ALIS Delegates Optimistic About the Economy in 2010

Survey results show 75% of the respondents believe an economic turnaround for the hotel industry will begin in 2010, with the largest share predicting a turnaround in the third quarter of the year. The delegates were very evenly split in their overall RevPar expectations for 2010, but over 60% of the respondents believe their companies’ revenues will increase over 2009 levels.

“In listening to our delegates, there appears to be a change in mood when compared to a year ago, albeit still some caution,” said ALIS Chair and BHN President Jim Burba. “At last year’s ALIS, the mood was certainly impacted by the free-fall the capital markets experienced in late 2008. The fact that the capital markets are calmer today and showing some modest signs of life again will no doubt translate into a more positive mood at ALIS when compared to last January.”

ALIS features an extensive array of seminars and panels hosted by leading experts and investors discussing important trends and identifying new opportunities. The conference attracts the lodging industry’s leading hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers, and professional advisory community. Proceeds from ALIS benefit the educational, research, and training missions of the American Hotel & Lodging Education Foundation (AH&LEF), AH&LA’s nonprofit affiliate.

Online registration is available at .

Serving the hospitality industry for 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.

BHN is the worldwide leader in developing and organizing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. With more than two decades of experience, over 70 events completed to date, and more than 56,000 international delegates, BHN conferences have become “must attend” events for industry leaders who come together to network, conduct business and to learn about the latest trends. BHN events include: the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in San Diego; the ALIS Summer Update in Los Angeles; the Central America Tourism & Hotel Investment Exchange (CATHIE); the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami; the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong; HICAP UPDATE Singapore; HICAP UPDATE Japan in Tokyo; and the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Mumbai. 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.