A number of top hoteliers from Sub-Saharan Africa and business leaders in the field of hotel development, investment and tourism are billed to speak at the 8th annual Hotel Investment Conference Africa (HICA).
The conference will be held from 14 to 16 September, at The Maslow Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, hosted by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) in partnership with the Gauteng Tourism Authority.
The conference will be held from 14 to 16 September, at The Maslow Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, hosted by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) in partnership with the Gauteng Tourism Authority.
HICA is a leading advocate in the promotion of education and dialogue on investment and developmental issues within the hotel, resort, mixed-use, real estate and tourism industries across the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
The conference brings together local, regional and international captains of industry for two-and-a half days of frank engagement, deal-making and networking.
“HICA is renowned for its relevant programme and high-calibre of speakers. Each year, we endeavour to raise the bar even higher. Looking at how our speaker line-up is shaping up, we are confident that we will achieve this goal,” says Mmatšatši Ramawela, TBCSA chief executive officer.
Leading the speaker line-up are a number of business leaders from the region such as Hubert Danso, CEO and Vice-chairman of Africa Investor Media, André Pottas, Deloitte Africa Corporate Finance Advisory leader and the leader of Infrastructure and Capital Projects for Africa and Joop Demes, CEO of Pam Golding Hospitality.
The speaker line-up also includes hoteliers such as Mossadek Bally, Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Azalaï Hotel Group, which operates in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinée Bissao and Dr. Shingi Munyeza, Group CEO of African Sun Hotels, which operates in Zimbabwe, Ghana and Nigeria.
On the international front, the programme features amongst others Keith Kefgen, CEO & Managing Director of Aethos Consulting Group; Dr James Houran, clinical psychologist and recognised expert on “Peak Performance” Starwood Hotel’s Senior Vice-President for Acquisitions and Development; Neil George and Accor Hotel Group’s Snr Vice-President and Head of Development in Africa and the Middle East, Phillippe Baretaud.
HICA sponsors Best Western Hotels, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and conference partner South African Airways, will also be represented in the various slots of the conference programme.
“Over and above the mix of regional and international speakers confirmed, HICA would not be the same without a discussion on policies to support the growth of tourism and hospitality in the region.
“As such we will soon be announcing the line-up of Ministers from the region who will be participating in our Ministerial Panel,” Ramawela says.
Registration is open with the conference programme already available on the HICA website. Delegates are urged to take advantage of the early-bird registration rates currently on offer.
“We encourage role-players in the hospitality and broader tourism industry within the region – investors, operators, developers, senior executives and public sector officials from the region - to not miss the opportunity to attend the conference,” Ramawela says.
HICA is hosted in association with Pam Golding Hospitality and US/SA-based AfriHIC Events Company. The conference is supported by the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA), the Aethos Consulting Group, Fair Trade Tourism and the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA).
Click here for more information.
Print
