45th Annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference Agenda

The Conference’s concurrent workshops focus on specialized topics of interest, allowing attendees to customize their experience, while gaining critical industry information from interactive panel discussions.  

Fourth Floor, Wilder
Whether it’s hard branding, soft branding, or other forms of affiliation, hotel franchise agreements are complex and can be difficult to understand and negotiate.  Many brands offer a buffet of voluntary programs – each with its own fee – in addition to the mandatory “main course”.  And then there are terms such as impact, trade area protections, brand standards, and penalties for termination.  This panel will provide expert insights and up-to-the-minute game time news from the experts who play on the hotel franchising field.

Fourth Floor, Odets
Upheaval in the capital markets and the cost of debt.  Residual discontinuities from the pandemic.  Supply-chain disruption and inflationary increases to hotel operating costs.  How is it possible for a buyer and seller to get close enough to being on the same page for a lodging property transaction to close today?  These are the experts who get the deals done; join them as they share what they are seeing about navigating the current environment, and how investors are getting to transactions that actually close.

Fourth Floor, Ziegfeld
Hotel management contracts are the blueprints that govern the owner / operator relationship.  They are complex, nuanced and, for the most part, individually negotiated.  With relative negotiating leverage between the two parties specific to each deal, how are these agreements structured?  What are the new learnings and sensitivities, coming out of the pandemic, on each side?  And how have the end ranges of the various parameters changed? These leaders share their expertise in this complex part of the industry.

Fifth Floor, Booth and Edison in the Lyceum Complex
In the post-pandemic world, globalization is changing.  Yet both US demand for travel abroad and international demand for travel to the US are generally on the upswing, robustly in some areas.  Perhaps this is why U.S.-based lodging companies are keeping their eyes on the international ball.  Executed cross border deals included Wyndham’s Vienna House acquisition, Hyatt’s Atona partnership, Best Western’s WorldHotel’s acquisition, and Marriott’s purchase of City Express.  This panel will explore the big lodging companies’ global growth strategies and compare and contrast the different mechanisms that are being used to foster their international growth.

Fifth Floor, Salon 4 in the Lyceum Complex
Increasingly, people are looking to go one place to engage in activities – work, play, fun, stay – and developers are looking for new opportunities to create thriving hotels. Striking the right balance of uses is key for a successful project.  Panelists will discuss tips and guidelines to design the right mix.

Fifth Floor, Salon 2 in the Julliard Complex
In a rising interest rate environment, which lenders are active and how are they underwriting hotel financings? Can new hotel development be financed, especially with rising costs of labor and materials?  Are sellers coming around and resetting their expectations on valuations? Join these experts as they describe the current environment for financing and share their thoughts on M&A in the lodging sector.

Fifth Floor, Belasco and Broadhurst in the Julliard Complex
As one of the quickest segments to recover from the pandemic, the extended stay segment continues to attract interest from the traveling public, investors, developers, and the brands, with several new brands having been recently announced.   With data suggesting that this segment can appeal to many different traveler types at different price points, what does the future hold?  Can the magic be sustained? Join these active players as they share their insights.

Sixth Floor, Winter Garden in the Majestic Complex
Many factors are driving the increasing popularity of soft branding.  How does it work? In what market segments have soft brands been most successful?  What factors must owners and investors consider in their cost-benefit analysis when choosing a soft brand, and how do they choose the “right” type? This panel will address the negotiation of key aspects of soft brand management, franchise, and member agreements.

Fifth Floor, Westside Ballroom
Enjoy your favorite beverages and savor tasty selections. It’s the perfect way to begin your evening as you mingle with friends and colleagues and take in the lights and the excitement of Times Square.