Latino Hotel Association to host first hotel franchising forum

HOUSTON – Officials of the Latino Hotel Association (LHA), the global organization dedicated to expanding Latino ownership, leadership and commerce in the hotel industry, today announced the group wou

HOUSTON – Officials of the Latino Hotel Association (LHA), the global organization dedicated to expanding Latino ownership, leadership and commerce in the hotel industry, today announced the group would host its first hotel franchising forum November 30 to December 3, 2010, in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. The forum, entitled “Hotel Franchising,” will provide attendees with in-depth, practical information about hotel ownership/development, franchising, marketing, management, specifically geared to the needs of Latinos.

Sponsors of the event include Hilton Hotels & Resorts; Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, LLC; Hyatt Hotels and Resorts; Accor; HVS International; JMBM; Carl Ross Design Group; LLW Architects; Smith Travel Research; and Hotel and Motel Management Magazine.

“This is the first forum of its kind outside of the United States,” said Angela Gonzalez-Rowe, president and founder of LHA. “This upcoming event takes an indepth look at hotel ownership/investment, management, branding and franchising. Among other topics we will discuss are keys to planning hotel investments, including determining economic feasibility. In addition, we will review rules and regulations required of a typical franchisee.

“Hotel branding is becoming a global phenomenon, with Mexico emerging as a major market,” Gonzalez-Rowe added. “Hotel brands help attract guests on a worldwide basis, establish standards that instill guest confidence and support and bolster pricing power. Also, franchisors provide training, operating and IT systems and purchasing power that hotel owners otherwise could not get on their own.”

Guest speakers at the event include:

Jerico Abramo Masso, mayor, Saltillo
George Massa, senior director โ€“ franchise development, Mexico Hilton Hotels
Armando de la Garza Gaytan, president, Convention & Visitors Bureaus; president, Hispanic Meeting Professionals Association
Robert Braun, PC of JMBM
Michael Register, principal of Desires Hotels
Jorge E. Hernandez Gonzalez, banca empresariao, Banco Multiva
Manuel Hernandez, Horwath Costillo Miranda
Isaac Bishop, project manager, LLW Architects
Carl Ross, president, Design Group Carl Ross
Parris Jordon, managing director, HVS Global Hospitality Services
Lic. Jose Luis Moreno Aguirre, secretary of tourism, Coahuila
Fatima Thompson, sales executive โ€“ Mexico, Smith Travel Research
Lic. Jorge Davila Rodriguez, president, Chamber of Commerce
David J. Schwartz MS/MBA, managing principal, The Management Consortium, Inc.
Dr. Armando Uribe, president, Mexican Hotel Association
Karim Saade Charur, president & CEO, American Hotel Group
Lic. Braulio Cardenas Cantu, president, Restaurant Association
Walter Barrela, executive vice president and COO, Peak Hospitality
Marco A. Roca, senior vice president of development, Wyndham Worldwide
David Schwartz, principal, The Management Consortium
Edward Xanders, president, Interim Hospitality Consultants
Javier Sanchez, Franchise Development, LATAM Region Wyndham Hotel Group
Luis Alicea, director of development, Wyndham Hotel Group
John McCarthy, principal, Leisure Partners

“As an added incentive to participants, we will have a forum where hotel developers and owners can meet with a wide array of brands to discuss new build and conversion opportunities of their existing properties,” Gonzalez-Rowe said.

The Hotel Franchising Forum will provide hotel investors, owners and developers with fundamentals of developing, acquiring, repositioning and financing a hotel; strategies for planning and executing a successful hotel investment offering; and creating and maintaining strong relationships with management companies and franchisors.

Attendees and prospective participants will find details of the program, including registration procedures and hotel room discounts, at the LHA website, www.latinohotelassociation.org.

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Linda Hohnholz

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