Upcoming ULI Atlanta Session on the Hospitality Industry

As we all know, small businesses and large businesses alike have been hit by the economic downturn. However, if you’re not an avid traveler then you probably haven’t considered the impact the economy has had on the hotel business. ULI Atlanta is hosting their next seminar, The Hotel Business: When Will We Wake Up? on November 18, 2009 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

As the holidays come and go more and more families are finding ways to stay home and enjoy “staycations,” and this has definitely hit the hotel industry. According to PKF Hospitality Research, hotel occupancy rates have dropped from 62.2% in 2008 to 54.1%t in 2009. This has caused drastic hotel cost cuts and has even forced some owners into foreclosure.

Come listen to five hospitality superstars as they discuss the opportunities and challenges the hotel market is facing and where they are heading in a panel format.

The panelists include:

• Valerie C. Ferguson, Regional Vice President & Managing Director – Loews Hotels, Atlanta’s new regional executive responsible for the Loews Atlanta Hotel
• Khalil Johnson, President – Common Sense Consulting, Retired COO of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority and Consultant to the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association
• John Russell, CEO – NYLO Hotels, Previously Chairman and CEO Cendant’s Hotel Division for 6500 hotels and 7 brands
• Horst Schulze, Chairman and CEO – West Paces Hotel Group, Former Vice-Chairman of the Ritz-Carlton Company

Moderator

• R. Mark Woodworth, President – PKF Hospitality Research, Nationally known figure in the world of hospitality forecasting and analysis

Be sure to pre-register online by Monday, November 16. After Monday 16th you can register onsite and the fee will increase $15.