WASHINGTON, D.C., October 5 �The International Society of Hospitality Purchasers, Inc. (ISHP) today announced it will hold its second annual fundraising event to benefit Camp Pacific Heartland, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing summer camping opportunities for children and adolescents infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.  The event will be held Friday, November 9th, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Metropolis Room at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in Times Square, in conjunction with the International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show. 

The charity fundraiser is a private cocktail party at which a limited number of vendors will have an opportunity to meet with the nation�s leading purchasing professionals.  Attendees will contribute a tax deductible $2,500 to participate in the event.  Last year, the event raised $75,000.  For the full year, ISHP raised more than $100,000 to help Camp Pacific Heartland.

�ISHP has quickly become our second largest single source of funds,� said Lisa Cavanaugh, executive director of Camp Pacific Heartland.  �Through their generous work and individual and corporate contributions from the hotel industry, we were able to send more than 130 children to a week of summer camp this past August.�

The event allows suppliers to meet one-on-one with the nation�s top purchasing professionals in a relaxed atmosphere to establish new and build upon existing relationships. �While purchasing is based on a variety of factors, relationships and trust play a big role,� said Alan Benjamin, ISHP president and president of Boulder, Colorado-based Benjamin West LLLP.  �This event is a wonderful win-win situation.  It allows us to meet with new and existing suppliers in a comfortable setting, which has the potential to create new business opportunities while promoting a very worthy cause.  While we don�t track these things, I know anecdotally that a significant number of new business relationships were established as a direct result of last year�s fundraiser.�

ISHP members� common goal is to enhance the professionalism of hospitality purchasing by establishing high standards in ethics, efficiency, etiquette and education.  ISHP also works with colleges and universities to establish appropriate courses and education offerings.  Camp Pacific Heartland is the organization�s official charity.