SPEAKERS As of January 21, 2014

Minaz Abji

Host Hotels & Resorts

As Executive Vice President of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., Minaz Abji is responsible for the leadership of the Global Asset Management, Feasibility & Portfolio Analysis, Business Intelligence, Design & Construction and Revenue Management Departments. Mr. Abji has over 30 years of hotel operations experience including 23 years with Westin hotels. Mr. Abji joined Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

as Executive Vice President in August of 2003. Before coming to Host Hotels & Resorts, Mr. Abji was President of Canadian Hotel Income Properties REIT, a Canadian REIT located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Prior to his tenure with CHIP, Mr. Abji worked for Starwood Hotels and Resorts in Canada as Area Managing Director.

Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is a lodging real estate company, that currently owns or holds controlling interests in 118 upscale and luxury hotel properties primarily operated under premium brands such as Marriott, Westin, Sheraton,

Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, W, Four Seasons, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Fairmont, Hilton and Swissôtel.

Host also holds a minority interest in a joint venture that owns 20 hotels in Europe and a joint venture in Asia that owns one hotel in Australia and a minority interest in two hotels in India. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at www.hosthotels.com.

James Abrahamson

Jim Abrahamson is Interstate Hotels & Resorts' chief executive officer responsible for the Company's overall performance and global growth of its management portfolio and he serves as an executive director on the Company's Board of Directors. Interstate Hotels & Resorts is the leading U.S.-based global management company operating nearly 350 hotels with more than 65,000 rooms spanning the U.S. and nine additional countries.

Jim joined Interstate Hotels & Resorts from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), where he was president of the Americas region, that company's largest operating unit, and was also an executive director of IHG's Board of Directors. Previously, he held key senior leadership positions in the areas of operations, development and franchising with Hyatt Corporation, Marcus Corporation and Hilton Worldwide.

Jim is active in the hospitality industry and community affairs. He currently serves as national chair of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Travel Association. He also serves as secretary/treasurer of the AH&LA and will serve as AH&LA chairman beginning in 2015. He serves on the advisory boards of the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship and the DePaul School of Hospitality Leadership.

He is immediate past chairman of the Board of Directors at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and is on the advisory board at the Emory University Eye Clinic. Jim holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota.

Arthur Adler

Arthur Adler, Managing Director and CEO-Americas, heads the Americas division of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels & Hospitality Group, which is part of the Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels & Hospitality Group international group. Mr. Adler specializes in arranging hotel market transactions, financings, investment advisory services, asset management and consulting for domestic and offshore owners and investors.

Mr. Adler’s diverse industry background includes arranging debt and equity transactions, consulting and asset management, litigation support and strategic planning for owners, investors and lenders. Mr.

Adler oversees a business that includes over 100 people which has as its clients the most prolific hotel owners and operators in the industry, including InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, The Blackstone Group, Morgan Stanley Real Estate, Colony Capital, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Global Hyatt Corporation, Apollo Real Estate, Host Hotels and Resorts, Strategic Hotels and Resorts, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Cornerstone Real Estate, Goldman Sachs, Oak Tree Capital, Walton Street Capital, Istithmar and ADIA, among others. Selected transactions that JLL has recently completed include the sales of the Essex House NY, Marriott Marquis Atlanta, the Gansevoort South Beach, the Novotel New York, the Elysian Chicago, the Rittenhouse Philadelphia, the Viceroy Miami, and the

Matt Allard

Prior to founding runtriz, Matthew was the web manager for SBE Entertainment, where he led the development and architecture of a leading VIP management tracking solution for the hospitality and entertainment industry, as well as several leading web properties. Prior to SBE, Matthew worked for Swap Drive and Running with Scissors, where he concentrated on cutting edge technologies, including human interface design and advanced functionality for online asset management applications. Earlier in his career, he worked at AOL and Northrop Grumman in senior programming positions. Matthew earned his BS in Computer Science from George Washington University.

Robert A. Alter

Mr. Alter founded Sunstone Hotel Investors which owns, develops, and renovates upscale hotels in 15 states and owns interests in 41 hotels operated under such brands as Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, and Fairmont. He is a past president of the Holiday Inn Franchise Association, former member of the Marriott Franchise board, served as Past President of the IAHI and is on its Board of Directors. He was on the Board of Directors of MINA, served as Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee for the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and is currently Chairman of AHLA PAC. Bob is a graduate of Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

James Amorosia

Jim Amorosia is President, Chief Executive Officer for Motel 6 and Studio 6, overseeing all operations of these brands for G6Hospitality LLC in North America.

Jim has more than 26 years of hotel operations experience, and is recognized as one of the key leaders in the U.S. economy/budget segment. He joined Motel 6 in 1985 as a Regional Marketing Manager and has held various management positions across virtually all enterprise disciplines, including marketing, revenue management, operations, and human resources.

Amorosia assumed the role of President and COO for Motel 6 and Studio 6 in 2007, which he held until his promotion in 2011 to President, Chief Executive Officer. A two-term commissioner with the California Board of Travel and Tourism, and a past Director of the Bay Area Urban League, Jim holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Crane School of Music and a Master of Business Administration degree from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ.

CA Anderson

Choice Hotels International

C.A. Anderson is vice president, development for Cambria Suites for worldwide lodging franchisor Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH. In this position, he is responsible for driving unit growth and implementing new strategies to increase the brand’s distribution among key markets nationwide capitalizing on the company’s commitment to the brand, including $250 million in corporate investments aimed to fuel the brand’s growth, primarily in urban markets. Mr. Anderson joined Choice Hotels International in 2012 and is a results-driven veteran of the hospitality industry, bringing more than 30 years of experience to Choice. Most recently, he served as president and chief operating officer of The Dow Hotel Company, a hotel ownership, investment and management company, headquartered in Seattle, Wash. Prior to this, C.A. held the position of executive vice president, acquisitions and

Scott Andrews

GE Capital Franchise Finance

Scott Andrews is SVP, Managing Director of the Hotel Group for GE Capital, Franchise Finance.

Scott joined the business in July 2011 where he has been responsible for running the originations team for the hotel platform. Prior to joining Franchise Finance, Scott led the limited & select service hotel originations team for GE Real Estate / Business Property. Throughout his 14-year career at GE Capital, Scott also held various roles of increasing responsibility with GE Real Estate / Business Property including senior account manager, vice-president region sales manager for the Mid-South originations team and vice-president region sales manager for the Hotel Lending Group.

Prior to joining GE, Scott held various origination positions within Bank of America, South Trust Bank, and First Union. Scott was raised in North Carolina and has a BSBA and a MBA from East Carolina University.

Gary Axelrod

Gary Axelrod is a partner in the Real Estate Group of Latham & Watkins in Chicago, as well as Co- chair of the Hospitality, Gaming and Leisure industry group. Mr. Axelrod’s practice focuses on complex business transactions in the real estate, hospitality, gaming and leisure industries. His clients include real estate private equity sponsors and funds, REITs, institutional investors, operating companies, and entrepreneurial developers engaged in all aspects of real estate investment and development. In addition, Mr. Axelrod has extensive experience in complex asset-level and corporate-level restructurings. He regularly represents owners and operators in connection with the sale, acquisition, development, financing, ownership and management of hotel, resort and gaming properties. He also represents corporate, venture capital and other private equity clients in bankruptcies, restructurings, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions involving portfolio companies and their real estate assets. His practice also has a substantial cross-border element, including projects in Baghdad, China, Dubai, India, Abu Dhabi and Mexico. Mr. Axelrod is frequently recognized by Chambers for both his hospitality and real estate acumen and praised for his depth of industry expertise. Mr. Axelrod serves on the Advisory Board for Real Estate Law360 and was licensed as a certified public accountant in 1994.

Bruce Baltin

Bruce Baltin is a Senior Vice President in the Los Angeles office of PKF Consulting USA. PKF Consulting USA (PKFC) is an international firm of management consultants, industry specialists, and appraisers who provide a full range of services to the hospitality, real estate, and tourism industries.

Headquartered in San Francisco, the firm has offices throughout the United States.

In his more than 40 years with PKF, Mr. Baltin has had a wide diversity of experience in the Hospitality and Tourism industries consulting to both public and private sector entities in performing market demand studies, valuations, economic and operational consulting and dealing with leases, franchises and management contracts. His industry experience includes hotels, resorts, clubs, restaurants, theme parks, and national and state parks. He has frequently been quoted in the national and local press and testified as an expert witness on various industry issues.

He is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Collins School of Hospitality Management at California Polytechnic Institute, Pomona as well as various professional organizations. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor teaching courses in the Masters of Real Estate Development program at the University of Southern California.

Christopher B. Barker

Chris Barker is a partner in the Business Law Department and the former chair of the firm’s Real Estate, REITs & Real Estate Capital Markets Group. He does a significant amount of work in the hospitality industry, and currently serves as chair of the firm’s Hospitality & Leisure Practice. He also has served on the firm’s Executive Committee. Mr. Barker has particular expertise in representing funds and other entities with tax-exempt investors in structuring and implementing debt and equity investments in real estate and in real estate operating companies.

Mr. Barker has represented a number of prominent private investment fund sponsors and public REITs in the formation of funds and separate account vehicles, portfolio acquisitions, joint ventures, merger and acquisition transactions and other strategic transactions. His representative clients include Rockwood Capital, HEI Hotels & Resorts, BayNorth Capital Partners, AEW Capital Management, Leggat McCall Properties, Cabot Properties, Long Wharf Capital Partners and Fairmont Hotels &

Resorts.

Mr. Barker is listed Best Lawyers and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as one of the leading real estate lawyers in Massachusetts and a leading national lawyer on hospitality matters.

Mr. Barker’s educational achievements include: J.D., Harvard Law School, 1985 and B.A., Brown University, 1982 (magna cum laude).

Mr. Barker is admitted to practice in Massachusetts

Rogerio Basso

With over 15 years of real estate and hospitality experience, Rogerio is responsible for growing Terranum’s portfolio of hotels across Latin America, and oversees all activities related to investment, acquisition and development in the region. Terranum Hotels is an owner and developer of select- service, upscale and luxury properties across the region, and is sponsored by Colombia-based Santo Domingo Group, and Estrategias Corporativas, a premier investment bank focused on complex M&A transactions.

Prior to joining Terranum Hotels, Rogerio worked for over 11 years with Ernst & Young LLP in Miami, where he was responsible for leading the firm’s real estate and hospitality initiatives across Latin America. More specifically, he was actively involved in advising developers, private equity funds, lenders and governments in all aspects of the hospitality and leisure industries. In this capacity, Rogerio led numerous complex consulting assignments and multi-billion dollar transactions, and is well versed on a variety of asset classes including hotels, mixed-use developments, vacation ownership, golf courses, and marinas. His operational skills are drawn from having worked for InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Four Seasons, and Crowne Plaza Hotels.

Mr. Basso is often quoted in industry publications on hospitality trends and topics, and is a guest speaker at industry related conferences in the United States and Latin America. He also served as a professor of feasibility analysis for the graduate hotel management program at Florida International University. Rogerio holds a Business Degree from the College of William and Mary and a Masters Degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

Debra W. Bates

Debra Bates, a longtime Dolce Hotels and Resorts executive, is responsible for North America acquisitions and development, corporate finance, risk management, treasury and accounting and reporting.

Michael Bedner

Michael Bedner, outgoing Chairman of HBA International, has been with the firm since its inception in l964 as a student, draftsman, designer, project designer, Design Director and President together with Howard Hirsch, the firm’s founder. He became partner the same year he opened the Atlanta office and the firm became Hirsch Bedner and Associates. Mr. Bedner was extensively involved in the Hong Kong, Shanghai, London, San Francisco and Singapore offices as well as the core office in Los Angeles.

During his tenure at Hirsch Bedner and Associates, Mr Bedner expanded the scope of the company to include planning, design, art, graphics, apparel, tabletop and procurement. He extended HBA’s portfolio to include resorts, boutique hotels, cruise ships, restaurants, casinos and many more areas of design, which has resulted in today’s largest hospitality design firm, with 16 offices, 1500 people, and more than 1200 completed projects.

Because of his never-ending love of enrichment through the accumulation of knowledge, Mr Bedner has mentored countless individuals and has spoken extensively at universities throughout the world.

Throughout his career, he has exemplified the highest standards of integrity, while remaining committed to three principles: “Do the best job you can- no excuses,” “Grow from every experience”, and “Have fun- if you aren’t enjoying the process, don’t do it!”

Andrea L. Belfanti

Andrea Belfanti is the Executive Director for the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC). Andrea has been with ISHC since April 2009, has over 15 years experience in the hospitality industry and has previously held positions with InterContinental Hotels Group, The High Museum of Art, Walt Disney World and Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge. Andrea earned her bachelor’s degree from the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration at the University of South Carolina.

ISHC is a professional society with 200 members with work experience in over 60 countries.

Membership is by invitation only and members are owners, principals, directors and/or officers in their firms and are leaders in the industry in their respective areas of expertise.

Monty Bennett

Mr. Bennett serves as Founder, Chairman, & Chief Executive Officer of Ashford Hospitality Trust, a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) formed in August 2003. Ashford Trust focuses exclusively on investing in the hospitality industry across all segments and at all levels of the capital structure, primarily within the United States. Today, Ashford Trust has over $4 billion in assets and has outperformed its peers in total shareholder return since its IPO.

Mr. Bennett also serves as Chairman, & Chief Executive Officer of Ashford Hospitality Prime.

Ashford Hospitality Prime is a conservatively capitalized REIT that invests primarily in high RevPAR, full-service and urban select-service hotels located predominantly in domestic and international gateway markets.

Mr. Bennett is a member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Industry Real Estate Finance Advisory Council (IREFAC), the Urban Land Institute’s Hotel Council, and is on the Advisory Editorial Board for GlobalHotelNetwork.com. He is also a member of the CEO Fiscal Leadership Council for Fix the Debt, a non-partisan group dedicated to reducing the nation’s federal debt level and on the advisory board of Texans for Education Reform.

Mr. Bennett holds a Masters in Business Administration from Cornell’s S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management and received a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction from the School of Hotel Administration also at Cornell. He is a life member of the Cornell Hotel Society.

Peter Benudiz

Peter Benudiz is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. He is co- leader of the firm’s Gaming and Hospitality Group.

Mr. Benudiz is widely recognized as one of the leading hospitality lawyers in the United States. He has been ranked nationally in Band 1 for Leisure & Hospitality by Chambers USA since it began ranking lawyers nationally in the hospitality industry. Chambers notes that Peter is “unsurpassed in the hospitality sector” and cites peers and clients as saying he “has the knowledge base of a scholar, but he’s practical too.” Peter regularly advises global hospitality companies, investment banks, private equity and hedge funds and their CEOs, boards of directors and investors on some of their most sensitive tactical, strategic and structuring issues.

Many of the world’s largest financial institutions and private equity funds call on Peter to advise them on the acquisition, financing and restructuring of some of their most high profile and significant real estate and hotel projects. He has been the lead lawyer on billions of dollars of real estate and hospitality transactions, including domestic and cross-border leveraged private equity deals. He includes among his many notable engagements his representation of the Lehman Brothers Official Creditors’ Committee on all real estate and hospitality assets worldwide following Lehman’s Chapter 11 filing, as well as his representation of the senior-secured lender of the World Trade Center Towers on the loan restructuring negotiations and insurance claims relating to 9/11.

David A. Berins

David Berins is a 48-year veteran of the lodging industry, with a career encompassing operations, asset management, development, planning and consulting. Prior to resuming his consulting practice in 2009, David served as Managing Director of Cypress Hotels & Resorts overseeing five luxury developments in the Bahamas, California and Texas.

Since 1974, David has provided senior-level asset management and advisory services to hotel owners, investors, management companies and lenders in areas such as strategic planning, development, operations and marketing.

In addition to his role as a developer and senior lodging industry advisor, David also served as Senior Vice President - Research & Planning at Strategic Hotel Capital Incorporated in its formative years.

From 1993 to 1998, David operated a highly-respected consulting practice under the name Berins Consulting Incorporated. For four years, David was a partner in and Worldwide Director of Hospitality Industry Consulting Services of Arthur Andersen.

Prior to forming Berins & Co. in 1983, David was a Senior Principal and National Director of Management Advisory Services of the firm now known as PKF Consulting. Those years were preceded by eight years of hands-on operations and corporate planning experience in lodging, restaurants and foodservice.

Scott D. Berman

Mr. Berman is the Industry Leader of the Hospitality & Leisure Practice, and a Principal with PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P. in Miami. Mr. Berman is a specialist in the field of hotel and resort development and operations with 25 years of experience providing consulting services in the United States, South America, Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean Basin, Europe, the Far East and the former Soviet Union. He has experience with a multitude of leisure time and tourism related projects including, but not limited to, hotels and resorts of all types, cruise lines, vacation ownership and resort residential development, recreational facilities such as spas and marinas, cruise ships, casinos, theme parks and other public assembly facilities.

Mr. Berman holds a B.S. from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. Mr. Berman is an active member of the Urban Land Institute Hotel Development Council (HDC) and its former Chair; Vice Chair of the ULI Florida Hospitality & Recreational Development Council; a member of the Advisory Board of the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research; Chairman of the Industry Relations Committee for the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association; and a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the American Resort Development Association. He has appeared on CNN's Inside Business as a leisure industry expert and is frequently quoted on hospitality issues in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, Forbes, and a variety of industry publications.

Rick Besse

Newmark Grubb Knight Frank

Mr. Besse is a 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry. He holds a BA and an MBA from the Hotel School at Michigan State University. He started his career with Pannel, Kerr, Forster and Company, an international CPA firm, writing hotel feasibility studies in the southeast United States. He then moved to the restaurant industry and spent 8 years with Taco Bell, starting as a Real Estate Representative and working his way to Vice President of Development. He managed a staff of 18 real estate representatives and was responsible for the development of over 300 restaurants.

Led by his entrepreneurial spirit, Mr. Besse formed The Winslow Group, which is a consulting/brokerage firm specializing in the hospitality industry. His firm represented many companies, both in the restaurant and hotel industry. Notable assignments include representing Marriott Corporation in their site selection process throughout the southwest for their company-owned limited service hotels.

He represented a Dallas based investment firm on the acquisition of 11 hotels. He was retained by Rock Resorts to review domestic resort locations for potential acquisitions or management contracts.

In 1998, Mr. Besse formed an investment partnership and as Managing Partner, purchased and repositioned two historic hotels in the South Beach area of Miami Beach. The hotels were sold in mid- year 2001.

Since 2001, Mr. Besse has had numerous consulting and brokerage assignments throughout the United States. Most recently, he was employed as a contractor for the FDIC and asset managed a $1.5 Billion Hotel Loan portfolio. When the assignment began, the 114 loan portfolio had 42 hotels still under construction. The FDIC funded the necessary funds and all 42 of the hotels were completed.

Additionally, many of the 114 loans had loan modifications, which were all asset managed by Mr.

Besse’s team. The portfolio was eventually sold on the open market.

In 2010, Mr. Besse was appointed Receiver of a select service hotel in Richardson, Texas.

Adi Bhoopathy

Mr. Bhoopathy is a principal and executive vice president with responsibility for sourcing and underwriting lodging investments. He is specifically responsible for acquisitions, market and investment analysis, brand positioning, and joint ventures. He joined Noble in 1999 and became a partner in 2006.

Mr. Bhoopathy attended Cornell University where he received his B.S. in Hospitality Management.

He is affiliated with the following; Urban Land Institute, Member; Hotel Asset Managers Association, Member; and the Atlanta Hospitality Alliance Group, Member

Raymond N. Bickson

Raymond Bickson, whose hospitality career spans more than 30 years and four continents, joined Taj Hotels in January 2003 to oversee all luxury property operations. In July 2003, he was named Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), a division of India’s Tata Group, with responsibility for all Taj Hotels operations and management, hospitality &

travel subsidiary companies.

Under his leadership, the Taj Group has seen rapid global expansion, with new developments and acquisitions in key world markets, including Africa, Australia, Bhutan, Dubai, India, Maldives, Malaysia and the U.S. The Taj Group has formed strategic partnerships with other luxury hotel chains and cruise lines; developed innovative new products, including India’s first luxury safari lodges and tours, and the launch of the new Ginger Hotels, Gateway Hotels and Resorts and the Vivanta by Taj Brand.

Previously, Bickson served as Vice President and General Manager of The Mark in New York for The Rafael Group Hoteliers Monaco and with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group for 15 years. His prior experience includes management positions with Regent International Hotels in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Puerto Rico, Melbourne and Shanghai, and training positions with Hotel Plaza Athenee Paris, Le Montreux Palace Switzerland and the Kahala Hilton Hawaii.

An American national, Bickson attended The École Hôtelière Lausanne – Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in hospitality management by Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island.

Bickson is a member of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC); the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF); and the advisory boards of The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), Cornell Hotel School Center for Hospitality Research and École Hôtelière Lausanne.

Recipient of the Corporate Hotelier of the World Award 2007, by HOTELS Magazine. Recipient of the Luxury Hospitality Leader Award 2013 by The Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne.

Michael Bluhm

As a Managing Director of Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley, Michael Bluhm is responsible for providing capital raising and financial advisory services within the real estate industry. Additionally, he is head of Morgan Stanley’s global lodging investment banking practice.

Throughout his career he has been directly involved in more than $150 billion of public and private debt, equity and equity-linked offerings as well as a range of merger, acquisition and restructuring assignments, primarily with publicly traded companies. Michael is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, International Council of Shopping Centers and the Urban Land Institute.

Billy L. Brown

Medical Hospitality Group

Mr. Brown is CEO of Medical Hospitality Group, a publicly traded mortgage REIT (pending SEC release) and President of Benchmark Development Corporation of Dallas. Brown has been a real estate developer since 1970 and Benchmark has been developing only hospitality since 1998. Brown has been involved in the development of over 100 hotels and Benchmark has been the General Contractor on 29 hotels in 7 States. Brown began developing restaurants on the East coast and followed with automotive and medical facilities before hospitality. Brown has developed over 1000 properties in 38 States, Canada and Mexico.

Brown is on the Owner’s Advisory Board of Starwood and Benchmark was named Developer of Year, Select Service, for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide in 2009. Brown has been an earlier

Jason Brown

Jason leads the global team responsible for sourcing, underwriting, negotiating and closing acquisitions, joint-venture agreements and third party management contracts in key gateway markets around the world. Additionally, Jason drives YOTEL’s corporate growth strategy and brand development as YOTEL continues to expand internationally. Jason joined YOTEL from Kimpton Hotels &

Restaurants, where he was Director of Acquisitions and Development. Previously, Jason served as Kimpton’s Director of Corporate & Real Estate Finance and has managed numerous acquisition, financing, restructuring and disposition transactions. Prior to Kimpton, Jason was part of the founding team at the start-up luxury destination club, One Key, and began his professional career as a consultant with Ernst & Young in their Hospitality Transaction Real Estate Advisory Group. Jason received his BS from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University with a major in real estate finance and development.

Ben Brunt

Noble Investment Group

Mr. Brunt is a principal with responsibility for sourcing and underwriting lodging and hospitality investments encompassing asset and debt acquisitions, market and investment analysis, new development opportunities, and brand positioning. He has 16 years of lodging industry experience (9 years Noble tenure).

Prior to joining Noble as a partner in 2005, he was vice president of investments and development at Songy Partners and a senior member of the investment team at Hardin Capital. Mr. Brunt began his career in hospitality as an operations analyst for Homestead Village and later gained experience in the field as a multi-unit property manager. He is a former professional violinist and spent two years as a member of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Brunt received his B.A. from Trinity College, and his M.B.A from Southern Methodist University.

He is associated with the following organizations: Urban Land Institute; Georgia Philharmonic, Violinist;

Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, Advisory Board Member.

James E. Burba

Jim Burba is the founder and president of Burba Hotel Network LLC (BHN), the worldwide leader in developing and producing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. BHN events include: the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles; the ALIS Summer Update;

the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami; the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong; HICAP UPDATE in Singapore; the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Gurgaon Delhi N.C.R.; the Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference in Miami; and the Hotel Investment Conference Europe (Hot.E) in London. In 2008, BHN and Google teamed up to host Digital Discovery Day (D3) for hotel owners and investors. In 2011, Burba was retained by the ITC, a joint agency of the UN and WTO to help organize WEDF. WEDF focused on tourism development in the least developed countries of the world and was held in Istanbul.

Actively involved in the hotel investment arena for 30 years, Burba was formerly: a principal at Pannell Kerr Forster, Senior Managing Director with Insignia/Hotel Partners, VP/Worldwide Director of Advisory Services at WATG, and President at Horwath HTL (US). A member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) and the Industry Real Estate Finance Advisory Council (IREFAC), Burba has received numerous honors including the Educational Institute Lamp of Knowledge Award, IREFAC’s first Crystal Ball Award, and the ISHC Pioneer Award.

In 2007, California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, re-appointed Burba to his second term on the California Travel & Tourism Commission and he recently served on its Executive Committee.

Ron Burgett

Ron Burgett is the Executive Vice President, Lodging & Brand Development, for Red Lion Hotels Corporation. In this role, Burgett leads the company’s franchise and brand development program.

Burgett has nearly two decades of experience in franchising and franchise relations, brand management, sustainable development, sales growth and new business development. He joins the Red Lion Hotels team from Northcott Hospitality, the parent company of AmericInn, where he was Executive Vice President of Development. In addition, he was President and a Partner of Hospitality Sales Group, a national commercial real estate brokerage firm. Prior to that, Burgett served in several capacities at Choice Hotels International, most recently as National Vice President of Franchise Sales and Development.

James Carroll

Crestline Hotels & Resorts

James Carroll is the President & CEO of Crestline Hotels & Resorts. Mr. Carroll joined Crestline in 2004 from Dell, Inc., where he held several operations and financial management positions. In his initial role at Crestline, Mr. Carroll served as SVP & Treasurer. In 2006 he was promoted to CFO, and in 2010 was promoted to President & CEO of Crestline Hotels & Resorts.

As CEO of Crestline, Mr. Carroll has responsibility for all corporate functions, and the management of the Company’s portfolio of over 45 managed properties throughout the United States. In addition, he oversees the company’s portfolio of owned assets.

During his tenure with Crestline, Mr. Carroll was also closely involved in the formation and growth of Playa Hotels & Resorts, an international private equity real estate venture. He assisted in raising over

$580 million of equity, and secured over $835 million of corporate and property level debt financing for international projects.

Mr. Carroll holds the degree of Master in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School, and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Previously, he served as a Naval Aviator and Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy. In addition, Mr. Carroll serves on the Board of Directors for Armada Hoffler Properties, Inc. (NYSE: AHH) and for ServiceSource, Inc.

Raj Chandnani

WATG | Wimberly Interiors

Raj Chandnani is Vice President, Strategy for WATG. He is responsible for guiding the company’s global outreach activities, implementing strategic initiatives, and positioning the firm as a leader in innovation. He has a wide range of industry expertise focusing on consumer trends, travel and tourism, branding strategies and hospitality real estate.

Mr. Chandnani also collaborates with the firm’s clients, and provides strategic consulting for proposed developments, including visioning and concepting, competitive positioning, branding and operator selection.

Chandnani has specialized in commercial real estate since 1994. Prior to joining WATG in 2001, Chandnani was as associate director with CB Richard Ellis Hotels, where he spent six years in a variety of capacities including asset management, investment sales, financings and portfolio due diligence. He was previously with PKF Consulting in Los Angeles, and has also taught classes on strategic planning, financial management, real estate finance, hotel development, tourism and design at UCLA, USC, Cornell University and Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne

Mr. Chandnani is a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Hospitality Research, vice chair of the Urban Land Institute’s Hotel Development Council and has spoken at several industry conferences around the globe. He is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.

Jim Chu

Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Jim Chu serves as the senior vice president of franchise and owner relations for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. In this role, Chu oversees the franchise field team who support franchise owners and operators for all franchise hotels. The franchise and owner relations group serves as the main liaison between franchisees and third-party owners.

His primary responsibilities are the oversight of brand relations and support to third-party owners and franchisees, as well as negotiating franchise and management agreements. Chu also oversees the development administration for North America and FTC and regulatory aspects for Hyatt Development.

Prior to joining Hyatt, Chu served various roles with Wyndham International, including general manager, regional vice president of sales and senior vice president of business development. In his most recent role, he was responsible for new business development activity for Wyndham International, including Wyndham Timeshare/ Vacation Ownership operations and development.

Chu received his Bachelor of Science from Corpus Christi State University with a degree in Finance.

He is an active member of several American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) committees.

Isabelle Claver

PwC

Ms. Claver is a director in the Hospitality & Leisure Consulting Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P. based in Miami, Florida. Prior to joining PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P., Ms. Claver worked in luxury hotels in various operational roles in Europe, Asia and the United States. Today, she manages the day-to-day operations of the Hospitality & Leisure practice in Miami.

Since joining PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P. in 1997, Ms. Claver has worked on a multitude of engagements for clients ranging from financial institutions and developers to governmental agencies.

She is a specialist in the mixed-use resort development sector with expertise in fractional ownership, resort residential development, condominium-hotel projects and recreational facilities such as golf courses and marinas. Ms. Claver has also testified in Federal Court and in arbitration hearings as an expert witness on hospitality related issues.

Ms. Claver holds a B.S. from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and is an active member of the Cornell Hotel Society, South Florida Chapter and Urban Land Institute. She also received a diploma in Hotel Management with honours from the Hotel Institute Montreux in Switzerland.

Kevin Colket

Kevin Colket is Senior Vice President of Acquisitions for Starwood Capital Group and Co-Head of the Global Hotel Acquisitions Group.

Mr. Colket is responsible for sourcing, underwriting and closing on real estate equity and debt investment opportunities within the hospitality sector. Since joining Starwood in 2007, Mr. Colket has successfully led over $2bn in closed equity and debt transactions in the United States and Europe including the purchase of the Principal Hayley Hotel Group, the Perry Hotel Miami, 1414 6th. Ave Manhattan, the Hyatt Minneapolis, and Hersha Hospitality Management. In addition, Mr. Colket has asset managed many of the Starwood's key hospitality investments.

Prior to joining Starwood Capital Group in 2007, Mr. Colket worked as Director of Acquisitions and Development for Edinburgh Management, a hotel Joint Venture with the Bank of Scotland, where he managed all acquisition and development activities. Prior to Edinburgh Management, Mr. Colket held various finance and investment banking positions at Goldman, Sachs & Co., Bank of Boston (now Bank of America), and Paine Webber (now UBS).

Mr. Colket earned an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Economics from Trinity College.

Dominique Colliat

Driven by a passion for excellence, Dominique Colliat has successfully implemented strategic business development and operations initiatives in the international hospitality arena. Her recent promotion in 2013 to Senior Vice President, Sofitel Americas marks 26 years of increasing business development responsibility at Accor, the leading European hospitality company.

A graduate in marketing and management, Dominique began her career at Accor managing a succession of hotels in the Caribbean, France and Great Britain. In 1998, after 20 years at Accor, she left Europe and joined Club Méditerranée as Director for the Bahamas and Caribbean. Three years later, she was appointed Vice President Operations of Club Med North America, Mexico and the Caribbean to help reposition Club Med in the upscale travel market.

She returned to the Accor group in late 2006 to create in-depth business development strategies for repositioning the Sofitel brand, first as Director of Operations France and then for Sofitel Southern Europe and the Maghreb. In 2009, she was promoted to the newly created role of Senior Vice President Operations for Sofitel Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) where she continued to implement global repositioning plans to increase market share.

During her tenure, she was the driving force leading successful business development efforts that included hotel openings in Rabat, Dubai, Bahrain, Mauritius and Vienna. She was also instrumental in establishing the first Sofitel Legend in Europe, the Sofitel Grand Amsterdam. Now based in New York, she will focus on implementing targeted business development strategies to increase profitability and expand Sofitel’s share of market in both North and South America.

She remains actively involved in Accor Foundation projects, particularly in Morocco and Algeria, where she supports several local causes.

Thomas J. Corcoran, Jr.

FelCor Lodging Trust

In 1991 Mr. Corcoran co-founded FelCor, Inc. with Hervey Feldman. In 1994 FelCor went public as a hotel REIT. In 1996 FelCor Lodging Trust was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Corcoran served as President and Chief Executive Officer of FelCor since its formation until his appointment to Chairman of the Board in 2006.

FelCor, a real estate investment trust, owns a diversified portfolio of primarily upper-upscale full- service hotels that are located in major and resort markets. FelCor partners with leading hotel companies to operate its 64 hotels, which are flagged under globally renowned names and premier independent hotels. Additional information can be found on the Company’s website at www.felcor.com.

Mr. Corcoran’s board appointments include: past Chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), and past Chairman of the IHG Owners Association.

After serving as independent board member since December 2010, Mr. Corcoran was appointed Chairman of the Board of Sammons Enterprises. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, in the United States, with assets approaching $50 billion, Sammons ranks among the largest privately owned companies in the world.

Ryan N. Cotton

Mr. Cotton joined Bain Capital in 2003. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Cotton was a consultant at Bain

& Company. Previously, he worked in baseball operations at the Boston Red Sox. Mr. Cotton leads Bain Capital’s real estate investment efforts. He serves on the board of International Market Centers and Apple Leisure Group.

Mr. Cotton received an MBA from The Stanford Graduate School of Business where he was a Seibel

Richard F. Davis

Richard F. Davis has more than 30 years of experience in the global recreational and resort real estate industry and is Co-Chair of the Hotel, Resort and Club Group of the U.S. based international law firm of Greenberg Traurig. Rick has counseled owners, developers, investors, operators, lenders, and advisors in connection with major global hospitality industry projects. He is a Trustee of the American Resort Development Association, a member of the Urban Land Institute and its Recreational Product Council, the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Mexican Tourism Developers, and the Caribbean Hotel Association. He has been a member of industry task forces in Florida, California and other U.S. jurisdictions as well as with respect to Mexico, the Caribbean and other foreign locations.

Rick holds political science and law degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and is admitted to practice law in California, Washington D.C. and before all U.S. district federal courts, the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Warren de Haan Starwood Property Trust

Warren de Haan is the Chief Originations Officer at Starwood Property Trust and a Managing Director at Starwood Capital Group. He is responsible for national originations including bridge loans, mezzanine loans and preferred equity and is a member of the investment committee. Starwood Property Trust is the largest commercial mortgage REIT with a market capitalization of approximately

$4.53 billion.

Prior to Starwood, he was co-head of national originations at Countrywide Financial Corporation and was on the management team that founded and built Countrywide Financial Corporation’s CRE finance business into one of the largest in the United States, closing over $1 billion in loans monthly.

Countrywide’s CRE debt business unit remained profitable throughout the financial turmoil of 2007 and 2008. Mr. de Haan was also a founding partner of Coastal Capital Partners, LLC ("CCP") where he focused on acquiring distressed debt and advising clients on restructurings. Prior to that he worked at Nomura Securities where he was a member of the New York based large loan group. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Mr. de Haan received a B.S. degree (with concentrations in Real Estate and Finance) from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, where he graduated with distinction. He also graduated from Hotel Institute Montreux, Switzerland, where he obtained his Swiss Hotel Diploma and American Hotel and Motel Association Diplomas.

Jack DeBoer

Jack DeBoer is the founder of the extended stay hotel concept. His holdings have included The Residence Inn, Summerfield Suites and Candlewood Suites which were sold to Marriott, Hyatt, and Intercontinental Hotels respectively. DeBoer founded Value Place, a short-term apartment concept, which continues to expand with 175 locations. He serves as Chairman of Consolidated Holdings, Inc.

He also co-owns Pittsburg-based HIX Corporation and serves as Chairman of the board for this global supplier of equipment for the food and printing industries.

Jack's belief in a life of significance has led to his involvement with numerous business and civic organization including World Vision projects around the world.

Michael J. Deitemeyer

Mike Deitemeyer is the president of Omni Hotels & Resorts, which offers luxury accommodations at 58 hotels and resorts in leading business gateways and leisure destinations across North America.

Since his appointment in 2004, Deitemeyer has established the company as a leading luxury hotel brand known for delivering superior quality, award-winning service and exceptional guest experiences.

Under his leadership, the brand portfolio has expanded to include a growing luxury resort and convention hotel collection, and most recently, the addition of five iconic luxury resorts including The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA., and The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. Omni Hotels has been ranked “Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Upper Upscale Hotel Chains” in the J.D.

Power and Associates North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study(SM) five times since 2000.

Deitemeyer also serves on the Board of Directors for the Global Hotel Alliance. He earned a degree in business from Fitchburg State College in MA.

Patrick Deming

Patrick Deming is a Managing Director of Eastdil Secured’s Los Angeles office with responsibility for sourcing and placement of the firm’s hospitality related investment property sales, debt placements, and secondary loan sales. Mr. Deming also supports the firm’s hospitality public market investment banking activities executed through Wells Fargo Securities.

Since joining the firm in 1997, Mr. Deming has completed approximately $18 billion of hospitality transactions comprising approximately 300 properties and over 75,000 hotel rooms. Notable 2013 completed transactions include the investment sales of London West Hollywood, Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Barton Creek Resort, and Hilton Los Cabos Resort; the financing placements of Terranea Resort, Four Seasons Hualalai, and Doubletree Marina del Rey; and the secondary sale of a loan secured by a nationwide portfolio of 27 select service and extended stay hotels. Mr. Deming played a role in sourcing the development financing of the JW Marriott Los Angeles – the 2014 home of ALIS.

Prior to joining Eastdil Secured, Mr. Deming was employed in the Real Estate Consulting practices of Arthur Andersen and KPMG and held a position with Mirage Resorts in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr.

Deming holds a degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

Michael A. DeNicola

Michael A. DeNicola is responsible for FelCor’s portfolio management, acquisitions, dispositions and development. Since joining FelCor, Mr. DeNicola assisted in the creation of “New FelCor” by leading the Company’s disposition activities relating to 67 hotels as well as the acquisition of selected hotels. In his role, Mr. DeNicola has directed FelCor’s development of condominiums at Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, SC, and has identified additional redevelopment opportunities throughout its portfolio.

Mr. DeNicola has led the renegotiation of many of FelCor’s management agreements with its strategic partners including Hilton Hotels, Starwood, Interstate Hotels and InterContinental Hotels Group resulting in better alignment of its managers’ interests with the Company’s ownership interests.

Prior to joining the Company, Mr. DeNicola was with Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, where he was Principal and Head of the Lodging and Leisure Group, responsible for managing a $1.1 billion hotel portfolio of 21 properties. Prior to Lend Lease, he held a number of leadership positions with Carlson Hospitality Worldwide. Prior to his tenure with Carlson Hospitality, he held management positions with Kenneth Leventhal & Company and VMS Realty Partners. Mr. DeNicola is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.

Michael Depatie

Michael Depatie is President and Chief Executive Officer of Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, LLC and is also a Member of Kimpton’s Board of Directors. Under Depatie’s leadership Kimpton has been named to FORTUNE magazine’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For list four times ranking 28^th in 2012. Depatie also serves as Managing General Partner of the Kimpton Hospitality Partners Funds overseeing the investment of over $550 million of investor equity in Kimpton Hotels.

After completing his MBA at the Harvard Business School in 1983, Depatie started his career with the Trammell Crow Company. He went on to become the Senior Vice President of finance and development with the Residence Inn Company. After the sale of Residence Inn to Marriott in 1987, Depatie co-founded Summerfield Suites which was sold to Patriot American Corporation and subsequently to Hyatt. Depatie also served as Chief Financial Officer of NYSE-listed La Quinta from 1992 to 1996. Depatie then served as CFO of NYSE-listed Sunterra.

Depatie is a member of the Hotel Development Council of the Urban Land Institute and he is also a member of the Real Estate Roundtable. Depatie also serves on the Board of Directors of Nasdaq traded Jamba Juice. He lives with his wife and fifteen year old son in San Francisco Ca.

Tina Edmundson

Tina Edmundson is the Global Officer for Luxury and Lifestyle Brands at Marriott International. In her role, Tina leads the strategy, positioning and development of the Luxury and Lifestyle brands in Marriott’s portfolio. Prior to this role, Tina was the Global Brand leader for Renaissance hotels and Autograph Collection hotels worldwide and played an integral role in repositioning the Renaissance brand to move into the lifestyle category.

Tina has been with Marriott since 2008, and has more than two decades of experience in the hospitality management industry. She came to Marriott from Starwood Hotels, where she spent many years focusing on the Luxury and Lifestyle category within Brand Operations. Her experience includes several field positions at US hotels including Rooms, Revenue Management, Sales and General Manager.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Bombay, India and got her start in the hotel industry at the Four Seasons Houston Center, where she worked while getting her Masters in hotel and Restaurant Administration from the Conrad N. Hilton School at the University of Houston.

Joel Eisemann

Joel Eisemann joined the InterContinental Hotels Group ("IHG") in September 2011 and is Chief Development Officer, The Americas. He is responsible for all development and conversion activities (both managed and franchised) for the InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands in the Americas.

Mr. Eisemann is also responsible for the company's Capital Investments & Transactions group for the Americas which handles asset dispositions, workouts and restructurings and asset management.

Further, he heads up the region's Owner & Franchise Services team which leads the IHG organization to attract, support and grow with those owners and franchisees who will help the company to continue to grow its brands' distribution and preference.

Previously, Mr. Eisemann was with Marriott International for 29 years, where he held a number of senior positions.

Mark W. Elliott

Mark joined Hodges Ward Elliott in 1983. Mark has personally sold more hotels than any other individual. Since 1992, he has personally sold and/or financed approximately 1,125 hotels, totaling approximately 227,000 rooms, with a dollar volume of approximately $32 billion. Mark is currently a member of Industry Real Estate Finance Advisory Council (“IREFAC”). He authored a chapter in Hotel Investment Handbook, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal as a lodging industry expert.

Mark was the recipient of the prestigious “Jack A. Shaffer Financial Advisor of the Year” Award and “C.

Everett Johnson” Award. Mark has been a speaker at the Harvard Business School.

Mark’s noteworthy transactions are as follows: $1.7 billion White Lodging Hotel Portfolio; $1.6 billion Archon Hotel Portfolio; $900 million RLJ Hotel Portfolio; $746.1 million Ocean Properties Portfolio; $420 million CNL Hotel Portfolio; $287 Marriott East Side, NY; $470 million Hilton Garden Inn Times Square and Hampton Inn Times Square North, NY; $330 million Metropolitan Hotel, NY; $201.5 million Lexington Hotel, NY; $514 million Starwood Hotel Portfolio; $440 million Westin St. Francis, San Francisco; $330 Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel; $475 million Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel; $124.4 Ritz- Carlton, Half Moon Bay; $250 million Montage Hotel & Resort, Laguna Beach.

Anthony A. Emanuelo

Anthony Emanuelo is Wyndham Hotel Group’s vice president of operations for Latin America. In this role, he is responsible for setting and executing the Company’s development strategy in the growing region, as well as driving business directly to Wyndham Hotel Group properties by optimizing the utilization of company resources.

Previously, Emanuelo served as senior director of operations and strategy for Latin America, fostering the company’s rapid development by supporting the acquisition and on-boarding of new hotels and managing the operational needs and performance of the company’s portfolio of hotels throughout the region. He simultaneously served as senior director of integration for the TRYP by Wyndham brand, successfully incorporating the select-service brand into the company after Wyndham Hotel Group acquired it in 2010.

Emanuelo has been with Wyndham Hotel Group for over eleven years and held various roles in finance before transitioning to operations and strategy.

Prior to joining Wyndham Hotel Group, Emanuelo worked as a senior financial analyst for Simon &

Schuster, a publishing company based in New York City. He began his career with International Paper, based in Memphis, Tenn., as a financial analyst for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

Emanuelo earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Maryland and his Master of Business Administration in strategic analysis from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.

He is based in Wyndham Hotel Group’s Parsippany, N.J., offices.

William D. Emery

David Emery joined InterMountain as Director of Finance in 2008. He was previously employed for 14 years by the JP Morgan and Regions Bank franchises as a commercial lender. He has been responsible for capital formation, negotiating partnerships and joint ventures, valuing and negotiating acquisitions and dispositions, creating incentive compensation plans and supporting the hotel operating teams in budgeting and forecasting. In 2012, David was appointed to his current position of Chief Financial Officer, in which he leads a team of 15 managing the financial operations of over 70 hotels in 21 states.

Michael R. Evans

Michael Evans serves as Chief Operating Officer for MGM Hospitality, a division of MGM Resorts International focused on developing and operating non-gaming Bellagio, MGM Grand, and Skylofts hotels in key international gateway cities and prime resort destinations around the world. In his role as Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Evans is responsible for leading the MGM Hospitality team. Mr. Evans joined the Company in January 2008, and prior to becoming Chief Operating Officer in February 2013, he served as Executive Vice President of Global Development, and was responsible for the implementation of MGM Hospitality’s strategic development plan and leading the Company’s regional development teams.

Mr. Evans is a seasoned executive with global development experience in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Prior to joining MGM Hospitality, he held key senior management positions with Marriott International from 1998 to 2008. His last position with Marriott International was as Senior Vice President of International Hotel Development based in London, where he was responsible for the development of all of Marriott International’s hotel brands in parts of Europe and all of the Middle East. Prior to this position, he served as Vice President of Hotel Development Asia/Pacific, based in Hong Kong, and Vice President of Global Asset Management, based in Washington, D.C.

Prior to joining Marriott International in 1998, Mr. Evans was an attorney in private practice in Miami, Florida.

Michael Fishbin

Michael is the Global & Americas Hospitality & Leisure Sector Leader and a member of EY’s Global Real Estate Advisory Board. Michael is an active advisor to hospitality and leisure companies, developers, owners, private equity funds, lenders and governments in all aspects of the hospitality, leisure and tourism industries. The hospitality practice focuses on transactions, development, valuation, lead advisory, operations and strategy.

Michael is a member of the Executive Planning Committee for the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference. He is also an adjunct faculty member at NYU Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management. He holds a B.A. from Union College and received his Masters Degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. He is a member of the advisory board of Rock and Wrap it Up, a non-profit organization that serves the sports, music education, government and hotel industries in the fight to alleviate hunger around the world.

John W. Fitzpatrick

John Fitzpatrick began his career in Ireland, where the Fitzpatrick name is synonymous with hospitality. For most of the past two decades, John has overseen the operation of two very successful hotels in New York.

John began his formal hospitality training with a four year hotel management course at the Fitzpatrick Hotels in Ireland, followed by the prestigious hotel management course at UNLV in Las Vegas. After honing his skills with two major hotel organizations in Chicago, John returned to Ireland to work at the family hotels in Dublin and Bunratty. He made the move back to the U.S. and opened his first New York hotel in 1991.

Devoted to the industry, John served three terms as Chairman of the Hotel Association of NYC. In 2011 AH&LA elected John as Secretary/Treasurer and is currently serving as Vice Chairman and will be the incoming Chairman in 2014.

In 2008, John was recognized for his contributions to the peace process in Northern Ireland by being invested with an honorary OBE by Her Majesty the Queen. In July 2011, Queen’s University Belfast conferred upon John an honorary Doctorate of Science in Economics and in June 2013, Dublin City University awarded John with an honorary degree of Philosophy.

In his spare time, John is an avid aviator, flying both helicopters and airplanes. He also enjoys water sports, snowboarding, skiing, kitesurfing and golf.

Alan Flatt

Alan has over 20 years of experience providing debt for commercial real estate properties in west coast and mid-west markets. For the past 11 years, he has worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he is currently the west coast regional manager for the Real Estate Structured Finance Group. In this position he is responsible for the origination of fixed and floating rate, non-recourse commercial real estate loans. Alan joined Bank of America, NA in 2002 in San Francisco and relocated to the Irvine, CA office in 2005. During his time at Bank of America, Alan has originated loans in every major west coast market.

Before joining Bank of America, Alan was a loan originator at Acacia Bank in San Francisco, Nomura Securities in both San Francisco and Chicago and GE Capital in Chicago. Prior to working for lending institutions, he was a mortgage banker in Chicago with Northmarq.

Alan has an undergraduate degree in engineering from the University of Michigan. He also received a MBA degree from the University of Michigan.

Christopher Flick

Mr. Flick is a vice president in the portfolio management group in the Newport Beach office, focusing on commercial real estate investments. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2011, he structured real estate transactions throughout the U.S. as a vice president for acquisitions/originations and portfolio management at Lowe Enterprises. He holds an MBA and an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. 

JP Ford

Lodging Econometrics

J.P. leads all of the Strategic Sales and Marketing Initiatives for Lodging Econometrics, National Hotel Realty, and New England Hotel Realty. He is an industry leading real estate advisory specialist with over 25 years experience providing acquisition and disposition services in the United States.

J.P. serves as a trusted advisor to Ownership and Management Groups throughout North America looking to add real estate assets and management contracts to their portfolios; Franchise Companies looking to identify new construction and potential brand conversion opportunities; and Wall Street analysts wanting to evaluate real estate development and valuation trends as well as assess investment potential in various hotel companies and particular markets.

Additionally, J.P. chairs the committee responsible for gathering nominations and selecting the finalists for the America’s Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) “Development of the Year” award, which recognizes the most outstanding achievement in hotel construction and design in the country. He is also a speaker at various hotel industry events and conferences and regularly contributes to several lodging real estate publications, such as the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Lodging Magazine, the IHIF Newsletter, and the New England Real Estate Journal. J.P. is a Certified Hotel Broker (CHB), and a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC).

Gregory I. Forester

Gregory I. Forester is managing director of the Hotel Lending Group for GE Capital Real Estate’s North America division. He leads lending programs for national accounts of public and private lodging companies, opportunity funds and large owners. Greg has been directly involved in the origination, transaction leadership or underwriting of approximately $5.3B of funded investments for the Company.

He has been with GE Capital Real Estate since January 1998 and has specialized in large debt transactions originated for balance sheet, CMBS and loan syndication executions.

Greg’s professional experience prior to his tenure at GE includes five years as a senior underwriter for CW Capital, a conduit, FNMA DUS and HUD lender, three years at Berkshire Mortgage Corporation underwriting participating mortgage investments, and three years as a project development professional at FD Rich Company of Boston.

Greg received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, with a concentration in real estate, from Northeastern University in Boston, MA.

Neil D. Freeman

Neil Freeman is Chairman and CEO of Aries Capital, LLC, a full-service real estate lender and mortgage banking firm offering long-term, interim and mezzanine loans, equity arrangement, and government tax credit advisory and placement. Throughout his 30-year career, he has funded more than $4 billion for all commercial property types, with a strong focus in hospitality assets. Financed hotels include The Roosevelt New Orleans (Waldorf Astoria), The Whitehall Hotel Chicago, Embassy Suites Riverwalk San Antonio and Hotel 21 C in Louisville. Freeman’s entities have also held equity interests in real estate worth more than $250 million, including both flagged and boutique hotels.

Freeman is also President of Urban Development Fund, LLC (UDF) a New Markets Tax Credits CDE. UDF has received approximately $500 million in federal and state New Markets Tax Credits allocations, translating to $1 billion in transactions. UDF focuses on the rehabilitation of hotels, mixed- use properties, retail developments, theaters, hospitals and medical facilities in highly distressed census tracts nationwide.

Formerly a licensed CPA, Freeman received his BSBA degree in Accounting from the University of Florida, and his MBA degree from Stanford University. He is an adjunct Real Estate professor at DePaul University in Chicago and serves on The Executive Board of DePaul’s Real Estate Center.

Jan Freitag

Mr. Jan Freitag is a Senior Vice President at STR, the recognized leader in lodging industry benchmarking services. During his 10+ year tenure at STR he has overseen a variety of projects, all charged with the accumulation and interpretation of global lodging data.

Mr. Freitag is a frequent public speaker at, among others, the American Lodging Investment Summit, Hunter Investment Conference, Global Spa Summit, Mountain Travel Symposium, and numerous brand, owner, HSMAI and GBTA meetings.

In addition, he is a trusted source for industry insights, quoted in trade publications and the general news media such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Bloomberg, HotelNewsNow, etc. . Prior to joining STR, Mr. Freitag was the Director of Content Integrity at hotelreports.com in upstate New York and a hospitality consultant with Ernst & Young in Phoenix.

Mr. Freitag holds a Bachelor Degree, with distinction, from the School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, where he lectures frequently, and received his Executive MBA, with honors, from Vanderbilt University.

He is a member of the advisory board for STASH Rewards, the independent hotel loyalty program.

Mr. Freitag resides in Nashville, TN, and plays basketball every Saturday (when he is not on the road).