Monday, February 19, 2018: Founded by the erstwhile team of HVS India, Hotelivate, a new-age hospitality consulting firm in the Asia Pacific region, is all set to host the 14th Edition of Hotel Investement Conference – South Asia (HICSA) at Grand Hyatt Mumbai on 4 and 5 April, 2018.
A two-day event, HICSA is widely viewed by global industry leaders as the premier hospitality event in South Asia, valued for its networking opportunities and high-level contacts as much as for its content-rich sessions. Having rightfully created a niche for itself, HICSA brings together an impressive conglomeration of business leaders, think tanks and industry top brass, and has undoubtedly become one of the most coveted forums for all industry players in the region.
After a long and a successful run for 13 years, 2018 will see a new avatar of HICSA. In the conference this year, our pivotal focus has been to elevate the overall knowledge-quotient delivered through the program, and to maximize value for all delegates. A key highlight this year is the format of Day 1 of the event, which exclusively comprises Interviews with industry bigwigs and Keynote Addresses. Day 2 will feature a series of power-packed Master Classes, stimulating panel discussions, and a few more exciting One-on-One Interviews, of industry leaders by industry leaders, and engaging Ted-styled talks.
For the very first time at HICSA, Day 1 of the conference has been solely dedicated to gain insights into the minds of industry leaders. The day will commence with Deepak Bagla, Managing Director and CEO of Invest India, the official Investement Promotion and Facilitation Agency Of Governement of India, sharing his outlook on ‘Incredible India: Credible Returns’. Some of the other keynote addresses on the day will be delivered by prominent speakers, such as Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Limited; and Roshan Abbas, Chairman, Geometry Global Encompass. Furthermore, the first day program is interspersed with interviews with industry moguls, namely, Arne M Sorenson, President and CEO, Marriott International, Deep Kalra, Chairman and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip and Patu Keswani, Chairman and MD, Lemon Tree Hotels Limited.
Consistent with the HICSA tradition, Day 2 of the conference will open with ‘The Leaders’ Panel’. To be moderated by Dilip Puri, Founder and CEO, Indian School of Hospitality, the panel discussion will feature Alan Watts, Executive Vice President and President – Asia Pacific, Hilton; Katerina Giannouka, President – Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group; and Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director – India, ME and Africa, InterContinental Hotels Group. Master Class Series, an innovative concept introduced in the 2018 event, is another highlight of Day 2. Speakers from varied, distinct backgrounds will share their expertise on a range of topics that affect hospitality businesses in the region, as well as globally. From Oliver Tittmann, Managing Director, X-CUBE Engineering, who will demystify ‘High-End Modular and Pre Fabricated Hotel Builidings’, to Sujjain Talwar, Sr. Partner, Economic Laws Practice (ELP) who will shed light on the ‘Legal Issues Affecting Hospitality Operations’ – the Master Class Series will encompass a gamut of interesting subject areas, to cater to diverse interests.
Not to forget, the ‘HICSA Hotels of the Year Awards’, now in its tenth year, will again have the most outstanding new hotel developments in the South Asian region being recognized. The nominations will include all hotels that commenced operations in the past one year, across five categories: Luxury & Upper Upscale Segment; Upscale Segment; Upper Mid Market Segment; Mid Market Segment and Budget & Economy Segment. Shortlisting will be done by an independent panel of judges and the best new hotel in each category will be determined via an online voting process by HICSA 2018 delegates. The winners will be announced on DAY 1, as part of the conference programme.
