Patricia Gallardo presented with the 2014 Young Leader Award at IHIF

Gallardo is the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability and is based in Hong Kong. She is responsible for strategically developing and implementing the company's Sustainability Social Responsibility programs in over 80 Shangri-La, Traders and Kerry Hotels in over twenty countries including initiatives under five focus areas. Gallardo has been with Shangri-La Hotels since 2008 and has made an impressive impact on many aspects of their strategic Patricia Gallardo presented with the 2014 Young Leader Award at IHIF regional and global sustainability programs, including a training module rolled out to all 41,000 employees.

Andrea Belfanti, Executive Director ISHC commented: "The ISHC realizes the importance of recognizing the future leaders of the hospitality industry and Patricia is certainly one of those outstanding examples. She is truly passionate about her role in the hospitality industry and leads her team with an incredible determination. We hope the YLA continues to receive nominees of such high caliber in the coming years."

Candidates eligible for nomination for the IHIF Young Leader Award must be under 35 years of age, work in a hospitality-related field, have completed a significant project for his or her hotel/organization and be recognized by leaders of his or her own hotel/organization as an emerging leader.

The 2015 IHIF Conference will take place 2-4 March at the InterContinental Hotel Berlin, Germany. IHIF is known as THE place where deals get done and is Europe's largest gathering of senior-level global hotel industry leaders. Visit www.berlinconference.com for program details and to register for the 2015 event. For more information about the International Society of Hospitality Consultants please visit www.ISHC.com.

About Bench Events
Bench Events has a long track record of delivering, with its partners, the premier hotel investment events across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Bench Events' Chairman, Jonathan Worsley, works in association with the highly successful International Hotel Investment Forum which is now in its seventeenth year (www.berlinconference.com). In 2005, he was responsible for launching the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai (www.arabianconference.com); and in 2008 launched the Russia Patricia Gallardo presented with the 2014 Young Leader Award at IHIF & CIS Hotel Investment Conference (www.russia-cisconference.com). In 2011 Bench Events added two events to its portfolio, co-hosting the Turkey & Neighbours Hotel Investment Conference  (www.cathic.com) and launching the Africa Hotel Investment Forum which in 2013 was held in Nairobi, Kenya (www.africa-conference.com). In 2014 Bench Events will launch the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (www.restaurant-invest.com). Bench Events recently supported the Kenyan Red Cross following the Westgate Mall shootings and the anti- poaching efforts of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. www.benchevents.com.

About Questex Media Group
Questex Hospitality + Travel, the largest multimedia organization in the world dedicated to hospitality and travel, drives revenue, productivity and value creation for these related industries through strategic investment and deal-making forums, powerful lead-generation tools, interactive online business solutions, world-class events and industry-leading publications. Questex Hospitality + Travel operates throughout the United States and Americas regions, EMEA and Asia/Pacific through a variety of marketleading properties and services including International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) Berlin, North America Hotel Investment Conference, Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Conference, Asia Pacific Tourism Destination Investment Conference, Brasil Hospitality Investment Conference, Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference, Turkey & Neighbours Hotel Investment Conference, HOTEC Design North America and HOTEC Operations & Technology North America; lead generation portal HotelManagement.net; industry news delivery services in print, online and mobile worldwide via IHIF: Hotel Investment News along with Hotel Management and HA+D magazines. For more information please visit www.questex.com.