WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—The International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS) has announced a seminar lineup that will offer solutions and tactics to drive business in 2010 and beyond, including such topics as recovering from a down economy and capitalizing on the social media boom. Taking place November 7 to 10, 2009, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, the 94th annual IH/M&RS will present some 35,000 industry professionals with a comprehensive professional development opportunity.
“Education continues to play a key role in the IH/M&RS experience, offering attendees valuable insight about emerging trends and hot topics from notable industry leaders,” said Lynn White, show manager. “This year’s seminar lineup is especially compelling, addressing topics that are beyond the norm, yet vitally important.”
The educational program begins on Saturday, November 7, with the Hospitality Leadership Forum, a full day conference for senior level hospitality managers that will address such topics as “Tweets and APPtitude,” “Managing Human Capital in a Difficult Economy,” “Purchasing Strategies for New Realities,” “Does IT Matter?” and “Know What a Guest Wants, Even When They Don’t Know.” In addition, the Hospitality Leadership Forum features a “CEO Leadership Panel” and “U.S. Lodging Industry Summit Panel,” with insight from notable industry leaders.
Keynote Address on Saturday
Marlene Colucci, executive vice president of public policy for the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), along with a panel of prominent legislative leaders, will present the 2009 Hospitality Leadership Forum keynote address from 12:45 to 2:15 p.m. on Saturday. Colucci is the force behind AH&LA’s policy agenda and lobbying efforts, providing guidance on all legislative and regulatory matters impacting members and directing the association’s political activity. In addition, she works directly with members of Congress and the administration to promote travel and tourism as an industry.
Prior to joining AH&LA in 2005, Colucci served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush in the Office of Domestic Policy. In that capacity, she coordinated all labor, transportation and postal reform policy initiatives for the White House. Prior to that, she was appointed by the President to serve at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., as both the deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs and as counsel to the Deputy Secretary of Labor.
Hospitality Leadership Forum registration, which includes the Saturday keynote luncheon and admission to exhibits November 8 to 10, is $139 per person and available online at www.ihmrs.com.
On Sunday, November 8, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., the “Benchmarking Your Property’s Eco-System” seminar will be held. The focus will be on learning how to manage your hotel’s environmental performance using newly-launched GreenQuest to record your energy usage and measure your carbon footprint with direct input to EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager. Tracking is the best way to qualify return on investment and this session will show you how to watch your energy, water, and waste savings add up. The moderator will be Patrick Maher, partner, The Maher Group. Panelists will include: Mark Breuker, principal, Burton Energy Group; Andrew Schulte, senior associate consultant, ICF International, working in support of Energy Star; and Jeff Slye, CEO, chief evolution officer, Business Evolution Consulting.
Many Other Seminars Planned
Seminars will continue throughout Sunday, November 8, and Monday, November 9, addressing such topics as “Inside the Buyer’s Brain,” “Grabbing More Market Share,” “Attracting International Guests,” “When Will the Big Apple Bounce Back,” “Understanding Hotel Ratings Companies,” “How Congress’ Legislative Battles on Healthcare, Labor and Corporate Responsibility Impact the Hospitality Industry,” and “What Does Today’s Hotel Guest Really Want?”
The New York Marketplace, a new 8,000-square-foot foodservice-focused area developed in conjunction with The M. Tucker Company, will serve as the venue for chef Q&A’s and seminars. Chefs will share insight and fine dining direction in one-on-one interviews with trade publication editors, while seminars will address applying retail merchandising techniques to your foodservice operations, survival tactics for commercial foodservice operators, e-mail marketing for the foodservice industry, and the issues surrounding school foodservice programs.
Seminars taking place on Sunday, November 8, and Monday, November 9, are free of charge for registered attendees of the IH/M&RS. Registration is $30 through October 10, and $50 after this date, and available online at www.ihmrs.com.
