BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Officials of the Hotel Equity & Lender Perspectives (HELP) Conference today announced that it has secured John Fish, longtime chairman and CEO of Suffolk Construction Company, one of the largest construction companies in the United States, and leader of the effort to bring the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics back to the United States via Boston, as its keynote speaker to kick off the conference. The event will be held at the Seaport Hotel, April 13-14, 2015. The conference theme is “Making Waves,” and each speaker and/or panel will address certain issues that are changing the hotel industry.
The 2015 conference will pay special attention to Boston’s selection as the official U.S. entrant for the 2024 Olympics. Multiple panels, including various Olympic committee members, will discuss such issues as the historical impact of the Olympics on other U.S. cities, how this translates to Boston, the need (or not) for more Boston hotels to accommodate an Olympic venue and similar topics. Fish will conclude the discussion with a keynote presentation on his involvement thus far, his thoughts on the process and the likelihood of Boston successfully winning the bid.
“Seldom can industry conferences provide such a complete discussion of such a unique phenomenon as the Olympics,” said Ken Wilson, HELP Conference co-chairman and CEO of Capital Hotel Management. “An event such as this can have lasting financial, social and psychological impacts on not just the region, but the entire country, too. Hoteliers who want to keep their finger on the pulse of the hospitality industry, from both a national and local perspective, should not miss out on what is certain to be the most interesting industry conference this year.”
“As well as covering one of the hottest topics in the national zeitgeist, we have secured the ‘who’s who’ of hospitality experts to discuss the current state of the industry," said Jim O’Connell, HELP Conference co-chair and principal of O’Connell Hospitality Group LLC. “Attendees will learn about the latest issues impacting hoteliers today and in the future, including social media, crowdfunding vs. private equity, hotel asset management, new hotel supply and brand perspectives.”
Lee Pillsbury, co-chairman and CEO of Thayer Lodging Group, will return to the event and ignite the audience’s interest with a discussion on the “Prime Disruptors,” the evolution of the hotel industry and its effects on owner valuations.
ABOUT HELP
The 4th Annual Hotel Equity & Lender Perspectives event is a one-of-its-kind hotel investment conference being held in Boston, April 13th and 14th at the Seaport Hotel. This is a national hotel conference focused on debt, equity and the issues surrounding the value of hotel investments. Every major hotel brand is represented, and the largest publicly held companies, REIT’s, large private equity firms and many of the largest privately held hotel companies, as well as individual investors, attend. This year’s Platinum sponsors include Group One Partners, Inc., Hilton Worldwide and the Roedel Companies. In addition to a series of highly informative, educational sessions, the HELP Conference hosts a unique “Dine Around” event where participants are paired with targeted peers for personal meals at one of a number of upscale, local eateries, as well as Late Night @ HELP networking event.
