47 industry leaders from the region join a high-level panel meeting on 28th September
Key themes and subjects identified in order to steer development of AHIC 2016
Action sponsors a networking reception for industry leaders at Coya, Dubai
Dubai, UAE - 8 October 2015
Organisers of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) held a high-level Advisory Board meeting at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management last week (28th September 2015) to commence planning for the 2016 event.
With attendees including Abdellah Essonni, Chief Executive Officer of ABJAR Hotels International LLC, Dr Badr Al Badr, CEO, Dur; Philippe Zuber, Chief Operating Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group; Fredrik Jonsson, Head of Asset Management - Hospitality at the Investment Corporation of Dubai; Salim Bitar, Chief Executive Officer, Rani Investment and Olivier Ebner, Senior Manager, Global Project & Structure at National Bank of Abu Dhabi the board identified the key challenges and opportunities facing regional hotel owners and investors. These issues will form an integral part of the AHIC 2016 programme taking place over the 26th - 28th of April.
From retaining and training personnel in the hotel industry and sustaining visitation in the UAE after 2020, to Sharia financing and nurturing investment from China, the topics highlighted by the board were numerous and wide ranging and provide a significant indication of the shape of the industry and the future issues which will need to be addressed collectively.
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and celebrating its twelfth anniversary in 2016, AHIC is organised through a collaboration between Bench Events and MEED Events.
"The aim of our annual Advisory Board meeting is to ensure we are getting straight to the heart of the topics and themes which investors and the industry want to discuss," commented Jennifer Pettinger, Managing Director Middle East of Bench Events. "The industry in the Middle East relies on us to provide a networking platform which will be both insightful and relevant to them and their wider businesses. More than 90% of attendees in 2015 rated AHIC as very good or excellent so we will continue to build exceptional speaker programmes and panel debates which define AHIC."
Following the Advisory Panel meeting, an evening reception was hosted by Action Hotels at Coya. Key attendees included H E Sheikh Mubarak, Al Sabah, Chairman, Action Hotels and Cherif Hosny, Chief Hospitality Officer, MERAAS Holding and Ahmed Ramdan, Founder, Ròya International. The networking event was a rare opportunity for the industry's most senior decision makers to get together.
"AHIC is an extremely important event for the hotel investment community and we were delighted to host the region's leading hospitality professionals on the occasion of the Advisory Board meeting. As one of the leading hotel owners in the Middle East, we are delighted to support such initiatives and promote professional networking opportunities. Hosting and sponsoring events through AHIC permits us an opportunity to expand industry conversation beyond our immediate business needs" said Alain Debare, CEO of Action Hotels.
At AHIC 2015 more than 700 delegates attended the three-day conference from over 40 different countries and they were addressed by 120 industry leaders, speakers and panellists.
For more information on AHIC and to download the AHIC 2015 event report visit www.arabianconference.com.
-Ends-
For press information contact:
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
Tryphena Greenwood or Dana Sleiman
Email: Ahic@bm.com
Phone: 04 4507 600
AHIC 2016 sponsors
ERC (Egyptian Resorts Company)
Jumeirah Group
Carlson Rezidor Group
ESPA International (UK) Ltd
Hilton Worldwide
HVS Dubai
IHG
Marriott International
Melia Hotels International
Shaza Hotels
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide lnc
STR Global
Katara Hospitality
Yas Marina Circuit
About Bench Events
Bench Events has a long track record of delivering, with its partners, the premier hotel investment events across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Bench Events' Chairman, Jonathan Worsley, was one of the founders of the highly successful International Hotel Investment Forum which is now in its nineteenth year (www.berlinconference.com). In 2005, he was responsible for launching the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in Dubai (www.arabianconference.com); and in 2008 launched the Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference (www.russia-cisconference.com). In 2011 Bench Events added two events to its portfolio, co-hosting the Turkey & Neighbours Hotel Investment Conference (www.cathic.com) and the Africa Hotel Investment Forum founded in 2013 (www.africa-conference.com). In 2014 Bench Events launched the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (www.restaurant-invest.com) in Dubai to great acclaim.
Bench Events recently supported the Ethiopian charity www.artistsforcharity.org raising enough funds to help them complete their goal of putting a children's playground in Addis Ababa's largest hospital.
About MEED
For 50 years business leaders have been relying on MEED (Middle East Economic Digest) to give them a wealth of factual, unbiased business information that they need to be successful. The MEED brand represents an unrivalled portfolio of high caliber business information products, online services and premier networking events. MEED Conferences is part of the leading information brand in the Middle East working to provide delegates with the very latest business sensitive information. Over the past 12 years, MEED Conferences has organised events attended by senior government officials and thousands of international business people. The conference series is aimed at companies actively seeking business in the markets of the Middle East. MEED is well established as the source of strategic and accurate regional information placing it in a unique position to bring together high-caliber speakers.
© Press Release 2015
