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News for the Hospitality Executive |
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According to Dave Johnson, President of Aimbridge Hospitality, a Dallas-based hotel ownership, management and investment group, hosting a well-attended event is a great feeling, but creating optimism in the face of this depressed economy is euphoric. 
Presenters for the 2009 event included: Monty Bennett, CEO, Ashford Hospitality Trust; Marty Collins, President and CEO, Gatehouse Capital; Tom Corcoran, Chairman, Felcor Lodging Trust; Mike Deitemeyer, President, Omni Hotels; Jonathan Falik, CEO and Managing Director, JF Capital Advisors, LLC; Dan Lesser, Senior Managing Director, Valuation & Advisory, CB Richard Ellis; Randy McCaslin, Vice President, PKF Consulting; Mike Mueller, President, NYLO Hotels LLC; and John Scott, President and CEO, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. “We are elated with the turn-out at this year’s event,” said Cliff Risman, partner and leader of the hospitality industry team at Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP. “This conference brought together a group of leaders with unique perspectives of what the actual impact has been for properties across the U.S. The discussions were timely and very informative, and provided intellectual insight as to where we as an industry will go from here, despite recent setbacks.” Kudos abound “The Dallas Hotel Conference was professionally and efficiently run, very well organized and very well attended,” said JF Capital’s Falik. “I enjoyed the PKF presentation most as it went into detailed local market information. The conference was a good format to share thoughts, ideas and best practices with other senior industry professionals.” Gregory Mowatt, senior vice president and chief financial officer for Woodbine Development Corp., said he too was very pleased with the turn out. “It is great to see that everyone is preparing for the upturn in the cycle,” Mowatt said. “[The Dallas Hotel Conference] was a good event to validate some of the presumptions we had when walking in the door. The panels always are the most interesting.” Michael Shindler, president of Four Corners Advisors, said he most enjoyed the “View from the Top” session and found Lesser’s keynote to be the most informative. “This was my first Dallas Hotel Conference, and I was impressed,” Schindler said. “It helped me realize that although I typically look at the industry from a national perspective, there remain regional variations.” When asked about their predictions for the near future, participants had this to say:
For more information about the 2009 Dallas Hotel Conference, visit www.dallashotelconference.com. About Aimbridge Hospitality Aimbridge Hospitality is a hotel real estate and management company created to identify investment opportunities throughout the United States. Aimbridge provides management, asset management, capital renovation, supervision, accounting and consulting services for its strategic partners. Aimbridge currently operates hotel properties in the Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, Sheraton, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott and Wyndham brands. Aimbridge also manages a number of independent hotels, including the Phoenix Inn & Suites brand of hotels and has several projects under development in the Starwood, Marriott and Hilton enterprises. About Alvarez & Marsal Real Estate Advisory Services Alvarez & Marsal Real Estate Advisory Services, LLC advises owners, investors, lenders, and users of real estate throughout the real estate lifecycle - enabling clients to combat current economic related challenges as well as position them for future success. Services range from pre-acquisition due diligence to exit strategies, including real estate asset management, which it is currently providing to Lehman Brothers, among many other entities. About Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm marking 100 years in 2009 and one of the Southwest's largest full-service law firms, has offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Mexico City. Gardere provides legal services to private and public companies and individuals in areas of hospitality, energy, real estate, litigation, corporate, tax, government affairs, environmental, labor and employment, intellectual property and financial services. The Gardere Hospitality Industry Team has handled billions of dollars in successful acquisitions, dispositions and financings in recent years for hotels and resorts worldwide on behalf of some of the most recognized names in the industry. |
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Barb Worcester
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