BHA celebrates its expanded reach and unveils its 2010 awards

The British Hospitality Association](http://www.bha.org.uk/) (BHA) has a far wider reach now than ever before, outgoing chief executive Bob Cotton told 800 members and guests at its annual meeting today.

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In one of his final appearances before leaving the BHA on 19 July, Cotton, who will be replaced by Ufi Ibrahim, chief operating officer at the [World Travel and Tourism Council](http://www.wttc.org/), thanked members for their support over the past decade, adding that the next 10 years would be equally absorbing and twice as exciting.

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London bombings; and more recently, the economic recession. Â "We've hammered home tourism's case in Whitehall, in Scotland, Wales and Brussels. We have won some of the issues - the bed tax proposal for example - but continue to face challenges on others." Â The annual BHA lunch took place at London's Grosvenor House today. The BHA handed out its awards recognising operators from across the industry. Â Winners of the 2010 BHA AwardsBrand of the Year: Jamie's Italian BHA Sustainable Business Award: Aramark BHA Tourism Award: The Graves family, owners, Armathwaite Hall in the Lake District

BHA Marketing Award: Best Western Hotels

BHA Innovation Award: City Inn

BHA Member of the Year Award: Tragus Holdings and chief executive Graham Turner

Tourism for All Award: Thistle Hotels

The National Skills Academy for Hospitality - of which Cotton is chairman - also unveiled aits awards at the BHA awards, along with the top-scoring firms in its [Mystery Shopper Benchmark programme](http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2010/06/30/333923/mystery-shopper-programme-finds-warmth-is-critical-to-customer-loyalty.html). The winners were:

National Skills Academy Hospitality Benchmark Awards: McDonald's Drive-Thru, East Grinstead; and Kings Lodge, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire.
National Skills Academy Hospitality Coach 2009: Godwin Mensah - Delaware North International, team leader based at Wembley and Emirates Stadium

[Hospitality must spell out its economic importance to politicians, says BHA >>](http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009/06/25/328343/hospitality-must-spell-out-its-economic-importance-to-politicians-says-bha.htm)

[Bob Cotton will be a hard act to follow at the BHA >>](http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2010/06/24/333973/bob-cotton-will-be-a-hard-act-to-follow-at-the-bha.htm)

[Bob Cotton looks back at his decade at the helm of the BHA >>](http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2010/06/24/333980/bob-cotton-looks-back-at-his-decade-at-the-helm-of-the-bha.htm)

[Bob Cotton: Mastermind of the BHA >>](http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2007/06/28/314609/bob-cotton-mastermind-of-the-bha.htm)

By Kerstin KÁ¼hn

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