Hotel Markets Face Promising Trade outlook

The Australian, New Zealand & Pacific hotel markets are facing a very promising trading outlook at a time of unprecedented investor appetite and capital availability for the industry. But with local purchase opportunities drying up and sales of existing hotels being made at record prices, investors are increasingly having to look for value buying opportunities in new markets, new market sectors and using new ways to structure and package hotel acquisitions to make them financially viable within acceptable levels of risk.

“Finding the right deal in the right place is getting tough but many local investors now accept that the right place doesn’t have to be Australia or New Zealand and the right deal doesn’t have to be a 5 star CBD hotel” says Sonnenblick Goldman Asia Pacific Managing Director, Mr John Smith. He cited as evidence of the trend, current investor interest in markets such as Europe and the USA, as well as in previously avoided local markets such as Perth and in previously avoided market sectors such as resorts. “Even traditional investor reluctance to pursue resort development is being put aside by some investors as they successfully blend resort and residential mixed use developments” he said.

To address issues related to these and other current industry trends, leading hotel and resort owners, operators and other stakeholders will meet at the Hilton Sydney on 21 & 22 June 2007 for the Australia, New Zealand & Pacific Hotel Investment Conference (ANZPHIC 2007) – the main event on the hotel industry calendar in the region. The Conference (in its 7th year) will again be jointly hosted by real estate advisers Sonnenblick Goldman, hotel consultants Horwath HTL and lawyers Blake Dawson Waldron. Over 400 delegates are expected to attend the Conference, which is a sell-out annual event. ANZPHIC 2007 has already received its largest ever level of industry support, with 24 major Sponsors and every major industry body in the region signed up for the event.

Reflecting the increasing emphasis on global opportunities, confirmed speakers for ANZPHIC 2007 include such distinguished international industry participants as:

 Richard Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Istithmar Real Estate (based in Dubai);
 Sean Williams, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley (Tokyo);
 Trevor Horwell, Chief Hotels Officer, Hard Rock Hotels Worldwide (Orlando);
 Mark Ebbinghaus, Joint Head of Real Estate, Lodging & Leisure Asia, UBS Investment Bank (Hong Kong)
 Dr Aris Ikkos, Principal, JBR Business Consultants (Athens);
 Dr Russell Smith, Vice Dean, Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hotel Management (Singapore);
 Paul Dean, Principal, Dean & Associates (London);
 Mark Oldershaw, Chief Executive Officer, New Zealand Hotel Council (Wellington)
 John Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Air Pacific (Fiji);
 Damend Gounder, Chairman, Tourism Action Group (Fiji);
 Ashley Willard, Vice President Real Estate, Envisioning + Storytelling (Vancouver);
 Reas Kondraschow, Exec. Vice President, International Development, Wyndham Hotel Group (New Jersey);
 Stuart Carson, Senior Vice President, Colliers Playground (Toronto)

Distinguished local participants, include:

 Janet Holmes a’Court AC, Chairman, Heytesbury;
 Michael Issenberg, Managing Director, Accor Asia Pacific;
 Romilly Madew, Chief Executive, Green Building Council of Australia;
 Paul Constantinou, Chairman, Quest Serviced Apartments;
 Stephen Burt, Director, Mirvac Hotel Funds Management;
 John Hudson, Managing Director, Thakral Holdings Ltd;
 David Etherton, Executive Director, Tourism WA

…and many other industry leaders.

These global and local experts will provide in-depth insight on topics including:

 Overseas Hotel Investments –Where Are The Best Opportunities?
 The Why Behind The Buy – Recent Purchasers Explain Their Thinking
 Baby Boomer Boom – What Do They Want & How Can You Benefit?
 How Can The Industry Meet The Environment Challenge?
 Hotels That Dare To Be Different!
 Key Market Opportunities – Western Australia Into The Hotel Spotlight
 Resorts Meet Residential - Making The Mix Work
 The Hotel Room of the Future
 New Zealand – A Buy or Pass By?
 Midscale Hotels – Better, Safer, Easier?
 Meet The New Money
 Central & North Queensland Resorts – Invest at Last?
 Better Than Good – Is Revenue Management The Key?
 Discounting Its Way To Recovery – Is Fiji A Regional Industry Threat?

Two further sessions sure to draw interest will be the annual management company leaders panel on the outlook for the market and an independent outlook assessment by leading analyst firms, BIS Shrapnel and IBISWorld.

“All the great names are on board and everything points to ANZPHIC 2007 being a pivotal event at a key moment in time for this industry” declared Mr Smith, who is the ANZPHIC 2007 chair.

ANZPHIC 2007 will also include the annual Hotel Investor of the Year Award and the announcing of the 2007 MAXXotel Awards, which honour the region’s best performing hotels, resorts & serviced apartments. Commenting on the MAXXotel Awards, Mr Vasso Zographou, Managing Director of Horwath HTL Australia noted “with hotel values at record highs, now more than ever performance is ultimately what it’s all about and great performing hotels only succeed because of great management support for great hotel products and brands – it will be a pleasure to reward the people who made the Award winners the successes they are”

Mr Smith added “With 70 speakers and panellists, covering 20 topics in over 17 hours of sessions and presentations, ANZPHIC 2007 promises to provide delegates with fast paced, key information on what is going on at the money end of this business”.

ends

© Scoop Media