The ninth Hotel Investment Conference South Asia (HICSA) 2013 was held at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai on April 3-4, 2013. The two-day event organised by HVS India was well attended by a diverse presence of hoteliers, owners, investors, bankers, developers, architects and designers from across the world, this year HICSA had over 550 participants reiterating trends of growth and traction in the Indian hotel business. For the first time at HICSA, four global Presidents of the world’s leading hospitality brands came together on a common dais to address the hotel investment forum.
The delegates at the HICSA 2013 were enlightened by the vibrant and thought provoking speeches of global CEOs such as Arne M Sorenson, President & COO Marriott International; Christopher J Nassetta, President & CEO, Hilton Worldwide; Frits van Paasschen, President & CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Mark S Hoplamazian, President & CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation; amongst many others.
Commenting on the participation of these stalwarts at the conference, Manav Thadani, Chairman – South Asia, HVS Hospitality Services, and Founder, HICSA, said, “HICSA over the years has been unbeaten in the quality of content it provides to the industry and has been consistently addressing the diverse issues being faced by the global hospitality sector. With the support and admiration of illustrious leaders and brands of the industry received so far, HICSA has now become a conduit for embryonic solutions for the challenges faced by the industry. It is clear with our speaker profiles and the support that we get year-on-year from the international hospitality leaders.”
The perspective of theses global leaders provided a wide learning panorama to the delegates in terms of enhancing benchmarks, targets, strategies, and trends for the future along with providing opportunities for new businesses. The business sessions also served as a platform to share their perspective on India as an attraction for global leaders in the backdrop of the global travel and tourism industry.
Kaushik Vardharajan, MRICS, Managing Director- SA, HVS Hospitality Services commented, “The hospitality industry in India is going through trying times because of both, global and domestic factors and to look at things differently and set this year’s event apart from the others HICSA 2013 will focus on hotel owners rather than the brands. This year, the overarching question being focused on is how owners can make money.” To support this HVS carried out a one of its kind owner’s survey to seek their thoughts on their current sentiments and future outlook.
Delivering the keynote address, Amitabh Kant, CEO and MD, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation, said that travel will be driven by Asians as opposed to the western world. “60 per cent of the western population has travelled globally whereas only five per cent of the eastern population has travelled internationally. The ratio of eastern travellers will continue to grow, and as a result global products will have to redesigned according to Asian preferences,” he said.
HICSA 2013 began with Thadani sharing bold insights on the key trends of the hospitality industry. Thandani stated, “To begin with this year we will focus on the owners. Owners are the most important part of the hospitality industry, without owners there would be no hotels it is as simple as that.” Thadani also made a presentation on ‘Sustainability’ that urged hoteliers to follow a greener business that will help reduce costs. He believes that Indian hospitality is now moving towards maturity and is ready to turn a new leaf and go green. He cited three categories that matter most to such as water, energy and waste reduction.
The sessions at the conference were: Global CEO Panel,Women in Hospitality, Key Trends: The Global Drivers of Change, State of the Industry, Are Owners Making Money?, Loan Coming to You: Hold Them or Fold Them, Creating a New Brand, Lifestyle Hotels: Passion or Profit?, Budget Hotels – Profit Without Frills, Hot Seat – General Managers: Pressure of Making Money in Challenging Markets and many more.
In addition to discussing existing hospitality trends, the speakers at HICSA exchanged notes on their experience as leaders, which in turn could change the predictable operation of the industry. “HICSA 2013’s highlight will be the learning that emanates from the combined knowledge of these global leaders who control over 30 per cent of the worlds’ internationally branded rooms across 10,000 hotel properties, manage 44 hospitality brands in over 300 countries and together generate employment for nearly half a million people across the globe,” Thadani said.
