2019 Speakers
The American Hostel Conference is excited to have such an incredible line up of speakers this year.
Overwhelmed by #allthe things learn how to do less & make more
Ronii Bartles, Bookfull
Through her straightforward, no non-sense style Ronii’s here to teach you how to get in the hearts + heads of your perfect customers and get you more time, money + energy.
The worlds largest community of hostel professionals
Darren Overby from Hostelmanagement.com
Hostelmanagement.com has been a staple in this industry and continues to provide much needed assistance and information for hostels all over the world.
Inside an american hostel
Vikki Matsis, NotSo Hostel
Inside An American Hostel shows the inner workings of the management, ownership and day-to-day operations of the Notso Hostel in Charleston, South Carolina
HOSTEL INDUSTRY TRENDS AND UPDATES
Byron Bunda, Backpacker Biz
Who are the big players entering the hostel market this year? What rising consumer trends can your hostel benefit from? Why are hostels using more OTAs? Our industry is ever-evolving. Byron's presentation will help your hostel gear up for success in 2019.
DEVELOPING AN IDENTITY FOR YOUR HOSTEL
Joe Hindman & David Stone Jr., Modal Hostel
Joe Hindman and his team will share their experience opening the second hostel in South Carolina and share a marketer's perspective on creating a brand vision and integrated marketing campaign for a new hostel.
NEW HOSTEL PRESENTATION BY WANDERSTAY HOUSTON
Diedre Mathis, Wanderstay Hotels
Hear about Deidre’s journey to opening her first hostel. Deidre is a published author and will share her struggles, challenges and successes as she navigated opening the second hostel in Houston, TX.
GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR BAD GUESTS AND HOW TO MANAGE REVIEWS AND ONLINE REPUTATION
Sydney Ilg, 11th Avenue Hostel
A passionate advocate for communal-travel and community-minded business, Sydney Ilg currently manages all marketing and branding for the re-emerging 11th Avenue Hostel in Denver, Colorado, an endeavor she joyfully takes on with her family.
HOSTEL ROAD TRIP PODCAST
James Black & Bobby Dyer, International Travel House
BoThe fellas over at International Travelers House are teaming up with WorldPackers to produce a Podcast Series that promotes Hostel Awareness within the American Industry. The structure of the 30 minute episode will allow each hostelowner and/or manager to market their respective facility and location while sharing personal stories of their hosteling experience. The content will be relevant for both workers within the hostel industry as well as backpackers or travelers. They hit the road in 2018 for the first of two cross country trips that will aim to promote many of the hidden gems across the U.S.A.
Cloudbeds
Mark Bloomquist, Cloudbeds
An inside look at the history and inner workings of this award winning online reservation system. Cloudbeds is a proud sponsor of the American Hostel Conference for the second year in a row.
KEEPING YOUR HOSTEL CLEAN & PEST FREE
Olegario Carrillo, Base Camp Anchorage
In this important session, you will learn about bed bugs, their life cycle, where they like to hide and why, how to identify them, the various eradication techniques out there, and prevention.
NEW HOSTEL PRESENTATION BY BLACK ELEPHANT HOSTEL
Heather Loeber, Black Elephant Hostels
Heather designed, and built her hostel from the inside out, completely gutting an old 4 story apartment building in downtown Portland, Maine. Heather has been open for less than a year, but has already experienced great success with her new business, as hostel – minded people and beyond embrace the unique experience she has created. Heather will discuss the many challenges she faced in designing and opening a hostel for an unknown clientele in a place that had never had a hostel before.
HOSTELS IN THE FOREST PRESENTATION: A NONPROFIT, PERMACULTURE HOSTEL
Heather Bolint, Hostel in the Forest
Heather Bolint recently finished her term as the manager of the Hostel in the Forest. She is a graduate of Antioch University of New England, with a MA in Environmental Studies.
HOSTELS IN THE NEW ECONOMY: WHERE DO WE FIT IN?
Robert Holt, CEO of Charleston Housing Company
Bob received his BS Degree from the College of Charleston, his JD from the University of South Carolina School of Law, and his LLM in Taxation from the University of Florida School of Law. He practiced law for seven years in the areas of tax law, corporate law and real estate law. He was the CEO and founder of BookSurge (acquired by Amazon) and the Chairman of the Lowcountry Housing Trust (a non-profit focused on affordable housing), and is currently the Chairman of Charleston Development Company, Charleston Housing Company, Charleston Technology Company, BiblioLabs, and Creative Media Company