Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) 2003 is tackling the challenging yet opportunity-rich China issues head on during this year`s conference, to be held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Hong Kong on October 8th to 10th.

China has defied recent regional and global economic pressures, and has managed to continue with vibrant and dynamic growth. As such, almost every major investor, lender, operator, architect, consultant, lawyer, and supplier in the international hotel industry either already has a presence in China, or is considering establishing one in the very near future. HICAP 2003 examines the opportunities and the risks from all of these perspectives, with a focus on determining how significant and how sustainable the China prospect really is.

HICAP 2003 incorporates some of the most influential leaders and decision-makers in the China hotel industry, including:

• Zhang Run Gang, head of the Hotel Division at the China National Tourism Bureau,


• Duan Qiang, Chairman of Beijing Tourism Group (the second largest hotel group in China),


• Justin Tang, Chairman of eLong (one of the largest Chinese Internet distribution channels for hotel rooms and air tickets in China),


• Zhao Hai, head of development for Marriott in China,


• Roy Tan Hardy, Vice President for Marketing and Sales for Hong Kong Disneyland,


• John Koldowski, Managing Director Strategic Intelligence Centre of PATA in Thailand,


• Joseph Tung, Executive Director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong,


• Lo Young, Regional Marketing Director, InterContinental Hotels Group.

HICAP has always been aimed at senior executives and decision-makers in the hotel industry, and this year the formula is the same, including the following high-level sessions and topics covering key and fundamental issues facing the industry in China today:

• Current and potential long-term impact of SARS


• The continuing investment drive in China, fueled by the 2004 Formula One Grand Prix, the 2008 Olympics, the 2010 World Expo, and general economic growth


• New policies and regulations related to hotel investment in China


• Hotel investment climate valuations and transactions


• Outlook for mid-market / budget hotels in China


• Impact of the Internet and technology on the China hotel industry


• Domestic Chinese travellers quantified and qualified


• China outbound travellers impact and profile


• Intensified competition amongst international hotel companies how are they meeting the challenges


• The recent growth of China`s home grown hotel brands and how they will evolve how some of these groups intend to become world players


• Theme parks adapted for the Chinese market


• Hong Kong vs. Shanghai Where will the investment flow?