Southern Lodging Summit @ Memphis to Host Eighth Annual Conference August 17th & 18th

MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Officials of the Southern Lodging Summit @ Memphis, an annual gathering of hoteliers specializing in development and operations in the southern United States, today announced it will host its eighth annual conference on August 17-18, 2010, at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

"With the hotel industry continuing to show early signs of recovery, it is more important than ever for savvy hoteliers to meet with their peers to share best practices and exchange information that can lead to better bottom line revenues," said Chuck Pinkowski, president of Pinkowski & Company and conference co-founder.  "The Southern Lodging Summit @ Memphis is an ideal opportunity for hotel owners, operators, developers, lenders and other key players with operations and investments in the southern region of the United States to do just that.  The number of registered attendees is growing, and we hope to meet our goal of 240 people shortly."

The day-and-a-half conference kicks off with a "Lunch with Speakers" on Tuesday, August 17, at the world famous Rendezvous Restaurant.  The luncheon presents attendees with an opportunity to interact one-on-one with speakers.  Following a brief respite, conference goers are invited to attend an evening cocktail reception and dinner at the world famous Peabody Hotel.  The evening event has limited seating, so attendees are encouraged to RSVP early.

On Wednesday morning, August 18, following a continental breakfast at the Memphis Cook Convention Center, participants will receive an industry update from the American Hotel & Lodging Association's chairman, David Kong, and executive vice president of public policy, Marlene Colucci.  Jan Freitag from Smith Travel Research then will provide his company's insights into the current, unprecedented industry market conditions, both from a national and Memphis-specific perspective.  

The President's Panel, moderated by Isaac Collazo, vice president of performance strategy and planning for Intercontinental Hotels, will launch the mid-morning portion of the conference.  This year's participating industry leaders include Wayne Goldberg, president, La Quinta Inns & Suites; David Kong, CEO, Best Western; Adrian Kurre, Global Head, Hilton Garden Inns; Bharat Patel, CEO, Sun Companies; and Mitesh Shah, CEO, Noble Investment Group.

The next session, "Preparing for Recovery," will be led by William Edmundson, president/CEO, Abby Office Centers.  Panelists will be Jonathan Bogatay, president, North Central Group; Karl Fischer, chief human resource officer, Marriott International; Terry Umbreit, director and IHG chair of excellence, Kemmons Wilson School of Hotel & Resort Management at the University of Memphis; and Jason Wagenknecht, president, PRI Enterprises.

Jack DeBoer, the "Godfather of the Extended Stay Segment," will be the luncheon keynote speaker.  DeBoer created the segment in the mid-1970s with the launch of the iconic Residence Inns brand.  The current chairman of ValuePlace, he also created Summerfield Suites and Candlewood Suites, each in its own unique hotel segment.

The final session will focus on Social Media/eCommerce.  Jeff Higley, editorial director of HotelNewsNow.com and STR Global, will host such luminaries as John Fareed, CEO, Fareed Zapala Koepke; Corey Trautvetter, eMarketing and eSales systems, hotel Systems Pro; Kerry Crawford Tisdale, electronic media, Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Michelle Lapierre, senior director, customer relationship marketing Marriott International.

The conference concludes with closing remarks by Mary Calorio, general manager of the Elvis Presley Heartbreak Hotel and current president of MMHLA, which will be followed by a $1,000 cash giveaway event sponsored by Elvis Presley Enterprises.

Celebrating its 8th year, the Southern Lodging Summit @Memphis was co-founded by the Metropolitan Memphis Hotel & Lodging Association and Pinkowski & Company, an independent hotel industry consulting firm headquartered in Memphis.  The hospitality industry event brings together hotel professionals who target the southern and mid-south region of the United States for development and operations.  The annual event draws a diverse group of owners, operators, sales executives, financial institutions, architects, attorneys, and hotel company representatives.

SOURCE Southern Lodging Summit @ Memphis