Pictured L to R: Kerry Gumas, Questex Media; Patricia Gallardo, Shangri-La Hotels; Andrea Belfanti Executive Director ISHC — Photo by ISHC

The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC), in partnership with the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) has announced they are accepting nominations for the 2015 Young Leader Award. This will be the seventh year the two organizations have joined together to recognize a Young Leader in the Hospitality Industry.

Recipient of the 2014 award, Patricia Gallardo, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability at Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd commented on the impact of receiving the award; "I have been truly humbled to receive the award which for me affirms that hospitality stands to win if it balances people, planet & profit. I applaud the IHIF for being bold & recognising leadership beyond traditional hoteliers. I would like to see more nominations from underrepresented countries, innovative & disruptive leadership and look forward to being inspired by individuals who can bring the industry forward".

Andrea Belfanti, Executive Director at ISHC commented; "ISHC is proud to once again partner with IHIF in recognizing a young leader in the hospitality industry. The past nominees and winners represent the very best and brightest in the industry and we are looking forward to another year of inspiring nominations and an outstanding winner in 2015.

Candidates must be 35 years of age or younger, have significant experience in a hospitality-related field, be recognized as a leader and have completed, as part of a team or individually, an important project for the hotel or hospitality company. The IHIF Conference will be 2-4 March 2015 in Berlin at the InterContinental Hotel

To download a nomination form, please visit www.ishc.com and select the Awards section under About ISHC or click here. Nominations must be submitted by midnight GMT 16 January 2015 to Karla Smith, Director Membership Services ISHC, [email protected]. Please note that all candidates need to be nominated by another person from within their organization or someone with direct work experience with the nominee.

About Questex

Questex Hospitality + Travel, the largest multimedia organization in the world dedicated to travel and lodging, 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 also provides business development, marketing and training services to national tourism organizations/destination marketing associations, hotel, gaming, resort and cruise companies, online travel agencies and travel advisors worldwide. Questex Hospitality + Travel is a division of Questex, a leading global business information company headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts, with offices throughout the world. Questex drives business investment, innovation and demand creation in its target markets by bringing investors, buyers, sellers and professionals together through a wide range of business events, informing them through business information and intelligence products and supporting marketers with a comprehensive platform of demand-generation, lead-generation, branding, digital media, events and marketing products and services produced by a professional staff and delivered worldwide. For more information, visit www.questex.com.

About IHIF

The International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), produced by Questex in partnership with Bench Events, is the premier hotel investment conference in the world, attracting the most prominent international hotel owners, investors, financiers, management companies, tourism and government officials and advisers. Held in Berlin every March, the three-day event is attended by nearly 2,000 people from over 70 countries. Tactical education and networking functions deliver a powerful return on investment, valuable connections and opportunities for business expansion. Participants gain knowledge of industry trends, available financing and prospective growth markets from experts in the hotel industry. Other events within the IHIF series include: North America Hotel Investment Conference (NATHIC), Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Conference (APHIC), Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference (RHIC) and Mediterranean Resort & Hotel Real Estate Forum (MR&H). For more information, visit www.ihif.com.

About ISHC

The International Society of Hospitality Consultants is truly The Leading Source for Global Hospitality Expertise, represented by over two hundred of the industry's most respected professionals from across six continents. Collectively, ISHC members provide expert services in over fifty functional areas and have specialized skills in virtually every segment of the hospitality industry. ISHC is dedicated to promoting the highest quality of professional consulting standards and practices for the hospitality industry. Candidates undergo a rigorous screening process, ensuring that all ISHC members have a reputation of integrity and are qualified by their experience, training, and knowledge to develop and express sound judgment on industry issues. Additional information about the organization, along with a directory of ISHC members, is available on the ISHC website at ishc.com.

Karla Smith
Director Membership Services
404.542.0159
ISHC