NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex’s Annual Hotel Conference, the UK’s leading conference for the hospitality industry to learn, network and share their visions for the future and strategies for success, took place October 3-4 at the Manchester Central Convention Complex. The event brought together more than 1,000 UK hospitality investment professionals – from hotel brands, operators and owners, to investors, asset managers, destination management agencies and local government representatives. The 2022 event was larger than the 2019 event in revenue by over 30% and was attended by 23% more investors and 35% new delegates. Annual Hotel Conference sponsors included the world’s largest and leading hotel companies, such as Marriott, Choice Hotels, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham and Radisson, who collectively brand 1,159 hotels or the equivalent of 182,384 rooms in the UK.
Alexi Khajavi, Group President, Questex said, “To achieve revenue growth of 30% in 2022 over our prior year record in 2019 is simply phenomenal. However, our benchmarks have always been about the quality of attendees and sponsors and Annual Hotel Conference delivered the UK hospitality sector’s best and brightest in 2022 with a bevy of deals being negotiated and closed over the two days in Manchester.”
Rustom Vickers, Head of Development, Choice Hotels EMEA said, “The conference surpassed our expectations, not only on making new & very relevant connections, but also on generating new & tangible leads for projects that suited well our refreshed brands & value proposition.”
Neil Kirk, Chief Operating Officer, L+R Hotels said, “L+R Hotels remains committed to the UK hotel sector in these turbulent times. Annual Hotel Conference in Manchester provides one of the best opportunities to meet other investors, partners and other industry colleagues to discuss current investment themes, share information and generally get a sense of the market.”
Annual Hotel Conference delegates found the event productive. Tina Yu, Principal, KSL Capital Partners said, “The impact Annual Hotel Conference delivers is to bring this mix of people who perhaps never would gather together to learn from each other.” Deirdre Wells, CEO, Visit Kent echoed that sentiment, “Anybody who is anybody is here and there is buzz around creating great business.”
The appeal and relevance of Annual Hotel Conference for the UK hospitality investment community is clear. The number of delegates and sponsors, new and existing, that commit valuable resource to this event. Regardless of market conditions, the industry clearly sees material value in coming together, to navigate challenging times or to unlock and capitalize on opportunities. As the market continues to professionalize, stakeholder alignment and education is key, and Annual Hotel Conference provides a unique, curated experience which facilitates both. At the heart of the hospitality industry is its people, and the hotel investment community therefore see the true value in human interaction which is reflected in the demand for Annual Hotel Conference.
To learn more about Annual Hotel Conference, visit https://www.theahc.co.uk.
About Questex
Questex helps people live better and longer. Questex brings people together in the markets that help people live better: travel, hospitality and wellness; the industries that help people live longer: life science and healthcare; and the technologies that enable and fuel these new experiences. We live in the experience economy – connecting our ecosystem through live events, surrounded by data insights and digital communities. We deliver experience and real results. It happens here.
Media Contacts
Kate Spellman
Chief Marketing Officer
Questex
kspellman@questex.com
212 895 8488
Leah Braithwaite
Marketing Director
Annual Hotel Conference
lbraithwaite@questex.com