PHILADELPHIA—Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson will square off in a point/counterpoint debate of today’s most vital political issues at the 2014 AAHOA Annual Convention and Trade Show on March 19-22 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center located here.
“Advocacy in Washington is increasingly important to AAHOA members, as evidenced by the opening last year of our permanent lobbying office in D.C., so this presentation will let us hear about many important matters directly from political insiders,” stated Mehul Patel, chairman of AAHOA.
Gibbs is a long-time advisor to President Barack Obama, serving as White House press secretary from 2009 to 2011. He was a senior strategist to the Obama 2012 re-election campaign and continues to counsel the president about political strategy.
Thompson represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate from 1994 to 2002. He was a Republican candidate for president in 2008. As a character actor, he has appeared in many films and TV shows, notably for five years on the series “Law & Order.”
Christina Bellantoni, editor-in-chief of the Capitol Hill newspaper “Roll Call,” will moderate the discussion.
About 4,000 hotel owners and industry leaders are expected to attend as AAHOA marks its 25th anniversary with a full agenda of guest speakers, education sessions, panel discussions and workshops. The event also will feature leading Bollywood entertainers from India.