Hospitality consulting firm HVS will host its 11th Annual Hotel Investment Conference − South Asia (HICSA) at the JW Marriott Aerocity New Delhi on 7-8 April 2015.
A two-day conference dedicated to the hospitality industry, HICSA is widely viewed by global industry leaders as the premier hospitality event for the South Asian region. Providing a platform to deliberate on the development and direction of the hotel and tourism industry, the conference reached a milestone celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2014. The event brought together 500 delegates from over 20 countries who exchanged strategic thoughts, experiences and discussed significant trends prevailing in the industry.
The year 2015 will see this 10-year old and much established conference getting a ‘brand new makeover’. Relocating to the capital city, after a decade-long spell in Mumbai, was a conscientious decision of the organizers towards this objective. The conference program will see several fresh concepts and interesting elements being introduced this year, offering its participants something new and different from what they have witnessed in the past. Above all, with the Hon’ble Prime Minister recently launching the Make in India campaign, and the Tourism and Hospitality Sector being one of the critical components of this major national program, the 11th edition of HICSA will be of special significance. The conference will aim to further the Make in India vision and synergize the objectives of the Government with the global and regional players in the tourism and hospitality industry.
HICSA 2015 will have a stellar line-up of speakers including global CEOs and industry stalwarts such as Arne M Sorenson, President & CEO, Marriott International; Frits van Paasschen, President & CEO, Starwood Hotels and Resorts; Jay H Shah, Chief Executive Officer, Hersha Hospitality Trust; Kapil Chopra, President, The Oberoi Group; Michael R Evans, Chief Operating Officer, MGM Hakkasan Hospitality; Patu Keswani, Chairman & MD, The Lemon Tree Hotel Company; Priya Paul, Chairperson, The Park Hotels; Rakesh Sarna, Managing Director & CEO, Taj Group; Thorsten Kirschke, President-APAC, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group; Thomas P Heneghan, Chief Executive Officer, Equity International; Steve Rushmore, Founder & Chairman, HVS; and Vivek Badrinath; Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Accor, to name a few.
The conference will commence with Amitabh Kant, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India sharing the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision on Make in India. This keynote address will be followed by one of the major highlights and a recurring forum at HICSA each year, the Global CEO Panel on DAY 1, which will showcase prominent industry leaders at the helm of some of the most respectable global organizations, sharing their thoughts and future vision.
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) plays a key role in promoting the growth and success of the tourism sector, collaborating with governments worldwide to implement policies that ensure the business environment is conducive to the growth of travel and tourism. With Manav Thadani, Chairman of HVS Asia Pacific, recently taking over as the Chairman of WTTC India Initiative, HICSA this year brings to fore the past five WTCC-II chairpersons in a session titled ‘Travel Trade: Engaging Governments’, also on DAY 1, which will see these industry veterans provide insights into the past, present and future of tourism and hospitality sector in the nation.
Moreover, with the newly-formed government finally giving the pass-through to REITs in India, there is significant excitement in the industry about the applicability of REITs, specifically to the hotel sector. The discussion on REITs, on DAY 2, will present a structured debate on the way forward for REITs to actually become a reality for hotels and the prospective merits it may present for future growth of the industry. Additionally, a conventional hot topic at HICSA – Management Contracts, takes a fresh twist this year. ‘Judgment Day’, a session on DAY 2 will witness three owners and three brand representatives facing it off in a courtroom set-up; and what makes it more interesting is that two reputed lawyers will be presenting cases from either side, making it an atypical yet thoroughly exciting session not to be missed.
Not to forget, the ‘HICSA Hotels of the Year Awards’, now in its sixth 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 four categories: Luxury/Upper Upscale Segment; Upscale /Upper Mid Market Segment; Mid Market Segment and Budget & Economy Segment. Short-listing will be done by an independent panel of six judges and the best new hotel in each category will be determined via an online voting process by HICSA 2015 delegates. The winners will be announced on DAY 1, as part of the conference programme.
