HOTELS led the industry back with in-person events on Wednesday as it hosted its first HOTELS Opportunities Conference at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami, Florida.
Some 250 industry leaders gathered for the day-long event to network and discuss topics surrounding financial workouts, deals, debt and access to capital. The conference also featured business exhibits and a cocktail VIP mixer.
“We are excited to lead the hotel industry back with live events,” said HOTELS CEO Ali Jahangiri. “The attendees and speakers represented the best and the brightest of the hotel investment community, and the content was timely, topical and hopefully very valuable and insightful for everyone in the room. We look forward to producing more events in the near future. Watch this space.”
“This is the first conference in the country since COVID,” said Roman Tsunder, CEO of PTTOW!, an invite-only community and summit for creative and inspiring CEOs, CMOs and icons, spanning 70 major industries. “You guys are the industry leaders.”
In leading a panel on about equity markets, fundraising, deal structuring and PACE financing, Hersha Hospitality Trust CEO Jay Shah added a note of thanks to the conference organizer, “This is a significant moment for the industry and affirms the value of connection.”
Panels in Miami highlighted how to pivot and reinvent during COVID-19, educated attendees about workout options, how to gain access to new funding sources, discussed how to finance new acquisitions and find distressed hotel deals.
Leading off the event with the morning keynote was industry legend Leland Pillsbury, founder and chairman of TLG Investment Partners, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Panel discussions that followed included a session on how to pivot and reinvent hotel businesses during COVID. The session was led by Rami Zeidan of Life House Hotels and included Sloan Dean of Remington Hotels, Richard Millard of Highgate, Jason Liebman of Auric Road and Raul Leal, advisor to Virgin Group.
Lunchtime Keynote Speaker, U.S. Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, talked about the current state of the economy in the state and how she is prioritizing job creation in Miami. “I am working hard for all Floridians, keeping the economy vital and energized, and I am particularly focused on bringing more jobs back to Miami,” she said.
HOTELS will post stories highlighting the panel discussions in the days ahead.