For 48 years, Hammons has been a leading innovator in the lodging industry. He is well known for his clever market analysis and for creating signature full-service hotels featuring atrium lobbies, expansive meeting and convention space, large guest rooms, podium check-in stations, and complete business traveler amenities. Throughout his esteemed career, Hammons has developed 175 hotel properties in 40 states. 

A U.S. military veteran, Hammons recognized the need for quality housing for G.I.�s and their families upon their return from combat during World War II. In the late 1940s, he began building suburban housing in Springfield, Mo. and established a number of real estate ventures, including housing tracts, apartment complexes, and shopping centers. 

In 1958, Hammons began his career in the lodging industry by co-purchasing with Roy E. Winegardner, their first 10 Holiday Inn franchises. In 1961, they formed Winegardner & Hammons Incorporated (WHI), a hotel development company based in Cincinnati, Ohio, they still own together today. By the end of the 1960s, WHI constructed nearly three dozen Holiday Inn hotels, prompting Hammons to form John Q. Hammons Hotels and Resorts in 1969. 

Today, John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, LLC operates properties nationwide under the following brands: Embassy Suites Hotel, Renaissance, Marriott, Radisson, Residence Inn, Homewood Suites, Holiday Inn, and Hampton Inn & Suites. The company owns or manages 64 hotels in 23 states and is considered to be the leading independent manager of hotel meeting space in the country. 

A major contributor to the lodging industry, Hammons has been honored with numerous awards for his achievements as an hotelier and as a philanthropist. In 2003, HOTELS Magazine featured him as the �Corporate Hotelier of the World,� in 2004 and 2003 he was named �Embassy Suites Hotel Developer of the Year,� and in 2002 he received Hilton Hotels Corporation�s Connie Award. Additionally, USA Today�s Newspapers in Education Program honored Hammons with an appreciation award for his ongoing commitment to Springfield, Mo.-area school students in 2003. Since 1993, he has dedicated a portion of funds to provide more than 706,600 copies of USA Today to schools and teachers, with the goal of inspiring student education of current events. 

Additionally, he and his wife Juanita funded the Hammons Heart Institute and Hammons Life Line helicopter for St. John�s Regional Health Center, the Hammons Student Center, Hammons Fountains and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for Performing Arts at Missouri State University, the Hammons School of Architecture at Drury University, and Hammons Field, a 10,000-seat AA minor league baseball stadium. 

�Over the last half century, John�s impact on the hotel industry and his community are unprecedented,� said ALIS Conference Chair Jim Burba.  �Not only has he created a business which has become the nation�s leading independent builder, developer, owner, and manager of upscale hotels and resorts, he has also been a visionary in developing hotels and concepts that were ahead of their time.  He is an impassioned supporter of education and has also been a mentor and teacher for countless others who have gone on to have great careers in this industry.   His generosity and philanthropy in his native Missouri is legendary, and he is truly deserving of this prestigious award from his peers,� added Burba. 

Co-hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the Burba Hotel Network (BHN), the two-and-a-half-day event features an extensive array of seminars and panels hosted by leading experts and investors discussing important trends and identifying new opportunities. Topics currently planned include: capital markets and finance, owner investments and asset management, development, acquisitions, management and franchising, mixed-use, condo hotels, international opportunities, e-commerce, architecture and design, and environmentally-friendly/green hotels. Proceeds from ALIS will benefit the educational, research, and training missions of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation, AH&LA�s not-for-profit affiliate. 

Online registration is now available via the ALIS Website at www.ALISconference.com. An early bird discount of $150 is available through September 29.  For general event information and sponsor opportunities, contact Jonathon Zink, BHN associate, at (714) 540-9300 or [email protected]. 

About AH&LA 

Serving the hospitality industry for nearly a century, AH&LA is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services to provide bottom line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. Partner state associations provide local representation and additional cost-saving benefits to members. 

BHN brings together nearly two decades of experience developing and organizing the world�s most prominent gatherings of the hotel and tourism investment community.  At these events (over 50 conferences completed and/or in development), the investment community has come together to network, conduct business and learn about the latest industry trends.  They have become �must attend� events for those interested in investing in hospitality real estate.  The BHN Website at www.BURBA.com, is the gateway for information about the conferences BHN produces, as well as providing a direct link to important players in the hospitality investment world, including lenders, brokers, architects, designers, and hotel industry-related organizations. 

About John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, LLC 
Springfield, Mo.-based John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, LLC is the nation�s leading independent builder, developer, owner and manager of upscale, full-service hotels, resorts and suites, including:  Embassy Suites Hotels, Renaissance, Marriott, Radisson, Residence Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Holiday Inn and Courtyard by Marriott brands.  With 64 hotels strategically located near demand generators, such as state capitals, universities, airports, corporate headquarters or office parks in secondary and tertiary markets, John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts� properties are dominant in their markets.  Over the course of his impressive career in the hotel business, Mr. Hammons has developed 175 hotels.  For more information about John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts, LLC, please visit the company�s Web site at www.jqhhotels.com. 

Enica R. Thompson
Americas Lodging Investment Summit
[email protected]