The 5th Annual Hospitality Day took place on Thursday, May 12 at City Center in Oyster Point. The event, sponsored by the Newport News Hospitality Association, is held each year in conjunction with National Travel & Tourism Week.

Hospitality Day features contests that showcase the talents and skills of line level hospitality employees from hotels, attractions, and restaurants, the contest included Bed Making, Towel Folding, an Around the Fountain Restaurant Relay, a Hospitality Cheer Song and a Jeopardy-style Trivia Contest.

This year’s judges included local leaders and business people:

• Vice-Mayor Madeline McMillan
• Ruthie Lee - Advanced Restoration
• Frank Azzalina - Yellow Cab
• Colin Romanick – Newport News City Museums
• Erica Colston – Ferguson Center for the Arts
• Hal McFarland – Lackey Saunders Co
• Jonathan Davis – Vacation Channel
• Barry Shapiro – Carey Transportation
• Virginia Gabriele – Virginia Living Museum

As I arrived at the event grounds located near the Marriot at City Center, there were hundreds of people standing around shouting and cheering their teams along in the bed making competition which was timed at 5 min.

Nine teams of two competed in the fast-paced, high-pressure endeavor. Each team represented a local hotel that is a member of the Newport News Hospitality Association: Point Plaza, Hampton Inn, Comfort Suites Airport, Hilton Garden Inn Newport News, Hampton Inn and Suites, Marriot Newport News at City Center, Omni Hotels, Holiday Inn and Suites, and Holiday Inn Express.

It was truly amazing watching these talented ladies speed through this time-intensive job that began with a bare mattress and concluded with decorative pillows, duvets, and welcome papers all tightly tucked away. Fellow employees and staff stood in huddles around their mattress yelling instructions and urging them on.

(Left to right): Three judges, Vice Mayor McMillan, Frank Azzalina from Yellow Cab, and Ruthie Lee from Advanced Restoration reviewing the merits of a bed

As the judges reviewed their handiwork, Maureen Coon, President of Newport News Hospitality Association, read out ticket numbers from the raffle. Prizes were donated by local companies, museums, restaurants, and of course hotels.

As the contestants were getting ready for the towel folding competition, I spoke with Vice Mayor McMillan about the event and why it’s important, “People don’t realize how important housekeeping staff is to the Hospitality Industry,” she stated, “It doesn’t matter how nice the hotel is if the room isn’t clean.”

The towel folding competition had ten hotels represented with Comfort Inn joining the previous competitors. The competition was to create a decorative towel ‘sculpture’ in 5 minutes. Several competitors stated that they have been practicing weeks for this competition.

It was amazing what they created with some clever tuck and twists of regular bath towels.

As the judges went from table to table, a beautiful lunch spread sponsored by Cysco US Foods, Coke, Pepsi, Produce Source, and Chick-fil-a was enjoyed while everyone relaxed, chatted among themselves, and listened to music provided by ‘Play it Again DJ.’

I spoke to Maureen Coon, the main event organizer, about the event, “It’s a fun-filled day for the employees from the members of the Newport News Hospitality Association to come together in a show of unity, enjoy each other’s company, and receive a big thank you for their work in our community.”

The day’s festivities weren’t over yet as the ‘Around the Fountain Restaurant Relay’ and a Hospitality Cheer Song competition was still scheduled after lunch. As they waited, people enjoyed the beautiful view of the City Center Fountain while they talked or played a version of horse shoes with bean bag rings on the lawn.

The ‘Hospitality Day’ was a fantastic way to show appreciation for the behind-the-scene employees of the hospitality industry, who, more often than not, are sadly overlooked.