April Event to Feature Industry Luminaries and Special Guest Speaker John Fish, Boston Olympic Bid Champion

BOSTON, March 18, 2015—Officials of the Hotel Equity & Lender Perspectives (HELP) Conference today released the full agenda for its fourth annual gathering to be held April 13-14, 2015, at the Seaport Hotel in Boston. In addition to previously announced special guest speaker, John Fish, leader of the effort to bring the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics back to Boston, the conference will feature such industry experts as Rachel Roginsky, principal, Pinnacle Advisory Group and ISHC President; Ting Ting Yan, account planner, Google Travel; and Rob Palleschi, global head, full service brands, Hilton Worldwide.

“We have another full slate of industry experts discussing all facets of debt, equity and the issues surrounding the value of hotel investments,” said Ken Wilson, HELP Conference co-chairman and founding partner of CHMWarnick. “There is no better event to take the financial temperature of the industry, and in light of the on-going uptick in both hotel valuations and property level performance, there may be no more important time than now for hoteliers to gauge where their properties stand today.”

This year’s panel topics include,

  • Crowdfunding vs. Private Equity: A Sea Change for Equity Raises?
  • Asset Management: Lifeguards for Investors
  • EB5, CMBS & Traditional Lending: Fair Winds or Cross Currents
  • Urban Timeshare: Will this Equity Component Make a Splash?

“With the previously announced return of Lee Pillsbury of Thayer Lodging Group and John Fish added to our group of expert speakers and panelists, HELP will provide unique insights into the hospitality industry that you won’t find at any other conference,” said Jim O’Connell, HELP Conference co-chair and principal of O’Connell Hospitality Group LLC. “We also pride ourselves on our truly unique networking opportunities, including our ‘HELP Dine Around’ at some of Boston’s finest restaurants, and Late Night @HELP, our afterhours event where people have an opportunity to relax and interact on a social level. We believe this year’s HELP will be our finest event yet offering something for everyone in the industry.”