PLENARY & BREAKOUT SESSIONS
27 November 2024
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Welcome and registration | |
PLENARY SESSIONS
| 9:00 – 09:15 | Introduction to INVEST
Ray IUNIUS, CEO winsed.swiss Group Massimo BAGGI, Ambassador of Switzerland to Romania |
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| 9:15 – 10:00 | A.1 • Quo vadis economy?
– presentation and on-stage interview Mugur ISĂRESCU, Governor of the National Bank of Romania, former Prime Minister Florin JIANU, President, Young Entrepreneurs of the European Union |
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| 10:00 – 10:50 | A.2 • Hospitality property: blooming opportunities in a growing market – Hospitality panel Charles GUYONNAUD, Regional Vice President, Hyatt Hotels Corporation Vassilis THEMELIDIS, Regional Director South & East Europe, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Frank REUL, VP – Development Accor Premium, Midscale & Economy “Eastern Europe, Balkans, Italy & Greece” Gilles GRANGER, SVP Business Development EMEA for D-EDGE Răzvan-Legian RAȚ, Executive Vicepresident, Transilvania Investments Alliance Moderator: Tinu SEBEȘANU, Managing Partner, Trend Hospitality |
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| 10:50 – 11:20 | A.3 • From economy to upper market. Where to invest? – presentation and on-stage interview Alina CAZACHEVICI, Partner, Head of Hospitality Operations CEE/SEE at Cushman & Wakefield Stephane HADDAD, Associate Dean, EHL Interviewer: Simona CONSTANTINESCU, President, FIHR |
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| 11:20 – 11:50 | Networking break | |
| 11:50 – 12:40 | A.4 • Insight capital market: opportunities in the Hospitality Real Estate market – Real Estate panel Russell KETT, Chairman, HVS London Vlad DRAGOESCU, Director, CEE Head of Portfolio Management Revetas Capital Răzvan GHEORGHIU-TESTA, Partner, Țuca-Zbârcea & Asociații Dan DASCĂL, CEO BT (Banca Transilvania) Asset Management SAI Heinz WEHRLE, Chairman, Horwath HTL, Switzerland Moderator: Christine SCHILLINGS, CEO winsed.swiss Romania |
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| 12:40 – 13:10 | A.5 • Energy and sustainability: problem or opportunity? – presentation and on-stage interview Sebastian BURDUJA, Romanian Minister of Energy Claude BÉGLÉ, Chairman & CEO, Swiss NeWater Holding Chiril GABURICI, Former Prime Minister of Moldova Interviewer: Răzvan PÎRJOL, CEO Turism Felix |
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| 13:10 – 14:00 | Networking lunch | |
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
| 14:00 – 15:20 | B.1 • Identifying successful investments in Hospitality Real Estate Anca NEDEA PAVEL, Co-Owner & Executive Director of Opal S.A. – Hotel Opal by The Sea, Cap Aurora Saar SHARON, Managing Director, West Ridge Asset Management Miguel MARTINS, Head of Development - Northern Europe, IHG® Hotels & Resorts Anja GRAF, CEO, Founder and Chairwoman, Visionapartments Christophe CHAMBONCEL, Executive Director, NIRO Investment Group Dan MARIN, Director, Bhatia International Romania Attila JOOS, Chief Executive Officer & General Manager, ARO Palace Moderator: Nina MOLDOVAN, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Moldova in Cluj, CEO Winners First |
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| B.2 • Successful Paths to Renovation and Conversion Cătălin CIGHI, Managing Partner, Cain Group Adina OPREA, Channel Sales Manager, CEED Sales Romania, Samsung Electronics Liviu ANDREI, President, Maurer Imobiliare Vlad DOICARU, VP, Public Affairs & Government relations Huawei Romania Grégoire HAMBOURG, Founder & CEO, Five Keys Gheorghe ȚUCU, Managing Partner, Valeg Creative Solutions Moderator: Christine SCHILLINGS, CEO winsed.swiss Romania | ||
| 15:20 – 15:40 | Networking break | |
| 15:40 – 17:00 | B.3 • Hospitality management models: now, new, next Yateendra SINH, Principal, YS & Associates – Switzerland Malgorzata MOREK, Senior Director Development Central and Eastern Europe, Hilton Takuya AOYAMA, Vice President for Development, Hyatt International (EAME) LLC Dan VOLENTIR, General Manager, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts Bucharest Jean Pierre MIFSUD, General Manager, Corinthia Bucharest Kapil CHOPRA, Founder, EazyDiner and The Postcard Hotel Moderator: Ruud REULAND, Reuland Hospitality Coaching, former CEO EHL |
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| B.4 • Hospitality property as a business multiplier: evaluate your asset Russell KETT, Chairman, HVS London Aurel BERNAT, Executive Director FI/IR Augusto HASMAN, Associate Professor, EHL Rene-Ojas WOLTERING, Associate Professor, Real Estate Finance at EHL Hospitality Business School Remy REIN, Senior lecturer, EHL Mehmet ERGUL, Professor, San Francisco State University Moderator: Colin JOHNSON, Professor, San Francisco State University |
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| 19:00 – 22:30 | GALA DINNER Special guest: HRH Prince Radu Dress code: « business professional » |
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EDUCATIONAL DAY
28 November 2024
The educational day will be dedicated to learning and development, with four modules that will take place in parallel. These trainings will be:
- Hotel asset management
Expert: Heinz Wehrle - Data-driven in hospitality business
Expert: Jamil Hebali - Market scan and feasibility study
Expert: Remy Rein - Hotel performance analysis
Expert: Saar Sharon
For each of the four trainings, the schedule is as follows:
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Registration | |||
| 09:00 – 10:30 | Training session | |||
| 10:30 – 10:45 | Coffee break | |||
| 10:45 – 12:15 | Training session | |||
| 12:15 – 13:45 | Lunch | |||
| 13:45 – 15:15 | Training session | |||
| 15:15 – 15:30 | Coffee break | |||
| 15:30 – 17:00 | Training session | |||
| 17:00 – 18:00 | Assessment and certificate ceremony | |||
LISTEN TO THE Event Speakers
Dr. Sebastian Burduja
Minister of Energy of Romania
Dr. Sebastian Burduja
Minister of Energy of Romania
Sebastian-Ioan Burduja is the Romanian Minister of Energy, appointed in June 2023. He has previously served as the Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, between May 2022 and June 2023. Since December 2020 he has been elected to the Romanian Parliament and is also the President of the Bucharest branch of the National Liberal Party. Before starting his political career, he acted as the Founding President of the League of Romanian Students Abroad (LSRS), now the largest Romanian non-profit network in the world, and the co-founder of the CAESAR Foundation, a think tank connecting 500 top Romanian and international policy experts. Previously, he served as a Regional Development Specialist for the World Bank in Washington, D.C., focusing on Europe and Central Asia. Mr. Burduja has also worked for Dalberg Global Development Advisors, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, McKinsey & Co., and the National Endowment for Democracy. He graduated from the Stanford University as member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society with a major in Politics and sub-specializations in Economy and Sociology. From 2008 to 2011, he continued his studies at Harvard University, being a David Rubenstein's fellow and graduating two master's programs: MBA from Harvard Business School and MPP from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He was honored in 2009 and 2010 with outstanding academic achievement, including the "First Year Honors" and "Second Year Honors" awards given to the best students at Harvard Business School. Mr. Burduja holds a PhD in Economics and International Affairs from the Romanian Academy of Economic Studies, with the "Summa Cum Laude" qualification.
Malgorzata Morek
Senior Director Development Central and Eastern Europe, Hilton
Malgorzata Morek
Senior Director Development Central and Eastern Europe, Hilton
Hilton
Senior Director Development Central and Eastern Europe (Mar 2023 - Present)
Development Director Poland & Eastern Europe (2017 - Present)
Accor Hotels
Director of Franchise Development (2015 - 2017)
Director of Franchise Development Poland (2012 - 2015)
Director of Operations ORBIS brand hotels (2011 - 2012)
Franchise Project Manager (2011 - 2012)
Director of the Bureau of Operations (2005 - 2011)
Operations Manager (2000 - 2005)
Radu Savopol
President, Romanian Hotel and Restaurant Employers' Organisation - HORA
Radu Savopol
President, Romanian Hotel and Restaurant Employers' Organisation - HORA
Radu Savopol is a seasoned Romanian entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in the HoReCa industry, successfully implementing similar business concepts across various regions in the country. His most significant venture to date is the 5 to go coffee shop chain, a project born from the desire to offer high-quality coffee at an affordable price. The chain aims to create a consistent daily experience for customers at any of its over 150 locations, where both service and coffee quality are standardized. In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Mr. Savopol, who is also an interior designer, personally crafted the interior design of the 5 to go locations. He placed a strong emphasis on creating a welcoming atmosphere that appeals to a diverse clientele, including high school and college students, as well as corporate clients. Recently, 5 to go was recognized as one of the top three coffee shop chains in Central and Eastern Europe at the largest HoReCa symposium in Europe.
Russell Kett
Chairman, HVS London
Russell Kett
Chairman, HVS London
Russell Kett is Chairman of the London office of HVS, the leading global specialist hotel valuation, consulting, asset management and brokerage firm, which he joined in 1995. Russell has 40+ years' specialist hotel consultancy, investment and real estate experience, focused on providing valuation, feasibility, property, brokerage, investment, asset management, strategy and related consultancy services, advising hotel, serviced apartments and hostel companies, banks, developers and investors on all aspects of their hospitality industry related interests, throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa. He is a frequent writer, moderator and speaker on the international hotel industry, especially on topics relating to hotel valuation, investment, marketing and finance. Russell received a Lifetime Achievement Award from HOSPA in 2011 and the ‘Hall of Fame’ Lifetime Achievement Award at the Hot.E hotel investment conference in London in 2017. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a member of the International Hotel Investment Council. He and his wife are blessed with two children and three grandchildren.
Simona Constantinescu
President, FIHR
Simona Constantinescu
President, FIHR
As the Chairperson of the Board of Directors at FIHR, the Romanian Hotel Industry Federation, and the CEO of Ana Hotels, one of the largest hotel chains in Romania, Simona has over 20 years of experience in leading and transforming businesses in the hospitality and finance sectors. She has a Master of Arts in Board Practice and Directorship from Henley Business School, and an Executive MBA from ASEBUSS and the University of Washington. Her core competencies include corporate governance, hospitality management, change/transition management, wealth management and management of family-office, strategy formulation, crisis management, advocacy, corporate finance, financial risk management, and capital markets. She is passionate about pursuing the interests and standards of the hotel industry in Romania, and promoting its potential and opportunities to the global market. She has successfully navigated the challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, implementing innovative and sustainable solutions to ensure the recovery and growth of the hospitality business. She has also contributed to the development and implementation of the national tourism strategy, and established strong partnerships with key stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
