Over 60 global leaders, major investors and CEOs lead a strong speaking line-up for the 2016 Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) being held in Melbourne on May 3 and 4.
At AHICE 2016, over 500 delegates will hear from the best and learn from the best as investment, management, innovation and information collide at the year’s most inspiring and educational hotel industry conference in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Key international speakers confirmed to date include Royal Group of Companies Managing Director Bobby Hiranandani, Outrigger Resorts Asia Pacific Managing Director Darren Edmonstone and Majid Al Futtaim’s CEO of Hotels, Simon Barlow.
Key investors James Hines, Jerry Schwartz, Pro-invest’s Phil Kasselis and Asian Pacific Group’s Will Deague are also confirmed as speakers over the two-day event.
An important OTA update will come from Expedia’s Director of Market Management for Australia, Drew Bowering, while several of Australasia’s leading IT managers and consultants will look at the future of technology in hotels.
Tourism Australia’s Managing Director John O’Sullivan, Australian Federation of Travel Agents’ CEO Jayson Westbury and British Airways’ Regional Commercial Manager for South West Pacific Nicole Backo have been confirmed to provide updates on the tourism front, while the popular ‘meet the press’ session is also back, whereby this time leading journalists will be asking CEOs about pressing issues in the hotel industry across Asia-Pacific and key members of the panel include the Sydney Morning Herald’s Commercial Property Editor Carolyn Cummins and HM magazine’s Editor-In-Chief James Wilkinson.
A strong line-up of Australasian hoteliers, including AccorHotels’ COO Simon McGrath, IHG’s COO Karin Sheppard, Hilton’s VP of Operations Paul Hutton, Hyatt’s Area Vice President Robert Dawson, TFE Hotels’ CEO Rachel Argaman, Mantra Group’s CEO Bob East and Quest’s CEO Zed Sanjana, have also been confirmed as speakers over the two days.
Several of Asia-Pacific’s leading development directors and realtors will be hosting and participating in key investment updates, while aviation, food and beverage and social media sessions will also be held.
On the full agenda, available on www.ahice.com.au, it has been confirmed that topics at AHICE will cover Asian investment in Australasia, local investment, fund management and family investment alongside hotel development and key operations panels covering IT, F&B, human resources, hotel management contracts, OTAs, aviation and more.
AHICE remains focused on covering key operational topics, while an increasing number of investment panels have been added due to industry demand.
AHICE confirmed speakers to date include:
-Adrian Williams, Vice President Operations – Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, Accor Hotels and Resorts
-Andreas Flaig, Executive Vice President – Development, Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
-Andrew Jolliffe, Managing Director, Ray White Hotels Australia
-Andrew Williams, CEO, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
-Barry Fleischmann, Director of Development for Australasia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
-Bob East, CEO, Mantra Group
-Bobby Hiranandani, Managing Director, Royal Group of Companies
-Brendan O’Farrell, CEO, Intrust Super
-Carolyn Cummins, Commercial Property Editor, Sydney Morning Herald
-Clare Carroll, CEO, IBA Tourism Asset Management
-Craig Bond, Vice President of Operations, Oakwood Asia Pacific
-Craig Buckingham, National Technical Manager, Reichle & De-Massari
-Craig Simpson, Director – Hospitality Technology, Amalgamated Holdings Limited
-Daniel Marden, General Manager IT, Accor Vacation Club
-Darren Edmonstone, Managing Director, Outrigger Resorts Asia Pacific
-Drew Bowering, Director, Market Management – Australia, Expedia Australia
-Garry Rich, Group General Manager IT, Mantra Group
-Geoff Donaghy, Group Director of Convention Centres and CEO of International Convention Centre Sydney, AEG Ogden
-Graeme Dickson, Partner, Baker & McKenzie
-Gus Moors, National Director – Transaction Services, Hotels Asia Pacific, Colliers
-Henry Westmacott, Senior Sales Consultant – Hotel Systems, Oracle
-Howard Kemball, Asset Manager, KCom
-Ian Wilson, CEO, Too Build
-James Hines, Managing Director, Hines Property
-James Wilkinson, Editor-In-Chief, HM magazine
-Jayson Westbury, CEO, Australian Federation of Travel Agents
-Jerry Schwartz, CEO, Schwartz Family Company
-John O’Sullivan, Managing Director, Tourism Australia
-Julian Bish, Director at Biko Technologies
-Julian Clark, CEO, The Lancemore Group
-Karin Sheppard, COO – Australasia, Japan and Korea, and Head of Franchising – AMEA, IHG
-Kyle Stubbs, Head of Technology, Schwartz Hotel Group
-Lindsay Leeser, Vice President Development – Pacific, Accor Hotels
-Luke Mangan, leading restaurateur and entrepreneur
-Margy Osmond, CEO, Tourism and Transport Forum
-Marianne Ossovani, Chief Investment Officer and Head of Hotels, Tourism and Leisure, Elanor Investors Group
-Mark Durran, Managing Director – Investment Sales, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels
-Martin Ferguson, Chair, Tourism Accommodation Australia
-Michael Moret-Lalli, Director of Acquisitions, Mantra Group
-Michael Rodrigues, CEO, Time Out Australia
-Michael Simpson, Managing Director – Australia and New Zealand, Savills Hotels
-Nicole Backo, Regional Commercial Manager for South West Pacific, British Airways
-Paul Constantinou, Chairman/Founder, Quest Serviced Apartments
-Paul Hutton, Vice President Operations, Hilton Worldwide
-Phil Kasselis, Managing Director, Pro-invest Hotels Group
-Rachel Argaman, CEO, TFE Hotels
-Raymond Clement, Managing Director, Savills Hotels APAC
-Richard Munro, CEO, Accommodation Association of Australia
-Robert Dawson, Area Vice President – Pacific, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts
-Robert Williams, Partner & Head of Hotels & Hospitality Asia Pacific, Withersworldwide
-Simon Barlow, CEO – Hotels, Majid Al Futtaim (MAF)
-Simon McGrath, Chief Operating Officer – Pacific, Accor Hotels
-Sonia Lefevre, General Manager, The Langham, Sydney
¬-Tomas Johnsson, Chief Operating Officer, Mantra Group
-Tony Gauci, General Manager – Sales, Marketing and Brand, Quest Apartment Hotels
-Wayne Bunz, National Director, CBRE Hotels Australia
-Will Deague, CEO, Asian Pacific Group
-Zed Sanjana, CEO, Quest Apartment Hotels
Take advantage of the early bird and group rates, and register now.
Sponsorship opportunities are now sold out. To join the waitlist call Adam Daff on +61 (0)2 8586 6207 or email adaff@intermedia.com.au