers Education Foundation
8:00 AM - 1:30 PM	Allied Exhibitors set up Kebo & Turrets Rooms
1:30 - 2:30 PM	What's New at the Innkeepers Association and Legislative Cracker Barrel Wingwood Room Greg Dugal, Executive Director of MEIA will update you on any new developments at your Association and Peter Daigle, Legislative Chair of MEIA will be providing you with insight on next year's legislative session. There will be ample time for Q&A this year!
2:30 - 3:30 PM	PM Living and Working in a Gateway Community- Bar Harbor Wingwood Room This panel will discuss tourism, development, business and life in a coastal tourism mecca. Panelists include: Chris Fogg, CEO of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Ann Krieg, Planning Director for the Town of Bar Harbor Sheridan Steele, Superintendent of Acadia National Park Ivan Rasmussen, Gallery Owner, Alone Moose Fine Crafts
3:30 - 4:30 PM	Allied Exhibitor Event Kebo & Turrets Rooms Grand Prize, giveaways, door prizes, and snacks highlight this time spent with our Allied exhibitors.
5:00 PM	Trolley Departs for Abbe Museum
5:15 - 6:30 PM	Cocktail Reception - Abbe Museum Off Property
7:00 - 8:30 PM	Dinner- Lobster Bake at the Atlantic Oceanside Wingwood Room
8:30 - 11:00PM	Socialize with new and old friends The Willows Oceanside Inn at the Atlantic Oceanside
Tuesday, November 3rd
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM	Registration The Belmont Room
7:30 - 8:30 AM	Breakfast with Allied Exhibitors Wingwood Room
8:30 - 9:30 AM	Opening Seminar- Jay Karen- PAII- Innkeeping Today and Tomorrow Wingwood Room Jay Karen, President and CEO of the Professional Association of International Innkeepers (PAII) will present a "State of the Industry" address from the perspective of someone who sees and hears from all corners of the country and from 30,000 feet in the air. Come to hear important industry research findings and consumer trend reports that relate directly to running your inn. The information you'll hear at this session will give you knowledge and confidence to handle the challenges and opportunities ahead.
9:30 - 10:00 AM	Break with Allied Exhibitors Kebo & Turrets Rooms
10:00 - 11:15 AM	Session A1 ~ Jay Karen- PAII- Mastering Online Reviews and Reputation Management Eyrie Room Marketing is no longer just having rack cards and a pretty web site. In the age of Web 2.0, marketing now includes monitoring and influencing your reputation vis-a-vis all the various and new forms of social media web sites, i.e. TripAdvisor, BedandBreakfast.com, Yelp, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and even Google. What's an innkeeper to do? Come learn the do's and don'ts, and be a confident player in the new age of marketing.
10:00 - 11:15 AM	Session A2 ~ The Bennett Law Firm-EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act) Mossley Room Peter Bennett and Rick Finberg from The Bennett Law Firm will be presenting information on The Employee Free Choice Act. Peter and Rick will update members on the current status of the legislation, the potential impact that EFCA will have on Association members' businesses, the new organizing tactics that unions will employ under this Act, and what steps that Association members need to take now to remain union-free under the EFCA.
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM	Annual Meeting & Lunch with Stephen Barth- HospitalityLawyer.com- Managing Your Emotional Energy Wingwood Room According to workplace research, 80% of your success is dependent upon your emotional competencies..., flexibility, empathic listening, the ability to build a consensus, etc; but too often our negative emotional energy gets in the way. Negative reactions waste emotional energy. Today's culture of conflict and negativity thrives on negative reactions and drives destructive behavior, eroding relationships and organizations. Managing your Emotional Energy is a discipline that discovers and builds upon your fundamental foundation to create positive, Stabilizing Pro-actions™. This powerful presentation sets you on the path to manage, direct and manifest positive emotional responses enhancing personal and professional outcomes.
1:30 - 2:00 PM	Coffee & Dessert Break with Allied Exhibitors Kebo & Turrets Room
2:00 - 3:15 PM	Session B1 ~ Stephen Barth-HospitalityLawyer.com- Legal Compliance Review for Hotels and Inns Mossley Room Let the founder of HospitalityLawyer.com, bring your audience up-to-date on the key legal issues that they face daily. This interactive program is packed with prevention and compliance techniques that can be implemented immediately. Learning Outcomes: Comprehend the value of a proactive prevention based philosophy; Recognize potential legal issues at your hotel or inn; Clearly understand the legal obligations as lodging providers; Utilize practical prevention techniques to prevent liability and litigation;
2:00 - 3:15 PM	PM Session B2 ~ Maine Office of Tourism- Strategies for Marketing Maine and the New Campaign Eyrie Room Representatives from the Maine Office of Tourism and Swardlick Marketing Group will present information on how the Office of Tourism supports the lodging industry in Maine. They will also show the strategies and creative behind the fall campaign to give attendees perspective on the new marketing direction taken by the Office and its newest contractor.
2:15 - 3:15 PM	Allied Cracker-barrel Session Wingwood Room Allied Members and Industry Suppliers participate in a popular roundtable session, which gives them the opportunity to discuss current issues and challenges confronted by their peers in Allied Membership.
3:30 PM	PM Silent Auction Bidding Closes The Belmont Room Partial proceeds will benefit the Maine Innkeepers Education Foundation.
3:30 - 4:45 PM	Session C1 ~ Scott Thomas- Brewster House B&B~Social Media for the Busy Innkeeper Eyrie Room Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, FriendFeed, LinkedIn, Plurk, Blogger, Digg, and more! Who has the time to know what they are, let alone participate! This presentation will talk about the different types of social media, the pros and cons of participating in them, and provide recommendations on how to use the most important ones without giving up all your time.
3:30 - 4:45 PM	Session C2 ~ Marisa Zehnalik- CIEE- Visa Employees- Labor Needs and Cultural Exchange Mossley Room Who is CIEE and what is Work and Travel? Learn about the different visa options including J-1, H2B and Q. Marisa will discuss labor needs and cultural exchange, sponsor communication and the student's investment of time and money. Hiring Services provided by an agency include the road show to find the appropriate student or H2B visa employee and dealing with insurance, support and language barriers encountered overseas and with your potential employees.
4:45 - 6:00 PM	Free Time!
4:45 - 7:00 PM	Pick up Auction Items The Belmont Room
6:00 - 7:00 PM	Cocktail Reception with Allied Exhibitors Kebo & Turrets Rooms
7:00PM	Trolley Departs for the Historic Bar Harbor Club Board Trolley outside Conference Center
7:15 - 9:15 PM	Dinner & Presentation of Awards Historic Bar Harbor Club
9:15PM	Trolley Departs for Bar Harbor Hotel~Bluenose Inn
9:15PM	Cocktails & Entertainment at the Bar Harbor Hotel~Bluenose Inn

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PROFESSIONAL HOSPITALITY DEVELOPMENT SERIES

We also offer educational opportunities at special seminars offered throughout the year. Recent topics have included maximizing your website, guest service, housekeeping I and II, maintaining your website, fire code regulations and more.

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