‘Synchronised for success’

If you want to be part of the future of the Middle East’s hospitality industry, you ought to be at Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) 2019, believes AHIC Founder Jonathan Worsley.

Quarter four is always busy for the AHIC team, as we meet hotel investors, owners and operators from across the Middle East to help shape the programme as our annual event. For us, the discussions and debates start now, as we uncover the most pertinent issues impacting the future of hospitality development in the region.

We’re thrilled to be back in Ras Al Khaimah for our 15th edition to be held from April 9-11, 2019 at an all-new purpose-built AHIC Village being developed in partnership with Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA). Building on the success of this year’s forum, the venue is designed to facilitate deal flow and networking opportunities, enabling more than 900 delegates to interact and discuss business outside of the typical conference environment. We have even planned a super car experience in partnership with Edel & Stark for delegates, enabling them to see more of the emirate in less time!

Our theme, ‘Synchronised for Success’, was born out of the shared sentiment among the AHIC Advisory Board to bring about harmony among hotel investment stakeholders. We expect one of the most contentious conversations to revolve around how to rewrite hotel management contracts, following the shift in operating models we are currently witnessing. F&B will be an integral topic and we are pleased to partner with our sister event, Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF), and offer a dedicated workshop to help investors better understand how to drive ROI from their restaurants. We will also be hosting sessions from our SPACE event, including ‘A practical look at efficient building’. As energy management, design technologies and operational efficiencies become more important, we will highlight their environmental and business impact.

Technology and its potential to reshape the hospitality sector is high on the agenda too, so AHIC 2019 will feature our second annual ‘Day of Disruption’. We will be bringing leading minds in Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Blockchain to share their insights on what these mean for hotels. This edition will also have an enhanced focus on Saudi Arabia, with the support of our Saudi Arabian sponsors giving us increased representation in the Kingdom. Bringing all of these topics together are over 100 leading industry speakers with Sébastien Bazin, Chief Executive Officer, AccorHotels, as one of our headliners.

We’re delighted to once again work with Stephen Sackur, host of BBC’s HARDTalk, who will be bringing his nononsense question style back to AHIC, stirring up speakers to get the answers the industry requires. Jonathan Worsley Founder Arabian Hotel Investment Conference

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