Greater Chattanooga Hospitality Association- GCHA

Make plans now for one of the tastiest birthday parties around! Puckett’s Chattanooga is turning 10!! Come join the fun and help us celebrate our friends and downtown staple.
RSVP to [email protected]

Such an honor to have Mitch Patel of Vision Hospitality Group as this month’s GCHA guest speaker. Mitch shared a bit about his journey in this industry over the years and some great insight on the future of hospitality. Fun Fact: Did you know his favorite animal is an elephant !? 🐘
Thank you Tennessee Aquarium for hosting us!
See you next month!

Thank you to The Westin for graciously hosting our Holiday Party. Was an amazing turnout and we even had a special guest appearance by Santa himself! He said all the GCHA members were on the Nice list this year! 🎅
We wish you and your families a very Merry Holiday Season and keep your eyes out for a list of our 2025 events.

Don’t Forget to RSVP for our August Social Event next week at Ernest Chinese! Hang out with some amazing hospitality members and make new connections! Know a business who might be interested in joining? Bring them!

🌟 Introducing our next GCHA member spotlight: Jamie Ann Rennick with See Rock City Inc.! 🌟

Jamie Ann Rennick is the marketing director of See Rock City Inc., and a member of the GCHA board. Originally from Alabama, she moved to Chattanooga in 2009 and began marketing jobs around the city until she found herself with SRC Inc. She was familiar with the brand as she had assisted with the construction of several of their brands’ websites and was able to connect with Doug Chapin years later when this position became available.

See Rock City Inc. is the parent company of notable ice cream, attractions and lodging in Chattanooga such as Rock City Gardens, Clumpies, and the Chanticleer Bed & Breakfast. SRC’s mission is to create memories worth repeating for guests and their partners. Since Doug Chapin’s acquisition in 2022, there have been numerous changes to SRC, more specifically, with Rock City Gardens. New events and activities are being introduced, with something new at Rock City Gardens at any time of the year.

When asked about GCHA, Jamie Ann believes that the learning opportunities as well as networking are great ways to be involved with other industry professionals in the Chattanooga area. She recommends attending the member luncheons to understand what everyone in the area is experiencing, find ways that members can support one another, and experience "...amazing learning opportunities for those in the industry!"

When Jamie Ann is not busy thinking of the next big idea for SRC Inc, she is probably out with her family around the Tennessee River Gorge, exploring Chattanooga, or experiencing Rock City Gardens with her family! “It's refreshing to see Rock City from my child’s eyes!”

Some words of wisdom from Jamie Ann: Get out and explore Chattanooga! There are so many great things to do and see! Go out, explore, and show your support to local businesses! 🗺️🧭

Did you hear the great news!? Get ready hospitality leaders….Chattanooga Selected as New Home of IBMA’s World of Bluegrass!!

The Chattanooga Tourism Co., in partnership with the General Assembly, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD), and the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), announced today that Chattanooga has been selected as the new home of IBMA’s World of Bluegrass (WOB) multi-day event in 2025, 2026, and 2027, with the inaugural event taking place Sept. 16-20, 2025.
For more information on IBMA’s World of Bluegrass and how to participate, visit VisitChattanooga.com/WOB.

Enjoy a fun-filled day with GCHA members! Start your adventure at the Tennessee Aquarium 🐧🦋, followed by a delicious lunch at Puckett's Chattanooga 🥪🍴, and end the day with a leisurely stroll along the Tennessee Riverfront!

🌟Introducing our next spotlight: Scott Brinkley and The Seals of Chattanooga!🌟

Scott Brinkley is the owner of The Seals of Chattanooga. He and his family moved to Chattanooga in 2010 and left for a few years before coming back in 2023. His career began in corporate supply chain & operations for consumer healthcare companies.

His idea for The Seals of Chattanooga began when he came back to Chattanooga and realized that he wanted to work for himself by creating a business. At the end of 2023, The Seals of Chattanooga was born. With the growth he had seen over the years here, there was a need and opportunity for these services. He says that “Commercial kitchens need to be one step ahead of the health inspector. While kitchen managers worry about the overall state of their kitchen, we take parts of that off their hands and worry for them”. Scott’s service area spans across Southeast Tennessee, as far north as Athens/Sweetwater, as west as Monteagle and Northwest Georgia, as far south as Calhoun.

Scott has found that being part of GCHA has benefitted him tremendously. By becoming a member, he has been able to establish new connections & customers. He has found it interesting to hear about different member perspectives in hospitality, especially with tourism. He chose to be part of GCHA because “It’s a great organization to keep up on what is happening in Chattanooga. It’s more locally focused, and I want to work with people in the Chattanooga area.”

In his free time, Scott volunteers as a firefighter & driver with Tri-Community Fire Department and also is a tech volunteer for worship services at Christ UMC. He & his family also enjoy the beauty that the Scenic City has to offer. He is open to new experiences around town, especially with the exponential growth and revitalization.

Some words of wisdom from Scott: The key to a successful business is research. Take the time to look into the business you are getting into as well as the factors that will impact its growth. It’s great to say that you want to start up something for yourself, but you absolutely must research the concept first.

We are a few months away from the Governor's Conference which will be held right here in the Scenic City! Early bird registration is still open! Head over to www.tnhta.org/ to secure your spot!

We are so excited for this year's Governor's Conference! Register at www.tnhta.org , you don't want to miss it!

Last year, our Governors Conference saw over 550 attendees, this was a breaking number of participants!🌍✨ We learned, we laughed, and we embraced what makes our industry unique. And we can’t wait to do it again THIS YEAR! You won't want to miss it.

📍Chattanooga Convention Center
🗓️ Wednesday, September 25 @ 9:00 AM (EDT) - Friday, September 27 @ 12:00 PM (EDT)

Early Bird Registration is now open along with Stars of the Industry nominations.

Register here✨ https://www.tnhta.org/events/governors-conference-on-hospitality-and-tourism-2024

Yesterday we had the privilege of attending the Greater Chattanooga Hospitality Association- GCHA: STARS of the Industry Awards.

This event honored our local hospitality heroes who go above and beyond to make Chattanooga a home away from home. You all make a big difference in Chattanooga!