Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) and Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Join Forces in new Singapore and Tokyo Conferences

Costa Mesa, CA, USA | The hosts and organizers of HICAP, Burba Hotel Network (BHN) and Horwath HTL announced today that HICAP will be launching two new events; HICAP UPDATE JAPAN and HICAP UPDATE SOUTHEAST ASIA with the support of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels (JLLH), a global leader in the hotel investment industry.

The two new events will be an extension of HICAP, which takes place every October in Hong Kong and is the region’s largest and longest-running hotel investment conference. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2009, HICAP continues to be the region’s essential event to attend.

With the creation of the HICAP UPDATE JAPAN and HICAP UPDATE SOUTH EAST ASIA, attendees will be presented with two targeted, high-end, one-day events focusing on major issues driving the hotel investment sector in these markets.

Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, which used to operate its own events in both cities (the former Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Conference in Singapore and Hotel Investment Forum in Tokyo), will have strong involvement in the two new conferences as a Founding Sponsor.

“We are very excited to be announcing the launch of these new events. In these rather interesting times, it made perfect sense for both parties to combine forces and come up with something more powerful. We believe that these two conferences will continue what JLLH started, but the history and success of HICAP, and the team behind it, bring greater depth and a new dimension to the events”, said Arthur de Haast, Global Chief Executive Officer of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.

Robert Hecker, Managing Director of Horwath HTL – Asia Pacific, agreed. “These new events will be an outstanding extension to HICAP, which will continue to be the region’s premier multiday hotel investment conference. The new events will be valuable and focused mid-year gatherings of the hotel investment community and will expand the HICAP reach into Japan and Southeast Asia.” Hecker added, “JLLH will also be joining us at the Hong Kong conference as a Patron of HICAP, which will add further strength to our efforts to deliver cutting edge information about the trends and opportunities in hotel investments in the region.”

Combining JLLH’s strong global and regional presence in the hotel investment arena with HICAP’s position as Asia Pacific’s oldest and largest industry event brings a powerful synergy to these new conferences,” said Jim Burba, President, BHN. “We are looking forward to working with JLLH and to providing two great new events to the Asia Pacific investment community”, Burba added.

Both HICAP UPDATE JAPAN and HICAP UPDATE SOUTHEAST ASIA will be held in May 2009, official dates and locations will be announced next week. Registration will open in February. HICAP information may be obtained by visiting

About the Hosts: BHN brings together more than two decades of experience in developing and organizing the world’s most prominent gatherings of the hotel and tourism investment community. At these events, nearly 70 conferences completed and/or in development, the investment community has come together to network, conduct business and to learn about the latest trends. They have become “must attend” events for those interested in hospitality real estate. In addition to HICAP UPDATE JAPAN and HICAP UPDATE SOUTHEAST ASIA, BHN events include: The Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in San Diego; the Central America Tourism & Hotel Investment Exchange (CATHIE) to be held in Managua in 2009; the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC) to be held in Bermuda in 2009; the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong, and the PATA CEO Challenge in Thailand. The BHN website at www.Burba.com is the gateway for the information about the conference BHN produces, as well as a direct link to important player in the hospitality investment world.

Horwath HTL – Asia Pacific since its establishment 1987, has been involved with over 2,000 projects throughout the region in all phases of the property lifecycle for clients ranging from individually held businesses to the world’s most prominent hotel companies, developers, lenders, investors and industrial corporations. Horwath HTL – Asia Pacific currently operates out of offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Sydney, Auckland and Honolulu and hosts hotel investment conferences in Hong Kong, Australia, China and India.