Between 15 and 17 April, more than 2,500 senior representatives from across the hospitality industry will head to Berlin for the International Hospitality Investment Forum (IHIF) EMEA 2024.
This year’s speakers include: the CEOs of IHG, Hilton and Accor as well as senior representatives from Starwood Capital, TUI Group, KSL Capital Partners, and more.
Not only will you hear from leading hotel investment executives, but the multiple networking opportunities mean you’ll be able to capitalise on the return to dealmaking we are seeing this year.
The following preview is part of a series aimed at bringing you a flavour of the conversations you can expect on stage, highlighting some of the big-picture trends and themes ahead of the event.
As the hospitality industry continues to expand, with resorts, extended stay and branded residences increasingly catching the eye of investors, sessions in IHIF 2024’s Adjacent Spaces track aims to shine a light on the myriad opportunities which abound just beyond the boundaries of the traditional hotel sector.
Resorts
Beginning this exploration at 12:00 on Tuesday 16 April is the session titled Leisure-Makers: Identifying and Executing Successful Investments in Resorts during which experts will dive into the nuances of resort investment and share their expertise on how to achieve success, as resorts have continue to capture the imagination of a broad spectrum of investors. Limestone Capital, Melia Hotels, Palladium Hotel Group, Sercotel, Affinity Partners and Marriott are just a few turning their hand to or growing their presence in the segment, with getting a lot of attention. Join Servotel CEO Omer Isvan, NH Hotel Group’s Yuan Fang, IHG’s Willemijn Geels and Arrow Global Portugal’s Francisco Moser, all of whom will share insights ranging from selecting the right location to understanding the nuances of operational models as well as how to truly connect with the consumer through the amenity offering.
Branded resi
Next, join Highgate’s Nicholas Mellis, Marriott’s Dana Jacobson and Corinthia Hotels’ …..(TBD) to discuss the glamorous world of branded residences, which is increasingly becoming a point of attraction for developers, hospitality companies and luxury brands following a pandemic period where the hotel market suffered but branded residences continued to generate income. And it seems the branded residences sector is set to enjoy a boom in the coming years, with a report from Savills identifying over 600 schemes expected to be delivered globally by 2030. At the 14:00 session titled Living it up: Succeeding in the Branded Residential Market, panellists will explore the commercial benefits of branded residences, sales strategies, financing dynamics and opportunities for stakeholders.
Serviced apartments
Serviced apartments was another sub-sector that performed well during the pandemic, with occupancies holding up during the period. Over the past few years, there has also been a lot of capital invested in the sector due to the higher margins available to investors versus traditional hotels, in part due to lower running costs. At the 15:15 session Reassessing Serviced Apartments Opportunities in a Rebalanced Risk Landscape, panellists including Cheval Collection’s Daniel Johansson, The Ascott’s Limin Lou, Brookfield SVP Lauren Okada and Ando Living chair Hakan Kodal will discuss untapped opportunities as well as risk factors in the segment.
Coliving, student accommodation and senior living
Picking it back up on Wednesday 17 April is the 10:30 session titled Living Sectors Unveiled: Exploring Opportunities, Similarities, and Synergies for Cross-Sector Investing. The coliving sector has seen a significant surge in interest in recent years, and a report by Savills found £2.25 billion of investment is set to be deployed in coliving over the coming years, with the student accommodation sector also set to see around €12.3 billion in investments. According to Investec Real Estate’s third Future Living report, institutional investors’ attitudes towards the UK Living sector are at their strongest in nearly half a decade, with 62 per cent of respondents said they expect their portfolio allocation to the Living sector to increase over the next five years. These stats set the stage for the discussion between Amro Partners’ managing director Rainer Nonnengaesser, Valo Hotel & Travel’s Jarkko Harmala, Hines Europe managing director Pavlos Gennimatas and Adina Europe CEO Asli Kutlucan during which they’ll delve into opportunities that arise at the intersection of living sectors and highlight synergies that can redefine investment strategies across these sectors.
If you still haven’t registered for IHIF EMEA yet, you can do so here. You can also view the latest programme, here.