Russell Kett presented 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at HOSPA Annual Awards 2011

Dec. 19, 2011

Special ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for one of the world’s most distinguished hotel advisors at ‘Annual HOSPA Hospitality Finance, Revenue Management and IT Awards 2011’

The winners of the prestigious Annual ‘Hospitality Finance, Revenue Management and IT Awards of the Year 2011’ were announced last Thursday (15 December) in London by HOSPA (formerly BAHA) – the UK’s leading educational organisation for professionals involved in financial management, revenue management and IT within the hospitality industry.

In the presence of over 220 guests at the 2011 HOSPA Annual Christmas Awards Luncheon – held at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London – the winners of the major HOSPA ‘Hospitality Professionals Awards’ and HOSPA ‘Company Commitment to Professional Development Awards’; and the ‘HOSPA Student Awards’, were honoured. In addition, a special ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ – an engraved crystal trophy – was presented to one of the world’s most distinguished and respected hotel advisors, Russell Kett, Managing Director of leading hotel advisory firm, HVS, and a former Chairman of BAHA (1988-1994). He received the award – only the fourth ever given – in recognition of his ‘Outstanding commitment to improving Best Practice in Hospitality Financial Management’.

Commenting on Russell Kett’s award, HOSPA Chief Executive Carl Weldon said: “It was a great honour and privilege for me and HOSPA Chairman Paul Dukes to present Russell – a Fellow of HOSPA – with this well deserved award. He is one of the world’s great hotel professionals to whom BAHA owes an enormous debt of gratitude. His tremendous belief in the Association and his commitment to its development and success in promoting financial ‘best practice’ – right from its inception in 1969 and subsequently as BAHA Secretary, Chairman and Councillor – has been a major contributory factor over the past 40 years to our current success, and our re-branding as HOSPA.

“Russell’s time as BAHA Chairman from 1988 to 1994 was one of the most productive in the Association’s history. For example, BAHA membership increased by 50%; the Association became truly educational with the introduction of our highly successful Education and Training Programme (ETP) for Finance, and the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme with Oxford Brookes University; the Association’s 25th Anniversary Dinner in 1994 attracted a then record 300 attendees; and BAHA launched its groundbreaking ‘Recommended Practice on Valuation of Hotels’ publication.”