Industry Leaders Scheduled to Share Their Sentiments Relating to Hotel Investment in Russia & CIS Countries

Speaker: Howard J. Wolff, Senior Vice President, WATG
Session: Turning Troubling Trends Into Opportunities -- Hotel Planning, Design & Development

"Hotel development is a risky business," says Wolff. "Nine out of ten projects will never make it from conception to completion. This presentation will offer tips and tools to deal with dangerous development trends and will suggest how hoteliers can create a sustainable competitive advantage for their properties."

Moderator: Scott Antel, Partner, DLA Piper Russia
Session: How to Negotiate A Management Contract And Still Be Friends Afterwards

"A hotel management contract is a bit like a marriage contract. It's a long term commitment which requires from the outset fairness to both parties and an openness and a fair level of trust. Better to have a ceremony/negotiation civil than to start the journey out bickering," says Antel. "It is important to start out the relationship on an open and positive note and keep that relationship going. In Russia, you have got to show the value you bring and be open about what you do on a daily basis and the contract should reflect that commitment. This session's panelists will share their experience and knowledge in this area."

Moderator: Simon Hudspeth, Director-Head of International Hotel Advisory Services, Christie + Co Session: The Rise of Hotel Chains From Russia & CIS - How Competitive Will They Be?

"This timely panel session will explore the benefits to customers and investors of 'domestic' brands and hotel chains in comparison with the offer provided by the 'global' chains," says Hudspeth. "This panel has leaders from Heliopark Group, a ' domestic’ Russian hotel developer/owner/operator, and the ‘global’ chains Hyatt and Accor Hospitality. One of the main topics for debate will be how the ‘national/domestic/regional’ hotel chains and brands should best position themselves against the ‘international/global’ brands. Other main topics include how do hotel customers choose between them and how do hotel developers/owners/investors choose between them on a project by project basis."

Panelist: Jennifer Fox, Chief Operating Officer, InterContinental Hotels Group
Session: What Are the Opportunities and Risk to Develop and Operate Luxury Hotels In Russia & CIS?

"Quality is not an option in today's luxury market. It's no longer a differentiator - its a hygiene factor. Luxury guests are sophisticated global travellers and their expectations are rightly so, very high. And quality must be inherent in everything you do from the point of reservation to check out. It is imperative you consider every interaction. If you can not deliver a quality guest experience today, you can not compete on any level. Luxury developers need to be aware of this from the very start."

Moderator: Davor G. Gjivoje, Chairman of Networld, Inc.
Session: Inbound and Outbound Investment Opportunities

"My esteemed panel of industry leaders and I will discuss not only the most attractive areas for investment but how to simplify the investment process and overcome obstacles so the process is safe, smooth and successful," said Gjivoje. Panelists include professionals from HVS Hodges Ward Elliott, Azimut Hotels Company, International Hotel Investments and JSC Zheldoripoteka.

To access a full list of participating speakers and review the conference program in detail, please visit:

The Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference will run from October 21-22, 2008 at the Ritz-Carlton, Moscow, and is jointly organised by Bench Events and Questex Media Group, Inc.

Sponsors and supporters:

Platinum Sponsors confirmed to date include: Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels (Founder Sponsor); Horwath HTL Hungary & Russia; Hilton Hotels; The Rezidor Hotel Group

Gold Sponsors: Accor Hospitality; AZIMUT Hotels Company; Christie + Co; CMS; Corinthia Hotels; DTZ Hospitality Group; Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow; HVS; InterContinental Hotels Group; Interstate Management Services; King Sturge; Korston Group; Salans; Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc; UMACO; Warimpex AG; WATG and Wyndham Hotel Group International

Media Sponsors: Arch Journal, Destinations of the World News, Breaking Travel News, Design & Interior Russia, GlobalHotelNetwork.com, Hotel Analyst, Hotel & Motel Management, Hotel & Restaurant Russia, Hotel Design, Luxury Hotelier, SNIP, The Hotel Times, The Moscow Times, Tourism ROI and TTG Russia.

Supporters: Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, International Hotel & Restaurant Association; International Tourism Partnership, NativeEnergy, Troy Group and World Travel & Tourism Council.

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: 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.