Alex Polizzi to open Annual Hotel Conference 2014
Polizzi comes from a long line of hoteliers and has had a varied career which includes training at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, working for Marco Pierre White at the Criterion, setting up Millers Bakery with her husband Marcus Miller and taking over Hotel Endsleigh. Polizzi will open the two day event with a key note speech followed by a question and answer session.
“I am passionate about customer services,” said Polizzi. “Too often this vital aspect of hotel operations is not given the prominence it deserves. It permeates every aspect of hotel life and can be the difference between simply managing and exceeding customer’s expectations.
“Having the opportunity to join fellow independent hotel owners at The AHC will be a joy as we are all guilty of becoming so involved in the daily grind of running a hotel that we rarely gather to share our experiences, challenges and successes.”
Networking opportunity
Running over two days on 15 and 16 October, the AHC conference is for all types of hoteliers including individual, boutique and branded, as well as operators and managers. Also attending the event will be a number of developers, architects, consultants, bankers and advisors, and the conference will offer an important networking opportunity.
The event will include an opening cocktail party, a breakfast and a closing canapé reception where attendees, industry exhibitors and speakers can mingle. There will also be a number of panel sessions with experts taking on diverse topics such as branding, asset management, and social media marketing for hotels.
A number of other well-known names from the hotel industry will be joining Polizzi as speakers and panellists at the conference, including CRBE Hotel’s Jonathan Langston, who will be making the opening remarks, and Chris Eddlestone of Squire Patton Boggs, who will be chairing.
Wednesday’s speakers
- Jonathan Langston, CRBE Hotels
- Chris Eddlestone, Squire Patton Boggs
- Sebastian Burnside, RBS Economics
- David Bailey, CRBE Hotels
- Michael Hirst OBE, CRBE Hotels
- Steven Daines, Accor
- Michael Wale, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Thursday’s speakers
- Simon Calder, The Independent
- Simon M Johnson, CRBE Hotels
- Desmond Taljaard, Hotels for London & Regional
- Andrew Taylor, RBS/NatWest
- Christine Jones, Best Western
- Robert Nadler, Nadler Hotels
- Peter Till, Carlson Rezidor
- Rob Conway, Campaign Works
- Katherine Doggrell, journalist
- Frank Reeves, Avvio
- Nigel Huddleston, Google
- Judy Hou, Glion Institute of Higher Education
- Julian Troup, Colliers International
- Robert Crook, Interstate Hotels & Resorts
- Kerr Young, JLL
- James Williamson, GVA
- Imran Hussain, The Hotel Culture
- RJ Friedlander, ReviewPro
- Nuno Galvao Pinto, JLL
- Dexter Moren, Dexter Moren Associates
- Graham Mitchell, McAleer & Rushe Group
- Chris Burgess, Considerate Hoteliers
- Philippe Bijaoui, IHG
- Peter Hancock, Pride of Britain
- Ufi Ibrahim, British Hospitality Association
- Joss Croft , VisitBritain
- Gary Morrison, Expedia
- Brian Reeves, Avvio
- Joel Brandon-Bravo, Travelzoo
- Simon Bennett, Augill Castle
- Thomas Magnuson, Magnuson Worldwide
- Owen Pritchard, CRBE
- Richard Grime, Paragon Hotels Ltd
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