MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 24, 2018—Officials of the Southern Lodging Summit, an annual gathering of hoteliers specializing in development and operations in the southern United States, today announced the full speaker roster for its annual conference running August 27-28, 2019, in Memphis, Tenn.
“We have gone to great lengths to not only feature some of the industry’s best and brightest on our panels, but to also find newer voices that you may not have heard from at other events,” said Chuck Pinkowski, owner of Pinkowski & Company and conference co-founder. “It is important for our attendees to hear different perspectives from different voices than typically make up the hospitality conference circuit.”
Following an opening day with lunch at the world famous Rendezvous and dinner at the Peabody Hotel, Day Two kicks off with an overview of industry trends and predictions by STR COO Jon Timmons and CBRE Hotels’ Americas Research Senior Managing Director Mark Woodworth. Rick Pastorino, ISHC, president, REVPAR International, will then give a CapEx presentation before Hotel News Now Editorial Director Stephanie Ricca leads a discussion on national and state legislative issues featuring a panel of Brian C. Crawford, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs, AHLA; Chirag Shah, Vice President Government Affairs at AAHOA; and Rob Mortensen, Chief Executive Officer of Hospitality Tennessee.
Attendees then will hear from Roger Dow, President & CEO, US Travel Association, as he discusses travel to and from the U.S. The Visionary Viewpoints panel will follow, moderated by Isaac Collazo, vice president of competitive intelligence, IHG, and featuring Jane Cooper, President & COO, Herschend Family Entertainment; Mary Beth Cutshall, Senior Vice President Chief Development Officer, Hospitality Ventures Management Group; and Dianna Vaughan, Global Head, All Suites Brands, Hilton.
Just prior to lunch, Kim Bardoul, ISHC, Partner, The Highland Group, will lead a discussion called, “Unbranding the Brands,” with Mark Chase, Vice President – Real Estate & Development, Hyatt Hotels Corporation; John Keeling, Executive Vice President, Valencia Group; and Jeff McIntyre, Partner and President, Benchmark. Keynote speaker Jeff Higley, president, the BHN Group, will conclude the day.
Celebrating its 17th year, the Southern Lodging Summit was co-founded by Pinkowski & Company, an independent hotel industry consulting firm headquartered in Memphis, and Metropolitan Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association. The hospitality industry event brings together hotel professionals who target the southern and mid-south region of the United States for development and operations. The annual event draws a diverse group of owners, operators, sales executives, financial institutions, architects, attorneys, and hotel company representatives.
