Taking a cue from last year’s exciting Conference, described as “A who’s-who line-up of speakers and intimate networking along with spectacular sharing of knowledge and industry insight.”
Los Angeles, CA, February 13, 2015 – The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) is pleased to announce the 3rd annual Boutique Hotel Investment Conference, to be held June 3, 2015 at the SVA Theatre located at 333 West 23rd Street in New York, NY.
Unlike other conferences, this event caters to developers, financiers, property owners, hoteliers, and investors in a concrete way – providing real world information/application on debt construction, equity for new deals, boutique financial performance, the value of F&B and more. With the hospitality industry seeing strong returns, such as the sale of the Baccarat Hotel in New York selling for a record-breaking $2 million per key, and the upswing projected to continue in the coming years, now is a rich time for investors to enter or expand their portfolios in the boutique & lifestyle sector.
For individuals new to hospitality or those looking to increase the bottom line, worthwhile networking is essential and the conference affords several opportunities throughout the event. This is the chance to converse with top performers in the industry. In conjunction with the ability to meet prominent figures in hotels, development, finance, food & beverage, the day is packed with illuminating panels led by those same discerning minds.
This year’s speakers display an array of expertise in the niche boutique lifestyle hospitality marketplace:
- Alex Cabañas, President & CEO, Benchmark Hospitality
- Amy Jakubowski, Partner + Managing Director, Puccini Group
- Bruce Blum, President & Co-Founder, GB Lodging
- Craig Karmin, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
- David Gudtstadt, Managing Director, Hospitality, Related/Equinox
- Eric Danziger, President & CEO, Hampshire Hotels & Resorts
- Frances Kiradjian, Founder & Chairwoman, BLLA
- Fred Kleisner, past CEO, Morgan’s Hotel Group/Independent Director of Caesar’s Entertainment
- Glenn Wasserman, CFO, Denihan Hospitality Group
- Guy Maisnik, Partner, Vice Chair, JMBM Global Hospitality Group
- Ian Schrager, Founder & Chairman, Ian Schrager Company
- Jason Pomeranc, CEO, The Pomeranc Group
- Joel Eismann, Chief Development Officer, Americas, IHG
- Jonathan Falik, CEO, JF Capital Advisors
- Keith Space, President & CEO, Boutique Hospitality Management
- Mark Pratt, Associate Principal, VOA Associates
- Mark Woodworth, President, PKF Hospitality Research
- Matthew Livian, Chief Investment Officer, The Sydell Group
- Mike DeFrino, COO, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
- Neil Shah, President & COO, Hersha Hospitality Group
- Niki Leondakis, CEO, Commune Hotels + Resorts
- Paul Ruffino, SVP, NOLA Hospitality
- Raul Leal, CEO, Virgin Hotels
- Richard Born, Principal, BD Hotels
- Richard Bosworth, Managing Director, Canyon Capital
- Rick Smith, CEO, FelCor Lodging Trust
- Ryan Totaro, Owner, NYLO Hotels
- Vail Brown, VP Global Business Development, Smith Travel Research
“Building on the tremendous success of last years’ annual Boutique Hotel Investment Conference, I am excited to be co-hosting this years’ conference on June 3, 2015 in New York. The conference brings together the who’s who of the boutique hotel industry and promotes spectacular sharing of knowledge and industry insight combined with unparalleled networking opportunities. If you are interested in or involved in boutique and lifestyle hotel investment, this conference is the place to be!” Jonathan Falik, CEO, JF Capital Advisors
“We are thrilled to organize icons and heavy hitters in the boutique & lifestyle segment of this industry. Our deepest gratitude extends to the speakers and sponsors who spend their valuable time and effort to support this conference. We know we’re on the right track when successful individuals include us into their calendar as a ‘must-attend’ event.” Frances Kiradjian, CEO & Founder, Boutique Lifestyle & Lodging Association
BLLA’s conference website, bllaevents.com, provides detailed information on BLLA’s upcoming events as well as other select global conferences in the boutique and lifestyle luxury space.
Sponsors include: JF Capital Advisors, CohnReznick, Greenberg Traurig, Parker & Morgan. Media sponsors: hospitalitynet.org, Hotel-Online, Hotel Executive, Lodging Magazine, Boutique Design, Hospitality Design.
