2008-07-17

There is still a lot of activity in the European hotel investment market. Where all this is leading will be highlighted by the experts at the 7th Hospitality Industry Dialogue at EXPO REAL 2008. This International Commercial Property Exposition takes place from 6 to 8 October 2008 in Munich.
 
In 2007 the transaction volume in the hotel investment market fell behind that of the record result in 2006, but according to Jones Lang LaSalle, at 18.7 billion euros it was still above the average for the years 2000 to 2006 (11.2 billion). More interesting than the purely quantitative analysis, however, are the trends and developments indicated by this figure. In 2006 it was primarily private equity companies who were involved in the overall transaction volume - their share was 43 percent. But in 2007 they accounted for just 16 percent. In their place came private and institutional investors. At EXPO REAL 2008, at the 7th Hospitality Industry Dialogue on Monday, 6 October, experts will be discussing, for example, the international capital that is flowing into Germany. David Fattal, founder of the Fattal Group (Leonardo Hotels) from Tel Aviv, Yakir Gabay, principal investor in Grand City Hotels in Berlin, and Christopher Day, Managing Director of Christie & Co London, will be analysing these new influences on the established market.
 
Other discussion sessions will focus on the comeback of middle-category hotels and the prospects for developers. While the large international hotel chains, with their concepts for the two price poles in the hotel sector - luxury and budget - are tending to be more favoured by investors, middle-category hotels are often not attracting interest. The large chains have special plans for this segment. Will they be successful? Or will they fall between the two stools of luxury and budget? The experts tackling these questions at EXPO REAL are: Prof. Andreas-Norbert Fay, Managing Director of Fay Projects in Mannheim, Jasper Muller, Acquisition Director at CitizenM Hotels in The Netherlands, Uwe Niemann, Property Banking Germany at NordLB/Girozentrale, Georg Schlegel, Senior Development Direct Select Service Brands Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Brussels and Ulrich Widmer, Vice President Development Central & Eastern Europe Hilton Hotels in Frankfurt.
 
Other themes under discussion at the Hospitality Industry Dialogue are: 'Are we nearing the death of the brand? The paradox of making your mark', 'Operators and investors. Mutual (in-)dependence' and 'Environmental investment. Affordable holistic eco-resorts'.

Further information: www.exporeal.net
 
EXPO REAL
EXPO REAL, the 11th International Commercial Property Exposition, is being held at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre from 6 to 8 October 2008. It is a networking exhibition for interdisciplinary and international projects, investments and financing. It depicts the real-estate industry in its entirety and serves as an international networking platform for key markets including Europe, Russia, the Middle East and the United States. The extensive programme of conference events with some 400 speakers gives participants a thorough overview of the latest trends and innovations in the real-estate, investment and financing market. There were 1,823 exhibitors from 43 countries and 23,800 visitors from 77 countries at EXPO REAL in 2007. Including representatives from the exhibiting companies, the fair thus attracted over 39,000 participants. Exhibitor and visitor statistics for the EXPO REAL trade fair are audited by an accountant on behalf of the Gesellschaft zur Freiwilligen Kontrolle von Messe- und Ausstellungszahlen (FKM, Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics).
 
 
Messe München International (MMI)
Messe München International (MMI) is one of the world´s leading trade-fair organisations. It organises around 40 trade fairs for capital and consumer goods, and new technology. Over 30,000 exhibitors from more than 100 countries, and over two million visitors from more than 200 countries take part each year in the trade fairs in Munich. In addition, MMI organises trade fairs in Asia, Russia, the Middle East and in South America. With six subsidiaries abroad and 66 foreign representatives covering 89 countries, MMI has a truly global network.
 
 
Press contact:
Petra Gagel                           
Telefon: +49 89 / 9 49-20244, Fax: +49 89 / 9 49-20249
E-mail: petra.gagel@messe-muenchen.de
             
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