Hotel lawyer Jim Butler, chairman of Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro�s Global Hospitality Group, has hosted the event since its inception in 1990.  He confirms that Meet the Money has developed a reputation as �the gateway to debt and equity financing for hotels.  Every year, providers of capital and consumers of capital hook up�many of them who are doing deals together for the first time,� Butler said. 
At Meet the Money, providers of capital tell participants exactly what they are trying to accomplish and what kinds of projects will work for them. This makes it possible for consumers of capital to focus their time exploring options that will succeed for their companies. �Everyone who comes to the conference wants to do business and we�re all too busy to waste time talking to the wrong people,� Butler said.

Today�s hospitality market is diverse and complex, with financing that is equally varied and dynamic. At Meet the Money, participants will be exposed to the full range of hotel projects and their related financing strategies from economy projects to luxury brands, and [themed resorts] to condo hotels.

�Last year, one of my clients was excited even though he had to leave the conference early. He had received five requests, and it looked like he would say yes to all of them,� Butler said. �And a first-time participant told me he was amazed to leave with 15 new contacts, all of them asking for requests for proposals. Those comments are the best part of the conference for me.�

Registration costs $450 until April 30, 2005 and complete conference information can be found at www.MeetTheMoney.com. The Sheraton Gateway LA Airport Hotel offers a rate of $159 per night for a limited block of rooms, if you mention the conference.
Meet the Money® was founded by hotel lawyer Jim Butler, a senior partner and chair of the Global Hospitality Group® of Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP, a full service law firm with more than 160 lawyers in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Jim�s 50-member Global Hospitality Group has handled more than $35 billion in sales, financings, developments and acquisitions of hospitality properties and companies.