(Posted 10th October 2022)
| With only 3 weeks to go for this year’s Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF) in Morocco, only a limited number of tickets remain. AHIF consists of high-level conference discussions, workshops and in-person networking features including investor tours, discussion sessions, gala networking receptions, a charity run and cultural activities. The intimate resort setting will provide unlimited networking time after conference hours by the pool, over a drink at the bar, or even during a round of golf! Register now and join us in Taghazout. |
| Below is a sample list of all the companies that have already secured their place at this year’s AHIF – is your company represented? |
| Abu Dhabi National Hotels Accor African Hotels French Consortium ALDAU Development APO Group Ascott Atlas Crown Atlas Hospitality Azalai Hotels Group Bank of Africa Basketball League Africa BBC Bentel Associates International Bigova Bay Bridget Baker Consulting Ltd Carnegie Hill Hospitality CG Corp Global and CG Hospitality Holdings CHIC SARL CityBlue Hotels Century Park Hotels and Residences Club Med CNT National Confederation of Tourism – Morocco Dawliz DEG – Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH Dexter Moren Associates DG Jones and Partners – Morocco EBRDEgis Voltere Ennismore Equate Africa Eurostar Hotels Event Horizon France Kitchen Frasers Hospitality (UK) Limited G1 Design Gary Greene Design LLC GHSP FZCO Gide Loyrette Nouel Habti Tours HARPS Holdings Limited HiltonHorwath – HTLHVS – Dubai IHG Hotels & Resorts Ingrid van der Veen Hospitality Design Insignia Worldwide Istich Consulting IT Hospitality |
| JESA Jones Lang LaSalle Kasada Capital Management Kema Holdings Kerten Hospitality Knight Frank – Kenya La Tribune Afrique Louvre Hotels Group m AtelierMadaëf MAGESPRO Africa Marriott International MIGA – The World Bank Group Milat Investments Millennium Hotels and Resorts Neptune Hotel Group NYA Health Services One Africa Hotel Limited Perennia Hotels and Resort PKF Hospitality Group Political Futures Consultancy PrideInn Hotels Quao Realty Racines SARL Radisson Hotel Group Risma Rotana Hotel Management Corporation Royal Air Maroc SAPST SBM Bank Mauritius Scotts FZ Senga Bay Capital SelinaSMIT – Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development STRSud Partners Sunbird Tourism Plc The Economist Intelligence Unit The Latitude Hotels Group The Social House TIME Hotels Toggle Market Travelscope Magazine van Marken Limited Vivendi Sports W Hospitality Group Wade and Company Westmont Hospitality World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) |
| AHIF 2022 Sponsors |
| Host Partner |
| Platinum Sponsors |
| Gold Sponsors |
| Silver Sponsors |
The Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF) has meanwhile revealed an impressive speaker line-up for its 2022 conference. The programme features several government ministers, the Chair of Morocco’s tourism development agency, the Chair & CEO of Royal Air Maroc and a battery of Africa’s most influential hotel industry executives with the fire power to transform destinations. The event will also facilitate a by-invitation investment site visit to Guelmim, which has been described by Wanderlust as the “gateway to the Sahara” and “one of Morocco’s best kept secrets”.
The conference programme will see around sixty top executives, investors, bankers, government officials, consultants, and other experts on stage to discuss all the major issues affecting the development and operation of hotels in Africa generally, and Morocco specifically. The highlights include:
- Daniel Silke, one of Africa’s most charismatic economic and political commentators, discussing investment incentives with Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Mohcine Jazouli, Minister Delegate i/c Investment, and Mohammed Abdeljalil, Minister of Transport and Logistics. He also explores the global economic outlook with Pat Thaker, Chief Economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit
- Rajan Datar, Host, BBC Travel Show & BBC World News, interviewing Abdelhamid Addou, PDG, Chair and CEO, Royal Air Maroc
- Nick van Marken, a top hotel consultant, interviewing Haitham Mattar, the regional Managing Director of IHG Hotels & Resorts and Jochem-Jan Sleiffer, the regional President of Hilton, on the future of hospitality
- An exploration of Africa’s best hotel development opportunities and domestic tourism with the chief development officers of Hilton, Louvre, Marriott and Radisson
- A case study, looking at the regeneration of The Casablanca and Rabat CBD, with Youssef Chraibi, Managing Partner, MAGESPRO Africa and Ewan Cameron, Director – Africa, Westmont Hospitality
- A panel discussion moderated by Wayne Godwin of JLL with the principals of four major African hotel investors, Kasada Capital Management, Millat Investments, City Blue Hotels and Risma
- The CEOs of Louvre Hotels, Pierre-Frédéric Roulot and PropCo Selina, Saurabh Chawla, being quizzed by Nick van Marken on recent lessons they have learnt
- Africa’s hotel performance by the numbers, with Thomas Emmanuel, Senior Director, STR
- Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Founder and Chairman, APO Group discussing the power of mega events for hotel development, with Amadou Gallo Fall, SVP NBA, President, Basketball Africa League, Jason Jennings, Group COO, Event Horizon and Robins Tchale-Watchou, CEO, Vivendi Sports
- Sessions on branding, construction costs, contingency planning, destination development, employment, franchising, hotel design trends, the hotel development pipeline, leadership, mixed-use projects, raising finance, resorts, scenario planning, supply chain management, sustainability, new technology and much, much more!
Imad Barrakad, Chairman & CEO, SMIT, said: “Agadir and the whole southern coast of Morocco has known some tremendous developments in recent years thanks to the guidance of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI as well as all the people who support and believe in the success of this enterprise. I look forward to hosting the global investment community in Taghazout very soon to show them Taghazout’s success story and all the potential and the benefits the region has to offer.”
Matthew Weihs, Managing Director, The Bench, which organises AHIF, said: “I am optimistic that this year’s AHIF will spawn a high number of new deals – for the following reasons. We are meeting in person for the first time in three years; we are visiting a destination that offers outstanding potential, not only the gateway to the Sahara but also miles of virgin coastline looking west over the ocean; we are being welcomed by a country that really understands the value of tourism; we have a high concentration of major players with the fire power to transform a location; and we have an event format that will facilitate an exceptional amount of productive networking in both relaxed and formal settings.”
Delegates attending AHIF this year (it takes place on 2nd – 4th November, at the luxurious Fairmont Taghazout Bay, a five-star resort close to Agadir), are encouraged to enjoy the resort over the weekend as The Bench, the event’s organiser, is offering post-event weekend packages involving golf, surfing, yoga and other activities to entice delegates to bring their partners and extend their connections in a highly convivial atmosphere.
