San Diego, September 25, 2008� J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International, Inc., will receive the 2009 International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) Pioneer Award at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), January 28, 2009.  ISHC selected Marriott to receive this honor based not only on his strategic leadership in expanding his family restaurant business into 3,000 hotels worldwide, but also his extensive involvement in various initiatives and organizations benefiting many sectors of the industry over his 50-year career. 

Known throughout the industry for his hands-on management style, Mr. Marriott has built a highly-regarded culture that emphasizes the importance of Marriott�s associates and recognizes the value they bring to the organization. Today, in company-operated and franchised properties around the world, approximately 300,000 associates serve as the face of Marriott International brands.

Marriott�s broad portfolio ranges from limited service to luxury hotels and resorts under the flags of Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Bulgari, The Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites, and Fairfield Inn brand names. The company also develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club International, The Ritz-Carlton Club, Grand Residences by Marriott, and Horizons brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; and provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; operates conference centers; and manages golf courses.

Mr. Marriott serves as a director of the United States Naval Academy Foundation.  He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the National Geographic Society, The J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation and the National Business Council.  He is a member of the executive committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council and the chairman of the President�s Export Council, a presidential advisory committee on export trade.  Mr. Marriott is a member of the Secure Borders Open Doors Advisory Committee (SBODAC), and a former member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB).  In addition, he serves as Chairman of the Leadership Council of the Laura Bush Foundation for America�s Libraries.

The ISHC Pioneer Award was established in 1996, honoring those in the lodging community based on three criteria: active involvement in the industry, extensive contribution to the industry, and personal/organizational attributes and qualities.  Further details on specific criteria supporting these general categories can be found on the ISHC Website.

Co-hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and the Burba Hotel Network (BHN), the two-and-a-half-day ALIS event features an extensive array of seminars and panels hosted by leading experts and investors discussing important trends and identifying new opportunities.  The conference attracts the lodging industry�s leading hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers, and professional advisory community. Proceeds from ALIS benefit the educational, research, and training missions of the Educational Institute (EI) of the American Hotel & Lodging Education Foundation (AH&LEF), AH&LA�s nonprofit affiliate.

The 2009 event will be held January 26-28, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. Online registration is available via the ALIS Website.  For general event information and sponsorship opportunities, contact Jonathon Zink, BHN conference manager, at (714) 540-9300 or [email protected].  Press interested in more information on ALIS are invited to contact Jessica Soklow, AH&LA media relations manager, at [email protected].

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.

AH&LEF is the charitable fund-raising and endowed fund-management subsidiary of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Founded in 1953, AH&LEF is the premier organization for scholarships, professional certification, and instructional material as well as funding for hospitality industry research.

With more than two decades of experience and over 60 events completed to date, BHN is the worldwide leader in developing and organizing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. BHN conferences have become �must attend� events for industry leaders who come together to network, conduct business, and to learn about the latest trends.  In addition to ALIS, BHN events include: the Central America Tourism & Hotel Investment Exchange (CATHIE) taking place in Managua in 2009; the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC) taking place in Bermuda in 2009; Digital Discovery Day (D3) in New York; the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong; the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Mumbai; and the PATA CEO Challenge in Bangkok.  The BHN Website at www.burba.com is the gateway for information about the conferences BHN produces, as well as a direct link to important players in the hospitality investment world.
 

Jessica Soklow 
AH&LA
([email protected])