PHOENIX— A capacity crowd of 450 is expected at the 2002 Lodging Conference to be held at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa here from Oct. 1 – 4. According to organizers of the event, those in attendance will be industry leaders, with 85% holding the title of president/CEO or running their own company, brand or business unit. The conference will feature 53 sessions and panels and more than 180 speakers on a variety of topics from financing and franchising to technology and timeshare. An evening cocktail party will kick-off the event on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The next morning attendees will be welcomed during remarks by Lodging Conference founders Harry Javer, president of The Conference Bureau, and Morris Lasky, CEO of Lodging Unlimited. A “power panel” will follow, offering an overview of the lodging industry from an ownership perspective. Panelists for the Owner’s Forum include: Jonathan Gray, Blackstone Real Estate Advisors; Eric Pfeffer, International Hotel & Restaurant Association; Mike Shannon, KSL Recreation Co.; and Larry Wolfe, Eastdil Realty. The panel will be moderated by Dan Landry, an independent consultant. The panel will be followed by a series of concurrent think-tanks focusing on specific lodging finance options. “Where Are We Going,” Wednesday afternoon’s “power panel,” will evaluate the overall trends in business and consumer travel, real estate transactions and the lodging industry. Martin Edelman of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP will moderate the panel to include: Joe Kane and Steve Rudnitsky, both of Cendant’s Hotel Division; Stephen Rushmore, HVS International; and Peter Yesawich, Yesawich Pepperdine & Brown. The Deal Corral Trading Post and concurrent roundtables will also take place on Wednesday afternoon. Roundtable topics will include resorts, timeshare, spas, design and renovation, legal issues, technology, franchising, operations, public relations and risk management. AH&LA Chairman Kirby Payne will begin Thursday’s program with a talk on “What’s Up at Your AH&LA and What You Can Do To Help.” Next, a “power panel” called “A View From The Top, Part 1” will feature top executives’ thoughts on the future. Panelists include: Dieter Huckestein, Hilton Hotels Corp.; Mike Leven, US Franchise Systems; Joseph McInerney, AH&LA; Curtis Nelson, Carlson Hospitality Worldwide; and Howard Nusbaum, American Resort Development Association. Concurrent think-tanks will follow with topics including the independent hotel operator, design budgets, boutique hotels, resort and spa opportunities, in-house counsel, exiting the industry, technology, global investment opportunities and timeshare. More think-tanks are slated for Thursday afternoon with topics covering purchasing, insurance, investment strategies, raising private capital, corporate culture, a buyer’s market, the Internet and hotel valuation. In addition, there will be sessions on the press, mid-tier and economy hotels, current legal decisions, franchising, managing revenue and operating expense, restructuring debt and equity, and mixed-use projects. Friday’s program will get under way with more think-tanks. Topics include renovations/upgrades, impact studies, merger and acquisitions, avoiding lawsuits, the Americas, five-star hotels, buying under-performing hotels, management agreements, workouts and themed hotels. The conference will conclude with the second half of the “View From The Top” panel. Participants include Mike Amin, The Amin Group; Steven Belmonte, Hospitality Solutions LLC; James Evans, Best Western International; Chuck Ledsinger, Choice Hotels International; Kirby Payne, American Hospitality Management Co.; and Lewis Wolff, Maritz, Wolff & Co.
