Plans For New International Hotel Conference Unveiled

PHOENIX, AZ— Bringing to Europe much of the casual atmosphere and high-level introspection that has been the hallmark of the Lodging Conference here over the past eight years is the newest business-meeting brainchild of Lodging Unlimited’s Morris Lasky. To this end, he has already placed on the 2003 exposition agenda his newest group offering: the International Hotel Conference, with its debut scheduled for Sept. 17– 19 at the Le Meridien Beach Plaza Hotel in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Entitled Managing And Financing Strategies For The Global Hotel Industry, the three-day symposium will reportedly be aimed at senior, global hoteliers and feature a two-to-one attendee-to-speaker ratio. Lasky noted targeted turnout for the first year is something around the 300-attendee level. Reportedly the new conference will be configured along much the same lines as the Lodging Conference he co-presents here annually. Lasky’s fledgling overseas conclave is scheduled to feature: more than 70 international hoteliers as speakers; 21 interactive Think Tank sessions; 10 expert-moderated roundtables; an additional half-dozen roundtables focused expressly on business ideas; a bevy of one-on-one meetings; and an accompanying trade show, with participation this first time around being limited to 16 exhibitors. The cost of attendance for this event has been set at 1,395 euros, with billing capable of being held off until April of next year.—Michael Billig