San Diego, With uncertainty about the economy taking center stage globally, especially in light of the recent U.S. election, the 2009 Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) will be bringing back the popular and insightful keynote speaker Mr. Gene Sperling, former White House National Economic Advisor under the Clinton administration and former Director of the National Economic Council.

Sperling will discuss current and future challenges and opportunities for hotel investment and give his thoughts about where the economy is headed during the conference, January 26-28, 2009. Sperling, who addressed ALIS delegates last year, will address the audience of hotel executives, investors, developers, and professional financial advisors and will be offering a realistic comparison of where we are, and most importantly, answer attendees’ anxious questions: Where the economy is headed? How long will the recession be? How deep is it and when does it end?

In addition to his economic experience in the White House, Sperling is a senior fellow for economic studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and also at the Center for American Progress. Sperling, once called the “MVP” of the economic team by President Clinton, is a contributing editor to Bloomberg News and regularly provides economic commentary on programs including Meet the Press, Face the Nation, This Week, CNN's Late Edition, Nightline, and Good Morning America on the issues of the Federal Reserve, tax policy, social security, housing, budget, and consumer confidence.

“We are thrilled to once again add Gene to the program for our next event,” said BHN President and Conference Chair Jim Burba. “After attending ALIS last year, he knows our audience’s concerns well, and can provide actionable information on how they can overcome challenges both today and well into the future based on the world’s overall unsettled economy.”

Sperling will provide the keynote address, “A Focus on the Economy,” on Monday, January 26. In addition to Sperling’s critical analysis of the economy, additional ALIS programming includes a variety of sessions and workshops on topics including capital markets and finance, owner investments and asset management, development, acquisitions, management and franchising, vacation ownership, international opportunities, and green hotels.

ALIS will be held January 26-28, 2009 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. Proceeds from the conference benefit the educational, research, and training missions of the Educational Institute (EI) of the American Hotel & Lodging Education Foundation (AH&LEF), AH&LA’s not-for-profit affiliate. For general event information, online registration, and sponsor opportunities, contact Jonathon Zink, BHN conference manager, at (714) 540-9300 or [email protected], or visit the ALIS Website. For information on the AH&LA or AH&LEF, visit www.ahla.com. 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 65 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.

Rosanna Maietta
AH&LA