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Issam Kazim | CEO | DTCM

Andreas Plum | GM | Aloft Al Ain

Alexander Schneider | GM | Nikki Beach Resort & Spa

Andy Cuthbert | GM | Mina A’Salam at Madinat Jumeirah & Chairman, Emirates Culinary Guild

Carlo Stragiotto | GM | Four Seasons Hotel DIFC

David Allan | GM | Radisson Blu Dubai Waterfront & Canal Views

Conor Lawler | SVP - Finance | Atlantis The Palm

David Faull | GM | Centro Barsha & Burjuman Arjaan by Rotana

David Wilson | GM | Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah

Fabrice Ducry | GM | Sofitel Dubai Downtown

Deepak Manocha | GM | Marriott Hotel & Executive Apartments Al Jaddaf

Francis Desjardins | GM | Fairmont Ajman

Graeme Erens | CEO | Genius Loci

Joey Ghazal | Founder & Managing Partner | The MAINE Oyster Bar & Grill

Guzman Muela | GM | TIME Oak Hotel & Suites

Joost Vermeulen | Regional Manager Hotels, MEA & India | Booking.com

Kamran Malik | Group GM | Al Ansari Hospitality

Khamis Kazzaz | Owner Representative | Al Hamad Group of Companies

Karim Bizid | GM | The Oberoi Dubai

Laurent A. Voivenel | SVP, Operations & Development, MEA & India | Swiss-Belhotel International

Mahesh Mansharamani | GM | Al Khoory Executive Hotel

Maria Tullberg | GM | Radisson Blu Deira Creek

Maliha Nishat | Director of Interior Design | Marriott International

Mark Lee | GM | Media One Hotel

18 - 20 September 2017 Dubai World Trade Centre

The Middle East

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UNVARNISHED DEBATE WITH THE LEADERS OF THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR

THE AGENDA

DAY 1 | Monday 18th September

12:30 - 12:40Opening remarks from the moderator

Rupprecht Queitsch, CEO, INHOCO Group

12:40 - 13:10Hospitality & Tourism Market Development: The Government Perspective

Issam Kazim, CEO, DTCM

13:10 - 13:50Building Genuine Brand Identity How the most distinctive operators identify, anticipate, embody and communicate the key values and programmes that attract and build loyalty amongst their target clientele.

Alexander Schneider, GM, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Graeme Erens, CEO, Genius Loci Karim Bizid, GM, The Oberoi Dubai

13:50 - 14:30 F&B Strategy Can a hotelier ever create as compelling an F&B proposition as a restauranteur? Calculating the most effective route to attract the right type of guests into your property.

Francis Desjardins, GM, Fairmont Ajman Joey Ghazal, Founder & Managing Partner,

The MAINE Oyster Bar & Grill Ramzy Abdul-Majeed, Co-Founder, Whissle/OKKU Stephen Meredith, GM, Steigenberger

A central new feature of this year’s Hotel Show, The Hospitality Leadership Forum is a series of spontaneous and forthright panel discussions on the key strategic opportunities and challenges shaping the regional sector at this time of accelerated expansion and change.

Each day will consist of a series of panel discussions addressing a specific issue of concern and featuring at least 3 senior industry experts on each panel.

Each panellist will have 5 minutes at the start of each discussion to introduce themselves and their basic position on the parent topic. The discussion will then open out amongst the whole panel, guided by an informed and independent moderator and conclude with questions from the audience. The talks will take place within a purpose-built conference theatre in Hall 7, are free to attend for all visitors to the event and are expected to be standing room-only, so we advise you to plan your visit and arrive early.

14:30 - 15:10Recruitment & TrainingEngaged talent with initiative and personality is becoming increasingly vital, but much harder to source. What routes are the smartest hospitality operators taking to find, train and retain great staff?

Andy Cuthbert, GM, Mina A’Salam at Madinat Jumeirah & Chairman, Emirates Culinary Guild

Mahesh Mansharamani, GM, Al Khoory Executive Hotel Mark Lee, GM, Media One Hotel

15:10 - 15:50SustainabilityHow Dubai-based hoteliers are anticipating and preparing for the government’s upcoming sustainability agenda.

Martin Kubler, CEO, sps:affinity Rafik Kamel, GM, Holiday Inn Downtown

15:50 - 16:30Leadership Career Paths F&B, Rooms or Sales & Marketing? What are the theoretical strengths and weaknesses of different paths to becoming a modern GM, and how do they reflect changes in the modern industry?

David Wilson, GM, Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah Maria Tullberg, GM, Radisson Blu Deira Creek Philippe Montaubin, GM, Ibis, Novotel & Aparthotel

Adagio Premium Dubai Al Barsha Puneet Baijal, GM, Roda Al Bustan Hotel

16:30Closing remarks from the moderator

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DAY 2 | Tuesday 19th September

12:20 - 12:30 Opening remarks from the moderator

Rupprecht Queitsch, CEO, INHOCO Group

12:30 - 13:10 Market Positioning How relevant are traditional star ratings as a guide of attractive service and product offerings in today’s marketplace, and can existing properties realistically adapt to address other sections of the market?

Andreas Plum, GM, Aloft Al Ain Carlo Stragiotto, GM, Four Seasons Hotel DIFC Moses Barnabas, GM, XVA Art Hotel

13:10 - 13:50Senior Relationship Management Successfully negotiating the delicate art of owner / management company / GM relationships.

David Allan, GM, Radisson Blu Dubai Waterfront & Canal Views

Khamis Kazzaz, Owner Representative, Al Hamad Group of Companies

13:50 - 14:30 The Mid-Market Market disruption, market distortion or sustainable market correction? Re-examining the business case for the booming mid-market in Dubai and its ongoing effect on 4* & 5* operators.

Laurent A. Voivenel, SVP, Operations & Development, MEA & India, Swiss-Belhotel International

Pierre Delfau, GM, Southern Sun Abu Dhabi Hotel Russel Sharpe, COO – Hospitality Division,

Landmark Group

14:30 - 15:10TechnologySurveying the novel technologies and systems that are being successfully exploited to capture bookings, provide layered and sophisticated guest experiences, encourage social media approval and embed customer loyalty and referrals.

Pawel Guminski, Dual Site GM, Premier Inn Dubai International Airport & Al Jaddaf

Richard Collins, GM, The Ritz-Carlton Dubai Rochelle Castillejos, Director of Revenue Distribution &

Optimization, Gulf Hotels Group

15:10 - 15:50Women in LeadershipHow achieving better gender balance in hospitality leadership roles improves business outcomes.

Nicola Hochgruber, GM, Accor Hotels Sanne Emborg, GM, Lapita, Autograph Collection Stephanie Aboujaoude, Area Director of Marketing,

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

15:50 - 16:30 Design & LayoutUnderstanding the psychological and behavioural impact of hotel design and layout on your guests, and the process, techniques and tricks that designers use to achieve them.

Kamran Malik, Group GM, Al Ansari Hospitality Maliha Nishat, Director of Interior Design, Marriott

International Sejal Patel, Lead Designer, Gensler Justin Wells, Head of Lifestyle Interiors, Woods Bagot

16:30 Closing remarks from the moderator

DAY 3 | Wednesday 20th September

12:20 - 12:30 Opening remarks from the moderator

Christopher Hewett, Associate Director, TRI Consulting

12:30 - 13:10 Online Influencers How savvy operators interpret and manage major online influencers of performance and profits.

Joost Vermeulen, Regional Manager Hotels, MEA & India, Booking.com

Michelle Karam, Founder, Travel Junkie Diary Paula de Keijzer, Senior Director of Market Management

MEA and Greece & Turkey, Expedia Oytun Calapover, Country Head – UAE, Zomato

13:10 - 13:50Marketing to New DemographicsIs the perceived shift towards younger, tech-oriented millennials supported by evidence, and what can we learn from international operators who are already capturing this demographic?

Deepak Manocha, GM, Marriott Hotel & Executive Apartments Al Jaddaf

Fabrice Ducry, GM, Sofitel Dubai Downtown

13:50 - 14:30The Changing Case for OutsourcingOutsourcing key hospitality services / functions in a tightening market: Can you really trim overheads whilst maintaining sufficient quality control?

David Faull, GM, Centro Barsha & Burjuman Arjaan by Rotana

Guzman Muela, GM, TIME Oak Hotel & Suites Vishal Mehra, GM, Hyatt Place Al Rigga & Baniyas Square

14:30 - 15:10VAT Scenario PlanningClarifying key details of the imminent VAT implementation.

Conor Lawler, SVP - Finance, Atlantis The Palm Markus Susilo, Partner, Crowe Horwath

15:10 - 15:50Predictions for the Ongoing Development of Dubai’s Hospitality & Tourism Sector: A vision of the UAE hospitality landscape up to 2025

Philip Jones, GM, Movenpick JBR Philip Wooller, Area Director – MEA, STR Global Marko Vucinic, SVP, Hotels & Hospitality, JLL

15:50 Closing remarks from the moderator & close of forum

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Markus Susilo | Partner | Crowe Horwath

Michelle Karam | Founder | Travel Junkie Diary

Martin Kubler | CEO | sps:affinity

Moses Barnabas | GM | XVA Art Hotel

Nicola Hochgruber | GM | Accor Hotels

Paula de Keijzer | Senior Director of Market Management MEA and Greece & Turkey | Expedia

Oytun Calapover | Country Head – UAE | Zomato

Pawel Guminski | Dual Site GM | Premier Inn Dubai International Airport & Al Jaddaf

Philip Jones | GM | Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach

Philippe Montaubin | GM | Ibis, Novotel & Aparthotel Adagio Premium Dubai Al Barsha

Philip Wooller | Area Director – MEA, STR Global

Pierre Delfau | GM | Southern Sun Abu Dhabi

Puneet Baijal | GM | Roda Al Bustan Hotel

Ramzy Abdul-Majeed | Co-Founder | Whissle/OKKU

Rafik Kamel | GM | Holiday Inn Downtown

Richard Collins | GM | The Ritz-Carlton Dubai

Rochelle Castillejos | Director of Revenue Distribution & Optimization | Gulf Hotels Group

Russel Sharpe | COO – Hospitality Division | Landmark Group

Rupprecht Queitsch | CEO | INHOCO Group

Sanne Emborg | GM | Lapita, Autograph Collection

Sejal Patel | Lead Designer | Gensler

Stephen Meredith | GM | Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay

Stephanie Aboujaoude | Area Director of Marketing | Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

Vishal Mehra | GM | Hyatt Place Al Rigga & Baniyas Square

18 - 20 September 2017 Dubai World Trade Centre

The Middle East

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