Forty hospitality brands confirm attendance at Hotelier Maldives GM Forum

Over a hundred and fifty delegates representing 40 hospitality brands have confirmed attendance at the upcoming Hotelier Maldives GM Forum 2018.

Scheduled to take place at Kurumba Maldives today (April 18), the day-long event will see the largest gathering of hoteliers and hospitality professionals congregate for an array of keynote speeches, presentations and panel discussions on pertinent topics in the industry. The forum will be followed by a networking event in the evening.

Some of the brands that have confirmed participation include Coco Collection, Hilton, Lily Hotels & Resorts, Constance Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont, Diamond Resorts International, Jumeirah, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Adaaran Resorts Maldives, Universal Resorts, Crown & Champa Resorts, Baglioni Hotels, Shangri-la Hotels & Resorts, Dusitthani, Soneva, Angsana, First & Foremost Hotels & Resorts, JA Resorts & Hotels, Taj, One&only, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Baglioni Hotels, Villa Hotels & Resorts, LUX Resorts & Hotels, Cheval Blanc and Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

Confirmed keynote speakers in this years’ Forum include Ibrahim ‘Bandhu’ Saleem, a founding partner of Cyprea Group and Chairman of Solarelle Insurance; and Daniel Welk, Vice President, Luxury and Lifestyle, Asia Pacific, Hilton. Over the course of his long career in public service, Saleem has led Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC), Island Aviation Services Ltd and had also played an integral role in leading and shaping Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL). He was also the Executive Director of Cyprea Pvt Ltd and a Director of various entities of Cyprea Group as well as the Chairman and Managing Director of Cyprea Lanka Pvt Ltd. In addition to that, he also served as a member of the Tourism Advisory Board at the Ministry of Tourism from 2001 to 2004.

Daniel Welk, the Vice President of Operations for Hilton’s portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts in the Asia Pacific region, has over twenty-five years of experience in the field of hospitality, composed of various managerial roles in the UK, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and India. Prior to joining Hilton in 2008, Daniel held various positions in general management and food and beverage operations with Carlson Hotels and Parkroyal Hotels & Resorts; amongst other hospitality and food and beverage companies.

Following this, expert presentations and panel discussions will cover a myriad of topics; presentation on tourism-related taxation by Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA); presentation on destination marketing trends by Abdulla Ghiyas, President of Maldives Association of Travel Agents & Tour Operators (MATATO); panel on guest transfers; presentation by Graeme D’arcy, Hotels Area Manager at Booking.com; presentation on wellness-related revenue opportunities by Jesper Hougaard, Managing Director, Serena Spa.

The forum will be followed by a networking reception, also at Kurumba Maldives.