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Day One Monday, 24 November 2008
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8.30am | Registration and coffee
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9am | Chairman’s opening remarks
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| INSIGHTS ON THE GLOBAL VALUE HOTEL MARKET |
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9.10am | Opening Keynote Session
Unearthing the right opportunities in the budget and mid market hotel sector
- Uncovering the challenges and opportunities of the value hotel market
- Identifying the key geographic growth areas and their concept potential
- Tapping into new markets and succeeding in the business
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9.50am | Panel Discussion: The budget and mid market brand
explosion in the Middle East
- Facts and figures on the growth of the region’s hotels industry
- Introducing limited-service offerings to the MENA market
- Meeting the demand of value-conscious travellers
- How does a mid market hotel succeed in the GCC?
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| | Mr. Phil Kasselis, VP Development Middle East and Africa, InterContinental Hotels Group
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10.40am | Morning networking break
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| BUDGET & MID MARKET HOTELS – SUCCEEDING IN A LUXURY
ENVIRONMENT |
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11.20am | Lessons from a worldwide leader in the value sector – Ibis
case study
- A global overview on the development of the budget segment – the perspective of a leading hospitality brand
- Building a strong business model and enhancing brand awareness and recognition
- Values and philosophies – ensuring that every new hotel leverages the strengths of the entire network
- Expansion strategies and mid term ambitions
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11.50am | Panel Discussion: Budget and mid market hotels - A viable
diversification strategy for regional economies
- What are the key factors to consider when entering the market?
- Tourism-linked revenue
- Will the price be consistent with the traveller’s expectations of luxury?
- Are budget hotels the answer to the rising hotel occupancy and rates?
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12.40pm | Networking lunch sponsored by
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2pm | Panel Discussion: International hospitality brands looking
into the Middle Eastern mid market
- Growing the mid-scale portfolio in the Middle East and North African region
- Investing and filling the gaps in untapped markets
- Delivering a product that represents an outstanding value for money
- The challenges of establishing mid market brands in the Middle East
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2.50pm | Speed Networking
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3.40pm | Afternoon networking break
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| BRAND BUILDING – STANDING OUT IN A CROWDED MARKET |
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4.10pm | Panel Discussion: Launching environmentally friendly and
Sharia compliant hotels
- The “green hotel” prototype – what is the winning business model?
- The surging demand for “local flavour” hotels
- Committing to environmentally sustainable tourism
- Sharia compliant hotels – wants and needs of the growing Islamic tourism market
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4.50pm | Panel Discussion: Differentiating your business from
established hospitality brands
- The hotel – portraying the hotel as a branded property
- The team – turning the personnel into real brand ambassadors
- The customer – satisfying your clients and keeping them loyal to the brand
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5.30pm | End of day one
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6pm | Cocktail reception
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Day Two Tuesday, 25 November 2008
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8.30am | Morning coffee
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9am | Chairman’s opening remarks
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| PROPERTY DEVELOPERS – PERSPECTIVES, WANTS AND NEEDS |
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9.10am | Increasing land prices and construction costs – the way
forward
- Location – the key factor to the success of mid market hotels
- Overview on the macro economics affecting the region
- The challenges in meeting completion deadlines
- Are the delays in project delivery saving the region from oversupply?
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9.40am | Hotel management agreements – avoiding pitfalls
- Overview of the contract terms offered by the major brands
- How to get the best deal out of the brands
- Traps for the unwary
- How to protect the owner’s investment value
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10.10am | Morning networking break
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| MID MARKET OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES |
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11am | Building an “Essential Service” hotel brand
- The journey from full service to essential service
- Development of the business model
- Centro - partnering with the right associates
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11.30am | Roundtable Discussions
- Attracting Investors and Optimising the ROI
- Brand development and management
- Hotel management agreements
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12.20pm | Networking lunch sponsored by
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1.30pm | Panel Discussion: Yield management – low cost operations
for a valuable customer experience
- Boosting revenue while staying true to the sector
- Fixed price or revenue management systems?
- What can value hotels learn from the low cost airline business model?
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2.20pm | Panel Discussion: Operating in a high cost environment
- Delivering affordable rates despite the increasing supplies prices
- Meeting the challenges of the rising costs of food and raw materials
- The impact of the increasing labour, housing and transport costs
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3.10pm | Panel Discussion: Obtaining, training and retaining talented hospitality personnel
- Coping with the lack of qualified, skilled hotel staff
- Ensuring the success of your hotel by accessing good staff and experts
- Meeting the challenge of the language barrier
- Selling the Middle East to hospitality graduates
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4pm | Chairman’s closing remarks and close of conference
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4.10pm | Cocktail reception
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Post-Conference Workshop, Wednesday 26 November 2008
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| Budget and mid market hotels:
Asset management and funding strategies |
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9am | Registration and welcome coffee
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9.30am | Workshop commences
Introduction and background
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10am | Delivering higher returns for budget and mid market hotels
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11am | Budget and mid market hotels funds
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12pm | Networking lunch
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2pm | Master and regional licenses
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3pm | Summary discussions and workshop wrap-up
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