News | February 27, 2001

5th Annual Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference


Delegates at the Fifth Annual Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC) will be able to participate in workshops, sessions and interactive meetings designed to study important issues that impact the future of investment and growth in the Caribbean region. The Conference, which is co-sponsored by the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in conjunction with Burba Hotel Network (BHN), will take place April 17 - 19, 2001 at the World Trade Center in Curaçao.

Through participation in workshops and breakout panel sessions, attendees can become knowledgeable about the various investment opportunities available in the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry. In addition to the workshops, the Conference will feature last year's popular "Meet the Opportunity!" and "Meet the Money!" sessions, which are designed to promote productive interaction between investors, governments and hoteliers. The CHTIC program, which was put together under the direction of James Burba of BHN, features the following workshops:

  • The Caribbean as a Competitive Destination - Where Does It Fit and What Does The Future Hold?
    Moderator: John Bell, director general and CEO of CHA
    Panelists: Scott D. Berman, partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP and Graham Wason, vice president strategy and development, World Travel & Tourism Council

  • The Outlook from the Top – Industry Leaders Speak
    Moderator: James E. Burba*, vice president and worldwide director of advisory services, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo
    Panelists: Ralph W. Taylor, president of CHA and chairman/managing director, Almond Resorts, Inc.; Adolfo Favieres, vice chairman and chief investment officer, Occidental Hotels/Allegro Resorts; and Gordon "Butch" Stewart, chairman, Unique Vacations, Inc. (invited)

  • The Global Investor and the Competitiveness of the Caribbean as an Investment Choice
    Moderator: J. Daniel Carlo, managing director, Sonnenblick-Goldman Company
    Panelists: John M. Van Deventer, principal, Cabot Square Capital; Todd Noonan, vice president, Hotel Capital Advisors, Inc.; and Diego Lowenstein, vice president, Lionstone Hotels

    Breakout Sessions
    Breakout sessions are group discussions led by a moderator and a panel of experts. The sessions focus on topics that are vital to the Caribbean tourism industry. Delegates can choose to participate in the following breakout sessions:

  • Unique New Trends in Timeshare and Vacation Ownership – What's Hot and Where are the Opportunities?
    Moderator: Howard C. Nusbaum, president, American Resort Development Association
    Panelists: David C. Gilbert, senior vice president resort sales & services, Interval International; Roger Sherman, international sales & marketing manager, Royal Resorts; Simón B. Suárez, vice president for development, Coral Hotels & Resorts, SA; and Kathryn Plouff, vice president, Heller Financial, Inc.

  • New Resort Development in the Caribbean – How are the Deals Getting Done?
    Moderator: Victor P. Hayley, partner, Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP
    Panelists: Adriann J.E. van Ravenstein, general manager, NIB Capital Bank (NA) N.V.; Simon Mortimer, vice president, Boyken/Mortimer International; and Tim M.E. Peck, managing director, OBM Limited

  • Destination Marketing in the New Global Economy – Effective Marketing Strategies to Grow Tourism
    Moderator: Scott E. Pierce, vice president/general manager, Advanstar Communications
    Panelists: Austin L. Mott, III, president/CEO, Visit Florida; Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, director general, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism; and David K. Preece, vice president North America, Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau

  • The Cruise Industry – Maximizing the Return on Investment
    Moderator: To be announced
    Panelists: Hon. David H. Allen, minister of tourism, Bermuda Department of Tourism; Jan Sierhuis, president, Curaçao Cruise Action Group; and Victor R. Roach, executive director, Barbados Port Authority (invited)
  • Growth Options for Hotel Owners – Expanding, Renovating and Adding New Facilities
    Moderator: Dan J. Hogan, publisher, Hotels
    Panelists: Patty Monteson, owner, Health Fitness Dynamics, Inc.; Dwight Jones, president, Boyken International; Baudilio A. Ruiz, chairman and CEO, OBM Miami, Inc.; and Brendan G.J. King, general manager corporate banking, Scotiabank Trinidad & Tobago Ltd.

  • The Caribbean Capital Markets – Unlocking the Potential from Within the Region
    Moderator: Ralph W. Taylor, president of CHA and chairman/managing director, Almond Resorts, Inc.
    Panelists: Hazel Highland, project manager, Caribbean Financial Services Corporation; Emsley D. Tromp, president Bank van de Nederlandse Antillen (Central Bank); David Panton, managing director, Caribbean Equity Partners; and O.K. Melhado, director, Manufacturers Merchant Bank Ltd.

  • The Airlift Challenge – The Outlook and Effective Strategies to Enhance the Capacity
    Moderator: James Hepple, deputy minister of tourism, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
    Panelists: Hon. Noel Lynch, minister of tourism, Barbados; Hon. Oswald Skippings, minister of tourism, Turks & Caicos Islands; Allen Chastanet, senior vice president sales & marketing, Air Jamaica; and Conrad Aleong, CEO, BWIA West Indies (invited)

  • Public/Private Partnerships – Incentives and Structures that Make Deals Work
    Moderator: Edward Hales, partner, Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan
    Panelists: Hon. Ramon Chong, commissioner of tourism & economic affairs, Island Government of Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles; Richard A. Mildner, southeast regional manager, Terrabrook; and Daniel W. Shelley, president, Puerto del Rey, Inc.

  • Hotel Chain Linkages (Franchise and Management) for the Independent Property – What Works, What Doesn't and Why?
    Moderator: Loraine Schoevers, senior consultant, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
    Panelists: Jim Jaffre, representative, Choice Hotels International; L. Andrew Wimsatt, vice president international hotel development, Marriott International; and Eduardo Halabi, managing director, Halabi Holdings

  • What's for Sale, What's Selling and What are Hotels Worth in the Caribbean
    Moderator: Bruce Baxter, president, InnVest, Inc.
    Panelists: Ronald D. Sutherland, II, president and CEO, The Hemisphere Group, International Real Estate Advisors; Derek J. Pinto, managing director, International Hospitality Advisors; George C. Spence, vice president corporate development, Occidental Hotels/Allegro Resorts Corporation; and Peter J. Walz, partner and executive vice president development, Driftwood Ventures Inc.

    "Meet the Opportunity!" and "Meet the Money!"
    During "Meet the Opportunity!," delegates will hear a brief synopsis of investment opportunities that exist throughout the region. Following the presentation, delegates will be able to meet with the developers to learn more about the opportunities available and have the chance to become more involved with the various projects.
    The "Meet The Opportunity!" screening committee is comprised of: Bill Bissell, president & CEO, OBM International Limited (the committee's chairman); Bruce Baxter, president, InnVest, Inc.; James E. Burba*, vice president and worldwide director of advisory services, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo; David F. Callaghan, director of business development, Interval International; Cristina Lanao-Rossel, director of marketing, OBM International Ltd.; Alastair Paterson, managing director, Deloitte & Touche Property Management; Victor P. Haley, partner, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP; Timothy LeBar, executive vice president, Boyken International, Ltd.; and Harriet Lewis, director, BHN.

    The "Meet the Money!" session will feature presentations by some of the most active lenders for hotels and tourism projects located in the region. Each lender will provide a brief update on the types of deals they are offering as well as projects in which they are likely to invest. Following the presentations, lenders will be available to meet with conference delegates to discuss potential projects.

    Carl J. Bazarian, president and CEO, East-West Financial Services, Ltd, will moderate the "Meet the Money!" panel. The lenders that will be on-hand include: Mariano R. Browne, president and CEO, Caribbean Commercial Bank; Horace A. Cobham, vice president commercial clients and corporate affairs, CIBC Caribbean Ltd; Adriaan J.E. van Ravenstein, general manager, NIB Capital Bank (NA) N.V.; Anthony J. Whitehouse, senior loan officer, European Investment Bank (EIB); Kirk B. Ifill, resident representative in the Caribbean, International Finance Corporation (IFC); Christopher B. Cowan, senior investment officer, OPIC; Kevin J. Workman, commercial banking manager, Scotiabank (Cayman Islands), Ltd.; Kathryn Plouff, vice president, Heller Financial, Inc.; Clark Gomes Casseres, managing director, Korpodecko/OBNA; and Blanca P. Rodriguez, Business Development Manager, GE Capital Real Estate, Mexico.

    Another highlight of this year's program is the "Prime Ministers Roundtable – The Future of Tourism in the Caribbean." Moderated by Ian Court of The Financial Times, this discussion will feature four prime ministers from the Caribbean. Hon. Miguel A. Pourier, prime minister, Netherlands Antilles, is a confirmed panelist.

    Registration for the CHTIC Conference is $875 per person and includes entrance to all sessions, sponsored meals and social events. Daily rates are available and hotel accommodations cost extra. Several properties have been designated at conference hotels and will offer a special rate for attendees. To register for the conference, contact CHA's Customer Service Department at telephone: 787-725-1839/9139; fax: 787-725-9108; e-mail: customerservice@caribbeanhotels.org or visit the CHA website at www.caribbeanhotels.org.

    James Burba is vice president and worldwide director of advisory services, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo and principal of Burba Hotel Network (BHN), an independent company owned by Mr. Burba. Both CHA and CTO have contracted BHN to develop the program and speaker line-up of the CHTIC conference.

    SOURCE: Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference