Australasia’s most influential hotel owners, investors and CEOs are headlining a strong line-up of speakers for the second annual Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney on September 2, 2011.
To date, almost 30 hotel owners, CEOs and industry leaders have confirmed their attendance at AHICE, a conference firmly focused on the management and operation of accommodation hotels throughout Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific region.
Some of the speakers confirmed include owners and investors Nigel Greenaway (Eureka Funds Management), John Hudson (Thakral Holdings Group), Graham Wilkinson (Retirement Assets Limited NZ) and Will Deague (Art Series Hotel Group), as well as Hoteliers Ashley Spencer (Hilton Worldwide), Bob East (Mantra Group), Paul Constantinou (Quest Serviced Apartments), Paul Fischmann (8Hotels), Stephen Burt (Mirvac Hotels and Resorts) and Simon McGrath (Accor Hospitality).
AHICE is being hosted by leading industry magazine HM (Hotel & Accommodation Management) and is expected to attract over 300 leading Hoteliers and industry executives from across the Asia-Pacific region and globally.
During the day, delegates will be given a snapshot of the accommodation industry, from an overall outlook to specific topics ranging from social media to the MICE market, food and beverage trends, human resources issues and managing distribution channels.
HM magazine’s Managing Editor, James Wilkinson, says a number of the world’s leading Hoteliers will be involved in plenary and breakout sessions during the conference.
“We have a fantastic program that will look at the major trends in the travel industry,” he says.
“The day will be a great insight to the industry for Hoteliers, major suppliers and industry leaders and the program will be one where delegates leave with a firm understanding of the major factors impacting on the accommodation industry.
“Some of the major topics and issues this year include: a performance outlook for the remainder of 2011/2012, the major issues facing the industry at present, low-cost airlines, international markets, the 2011 Rugby World Cup, social networking, human resources, the boutique segment and franchising.
“Trends in hotels – from food through to design, technology and beverages – will also be analysed and we have a number of fantastic speakers that are specialists in their respective fields,” he says.
Speakers who have confirmed their attendance at AHICE include:
Ashley Spencer, Vice President Australasia, Hilton Worldwide
Barry Robinson, Managing Director – Asia Pacific, Wyndham Hotel Group
Bob East, CEO, Mantra Group
David Bayes, CEO, Choice Hotels Australasia
Dino Mezzatesta, General Manager – Franchising, Accor Hospitality
Graham Wilkinson, owner, Retirement Assets Limited (NZ)
Howard Kemball, Kcom
James Hines, owner, Hines Property
James Wilkinson, Managing Editor, HM Magazine
Jayson Westbury, CEO, Australian Federation of Travel Agents
John Hudson, Managing Director, Thakral Holdings Group
Kim McKay, Director, Klick Communications
Marcus Niszow, Deputy CEO, Pacific Resort Hotel Group (Cook Islands)
Nigel Greenaway, Eureka Funds Management
Paul Constantinou, Chairman, Quest Serviced Apartments
Paul Fischmann, CEO, 8Hotels
Paul Richardson, Vice President – New Zealand, Accor Hospitality
Peter Savoff, General Manager, Emporium Hotel, Brisbane
Richard Dalman, Managing Director, Dalman Architecture (NZ)
Rutger Smits, National Leader – Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Simon McGrath, Vice President – Australia, Accor Hospitality
Stephen Burt, CEO, Mirvac Hotels and Resorts
Ted Horner, Managing Director, E Horner and Associates
Vincent Hoogewijs, General Manager, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
Will Deague, owner, Art Series Hotel Group
Once again, AHICE will be held prior to the HM Awards, with the 2011 event also hosted by HM magazine on September 2.
Early bird registration is still available for just $350 per delegate and a special deal of ‘four for the price of three’ is also currently on offer. Bookings are available online at www.ahice.com.au or by calling 1300 789 845 (within Australia).
Combination packages are also available for both the AHICE conference and the HM Awards being held later that night. Packages start from just $400 per person (for both events) and full details are also available at www.ahice.com.au
A limited number of sponsorship opportunities exist for both AHICE and the HM Awards, but these are filling up fast on the back of a successful event in 2010.
More information is available by contacting Adam Daff on +61 (0)2 8586 6207 or email adaff@intermedia.com.au
*The above speaker list is subject to change due to availability.