Bisnow Lodging & Innovation Series (BLIS) West 2018 | Bisnow | 26 April 2018 | Sheraton Grand Los Angeles, 711 S Hope St, Los Angeles, CA 90017, USA

The hospitality industry is constantly transforming, and it’s hard to find time to catch your breath and figure out where the future is headed. On a national level, the industry had another year of record-setting metrics across Occupancy, RecPar and Rooms Revenue, while on the West Coast, California set a record with the number of new hotel rooms opened in 2017.

According to a 2018 Outlook Report by Deloitte, the hotel industry neared $1.6 trillion in bookings in 2017 making it one of the largest and fastest growing sectors in the world. Travel companies are doubling efforts to meet travelers’ demands for technology and wellness, and the sharing economy and the emerging millennial market are forcing industry leaders to rethink their business models. Global political uncertainty, policy reform, and safety concerns are more prevalent today than ever. There are challenges on the horizon for the hospitality industry, and firms who fail to innovate risk losing market share in this fiercely competitive industry.

Topics To Include:
• Workforce Labor Under Trump Administration: Find out how Trump's strict immigration crackdown has many in the lodging and hospitality industry wary their workforce could take a hit.
• Hotel Investment In 2018: Which markets and countries are underserved for new development and investment in 2018 and beyond?
• Renovations: Last year was a record-breaking year for hotel renovations, with 1/5 existing properties receiving an upgrade. Find out why developers are renovating now more than ever before, and what is driving the shift towards hotel renovations.
• Major Brands Replicate Authentic Boutique Experience: Choice Hotels, Marriott International, and Hyatt Hotels are increasingly opening boutique-style mini-chains aimed at specific lifestyle-travelers. Will the trend towards authentic lodging experiences last?
• Tech Disruptions: Gartner Research predicts that customers will manage 85% of relationships without interacting with a human by 2020. What technologies should hotels emplore and what benefits, or risks, will these innovations have on the industry as a whole?
• Experiential Tourism: How can hoteliers offer immersive, cultural experiences to their guests that Airbnb and other vacation rental platforms cannot?

The conference will focus on the future of hotel innovation, investment, and development. A few core topics we'll cover are new distribution models, new technologies, creating strong brand narratives and enhancing loyalty, as well as understanding the experience-driven trends in the industry. We will also discuss the current state of the lodging market, opportunities and challenges in hotel investment and development, and key economic drivers and trends in construction and design. And, of course, there will be plenty of networking time! You don't want to miss this full-day premium conference!

2018 Speakers

SPEAKERS:

Sam Nazarian
Chief Executive Officer, Sbe Entertainment Group

Lilian Tomovich
Chief Experience Officer/CMhief Marketing Officer, Mgm Resorts International

Mark Harmon
Chief Executive Officer, Auberge Resorts

John Kratzer
Chief Executive Officer, Jmi Realty

Dave Johnson
President & Chief Executive Officer, Aimbridge Hospitality

Kat Flores
Executive Vice President Brands & Innovation, Trump Hotel Group

Jay Newman
Chief Operating Officer, The Athens Group

Jeff Palla
Senior Vice President Operations, La Quinta

Tim Powell
Vice President Development, Hilton Hotels

Doug Manchester
President, Manchester Financial Group

Tiffany Cooper
Senior Vice President, Development, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group

Krystal England
Senior Director, Hospitality, Canyon Partners Real Estate

Mark Shalala
Vice President – Upscale Development, Choice Hotels International

Sagar Desai
Head of Acquisitions & Development, Viceroy Hotel Group

Sid Narang
Chief Development Officer, Sbe Entertainment Group

Jason Choulochas
Executive Vice President, Bank of the Ozarks

Maki Bara
President, The Chartres Lodging Group

Frances Kiradjian
Chief Executive Officer, The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association

Vamsi Bonthala
Chief Executive Officer, Arbor Lodging Partners

Don Li
Head of Asia Investment Group, Interstate Hotels

David Brillembourg
Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Brillembourg Group

Lynn Mohrfeld
President & Chief Executive Officer, California Hotel & Lodging Association

John Grossman
President, Classic Hotels & Resorts

Bill Strang
President - Operations, Toto USA

Adam Lair
Managing Director, Senior Partner, Hvs

Brent Bunting
Southern California Hospitality Core Market Leader, Dpr Construction

Ray Haj
Vice President, Swinerton Builders

Steve Tsu
Managing Director, K2 Clean Energy Capital

Cory Creath
Founding Principal, Axis/Gfa Architecture + Design

Ayo Akinsete
Vice President of Operations, Dream Hotel Group

Matt Marquis
Chief Executive Officer, Pacifica Hotels

MODERATORS:

Robert Alter
President & Founder, Seaview Investors

Michael Scheinberg
Partner, Pircher, Nichols & Meeks

Mark Lukens
Managing Director, Lwha

Matt Peterson
Managing Director, Aethos Consulting Group

2018 Sponsors

• Toto
• SageGlass
• Swinerton
• K2 Clean Energy Capital
• Katerra
• Pircher, Nichols & Meeks
• Hvs
• Dpr Construction
• Caesarstone
• Bjla
• Axis Gfa Architecture Design
• Lw Hospitality Advisors
• Aethos Consulting Group
• L2 Specialities
• Win