RCI Masterclass At Arabian Hotel Investment Conference Generates Great Regional Response
Premier hotel executives and officials got together to learn about the various ‘alternative business models’ that can be implemented in the hospitality industry at this year’s Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC), which took place in Dubai on 28th April at Madinat Jumeirah.
RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange, and its luxury leisure property exchange programme, The Registry Collection®, collaborated for the third successive year to co-host the Shared Ownership Interactive Masterclass – Alternative Business Models in Hospitality Investment & Developer Financing workshop.
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Dimitris Manikis, vice president of Business Development for RCI EMEA: “We were overwhelmed with the fantastic turnout of developers, investors and hotel brands. It was one of our best events in the region.
“We designed the sessions to ensure that both developers and investors could make better informed decisions when it comes to implementing financial strategies that will best optimise their yield from the burgeoning Middle East hotel sector, especially with mixed-use and leisure real estate developments.”
The alternative business models discussed at the dedicated one-day event, were timeshare vacation clubs, fractional ownership and branded residential – all relatively new concepts to the region.
Shafi Syed, regional director for RCI & The Registry Collection MENA, added: “In this economic climate, where credit is not always readily available, it is vital to consider every viable alternative for financing property developments, as well as making your hotel assets work hard for you through careful diversification.
“For a hotel brand looking to capture long-term customer loyalty and generate new revenue streams, proven business models such as Vacation Clubs offer a great solution. We are seeing renewed interest from regional and global brands looking to enter the Middle East and take advantage of the growth curve.”
This year’s interactive event included a panel of distinguished speakers who offered key industry stakeholders, hotel brands, resort owners, investors and industry consultants a valuable insight into alternative developer business finance strategies.
The panelists shared their experiences on various strategies and highlighted how the alternative models have influenced the investment profile of the leading developments they have managed.
Speakers included Scott Woroch, executive vice president, global, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Samer Abu Ayash, senior vice president, Kingdom Hotel Investments, and Jurgen Baumhoff, COO Emaar Hospitality Group.
Jonathon Worsely, chairman, Bench Events, said: “The Masterclass was the real highlight at this year’s hotel conference and our continued partnership with RCI and The Registry Collection® generated yet another valuable session for our delegates.”
For more information on the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference: www.arabianconference.com
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