Our guests this week do not have the pleasure of Shannon’s company as Shannon is in Atlanta at the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII) conference. So it it just me, Lee and Grant running the inn for the week but so far the inn hasn’t fallen apart so we should be able to make it until she gets back on Friday.

Innkeeping is a big industry and vendors from all over the country come to the conference to sell everything from pens and internet services to green shampoo and linens. So far Shannon has ordered more towels and has bought more coffee mugs from Deneen Pottery (top photo) in two new colors for our gift shop. The big names in internet services that cater to the industry, like www.BedAndBreakfast.com are also there to keep us up to date with all of the technological advancements that can enhance the guest experience from on-line reservations to check-out time. The world changes quickly and you have to keep ahead of the changes.

Shannon has also been attending the seminars as we have always been advocates of keeping in touch with the latest deveopments in our profession. There have been several major changes in the innkeeping world in the last couple of years and we need to develop new services, packages and marketing techniques in order to keep up with these changes.

Shannon has also had the chance to catch up with The B&B Team, an excellent group of ex-innkeepers who now act as real estate agents and consultants specializing in the innkeeping business. Rick and Jan (That’s Rick on the left, Jan in the middle, Peter on the right) helped us through the process of searching for an inn and also came here to the Addison to help us out with opening week. If we ever sell the inn we might start doing some consulting along those lines.

So, we miss her but the inn is still functioning. We still have muffins baked fresh every morning in our kitchen and the inn still functions despite being left “without adult supervion” as I like to call it.