Local Travel & Tourism Industry Leaders Gather July 20 For Expert Findings and Forecasts for the Tampa Bay Market
Tampa, FL (July 14, 2017) – Factors impacting travel spending, investments in local hotels and the number of visitors traveling to the Tampa Bay area next year will be the focus of the 18th Annual Trends & Forecasting Forum presented by the Hillsborough County Hotel Motel Association (HCHMA).
Experts from STR, the leading global provider of competitive benchmarking, information services and research to the hotel industry, The Plasencia Group, Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater and Visit Tampa Bay will provide in-depth assessments of what’s ahead, and what’s anticipated, in 2018 from 8 a.m. to noon on Thursday, July 20, at the Tampa Airport Marriott Hotel ( http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/tpaap-tampa-airport-marriott/.
Industry leaders comprised of HCHMA (hotelsintampabay.com) members and allied members will gain valuable insights that will help them plan annual budgets, develop sales strategies, create marketing campaigns and be better prepared to address opportunities or possible challenges, next year.
The featured speakers are as follows:
- Jennifer Foster, Business Development Executive, Destinations, CHIA, STR (http://www.str.com/)
- Lou Plasencia, Chairman and CEO, The Plasencia Group (http://tpghotels.com/)
- David Downing, President and CEO, Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater (http://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com).
- Adam DePiro, Director of Convention Sales, and Alex Kaptzan, Vice President of Convention Sales, Visit Tampa Bay (http://www.visittampabay.com/index.aspx)
“Every year our industry develops budgets and marketing strategies for the following year. The Trends & Forecasting Forum provides an in-depth analysis of factors affecting their businesses so that they can plan accordingly. This information gives our members the tools to more accurately evaluate 2018 in terms of their projected performance,” said Bob Morrison, HCHMA executive director. “The more prepared our industry is, the better the impact on the bottom line.”
In addition to the presentations, the forum includes a trade show presented by select HCHMA allied members who provide products and services to hoteliers and other hospitality-related businesses.
For additional information, call 813-810-1641 or contact Stassa E. Lewis at slewis@hchma.org.
About HCHMA
The Hillsborough County Hotel Motel Association is a membership-based organization that represents leading hotels, motels and resorts. First organized in 1937, HCHMA’s membership include owners and managers of hotels, motels and resorts, attractions and venues that are beneficiaries of the Tourist Development Tax allocated within Hillsborough County and businesses that provide products and services to the hospitality industry.