AHA Chief recognised for distinguished service

CEO of the Australian Hotels Association WA, Mr Bradley Woods has been recognised for twenty years of leadership and distinguished service to the Australian hotel and hospitality industry, by the national Australian Hotels Association at an awards ceremony in Canberra last night.

The honour, presented by Mr Peter Hurley, National President of the AHA, to an audience of over 500 people included Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Hon Scott Morrison and Minister for Finance, Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann. The new Federal Cabinet Ministers acknowledged Mr Woods’ distinguished leadership and long-standing commitment to advocating and advancing the interests of the industry.

Mr Woods commenced his association with the AHA in 1993 as the National Public Affairs Manager, Australian Hotels Association in Canberra.

In 1994, Mr Woods became the youngest state CEO of the AHA in Australia as chief of the AHA Tasmania. A position he held for 4 years.

In 1998, Mr Woods’ was appointed CEO of the AHA WA, where he has served for the past 15 years.

Over the past twenty years Mr Woods has worked on critical industry issues that include:

• A campaign to defeat of the Keating Government’s 1993 budget measure to apply Fringe Benefits Tax to all business-related corporate travel and accommodation expenses;
• Development of the first Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) national training program;
• Development and implementation of the first national industry guidelines and management of the phasing-out of smoking in hotels and bars across Australia;
• The responsible introduction of Keno and gaming machines into Tasmania;
• Leadership of the Tasmanian hotel and tourism industry’s response to a downturn in tourist visitation following the tragic Port Arthur massacre;
• The 50% loss of air visitors to WA following the collapse of Ansett and 9/11 in 2001;
• The 2003 outbreak of the SARS virus and its effect on international tourism;
• Deregulation of the liquor industry by the WA Government; and
• Three WA Government reviews of the Liquor Control Act 1988.

Under Mr Woods’ leadership, the AHA WA is now recognised as one of the most effective and strongest industry advocacy groups in Australia.

Source: Australian Hotels Association WA, 3 October 2013