News for the Hospitality Executive |
Good Times Ahead or More Headwinds?
May 18, 2012 - There is a lot of
discussion these days as to whether the
industry is headed for good times or bad. Let's start by saying
that
without getting into the minutiae of monthly employment and housing
numbers (you
can interpret these any number of ways), there are two groups of
thought right
now. In the "Glass
is Half Full camp" we have the
arguments of slow but steady economic growth, a reduction in gas
prices, a
positive supply demand curve, and (so far) excellent metrics for the
1st
Quarter. On the "Glass is Half Empty Side" we have European worries, a
slowing of GNP, continuing unrest in the Middle East unrest, and a
belief that
recent RevPAR gains will be short-lived. One such
optimist is Harry Javer, co-founder of The Annual
Lodging Conference held at The Arizona Biltmore. According to Harry,
"With
5 months to go before this year's 18th Annual Lodging Conference, we
are 31%
ahead on registrations, and have only 4 exhibit spaces remaining. I
have been
producing shows for 30 years. I attend dozens of industry events, both
in and
outside of the hotel sector, so I can tell you that there is no greater
indicator of (hotel) industry sentiment than conference attendance. In
bad
times, or uncertain times, companies cut back and attendance shrinks.
While
there are some macro-economic factors that we all need to take heed of,
the
industry movers and shakers are attending conferences again so that
makes me
bullish in the hotel industry. There may be a few small bumps ahead,
but
overall, I'm optimistic. For more
information on The Lodging Conference 2012, please visit www.lodgingconference.com. |
Contact: Harry Javer President, The Conference Bureau, Inc. 119 West 72nd Street, # 336 New York, NY 10023 (917) 309-5180 www.lodgingconference.com |