Each association will bring unique perspectives and insights to the conference programming, and ensure the entire digital signage industry is represented

NEW YORK, Dec. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex’s Digital Signage Experience 2022 (DSE), the preeminent event and digital platform for the digital signage industry, today announces that leading industry associations will join the conference as an industry partner. DSE takes place March 22-24, 2022 in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center. These associations will join the Digital Signage Federation as Association Partners at the show.

“We are delighted the industry is supporting the new DSE,” said Marian Sandberg, VP/Market Leader for DSE. “Each association will bring unique perspectives and insights to the conference and will ensure the entire digital signage industry is represented. We look forward to bringing the industry together in March.”

OAAA is the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) – and the national trade association for the United States out of home advertising (OOH) industry, which includes digital out of home (DOOH), and is comprised of billboards, street furniture, transit advertising, and place-based media. Comprised of 800+ member media companies, advertisers, agencies, ad-tech providers, and suppliers that represent over 90 percent of the industry, OAAA is a unified voice, an authoritative thought leader, and a passionate advocate that protects, unites, and advances OOH advertising in the United States.

“We are thrilled to be an Association Partner and support the return of DSE, an event that drives the industry forward,” said Anna Bager, President and CEO of OAAA.

DPAA is the global trade marketing association, driving the digitization of out-of-home (OOH) media and its growing role in the Omnichannel mix. Membership in the DPAA community brings many business acceleration benefits and connection benefits. DPAA members participate in a variety of member services and products. DPAA also offers members an extensive database of research, best practices and case studies; tools for planning, training and forecasting; social media amplification of news; insights on software and hardware solutions.

“We are happy to support Digital Signage Experience and the return of this industry trade show,” said Barry Frey, President & CEO of DPAA.

SEGD is the Society of Experiential Graphic Design, a global, multidisciplinary community of professionals who plan, design, and build experiences that connect people to place. With over 2,200 members from 40 countries, SEGD members backgrounds range across graphic, media, interaction, exhibition and industrial designers, fabricators, architects, technology integrators, brand strategists and others who have a hand in shaping content-rich, experiential spaces.

“We are excited to collaborate with DSE 2022 on select speakers and content for the event,” shares Cybelle Jones, CEO of SEGD. “This is a great opportunity to share what is driving audience engagement in experience design and digital signage.”

Registration for DSE 2022 is now open. To learn more and register at early registration rates, visit www.digitalsignageexperience.com. Stay in contact with DSE on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Digital Signage Experience (DSE)
Digital Signage Experience (DSE) is the preeminent event and digital platform for the digital signage industry, showcasing innovations in technology, market applications and creative educational content. With an increased focus on reaching key end-user markets for digital solutions and experiences, DSE will harness other audiences and platforms in hotels, hospitality, travel, healthcare, entertainment, education, sensors and communications technology and more. DSE takes place March 22-24, 2022 in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

About Questex
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 Contact
Sonal Patel
Digital Signage Experience (DSE)
917 858 0390
[email protected]

Half-day virtual show will recognize Fierce Leaders, Fierce Educators and Fierce Technologists

NEW YORK, Dec. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex’s Fierce Education brand, which is dedicated to rethinking higher education in a blended learning world, will host the 2021 Fierce Leaders in Higher Ed half-day digital event on December 8. The event will showcase those higher education leaders, educators and technologists that are embracing innovative ways of teaching, technologies and methods in this new hybrid learning environment.

Attendees will hear directly from nine higher educational professionals, nominated by their peers and selected by Fierce Education, and learn how they overcame the challenges during the past 18 months to better engage students, ensure accessibility and evaluate new business models to attract and retain students.

Speakers include:

Eric Bing, Chancellor, The College of Health Care Professions

Greg Flanik, Chief Information Officer, Baldwin Wallace University

Dr. Kayunta Johnson-Winters, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Arlington

Dr. Joe Sallustio, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Claremont Lincoln University

Dr. Eva Ponce, Executive Director, MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management
Dr. Stefani Boyer, Professor, Professor of Marketing, Bryant University

Dr. Krishna Pakala, Assistant Professor, Mechanical & Biomedical Engineering, Boise State University

Dr. Mira Lalovic-Hand, Senior Vice President and CIO, Rowan University

J. Cody Moyer, Associate Dean, Online Learning and Academic Support, Polk State College

“There are so many terrific stories of educators, leaders and technologies who are embracing innovative teaching practices and new technologies in this new blended learning environment,” said Kathleen Connolly, VP of Fierce Education. “We created this event to recognize these extraordinary individuals and have them share their successes with our audience with the hope that they could use these stories as inspiration to replicate at their institutions.”

To register to attend the 2021 Fierce Leaders in Higher Ed event, click here.

Course Hero is the diamond sponsor of the 2021 Fierce Leaders in Higher Ed event and Harriet Seitler, EVP will be interviewing Dr Michael Baston, President, Rockland Community College. 

Higher education leaders, educators or technologists interested in speaking or sponsoring at future events, click here. To nominate a Fierce Educator, click here, to nominate a Fierce Education Technologist, click here and to nominate a Fierce Education Leader, click here.

About Fierce Education
Fierce Education is the place where higher education leaders, faculty and those driving technology adoption decisions in education can access proven methods and best practices in distance and blended learning. Targeted to higher education faculty; presidents, deans, provosts and chief academic officers; directors of online, distance, e-learning; and CIO, CTO and directors in charge of online education systems, Fierce Education covers the intersection where faculty and student needs meet and highlights the people, products and places. Fierce Education delivers the higher education audience with news, analysis, best practices and data around accessibility, connectivity & equity, assessment & analytics, security & privacy, to the cloud and supporting business continuity in higher education.

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 Contact
Kathleen Connolly
Vice President and Market Leader
Fierce Education
[email protected]  

Doing the right thing by people and the planet – workforce and ESG are high on everyone’s agenda

LONDON, Nov. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex’s The Annual Hotel Conference welcomed more than 800 senior delegates to the Manchester Central Convention Complex on 22-23 November 2021 to learn, network and be inspired.

The AHC is part of the International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF), and attracts a senior audience of leading investors, developers and operators from across the UK hospitality sector.

More than 100 industry-expert speakers took to the stage over the two-day event, including senior leaders from global hotel brands;  Adela Cristea, Vice President, Head of Business Development UK & Ireland, Radisson Hotel Group, Satya Anand, President, EMEA, Marriott International, Stephen Cassidy, Senior Vice President & Managing Director UK, Ireland & Israel, Hilton, Philip Lassman, Vice President Development Northern Europe (UK&I, Benelux & Nordics), Accor, Dimitris Manikis, President & MD EMEA, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Karin Sheppard, Senior Vice President & Managing Director Europe, IHG and Camil Yazbeck, Senior Vice President, Head of Development Northern Europe, Accor. The full speaker lineup can be viewed here.

Speakers delivered their views, strategies and visions for the future across four stages: vision, collaboration, innovation and transformation that represented the four pillars that underpinned this year’s theme ‘Change for Good.’

There was a real sense of collective excitement and energy, and a renewed optimism for not only the recovery but also the opportunity to reset and reconsider the hospitality industry as a whole. People’s passions have seemingly been reignited. The idea of a ‘responsible recovery’ was discussed throughout the event.

The hospitality industry is emerging from the pandemic with a long list of changed priorities. Values – in contrast to value for money – are creating new challenges for the hospitality industry. Sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social Governance) are becoming ever-more important priorities for customers, operators, employees and owners.

Three inspiring leaders – Satya Anand, President EMEA, Marriott International, Dimitris Manikis, President & MD EMEA, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Karin Sheppard, SVP and MD Europe, IHG, discussed the characteristics of a ‘good brand,’ how people are increasingly conscious of ESG and that travel has become more purposeful. Manikis said, “ESG brings a unique opportunity to bring back young people into this sector. The future leaders of our industry — doing the right thing for humanity will bring the right people back.”

Karin Sheppard followed this up with the strong statement; “The best we can do today, is not the best we can do tomorrow. Be humble that we are all here to learn and we don’t have all the answers but without steep ambitions nothing will ever change.”

ESG came into sharp focus during the ‘Serviced Living — Capturing the New Demand’ session when Robert Godwin, Managing Director, Lamington Group made clear his strong feelings “with passion and intent there are ways to deliver truly sustainable buildings” and shared his company’s mission to deliver fully net zero carbon hotels in their portfolio.

Lamington Group recently launched Room2 Chiswick, its first net zero carbon offering which is 89% more energy efficient than other hotels in the UK. It’s 100% electric, has a blue roof that can hold 50,000 litres of rainwater that filters down for use in the hotel and is covered with 200 tonnes of soil to grow a green roof to encourage biodiversity and insulate the building. Occupancy sensors inside the building manage heating lighting and cooling to provide energy efficiency savings.

Labour shortages are affecting the industry in a huge way and fixing the reputation of the hospitality industry is vital if staffing shortages are to be alleviated. The industry has an unfortunate association with long hours and low pay, something which was highlighted by keynote speaker Gary Neville, who owns GG Hospitality and runs the Stock Exchange and Hotel Football; “Hospitality staff have been treated poorly for far too long and the pandemic has highlighted that for me. People come first and they need trust and flexibility, empathy and compassion.”

In the ‘Power to the People’ session, Chris Mumford, Founder, Cervus Leadership Consulting, David Orr, CEO, Resident Hotels, Thomas Greenall, CEO, Bespoke Hotels and Harry Cragoe, Owner of The Galivant / Costel Hotels joined forces to address the supply of labour that has resulted in an awareness amongst hotel managers of the wellbeing of their staff.

Harry Cragoe said his business “is all about creating happiness” and he wants happy employees because it means guests are likely to be happy. At The Gallivant, mini-bonuses of £10 are handed out each time a staff member is name checked by guests giving end-of-stay feedback. Monthly totals can be as much as £300-£400, said Cragoe.

Nicholas Northam, who leads Interstate’s white-label operations at more than 120 hotels in the UK, Ireland, Continental Europe, Russia and CIS, said the labour shortage was less about the number of people available for work and more about the skills of potential employees.

“We are looking at many different ways to find the talent we need,” Northam said. Among the programmes that may have previously fallen foul of a company’s behavioural sensibilities, Interstate has set up what he called “academies” in some UK prisons. Thanks to Interstate, Northam said, inmates were receiving instruction on kitchen and housekeeping roles. 

Chris Dexter, CEO of Kew Green, in a directly political appeal to the UK Government about relieving pressure in the labour market said: “Open up the visa channels.” Pay rates were rising, he said, but jobs remained unfilled because there were insufficient numbers of people available for work.

Whilst the audience enjoyed hearing the anecdotal insights from the industry’s leading minds and the opportunity to learn from how they restrategised following such a difficult period, cold hard numbers always win the day.

Thomas Emanuel, Director of STR hosted ‘Decoding the Revenue Data’ in which he gave comprehensive industry analysis — including how the UK has consistently outperformed Europe as a whole, and that Q3 UK occupancy had returned to pre-Covid levels: however, London and other large cities lag behind due to decreased international travel.

In ‘Profits & Pricing’ Michel Grove, Chief Operating Officer at HotStats, and Joe Stather Director, OPRE, Hotels, CBRE Hotels, asked do hotels still appeal to the investor community? Their discussion drew the conclusion that investor demands actually outstrip supply, which is supporting relatively buoyant pricing and in turn an increased number of deals is expected in 2022. They identified that profitability is weakest in London and the gateway cities, however these markets are seeing the strongest investor demand. The growing interest in alternative real estate is also being fuelled by increased investor demand.

Looking ahead, The AHC 2022 will take place on the 3-4th October at The Manchester Central Convention Complex. Visit theahc.co.uk for more information as registration will open in the coming weeks.

NOTES TO EDITORS

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 Contact

Leah Braithwaite  
Marketing Director, Hotel Investment
[email protected]  
(0)203 318 8340

NEW YORK, Nov. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Coming off a successful 2021 hosted buyer meeting cycle, Questex today announces the expansion of its Hotec portfolio into the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region. As part of this expansion, the Hotec Europe event will be renamed Hotec EMEA, further solidifying its growth within continental Europe, and focusing on bringing together a new reach of hospitality buyers and suppliers. The inaugural event will be held 21-24 September 2022 at the Tivoli Marina Vilamoura Algarve Resort in Portugal.

The most recent edition of Hotec Europe took place from the 26-29th of October at the stunning Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort in Portugal after an almost two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The more than 45 buyers, designers and specifiers that came to meet one-to-one with 50 supplier companies, found the event to be welcoming, impactful and well worth the wait, with 86.5% of attendees saying they would gladly return.

In its 20+ year history, the Hotec brand has developed a high standard of bringing together innovative global suppliers with hospitality buyers, specifiers, procurement agencies, architects, developers and designers for three days of one-to-one meetings in a relaxed five-star setting conducive to building long-term relationships. The addition of Hotec EMEA, now paired alongside Hotec Design (US), Hotec Operations (US), and Hotec F&B (virtual – US) are all a part of Questex’s portfolio of hospitality events and media including the International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF), The Annual Hotel Conference (AHC) and the Resort & Residential Hospitality Forum (R&R). With a global platform of hospitality investors, operators, and developers, Questex provides an unparalleled holistic ecosystem for buyers to search for new products and services across borders, and likewise, for suppliers to meet with new decision-makers year-round.

Alexi Khajavi, Group President, Questex Travel & Hospitality, says, “Hotec is not just a meeting place, it’s a community built by and for passionate hospitality professionals who are looking to elevate the consumer experience through qualified matchmaking and educational content. What sets Hotec apart is the passion and craft that goes into carefully planning each event to ensure maximum connections. Further expanding our presence within the EMEA region will help global buyers and suppliers to get ahead of the rapidly changing customer expectations and global health and safety measures as we look to building a new world of hospitality. On behalf of Questex, I am incredibly excited for this new venture.”

Applications for Hotec EMEA 2022 will open in the coming weeks. Until then, we invite you to connect with Maritsa Samonas, Delegate Relations, [email protected] for buyer inquiries, or Mary Malloy, Event Director, [email protected] for supplier inquiries. Continue to follow us by visiting the current Hotec Europe website at www.hoteceu.com as well as on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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 CONTACT: 
Alexandra Aldridge
Marketing Director, Questex Travel & Hospitality
[email protected]
212-895-8284

NEW YORK, Nov. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex, a leading information services company, today announces it has launched a corporate sustainability initiative focused on a renewed environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy. With a mission to help the markets that help people live better and longer, Questex is focused on making the world a better place.

“From our employees to our communities and our customers, corporate sustainability is important to all Questex stakeholders,” said Paul Miller, CEO, Questex. “Research shows that companies with a strong corporate sustainability investments have better productivity. This strategic focus will not only help us grow the Questex business, but it will also allow us to drive positive change across the communities we serve.”

Questex has signed the “Net Zero Carbon Events” pledge, a joint commitment across the events and meetings industry to achieve the targets laid out in the Paris Climate Accord. The initiative is the first-ever collaboration in the meetings, conferences, exhibitions industry and the pledge commits Questex to achieve “net zero” by 2050, at the latest, and halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The pledge was presented at the Global Climate Summit COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Miller added, “We are delighted to be joining the ‘Net Zero Carbon Events initiative,’ as it will be through continued collaborative work throughout the events sector that we will be able to make swift and essential progress towards reducing the overall carbon footprint of events. We look forward to partnering with the Joint Meeting Industry Council (JMIC) and more than 100 stakeholders from across the sector to support the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).”
​
In addition to its impact on the environment, Questex has also instituted social and governance programs to drive positive change.

Social programs include:

Creation of Questex’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee
Questex communities are working with non-profits including CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees)​, Families for Effective Autism Treatment​, Las Vegas rescue Mission, UNLV Hospitality School​ and others
Work with minority owned local businesses for catering, cleaning and more
Providing employees with time off to vote in elections
Corporate Wellness initiatives for employees
LDI’s annual Pat MacKay Diversity in Design Scholarship award in partnership with TSDCA and USITT

Governance programs include:

Cybersecurity committee established
External security oversight
Multifactor authentication established across all platforms
Privacy policy compliant including GDPR, CCPA and CASL​
Governance Committee to manage bribery & corruption, risk and remuneration

Environmental programs include:

Hybrid working environment
Working with office facilities and vendors that are green friendly including building recycling and event production companies focused on green
Launch of Be Safe initiative
Display of carbon emission savings through virtual events

To learn more about Questex, visit www.questex.com.

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 Contact
Kate Spellman
Chief Marketing Officer
Questex
[email protected]
212 895 8488‬

As the leading independent voice for the digital signage industry, DSF will provide insightful, educational programming throughout the conference

NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex’s Digital Signage Experience 2022 (DSE), the preeminent event and digital platform for the digital signage industry, today announces the Digital Signage Federation (DSF) will join the conference as an Industry Association partner. DSE takes place March 22-24, 2022 in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

DSF is a not-for-profit independent voice of the digital signage industry, reflecting the diverse constituencies that make up the industry. Since its inception in 2010, DSF has provided a strong foundation for the advancement of the industry. DSF has established Privacy Standards that have been cited in national publications and before Congress. DSF has also established the Seal of Professional Excellence to provide a graphic representation of its members’ commitment to excellence in business practices.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Digital Signage Federation as an Industry Association partner for Digital Signage Experience 2022. The DSF has been a steadfast partner and proponent of the event since its inception and, with this critical relaunch of the event in 2022, we’re proud and grateful that the DSF has again endorsed the event now under new leadership by Questex,” said Marian Sandberg, VP/Market Leader for DSE at Questex.

As part of the agreement, the DSF will be featured as an official industry trade association sponsor of DSE. Members of the DSF will receive special association discounts for passes to the conference program as well as other association benefits. In addition, the DSF will be producing a track of live educational sessions leveraging its best-in-class online micro-credential course catalogue.

“We are excited to be collaborating with Digital Signage Experience and to be able to provide our members with tangible benefits to attend and exhibit,” said Len Dudis, Vice Chairman of the Digital Signage Federation Board of Directors. “For over a decade, our members have exhibited at the DSE’s predecessor event. We know how important attending education sessions, walking the show floor and days of networking are for our members and others in the ecosystem.”

To learn more about DSE 2022, visit www.digitalsignageexperience.com. Get on the Guestlist here.

For additional information about DSF member benefits or member renewals contact Brian Gorg, DSF Executive Director at [email protected]

Stay in contact with DSE on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About the Digital Signage Federation
The Digital Signage Federation (DSF) is the only not-for-profit independent voice of the digital signage industry, reflecting the diverse constituencies that make up our ecosystem. Our goal is to continue building a strong foundation for the advancement of the industry. To this end, we partner with our members and key organizations to provide education, networking, and advocacy to continue moving the growth of the industry forward. So, whether you are launching a new ad-based network or you’ve been around since the inception of digital signage, our hope is that through membership, you will find the resources you need to thrive.

About Digital Signage Experience (DSE)
Digital Signage Experience (DSE) is the preeminent event and digital platform for the digital signage industry, showcasing innovations in technology, market applications and creative educational content. With an increased focus on reaching key end-user markets for digital solutions and experiences, DSE will harness audiences and platforms in hotels, hospitality, travel, healthcare, entertainment, education, sensors and communications technology and more. DSE takes place March 22-24, 2022 in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

About Questex
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 Contact
Sonal Patel
Digital Signage Experience (DSE)
917 858 0390
[email protected]

 

NEW YORK, Nov. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex’s 22nd annual Hotec Europe event took place 26-29 October at the stunning Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort in Portugal after an almost two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The more than 45 buyers, designers and specifiers that came to meet one-to-one with 50 supplier companies, noticed a new face this year at Hotec Europe, Mary Malloy the now Global Event Director for Hotec Events. Mary has served as the Event Director for Hotec’s North America events for ten years and is well-known for her passionate and customer-oriented approach to creating exciting and lucrative event experiences for the hotel industry. As she takes on Hotec’s European portfolio, her goal is to build on the brand that Hotec has solidified in the market and further enhance the attendee experience with new networking opportunities, education, offsite excursions and more.

Hotec Europe 2021 kicked off with an inspiring, data-driven keynote from Thomas Emanuel, Director at STR, showcasing the resilience of the hospitality industry. Emanuel shared STR’s latest findings across the global hotel industry with a deep dive into Europe followed by a look at what to expect in the future, changes in the development pipeline and development hot spots.

Malloy says, “I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to connect with our Hotec EMEA community in person. The past 18 months has been a very challenging time for the hospitality industry, and it was clear onsite at the event just how much our buyers, designers and suppliers missed face-to-face meetings and networking. We are very excited this year to have also had a few of our North American suppliers join us in Portugal to take advantage of Hotec’s global offerings. I look forward to sharing plans for our 2022 events as we continue to create new experiences for our delegates and build the Hotec footprint.”

New to this year’s event was a joint welcome reception with the Resort & Residential Hospitality Forum (R&R) at the 5-star Tivoli Marina Vilamoura Hotel. Hotec delegates were able to network and make connections with senior-level investors, developers, master planners and architects all focused on the leisure segment while enjoying cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment.

Hotec Europe facilitated over 900 meetings over the course of the event in a one-to-one business environment conducive to relaxed networking.

“Excellent event with lots of good new contacts for me,” said Jean-Marcel van Griensven, Sales Director at TUUCI Europe B.V. “Great people and a very good opportunity to reconnect and share thoughts with people in the same industry. Many thanks to the team for the excellent organization.”

On the closing night, Hotec attendees were treated to a Great Gatsby themed farewell reception and dinner, giving delegates a chance to get dressed up in roaring 20s attire and connect with old and new colleagues while taking in the breathtaking scenery of the Algarve.

“It was great to meet Mary Malloy and the Team who did an outstanding job after 18 months of isolation,” said Brian Brennan, Projects Director – Building & Interior Design at Red Carnation Hotels and Uniworld River Cruises. “It was so good to be back together with industry professionals, some old dear friends and the new ones I made over these three days. A lot of very clever talented companies to meet and select for future collaborations plus, fun in the evenings socializing together, the farewell dinner was amazing.”

For those interested in becoming a supplier at a future Hotec event, please reach out to Mary Malloy. For those interested in being considered for a hosted buyer position, please reach out to Maritsa Samonas, Delegate Relations Specialist, Hospitality.

To learn more about Hotec Europe visit www.hoteceu.com.

Follow Hotec Europe on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

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 CONTACT: 

Michelle MacLeod

[email protected]

617-219-8346

NEW YORK, Nov. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex’s Hotel Management announces the fourth annual “Influential Women in Hospitality” list, showcasing women making a big impact on the hotel industry. 

The 2021 honorees were selected by the Hotel Management editorial staff for their persistence and dedication to excellence in hospitality. This esteemed group’s long list of accomplishments is both impressive and inspiring and Hotel Management is proud to showcase these talented, fearless women.

Hotel Management’s 2021 Influential Women in Hospitality:

Maki Bara, President & Co-Founder, Chartres Lodging Group
Judi Bikulege, Chief Investment Officer, Extended Stay America
Laura Brinkmann, VP Private Equity, Brookfield
Tina Burnett, Division Vice President Brand Performance, G6 Hospitality
Kristie Dickinson, Managing Director/EVP Business Development & Marketing, CHMWarnick
Dianne Jaskulske, VP of Management Contract Services & Owner Relations Americas, Hilton
Kristin Kitchen, Founder & CEO, Sojourn Heritage Accommodations
Jamelia Lehn, Senior Vice President, Belonging, Inclusion & People Strategies, Aimbridge
Rosanna Maietta, President & CEO, AHLA Foundation
Diane Mayer, VP and Global Brand Leader, Classic Select Brands, Marriott International
Suzanne Neufang, CEO & Executive Director, Global Business Travel Association
Eddy Nevarez, First Vice President of Investments, Marcus & Millichap
Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitality
Nimisha Patel, Partner, Vue Hotels
Tejal Patel, President & CEO, Neem Tree Hospitality
Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Global CEO, JLL Hotels & Hospitality
Tracy Prigmore, Founder, TLTsolutions and She Has a Deal
Tanya Taylor, EVP and General Counsel, Americas, Radisson Hotel Group Americas
Amber Thiel, CFO, Radisson Hotel Group Americas
Simone Wu, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary & External Affairs, Choice Hotels International

“Now in its fourth year, Hotel Management’s Influential Women in Hospitality project highlights women who are making an impact in the hotel industry,” said Elaine Simon, Senior Managing Editor with Questex Hospitality and Hotel Management. “This year’s 20 honorees, who range from those near the beginning of their career to those who have been active for more than three decades, illustrate what can be accomplished through hard work and perseverance. We’re proud to include these women as the newest members of this esteemed group.”

The 2021 Influential Women in Hospitality honorees are featured in the October print issue of Hotel Management. Visit www.hotelmanagement.net to learn more.

About Hotel Management, a Division of Questex Hospitality Group
Hotel Management is a leading B2B centralized print and online source for the latest news, trends and analysis across the hospitality industry. Stay up-to-date on breaking news in global and local investment, development, technology, operations, food & beverage and design.

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
Elaine Simon
Senior Managing Editor
212-895-8431
[email protected]

Michelle MacLeod
Marketing Manager
617-219-8346
[email protected]  

R&R is Europe’s only resort-focused investment conference

LONDON, Nov. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex’s Resort and Residential Hospitality Forum (R&R) welcomed 250 senior delegates to the Tivoli Marina Vilamoura Resort in Portugal on 25-27 October 2021 to broker deals, network and discuss the trends impacting the resort and leisure industry. 

R&R is part of the highly reputable International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF), and attracts a senior audience of leading investors, developers and operators in the leisure hospitality sector. More than 70 industry-expert speakers took to the stage over the three-day event, including senior leaders from the world’ largest resort brands;  Dillip Rajakarier, CEO, Minor Hotel Group, Ramón Aragonés CEO of NH Hotel Group and Christian Michel, European Vice President of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The full speaker lineup can be viewed here.

This year’s conference theme ‘Leisure Leads the Return’, focused on both the current and future landscape alongside new ways of thinking and innovations that have been borne out of the impact of the global health crisis.

Rita Marques, Secretary of State for Tourism, Government of Portugal opened the conference and shared a warm welcome with the audience “We’ve been apart for 20 months and it’s so nice to show that we can reconnect again at events like R&R.”

The much-anticipated CEO Interview with Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels began with him stating that “Recovery is happening.” There are encouraging green shoots in European operations. The company usually took around €4-5 million of business per day before the crisis and was now seeing reservations at the lower end of that range. “We’re now catching up to about four,” he said. “Every month our bookings are improving.”

Rajakarier shared views on the transformation of the resort and residential market following the pandemic, changing travel markets and evolving consumer demand. “Guests have new expectations, led in the short term by concerns about health and safety, travel restrictions and lockdown.”

He finished with a look ahead, sharing the news that they plan to launch eight new Anantara hotels in Europe in 2022. “We always say crisis brings opportunity.”

Financial relationships in the hotel industry have undergone fundamental change during the pandemic was one of the main messages to emerge from the ‘Opportunities in Leisure’ panel session. Jorge Ruiz, head of hotels in Spain and Portugal for CBRE, hosted the panel which discussed the expected recovery of leisure hospitality, opportunities in resorts and potential availability of distressed assets is attracting attention from investors.

The shift in business activity away from city centre hotels toward resorts exposed a knowledge deficit among many of the larger institutions who have traditionally invested heavily in hotels. Tina Yu, principal of KSL Capital Partners, said: “There’s more to investing in hotels than square box rooms in big city centres.”

Data and stats were the name of the game when Thomas Emanuel of STR shared his latest insights. There is a definite sense of positivity in the market with a distinct summer peak in ADR rates that achieved higher rates than in 2019. There is also a predicted bumper opening of new rooms in 2022 as a result of delayed openings during 2020/21.

Resort operators are becoming increasingly and more directly aligned with owners, according to Miguel Casas Albandor, managing director of Stoneweg Hospitality, the Geneva-based investment firm.

Citing changes precipitated by Covid and especially home working, he said it is now commonplace for hotel guests to combine holidays with work boldly claiming that “City breaks should be renamed resort breaks.”

The emergence of changes in work from home patterns and behaviours is posing its own unique challenges. Resorts that enable holidaymakers to work as well as play have huge growth opportunity.

Christian Michel, European vice president of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts posed questions about which firms would be best placed to embrace the innovations required, advise financiers on budgeting details, and bring together the numerous parties needed to make new-style residential resorts a success.

The second of the two big-hitting CEO Panels created a super-charged start on day two, this time discussing Rebuilding the Leisure Hospitality Experience. Host of the session, Roger Allen, CEO of RLA Global, said: “The industry was hit with major challenges.”

Ramón Braña Cobas, CEO of Oca Hotels, which has coastline properties in Spain, Portugal and Brazil, said: “The lack of labour is one of the main problems in our company.”

They were joined by Ramón Aragonés CEO of NH Hotel Group, the Spanish subsidiary of Minor International (MINT). NH, Aragonés employs 12,000 people and as a larger operator can offer career development. “As I often say,” he added, “if you take care of your people, your people will take care of your clients.”

When pushed to share their views on growth sectors within leisure hospitality, all agreed that the Urbanisation of resorts, extended stay and soft brands were key sectors to keep an eye on, whilst MICE travel has yet to return, Jordi Ferrer, CEO of Hesperia World, added: “those properties with bigger spaces for MICE will fare better than others” as he feels social distancing may continue for a little while longer than we might expect.

The central message emerging around ESG is it is no longer acceptable for the hospitality industry to simply talk about environmental, social, and governance priorities. Owners, governments, customers, suppliers, consumers want action. Several panellists spoke convincingly about relatively small steps taken towards bigger goals during the Conscious Hospitality session.

Ioannis Orfanos, the founding partner at Arbitrage Real Estate Advisors, said many investors would only provide the capital required by residential resorts if they were presented with demonstrable evidence of commitment to ESG priorities.

He also said that progress to date had been slow partly because of the difficulty measuring adherence to ESG targets. He said progress was delayed in the past because of the belief that: “You cannot monetise that which you cannot measure.”

A shift in gear to the inspiring and motivating keynote speaker Eulanda Shead Osagiede, who left the audience with an inspiring thought to take home with them: “Our current reality means we have the possibility to reimagine what travel could look like…” It truly is an exciting time for the resort and leisure hospitality sector, as it sits atop the cusp of seismic change.

Looking ahead, R&R 2022 will take place on the 18-20 October at The Tivoli Marina Vilamoura Resort. Visit randrforum.com for more information as registration will open in the coming weeks.

NOTES TO EDITORS

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 Contact

Leah Braithwaite  
Marketing Director, Hotel Investment
[email protected]  
(0)203 318 8340

Questex’s Hospitality Insights Releases Investor Sentiment Assessment Q3 2021

LONDON, Nov. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hospitality Insights, the industry’s trusted investment and development news platform from Questex, has released the Q3 2021 results of the quarterly Investor Sentiment Assessment in collaboration with ABP Invest. Hospitality Insights provides deal-makers with the latest information on trends and opportunities and is the official news arm of top global hospitality conferences, including; The Annual Hotel Conference, The International Hospitality Investment Forum and The Resort & Residential Hospitality Forum.

The release of the Q3 Assessment has revealed that the only way is up, as levels of optimism for the recovery of hospitality sector continue to rise. This is not a huge surprise given the lifting of travel restrictions around the world over the summer and the increase in leisure hospitality in particular is driving the bounce-back and positive sentiment.

The ongoing improvement in expectations of economic conditions has been a solid feature of the assessment – with 80% of investors expecting a ‘significant improvement’ demonstrating a marked increase of 100% over the last three quarters of the assessment – 40% in Q1’21, climbing to 60% in Q2’21 and now 80% in Q3’21. The proportion of investors expecting a deteriorating economic climate has dropped to its lowest level of 1% since the survey began.

Hotels hold on to pole position for the fourth consecutive quarter as the best investment opportunity over the next 12 months, followed by Serviced Apartments and Extended Stay taking over third place from Resorts in Q2’21. At the other end of the scale Hostels and Co-Working are expected to provide the least attractive opportunities. 

When asked to consider the most attractive cities for hotel investment the response was once again unanimous with the top three European cities from Q2 holding strong; London, Barcelona and Paris.

Thanos Papasavvas, founder and chief investment officer, ABP Invest, said: “We were relieved to see Investor Sentiment coming off the extreme positive readings of last Quarter which had raised our concerns of potential complacency amongst investors.  The sentiment remains firmly positive but cognisant of inflationary risks alongside labour shortages and higher wages which contain forward looking expectations. It is also worth noting that Institutional Investors have become relatively more upbeat in their assessment compared to other investors, having been more cautious until now.”

Over the course of the past 20 months, the assessment was only open to a select group of investors that actively attend the Questex portfolio of hospitality events and provide a healthy representation of the entire hospitality investment ecosystem; including institutional investors, private property owners, family offices, private equity and high net worth individuals. As the investor pool grows, Questex will be opening submissions to vetted investors who wish to participate and in turn, have the opportunity to debrief with fellow contributors on the findings. Those interested can complete this brief form.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Hospitality Insights Investor Sentiment Assessment

The assessment was launched at the start of the pandemic to monitor buyer and seller sentiment, during a time where tracking investors’ appetites became more crucial than ever. The data captures overall proportions of dry powder in hospitality, interest and allocation in various investment segments, regions, and asset classes, yield expectations, potential threats, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies.

The Q4 assessment will open in November. Sign up for Hospitality Insights’ newsletters here to stay up to date and follow the company page on LinkedIn here.

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 Contact

Leah Braithwaite  
Marketing Director, Hotel Investment
[email protected]  
(0)203 318 8340