American Hostel Conference

The American Hostel Conference is a three-day event presented by The Notso Hostel, highlighting ideas and workable solutions for growing your hostel with profit and purpose. This conference is for hostel industry experts, owners, managers and those who dream of opening a hostel. A conference with passion, we’ll give you the tools and inspiration to grow, prosper, and give back, while connecting you with like-minded hostel leaders in wonderful Charleston, SC.

Scholarships Available. 

What is included? 

Dinner Monday night, breakfast Tuesday and Wednesday morning if staying at the Notso Hostel, and lunch on Tuesday.  

Tentative Schedule: 

Monday January 22nd 

12-3 Early check in at the Notso Hostel

3-3:30 Registration at Pure Theater

3:30-4 Welcome

4-430 Ice breaker Introductions 

430-5 Changes to the hostel industry- HI standardand the new fee structure for 2018. Presentation by Jim Kennet of NW Portland International Hostel

5-6:30 Presentation by Joe Garner of Craigslist Joe, movie screening and Q&A. Sponsored by Basic Kitchen.  

Tuesday, January 23rd 

9-9:15- Overview of presentations and speaker introductions 

9:15-10:15- Three ways Airbnb has changed the hostel industry (discussion with Jacob Lindsey director of Planning, Preservation and Sustainability from the City of Charleston)

1015-11 Panel discussion- how have illegal Airbnb rentals affected your business and what can you do to change it? 

11-1145 Green business practices & how businesses can change the world with triple bottom line economics and & B corporations. Presentation by Karalee Fallert   

1145-1 Lunch provided by Black Bean Co at their restaurant 

1-145-Using a vision and mission statement to create a solid business foundation

145-230 Building a social brand and creating unique marketing campaigns (presentation by Matchstick Social) 

230-3 Presentation by Courtney Loechi of Hostelmanagement.com  

3-315 Break 

315-4 Branding, marketing and more.  

4-445  How technology can improve your business. Presentation by Kevin High of Vroomres

5-6PM Cocktail hour at O-Ku hosted by Vroomres 

Wednesday January 24^th 

9-10 Hostel Presentations sharing revenue, expenses, occupancy and more. 

10-11 What I learned after opening my first, second and third hostel by Joe Gill

11- 1145  Worldpackers presentation by CEO Riq Lima 

1145-1  Lunch at Monza offering discount

1-230 Open forum for planning the next conference, form a working group to discuss forming a trade association or networking group for independent hostels. There will also be an option for a breakout session for hostels to connect over best practices.

2:30-3 Closing Remarks