Final Day of Questex’s IHIF EMEA 2024 offers a positive outlook for
the future of hospitality investment, with strong focus on European
partnerships
Questex’s International Hospitality Investment Forum EMEA (IHIF
EMEA) last day marked the convergence of all discussion threads,
culminating in a focus on innovation and inspiration aimed at
empowering our community to tackle the market head-on, implement
their visions, and explore new opportunities.
Following the breakout sessions and roundtables, the general
session delved into the power of partnerships, featuring
discussions with GHA, Radisson, and Booking.com. Attendees also
gained insights into innovative concepts designed to capture the
spirit of the times, with presentations from Room Mate, Alpitour,
Club Med, and Sunset Hospitality. Additionally, the day included an
exclusive interview with hospitality legend Sir Rocco Forte who
revealed plans to expand his hotel brand to more countries
following the investment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment
Fund.
“40 percent of our business comes out of the United States, it
makes sense for us to use that customer base,” he told Andreas
Ewald, managing partner at Engel & Völkers Hotel Consulting.
Sir Rocco named destinations such as New York, Los Angeles,
Beverley Hills, and Miami as being on his list, “but it’s expensive
to get in there,” he added. He also confirmed the group had already
signed a property in Dubai, and was looking at Marrakech as well as
Saudi Arabia, with plans for “two or three” hotels there
ideally.
The event concluded with an inspiring talk from tech futurist
Lindsey McInerney, who shared insights on innovation, leadership,
and emphasised the irreplaceable role of humanity in the
ever-evolving landscape of AI and technology.
Partnership between Questex Hospitality and the Italian
Tourism and Hospitality Investment Conference
Questex Hospitality is partnering with ITHIC, the Italian
Tourism and Hospitality Investment Conference, to support with the
continued development of its quality delegation and to showcase the
opportunity for Italian hospitality to the global capital markets.
Questex Hospitality will draw on its industry experience and
relationships, including the IHIF series of events, to cement ITHIC
as the event where global capital connects with Italian hospitality
investment opportunities and leading partners.
“This is a turning point for ITHIC and, ideally, for the Italian
hospitality development landscape of the next years. Thanks to
Questex Hospitality's experience, network and execution
capabilities, this partnership is set to boost ITHIC's quality of
contents and participation. We are excited by this unique
opportunity to work with industry masters,” said Mauro Santinato,
President Teamwork Hospitality.
Partnership between Questex Hospitality and Enterprise
Greece
“We are excited that Greece will be the host country of the
Resort & Residential Forum in Athens next November,” said Mr.
Marinos Giannopoulos, the CEO of Enterprise Greece. “This
international conference, organised by Questex Hospitality, is
dedicated to real estate investments and we are proud because after
an intensive effort by Enterprise Greece, we succeeded in being
selected as the country patrons, thus enhancing the image of Greece
as a world-class tourist destination and as a thriving market with
abundant investment opportunities.”
Young Leader Award
The Young Leader Award was presented today by IHIF EMEA and
International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) to Briana
Swift, Regional Vice President of Development - Northern Europe,
Hyatt. This award recognises and celebrates the excellence of young
emerging leaders in the hospitality industry.
Swift, with a decade of hospitality experience, drives Hyatt's
brand growth in Northern Europe. She spearheads deal sourcing,
negotiations, and development strategy, previously supporting
expansion in wider Europe and Southwest Asia while at Starwood
Hotels and Resorts.
“I was initially drawn to hospitality as it is the perfect
intersection of travel, real estate and human connection.
Collaborating with colleagues and industry partners to find new
approaches to challenges and achieve mutual success continues to
drive my enthusiasm for the industry,” said Swift. “I am profoundly
humbled and delighted to receive such an award and am grateful to
work for an organisation that has invested in my professional
growth from the earliest stages of my career. Thank you to my
colleagues, namely Felicity Black-Roberts and Nikita Kapustkin, for
the nomination. It is truly a delight to work with such an
exceptional group of people on a daily basis.”
Black-Roberts, Vice President Development & Acquisitions for
Hyatt, said, “Briana’s remarkable capacity to manage a substantial
workload coupled with her analytical prowess commands respect,
enabling her to secure the trust of new franchisees. Under her
guidance, Hyatt has successfully launched several brand debuts,
including the first Hyatt properties in Scandinavia, Malta, and
Greek Isles in the company's history. Briana's commitment to
excellence is unwavering; she meticulously leads projects and
proactively seeks new avenues to enhance value for our owners and
franchisees.”
ISHC’s CEO Andrea Belfanti commented, “Everything from Briana’s
education to her rise through the ranks at Hyatt makes her the
ideal recipient for this year’s Young Leader Award. Her recent
promotion to Regional Vice President of Development for Northern
Europe is another example of her trajectory and I know we will
continue to see great things from her. Congratulations,
Briana.”
Alexi Khajavi, Group President, Travel and Hospitality, Questex,
commented, “Questex Hospitality is delighted to continue our work
with the ISHC in recognising young talent in hospitality.
Hospitality is powered by people and it’s a privilege for us to
recognise and celebrate up and coming talent amongst the industry’s
largest and most qualified gathering of senior executive leaders.
Congratulations to Briana Swift.”
Announcements from IHIF partners:
- Marriott
International, Inc. underscored plans to grow its
footprint in Türkiye with the expected addition of more than 20
properties and nearly 3,000 rooms by the end of 2025. [Press
release]
- Leonardo
Hotels announces second property under the NYX Hotels by
Leonardo Hotels brand in the Czech Republic. [Press release]
- Saudi
Arabia’s Tourism Development Fund (TDF) and
Karisma Hotels & Resorts International signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), exploring opportunities for
developing luxury resorts in Saudi Arabia. The signing took place
on 17th April at the International Hospitality Investment Forum
(IHIF) in Berlin. [Press release]
For more information about IHIF EMEA 2024 and to register for
the event, visit IHIF EMEA website.
For a list of companies attending, please click here.
Stay connected with IHIF EMEA on X and LinkedIn.
About Questex
Questex helps people live better and longer.
Questex brings people together in the markets that help
people live better: travel,
hospitality and wellness; the industries that help
people live longer: life
science and healthcare; and
the technologies that enable and fuel
these new experiences. We live in
the experience economy
– connecting our ecosystem through live events,
surrounded by data insights and digital communities. We deliver
experience and real results. It happens
here.
Media ContactFrancesca RuggieroSenior Marketing
Manager, Hotel GroupQuestexfruggiero@questex.com