The Panic of 2008 will create great opportunities and lethal traps. It no longer matters whether the Bailout Bill passes . . . you will make your own destiny.

The Panic of 2008 is creating investment opportunities and hazards that haven't been seen for decades. Whether or not the $700 billion bailout bill passes, many will go bankrupt. Many will get rich. But many hundreds of billions of dollars of assets will change hands in the coming months. Cash will be king. Due diligence will matter, and you will find out who your friends really are.

In this article, I want to give you one hotel lawyer's collection of "idea nuggets" gathered at the recent Phoenix Lodging Conference, some data presented there by the experts, and tell you why the deleveraging of the economy – and the hospitality industry – will create opportunities and problems of the greatest magnitude in recent memory.

Just as Hetty Green loved her children, I love a vibrant, healthy economy and a prospering lodging industry. But I don't have any silver bullets when the spirits of panic and financial crisis present themselves. So like Hetty Green, next to a vibrant economy, I can find much to love about a good panic. The opportunities are incredible, and they are finally upon us.

Click here to read the full article

Jim Butler
+1 310 201 3526
JMBM