Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference (RHIC) to Discuss Real Estate Development at Leading Russian Airports

The Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference (RHIC) reveals a new session added to the 2009 conference program that will discuss the pros and cons of real estate development at Russia’s leading airports. Held Monday 26 October at 14:15 -15:15, the session will examine possible opportunities presented by the planned real estate developments at Russia’s leading airports and how comparable it could be to the success of other gateway cities around the globe.

The session will be moderated by Alexander Skoblo, Partner & Head of Russian Hotels & Hospitality, Salans and participating panelists include Viktor Konyashchenkov, Advisor to General Director of Development, Pulkovo Airport, St. Peterburg; Evgeny Chudnovsky, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Koltsovo Invest, Renova Project; and Alexis Delaroff, Director of Operations Russia-CIS, RMHC LLC (Accor Hospitality).

“As Russia develops national hubs and international gateways, airport real estate development should see growth comparable to that of gateway cities around the world, on the condition that local authorities promote the projects, that alternative downtown locations become saturated and that the developed infrastructure offers first-class amenities for time-constrained guests and business travellers,” Skoblo said.

“Our conference theme revolves around driving profits in challenging times and this session will showcase opportunities available at the key City Airports in Russia despite the obstacles currently facing the hotel investment community,” stated Jonathan Worsley, co-organiser of the RHIC. “The emphasis on the real estate around Russia’s leading airports is a timely and interesting topic especially if Russia is able to repeat the success seen around the globe in other cities.”

The Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference will be held 25-27 October 2009 at the Corinthia Hotel, St. Petersburg, where industry leaders will discuss investment opportunities, brand and contract issues and listen to hospitality leaders from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi and Kiev. The Conference also includes networking receptions at the Corinthia Hotel on Sunday 25 October and at the Grand Hotel Europe on Monday 26 October to meet and mingle with investors, operators, advisors and country officials.

Click here to view the detailed programme or to download a copy of the full conference programme as a PDF.

Sponsors and supporters:

Platinum Sponsors confirmed to date include: Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels (Founder Sponsor); Corinthia Hotels; Grand Hotel Europe; Horwath HTL Hungary & Russia; Orient-Express Hotels and The Rezidor Hotel Group.

Gold Sponsors: Accor Hospitality; AZIMUT Hotels Company; CMS; DLA Piper; DTZ Hospitality Group; Hilton Worldwide; InterContinental Hotels Group; Interstate Management Services; Jumeirah Group; Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.; Venture Investments and Yield Management; Warimpex AG and WATG.

Media Sponsors: Delinform; Destinations of the World News; Hotel Analyst; Hotel & Motel Management; Hotel Design; Hotel & Restaurant Magazine; Hotel & Restaurant Business Magazine Ukraine; Otelier; ProOtel Magazine; Magazine "Delovaya Nedvizimost"; Next Stop; Russia Now; «Sovremenny biznes. Otel’»; The Moscow Times; St Petersburg Investment Guide; SNIP and TTG Russia

Supporters: Cornell University School of Hotel Administration; Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, International Hotel & Restaurant Association; International Tourism Partnership. Pulkovo Airport and World Travel & Tourism Council.

About the organisers:

Bench Events - A Portal for the Hotel Industry | As organisers of top conferences for the hotel and investment industry, Bench Events is a growing entity which currently hosts hotel investment conferences in Berlin, Dubai and Moscow in partnership with other leading providers. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events is one of the organisers and founders of the International Hotel Investment Forum held each year in Berlin. In 2005, he was responsible for launching the successful Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai and in 2008, is hosting the Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference in Moscow. Worsley sits as an advisor to the World Travel & Tourism Council which represents many of the leading companies operating worldwide in the travel and tourism industry. He is also a shareholder and board director of STR Global which is the new entity for global benchmarking outside North America following the merger of The Bench, Smith Travel Research and Deloitte’s Hotel Benchmark. |

Questex Media Group, Inc. is a global, diversified business-to-business media organization serving multiple industries including hotel and hospitality, travel, technology, beauty, spa and other specialty industries. Strategically, Questex places a strong emphasis on serving the hospitality market and has created the HotelWorld Network, which provides access within all facets of the lodging industry. Questex's HotelWorld Network includes publications such as Hotel & Motel Management, Hotel Design, Luxury Hotelier and The Hotel Times. Also, the HotelWorld Network presents events including the International Hotel Investment Forum, HotelWorld Expo & Conference as part of International Hospitality Week, HOTEC events and the Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference. |

Gillian Powell
+44 (0)20 8297 2053
Questex