Industry Benchmark
By Mark Harris
Regional Analysis
USA
Corporate Housing Providers Association The Voice of the Corporate Housing Industry
The Beginning
The National Interim Housing Network (NIHN)
was the first national organization
established to bring temporary/interim housing
providers together for the primary purpose of
marketing the industry. Led by Ken Hixon and
Bob Greenwald, both from the Dallas, TX area,
the organization attempted to unify marketing
for all member companies to expand business
opportunities for all. Inherently, NIHN was
challenged with marketing an industry of
small business owners managing bottom line
realities and needing an immediate and
specific return on their marketing investment.
With some consolidation of the industry and
some providers expanding faster than others,
the premise of the organization was difficult to
achieve. The organization disbanded after a
few years, however, the foundation of
camaraderie and unity of the industry survives
even today.
The New Beginning
The Association of Temporary Housing
Providers (ATHP) was established in 1996 as a
trade association. The purposes of the Association
were to provide education to
providers, to strengthen the industry's professionalism
for the betterment of the industry,
and a venue in which members could take off
their competitive hats and work together to
gain recognition for the overall industry. The
founding board consisted of a wide range
of providers from the industry's largest at that
time to a host of smaller and mid-range
providers. As NIHN's membership dwindled,
the organization merged with ATHP and
the name changed to The Association of
Interim Housing Providers (AIHP). Changing the Association's name to incorporate 'interim'
recognized the contributions and history
of NIHN. In 2002, AIHP again changed its
name to the current international trade
association known as the Corporate Housing
Providers Association (CHPA) to more accurately
reflect the current industry terminology.
CHPA Today
CHPA continually strives to uphold the highest
standards in business and professionalism,
provide valuable insight, knowledge and
resources to the industry, and increase visibility
among related industries. The Association
continues to mature in both its services to
members and its dedication to the professionalism
and ethics of the industry. More than
180 corporate housing companies worldwide
currently belong to CHPA. In addition, there
are more than 50 CHPA member companies
worldwide that offer goods or services to
the industry as invaluable partners to the
industry's success.
Over the last 3 years, membership has grown
by 25% new members annually on average.
The high annual retention rate reflects the
value and need for the Association. Today, the
Association serves its members and the industry
through:
- a professional certification program,
Certified Corporate Housing Professional
(CCHP)
- an annual conference and awards program,
recognizing excellence in the industry
- limitless networking events throughout
North America
- a Code of Ethics
