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Discover the next chapter in hospitality at the Florida & Caribbean Hotel & Hospitality event! This is your exclusive chance to learn how changing traveler demands, luxury trends, and evolving design practices are revolutionizing the hotel industry in Florida and the Caribbean. Top developers, operators, and investors will unpack major projects, including beachfront resorts, boutique hotels, and large-scale mixed-use properties that integrate hospitality. Gain actionable insights on market drivers, financing strategies, and how sustainability is shaping the future of this dynamic industry. Whether you’re a seasoned hospitality professional or looking to expand into this booming market, this event is the key to staying ahead. Don’t miss your opportunity to connect with leaders shaping the future of global hospitality!

Speakers and Panels

Hotel Investment Landscape: Current Dynamics and Emerging Opportunities

Who’s investing, where the capital is flowing, and what it means for the next wave of hospitality development.

Daniel Berman

Daniel Berman

Co-CEO

Mint Developers

Russell Urban

Russell Urban

CEO & Principal

Electra America Hospitality Group

Alinio Azevedo

Alinio Azevedo

Managing Director

Driftwood Capital

Glenn Alba

Glenn Alba

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

TMGOC Ventures

Marco Roca

Marco Roca

VP, Development

Sonesta International Hotels

Daniel Lesser
Moderator

Daniel Lesser

President, CEO

LW Hospitality Advisors

Daniel Berman

Co-CEO

Mint Developers

Daniel Berman is a visionary entrepreneur originally from Venezuela who moved to the United States to pursue a bold dream—to build one of the most respected hospitality and real estate companies in the industry. In 2008, he founded AD1, which has since grown into a dynamic platform known for acquiring, developing, and managing high-performing hospitality assets.

With a relentless focus on excellence, Daniel led AD1 through economic shifts and personal challenges, guided by strong values, work ethic, and a deep commitment to people. His leadership has fostered long-term relationships with employees, investors, and global hotel brands, while expanding into full-scale development and mixed-use projects.

Daniel believes that success is most powerful when it’s shared—a principle that continues to shape his company culture and long-term vision to elevate the guest experience, empower teams, and create lasting value through world-class hospitality and transformative real estate.

Russell Urban

CEO & Principal

Electra America Hospitality Group

Russ Urban is the CEO, Principal and Managing Partner for Electra America Hospitality Group. A hospitality professional with over 45 years of U.S., global institutional, and entrepreneurial experience, Russ has served in leadership roles for multiple owner/operators including HEI, High, Lowe, and Marriott. He has also founded his own hotel ventures, including Hotel Partners. Russ has extensive expertise in resort, urban, and suburban hotel asset acquisition, and development/renovation, including site selection, entitlements, financing, pre-construction, architectural design, construction, lease negotiations, and historic tax credits. Russ has considerable experience in island communities, including Nevis, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Martha’s Vineyard. Other areas of expertise include talent acquisition and development, collaborative decision-making, culture building, and results-driven financial accountability. Russ graduated from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in 1981 and serves on the board of Cornell Hotel Society Foundation. Further, Russ is a current Trustee and past Chairperson of the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, its Presidential Search Committee, Leadership & Governance Committee, and the former Board Chair of Lancaster County Tourism Authority.

Alinio Azevedo

Managing Director

Driftwood Capital

As Managing Director, Luxury and Lifestyle for Driftwood Capital, Alinio brings his 25+

years of luxury and lifestyle hospitality experience to lead Driftwood Capital’s further

expansion into these segments, as well as to support Driftwood Hospitality’s

management and operating expertise in highly-amenitized, service-focused and mixed-

use properties.

Most recently, prior to joining Driftwood Capital, Alinio was CEO of Aspen Hospitality,

where he led the company’s management and expansion strategies as well as oversaw

the operation of its portfolio of owned and operated hotels and residences. These

consisted of The Little Nell, Aspen’s only Five-Star, Five-Diamond, ski-in/ski-out hotel,

and its affiliated Residences at The Little Nell, both located at the base of Aspen

Mountain; and the upscale Limelight Hotel Aspen and Limelight Hotel Snowmass in

Colorado, as well as the Limelight Hotel Ketchum/Sun Valley in Idaho and the Limelight

Hotel in Denver. Alinio also managed $700M in capital deployment to initiate

development of three new hotel properties in Mammoth Lakes, Boulder, and New York

City under the Limelight and The Little Nell brands. Alinio was also a global board

member of Relais & Chateaux.

Alinio’s twenty-five-year career also includes hotel/resort acquisitions and development

for Loews Hotels, the opening of a Miami development office and brand expansion in

the Americas for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, hospitality and real estate advisory

services for Ernst and Young LLP in Miami, and hotel investment and development for

Cardel Hotels.

An internationally-experienced and quadrilingual industry professional, Alinio’s past

experiences include investor relations and projects in North America, Caribbean, Latin

Americas, Europe and the Middle East.

Community involvement has always been vital to Alinio as a third-generation Rotary

International member and as a board-member of the American Business Immigration

Council, a bi-partisan group of business leaders which promotes policy changes in

support of immigrant families. As a former adjunct Professor of Hospitality Feasibility in

the Hospitality Management Master’s Program at Florida International University, Alinio

served as a mentor to the next generation of hospitality leaders. Alinio recently

completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, has an

MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in

Engineering from the Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, Brazil.

Alinio has also attended the École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et

Commerciales (ESSEC) in Paris, France.

The Power of Hospitality Branding: Strategic Expansion & Development

How top hotel brands are partnering with developers, investors, and local markets to drive growth and build the next generation of hospitality destinations.

Pamela Vasquez

Pamela Vasquez

Senior Director of Development, CALA

Hilton

Alex Mai

Alex Mai

Regional VP- Caribbean & Latin America

IHG Hotels & Resorts

Stephan Strenk

Stephan Strenk

VP, Development

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Michael Register

Michael Register

Chief Development Officer

Hotel Equities

Louis Journel

Louis Journel

Sr. Development Manager

Hilton - Caribbean

Nolan Carter
Moderator

Nolan Carter

Senior Advisor

The Baldwin Group

Michael Register

Chief Development Officer

Hotel Equities

Michael Register, Chief Development Officer

HE CALA, a division of Hotel Equities

Michael Register is Chief Development Officer for Hotel Equities CALA where he leads the Hotel Equities CALA division’s sourcing of new opportunities and owner relations.

Before joining Hotel Equities, Michael was a Managing Director at Highgate Hotels focused on the Caribbean and Latin America, where he was instrumental in sourcing and negotiating management contracts in the CALA region.

Prior to Highgate, Michael was a partner in Trust Hospitality, a boutique hotel management company primarily focused on the Caribbean and Latin America. Trust managed hotels in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Brazil, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama, Anguilla, Aruba, Curacao, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Trinidad, and St. Lucia.

Before forming Trust Hospitality, Michael oversaw business development and legal matters for Nikki Beach worldwide, opening locations in St. Tropez, St. Barths, Marbella, New York, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Marrakesh, and Koi Samui.

Prior to working in the hospitality industry, Michael was the co-founder of a successful software company, AAT, which was acquired by a publicly traded Swiss company. He also practiced international corporate and business law in Brazil (Pinheiro Neto Law Firm in Sao Paulo) and Miami (Valdes-Fauli, Petrey and Bishoff).

Nolan Carter

Moderator

The Baldwin Group

Nolan Carter is a standout business leader dedicated to driving real estate owners towards growth and success. With a strong skill set and a passion for helping companies thrive in a competitive market, he stands out among his peers.

Currently serving as a Senior Advisor in the Hospitality Practice at The Baldwin Group, Nolan previously graduated from The University of Tampa's Sykes College of Business.

In his role, he handles strategic responsibilities such as identifying clients' objectives, designing insurance programs, and building lasting client relationships.

Nolan has spent his career learning the real estate business across various asset types to truly stand out as an advisor in his role. He also collaborates with colleagues and industry experts globally to develop risk management strategies.

Beyond the Stay: Redefining Hospitality with Elevated Amenities and Experiences

How top developers and operators are using branding, technology, and curated experiences to redefine success in today’s competitive hospitality market.

Rika Lisslö

Rika Lisslö

Development, Luxury Lifestyle Leader

Hilton

Gilberto Garcia-Tunon

Gilberto Garcia-Tunon

COO

MG Hospitality

Mark Pratt

Mark Pratt

Global Hospitality Market Leader

LEO A DALY

Todd Tyler

Todd Tyler

Chief Creative Officer

Studio IDC

Sara Shake

Sara Shake

Principal

Vacancy

Ken Shook
Moderator

Ken Shook

Trinity

Principal

Mark Pratt

Global Hospitality Market Leader

LEO A DALY

Mark Pratt is Vice President and the Global Hospitality Practice Leader for LEO A DALY’s internationally renowned hospitality design group. With over 30 years of experience working with major hotel brands, he has devoted his career to building lasting relationships with developers, hoteliers and brands to envision and realize extraordinary hospitality projects. His contributions have significantly impacted the development of the industry with proficiency in brand selection and approval processes, site selection and design and the ability to source equity for the capital stack. Mark’s expertise is comprehensive, covering all phases of planning, design and construction across the spectrum of hospitality, including luxury, full-service, boutique, resort and convention center hotels. Working with top brands such as Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and IHG, he has been involved in hundreds of hospitality projects both in the United States and internationally.

Mark is visionary, bringing forward-thinking leadership skills to guide the LEO A DALY Hospitality Team towards aspirational growth working on an ever-increasing list of impressive projects with exceptional clients. Additionally, as an accomplished speaker and presenter immersed in the world of hospitality, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the firm, expanding the hospitality portfolio and services in new and exciting markets. Under Mark’s leadership, the hospitality team is consistently ranked as one of Interior Design Magazine’s Top 100 Hospitality Giants, recently received multiple NEWH TopID Honors, Ranked in the top 25 on Building Design + Construction’s Giants 300, Hotels & Resorts and Ranked in the top 10 for Hotel Business Design’s Top Designers/Architects.

His list of projects is impressive, including recent work on the following: Leading Hotels of the World, Luxury Resort and Spa in Mammee Bay, Jamaica; Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club in Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla; Cap Cove Redevelopment in St Lucia: A luxury Resort in Barbuda Antigua: A Branded Residence Lifestyle Resort in Montego Bay Jamaica: LaQuinta Resort & Golf Club in LaQuinta, California; Ritz Carlton Las Colinas in Las Colinas, Texas; Grand Hyatt Indian Wells in Indian Wells, California; Westin Washington, DC in Washington, D.C. and The Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida.

Todd Tyler

Chief Creative Officer

Studio IDC

Todd Tyler is an accomplished interior designer, furniture designer, and creative leader with over two decades of experience in the industry. He is currently the Chief Creative Officer of Studio IDC, a full-service Miami-based interior design and procurement firm specializing in luxury residential and hospitality projects.

After earning his BFA in Interior Design from The Art Institute, Todd worked with Kenneth Brown Design in Los Angeles, then moved on as a Senior Designer with Jennifer Bradford Davis Interior Design, where he collaborated on a range of high-profile residential projects in NYC and Mustique. Todd also served as a furniture designer for Blue Leaf Hospitality, where he created case goods, indoor and outdoor seating, upholstery, tables, and banquettes for the hospitality and commercial industries. His work has been featured in national design publications and received praise for its beauty, functionality, and attention to detail.

Throughout his career, Todd has been recognized for his professionalism and dedication to the tenets of interior design. He draws inspiration from all forms of art, including fine art, film, fashion, music, and theater, and in his downtime can often be found visiting museums around the world. As a former competitive elite gymnast, Todd learned valuable life lessons such as always putting your whole heart into everything you do, discipline, competitive spirit, and accountability, which continue to serve his colleagues and clients today. He is a proud member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and holds certification from the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ), two of the most respected professional organizations in the industry.

Ken Shook

Moderator

Principal

Ken Shook is a Principal at Trinity with over two decades of consulting experience. Ken is driven to provide excellent acoustical solutions customized to each client’s unique needs. Ken is known for his focus, collaborative approach and ability to manage a wide range of projects—large or small—with uses spanning hospitality, residential, corporate interiors and higher ed. He’s particularly adept at translating municipal requirements for building glazing and facade design, which allows him to streamline the approval process for developers.

Why you should attend South Florida & Caribbean Hotel & Hospitality

Why this Matters:

Florida and the Caribbean have become two of the most dynamic hospitality markets in the world, attracting record-breaking investment, transformative developments, and major brand expansions. As guest expectations evolve and developers look for ways to enhance profitability, hospitality brands must innovate to stay ahead. Hear from top developers, operators, and investors on the next wave of hospitality. Understand where capital is flowing and how deals are being structured. Learn how to integrate branding, wellness, and technology into hospitality development. Discover where the biggest opportunities are, and how to capitalize on them. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the conversation shaping the future of global hospitality.

Key Takeaways:

  • Where Investors Are Betting Big: Which hotel types, markets, and repositioning strategies are attracting fresh capital across South Florida and the Caribbean.
     

  • How Brands Choose Projects: How top hotel companies identify opportunities, partner with developers, and expand their footprints strategically.
     

  • Branded Residences & Mixed Use as a Game-Changer – How developers are using branded residences, retail, or office to underwrite new builds
     

  • South Florida vs. Caribbean Development – Where are the biggest opportunities, and all the segments, and how do location-specific regulations and incentives impact projects?
     

  • The Rise of All-Inclusive Luxury – How curated, upscale experiences are redefining Caribbean hospitality and attracting new capital.
     

  •  The Role of Strategic Partnerships – How brands, developers, and F&B operators are aligning to create high-performing destinations.
     

  • Market Trends & Brand Expansion – Where are brands looking to grow in Florida and the Caribbean, and what segments (ultra-luxury, upscale, midscale) offer the most opportunity?
     

  •  Wellness, Experiential Travel & Exclusive Stays – How high-touch service, boutique footprints, and unique cultural programming are redefining guest expectations.
     

  • Technology & Operational Efficiency – The role of AI, automation, and light-touch operating models in improving margins while maintaining a premium guest experience.
     

  • The Power of F&B & Spa Partnerships – How strategic collaborations with restaurants, wellness brands, and entertainment venues create destination-driven hospitality.

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Venue

Marriott Biscayne Bay
1633 North Bayshore Drive
Miami, FL 33132

Ballroom: Grand Ballroom - 3rd floor


Valet parking $20 and Self-parking $25

Get Directions

Agenda

Time Activity
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
Registration, Networking, & Breakfast
1:00 PM
1:45 PM
Hotel Investment Landscape: Current Dynamics and Emerging Opportunities

The hotel investment market is heating up, with fresh capital flowing into acquisitions, repositionings, and new development across South Florida and the Caribbean. Private equity groups, institutional investors, family offices, and global hotel brands are actively pursuing deals, but what types of properties are they targeting, and where is the smartest money being placed? This panel brings together top investors, developers, and dealmakers to break down the evolving investment landscape: who’s buying, what product types are getting the most attention, and how today’s opportunities are reshaping the future of hospitality development.

1:45 PM
2:15 PM
Networking Break
2:15 PM
3:00 PM
The Power of Hospitality Branding: Strategic Expansion & Development

From new builds and conversions to franchise growth and global acquisitions, today’s top hotel brands are executing bold expansion strategies to stay ahead in a competitive market. In this panel, hear directly from regional leaders at some of the world’s most recognized hospitality brands as they discuss how they identify and evaluate opportunities in key markets, form strategic partnerships, and work with developers, investors, and municipalities to bring projects to life. Learn how brand standards, market positioning, and evolving guest expectations shape development decisions and how aligning the right project with the right brand can unlock long-term success.

3:05 PM
3:50 PM
Beyond the Stay: Redefining Hospitality with Elevated Amenities and Experiences

Today’s hospitality landscape is evolving beyond traditional luxury, it’s about delivering unforgettable experiences that drive demand, loyalty, and long-term brand value. In an increasingly competitive market, experience and identity are just as important as location. From high-tech, low-staff models to hyper-personalized service and food-and-beverage-driven concepts, the industry is undergoing a major shift in how hotels attract and retain guests. Join top hospitality leaders from South Florida and the Caribbean as they share how they’re differentiating their properties through programming, activations, and elevated amenities and what strategies are proving most (and least) successful today.

3:40 PM
4:00 PM
Post Panel Networking

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