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Our event location in Macau has also helped to stimulate interest, and while travel budgets are limited this year, Macau’s central location within the region and the Venetian’s very appealing hotel rates are designed to ease the financial burden.

One of the core topics of discussion is ‘Developments’. Do you think developments will  continue to take place?

Yes, I do. I think the industry is very cautious right now, but I also believe that there are good business decisions being made, and solid opportunities for investment in the right markets at the right time. Operators are always looking at growth potential, and brands are always looking for opportunities.

I expect investors will be a bit hesitant to openly discuss their development and investment plans, but we’ve asked them to share general thoughts and perspectives without necessarily divulging their own strategic market movements. 

Traditionally, IHIF has been an incubator for the community, so we hope that more deals will be done as a result of the event. 

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How will ‘Design and Trends’ help hoteliers, considering there are few hotels opening?

We’ve included the “Design and Trends” section because it is a very important topic in today’s world, and because we’re seeing more and more investors looking at “green” initiatives as investment-worthy for long-term value. 

On a broader level, the design side can drive a brand’s value, and can lead to more consistent RevPAR, so it continues to be a topic of importance to the market, as well as to the investment community.

The design session is really going to be fantastic, I think. Distinctive design anchors a brand in customer’s minds.  From the iconic Raffles in Singapore to Mumbai’s famous Taj Palace Hotel, to the more modern Burj Al Arab in Dubai, hotel design is a leading focus of quality architects. 

Design is how leaders differentiate their hotels and brands, and how they generate and maintain their profitability, so it is a crucial topic to any event that considers investment and the return on that investment.

What do you hope delegates will take away from the conference?

There are loads of ways that we help our participating companies to brand, market, and generate leads prior to the conference. But for those attending the conference there are two  key benefits - generating ideas by listening to speakers and panellists who have committed to be absolutely forthcoming about their given topic and  generating new business contacts through the many wonderful opportunities to network.
 
The International Hotel Investment Forum is organised by the Questex Media Group, Inc,  in conjunction with Asiawide Hospitality Solutions. The first IHIF Asia Pacific Conference will be held at Macau from June 8 – 10, 2009.  For more information visit: www.ihif-asiapacific.com

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