The RHA was founded in 1987 as a Risk Purchasing Group by a team of resort hotel owners and management professionals in response to the massive "hard" insurance market that increased rates and reduced the availability of insurance. The creation of risk purchasing groups was authorized by the Congress under the Risk Retention Act of 1986.
The RHA is managed by a full-time president and staff in Williamsburg, Virginia, while its Board of Directors, consisting of the Association's members, governs and directs the Association's activities. The RHA is one-of-the-kind association in the insurance industry, as it is owned and governed exclusively by its member resorts, not by an insurance broker or insurance carrier. Today, over one hundred and twenty independently owned resorts and hotel properties are members of this unique association, which enables them to gain essential volume discounts on insurance plans.
The activities of the RHA are the same unique as its mission and goals. Along with studying potential losses of the member properties and providing them with extensive insurance plans at competitive prices, the RHA is always open for contacts, meetings, seminars and conferences as to help its members be fully informed of all new trends and network with each other and the RHA's experts.
The interests of the Association's members are the best value for the RHA and due to the general interest of members in the financial stability, the RHA provides them with solely unique programs, worked out according to changing and new demands and tends of insurance in the hospitality industry and according to each property requirements. The RHA promotes and sponsors a severe loss-control program. Each member receives a loss-control audit at least every two years with reports and recommendations. Seminars, focusing upon specific loss control issues, are also organized throughout the year.
The RHA publishes a quarterly newsletter RHA/RHA, which is sent to all members and brokers. The newsletter features industry news, loss-control items, new member updates and resort news.
The RHA's website includes an emergency services index, links to the members' website, an annual conference registration, promotions, workshops and events. In addition, the website is regularly modified as to correspond to new features and requirements of the Association's members.
Since its establishment, the Association organizes the Annual Conference, which is an annual meeting of members, insurance industry providers and invited guests. The conference brings together resort and luxury hotel owners, controllers, risk managers and human resource & spa directors, RHA brokers, RHA underwriters and other industry providers. The participants examine the Resort Hotel Association Insurance programs, familiarize with new trends from industry experts, participate in educational seminars and network with resort and insurance industry colleagues. This year the conference is to be held on July 14-17, 2006, at the Whitetail Resort & Club, McCall, ID. (www.WhitetailClub.com).
The following topics are to be discussed: emerging Resort and Hospitality Trends, Loss Control and Claims Management, Disaster Preparedness, Liquor Liability, Resort Marketing and Employee Benefits: Worker's Comp, Family & Medical Leave and American's with Disabilities.