Keynote Address

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  Daniel Lesser

  Daniel H. Lesser brings more than 30 years of expertise in a wide range of hospitality operational, investment counseling, valuation, advisory, and transactional services. He provides services to corporate, institutional, and individual clients as well as public agencies on all facets of hospitality real estate including: litigation support and expert testimony, site evaluation, highest and best use analysis, appraisals for mortgage, acquisition, and portfolio management, workout strategies, operational analysis, property tax assessment appeal evaluations, economic impact studies, deal structuring, and fairness opinions. Mr. Lesser is a leading authority on hotel feasibility and valuation, and is highly sought after to speak at lodging and real estate events, as well as lectures at prestigious institutions of higher education, including Cornell University, Columbia University and New York University. He is widely published and quoted, and serves as a quarterly columnist for HotelNewsNow.com and GlobeSt.com. Most recently, Mr. Lesser created and served as the Senior Managing Director - Industry Leader of the Hospitality & Gaming Valuation Advisory Services Group at CB Richard Ellis Hotels (CBRE). Prior to joining CBRE, Mr. Lesser founded and led the Hospitality & Gaming Group at Cushman & Wakefield and was a founding member of the team at HVS International. Mr. Lesser has also held operational and administrative positions with Hilton Hotels Corporation and Eurotels - Switzerland. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University, and also attended the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland and Baruch College - City University of New York. Mr. Lesser holds the following professional designations: MAI (Member of the Appraisal Institute), FRICS (Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), CRE (Counselor of Real Estate), and CHA (Certified Hotel Administrator). Mr. Lesser is a member of and has served on numerous committees for the Counselors of Real Estate, the Appraisal Institute, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and the Board of Directors of the New York City Chapter of the Cornell Hotel Society. He is a former Advisory Board member and member of the Fundraising Subcommittee for the New York University Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management. Mr. Lesser is a founding member of the Lodging Industry Investment Council (LIIC), the hotel industry “think tank.” Furthermore, Mr. Lesser served as an Honorary Committee Member of the annual UJA - Federation New York Hotel & Hospitality Division Dinner, and is a member of the AIPAC Real Estate Division.

  LW Hospitality Advisors

  Co-Founder, President & CEO

  Keynote

  Daniel Lesser

  Co-Founder, President & CEO

  LW Hospitality Advisors

Developing and Designing Hotels for the Next Generation

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  Christian Glauser Benz

  Christian Glauser Benz is the Managing Partner of Swiss based Leman Holdings, a boutique real estate investment and advisory platform with offices in Switzerland and the US. The group recently announced expansion plans for North America with a new $1.5 billion investment in luxury hospitality and mixed-use projects across the US, Mexico and the Caribbean. www.lemanholdings.com

  Leman Holdings

  Managing Partner

  Dream South Beach, Dream Downtown

  Christian Glauser Benz

  Managing Partner

  Leman Holdings

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  Sandra Cardona

  Born in New York City, Sandra Cardona’s passion for architecture and the urban landscape began at a young age. Her career has spanned over 20 years, across a broad range of disciplines from architecture, interior design and art into commercial real estate with a focus on hospitality design and project management. Since 2011, Ms. Cardona has led Hersha Hospitality Management’s Development and Capital Planning team in overseeing development, construction and complex renovation projects. Projects have varied from multiple, ground-up, high-rise branded hotels in NYC to complex multi-phase projects such as the 93-room tower addition at the Courtyard Miami Beach Oceanfront which most recently underwent a full redesign conversion to the Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club, an Autograph Collection, and winning recipient of the 2019 Miami HD Design and People’s Choice Best Overall Hotel awards. Prior, Ms. Cardona has held positions as architect and designer at Gene Kaufman Architect, Richardson Sadeki Design Group and Datumzero Design Office. She received a Bachelor of Architecture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY and began her training at the prestigious William B. Tabler architectural firm where she played a critical role in numerous landmark and ground-up NYC projects. In 2018 and 2019 Sandra was honored by Bisnow as one of South Florida’s Power Women in Commercial Real Estate.

  Hersha Hospitality Trust

  VP, Development & Capital Planning

  Cadillac Hotel and Beach Club, Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove

  Sandra Cardona

  VP, Development & Capital Planning

  Hersha Hospitality Trust

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  Collin Ross

  Collin is a Partner and SVP of Acquisitions for NGD Homesharing, as well as for Newgard Development Group. Over the last 24 months, he closed on approximately $450M representing over 3,000 class A institutional apartment units. Collin is presently focused on a $1B development pipeline of mid-rise and high-rise luxury rental product in major metro's across the country. Prior to NGD Homesharing, Collin’s career in the multifamily real estate sector began over 10 years ago, focusing on acquisitions, dispositions, and asset management. Aside from NGD Homesharing, Collin is the Vice President for Encore Capital Management. Prior to joining NGD Homesharing, he worked as a Portfolio Manager at Trade Street Capital and as a Director of Acquisitions at Trade Street Residential. Collin got his Bachelor of Science in Finance at University of Florida and hist MBA in Finance & Management at University of Miami. He currently resides in Miami, FL.

  Newgard Development Group

  SVP and Partner

  Collin Ross

  SVP and Partner

  Newgard Development Group

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  Jon Cardello

  Partner

  CUBE 3

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  Amy Jennings

  As the Director of Business Development for Craft Construction, Amy Jennings is promoting the General Contracting Services and representing the Craft Brand through strategic marketing, social media and client relationships. As a member of several local Associations and development boards, she is the at the front line of developing new clients and driving the company’s ambitious growth. Experience Summary 20 years of working in and around the Real Estate Development, Facilities industry and with over $200M in General Contracting ranging from Class A interiors to Commercial Office Building to Hospitality. Actively working in Business Development and Marketing since 2008 because of both her industry knowledge and connections as a member in local and nation construction and real estate associations such as CREW and The Business Development Board of Palm Beach. Education The Ohio State University, BA Communications

  Craft Construction

  Director of Business Development

  Moderator

  Amy Jennings

  Director of Business Development

  Craft Construction

How the Brand is Shaping the Hospitality Industry

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  Jared Galbut

  Hailing from a long lineage of hospitality and real estate professionals, Jared Galbut brings a wealth of industry expertise to his position as co-founder and managing principal of Menin Hospitality. Galbut has a deep understanding for hospitality development with two decades of experience in organizational and operational management. Growing up in Miami Beach, Galbut was already well immersed in the industry by his teen years when he worked for his notable uncle, Russell Galbut of Crescent Heights -- one of the nation’s largest developers of high-rise, multifamily housing and hotels. After many years of working closely alongside some of the best in the marketplace, he discovered his passion and decided to claim the world of hospitality a career of his own. After gaining a deep understanding of the industry, Galbut acquired the Raffaello Chicago and relocated to Illinois to develop the hotel. While maintaining success of this new venture – a hotel that is still part of Menin Hospitality’s portfolio – Galbut sought out further opportunities to take him home to Miami Beach and founded Menin Hospitality with another emerging hotelier, his cousin Keith Menin. Menin Hospitality consists of a fast-growing, eclectic portfolio of brands spanning throughout South Florida and Chicago. Offering upscale lodging, lifestyle restaurants and nightlife venues, Menin Hospitality currently owns, manages and/or operates the Mondrian South Beach; Shelborne South Beach; Gale South Beach; Raffaello Chicago; Drumbar Chicago; Bodega Taqueria y Tequila; and Pizza Bar South Beach. Presently, Galbut oversees operations for each property and venue within the Menin Hospitality portfolio. Galbut received his Bachelor’s in Accounting and Finance from the University of Miami. He resides on Miami Beach with his wife Stacey and their two children.

  Menin Hospitality

  Co-Founder & Managing Principal

  Mondrian Hotel, Shelborne South Beach, Bodega, Gale South Beach/Fort Lauderdale

  Jared Galbut

  Co-Founder & Managing Principal

  Menin Hospitality

• Amara at Paraiso, Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, Harry's Pizzeria

  Michael Schwartz

  Founder

  The Genuine Hospitality Group

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  Joseph DeMatteo

  For almost three decades, Joseph W. DeMatteo has been an industry expert in the field of hospitality and real estate investment. Joseph’s passion for the hospitality industry, as well as his unique experience adds a touch to the properties he works with. These abilities continue to enable him to identify hotel opportunities and to find value where others have looked passed it. To bring those visions to life he founded JDM Capital and has led the firm’s growth into a multidimensional, fully integrated real estate and hotel organization. His passion and commitment to detail can be seen everywhere from the hotel’s design decisions, operational excellence and financial management of the underlying operating business.

  JDM Capital

  Founder

  Beachwalk, Elite Hotels & Resorts

  Joseph DeMatteo

  Founder

  JDM Capital

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  Diana Farmer-Gonzalez

  Diana Farmer-Gonzalez is the Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s Miami office. She has over 30 years of professional experience in a wide range of interior design and architecture projects throughout South Florida as well as Latin America and the Middle East. Diana's experience ranges from leading clients and creating project teams from project inception through project completion for both high design and specialized technical spaces for architecture and interior projects. Ms. Farmer-Gonzalez has expertise design projects ranging from hospitality, multi-family residential, retail, commercial office buildings, workplace and branded environments to aviation interiors and higher education projects. Ms. Farmer-Gonzalez is a frequent lecturer, and her work has been featured in several industry publications. Passionate about mentoring young designers and design education, Diana is sought out to be a guest lecturer and student mentor at Florida International University’s College of Communications, Architecture + The Arts, where she also serves on the Deans Leadership Advisory Board, the Interior Architecture school’s advisory board and was a FIU Torch Award recipient for outstanding contributions to the profession of design and architecture. Diana is an active member of the International Interior Design Association, serving currently as a Board Member for the International Chapter, is a long-standing Associate member of the America Institute of Architects and was named “Interior Designer of the Year” by the AIA’s Miami Chapter. Diana earned a B.S. in Interior Design from Florida International University and studied Architecture at the University of Colorado School of Design and Planning.

  Gensler

  Principal & Co-Managing Director

  Diana Farmer-Gonzalez

  Principal & Co-Managing Director

  Gensler

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  Jeff Hardin

  Over the past 29 years, as co-founder and CEO of Straticon, Jeff along with his co-founder in business and life, Chris Hardin, have grown their once-regional painting firm into what is today, one South Florida’s leading general contracting firms. Known for their general contractor and construction management services, Straticon has completed over 200 construction projects worth over $2 Billion dollars in markets including hospitality, multi-family, condominium, marina, retail, and mixed-use…just to name a few. Recent projects include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Residences in Boca Raton, Las Olas Marina in Fort Lauderdale, Walkers Cay in the Bahamas, Hotel Maren, Sonesta and Gale Boutique Hotels in Fort Lauderdale.

  Straticon Construction

  Owner and CEO

  Jeff Hardin

  Owner and CEO

  Straticon Construction

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  Joe Ferst

  Joe Ferst is the Executive Vice President and General Manager of Hotwire Communications' Central Florida region, where he leads all regional operations and spearheads strategic growth initiatives. With over a decade of telecom sales leadership, Joe has played a pivotal role in expanding Hotwire’s footprint across Florida, including high-profile municipal and enterprise partnerships. His market development strategy combines innovative technology deployment with strong community and commercial engagement, driving Hotwire’s reputation as a leader in fiber-optic services.

  Hotwire

  EVP and GM of Central Florida

  Moderator

  Joe Ferst

  EVP and GM of Central Florida

  Hotwire

Financing and Investing in Hospitality

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  Carlos Rodriguez

  Carlos J. Rodriguez, as Executive Vice President of Driftwood Hospitality Management, LLC. has successfully built on his 30+ years of experience in finance, real estate and the lodging industry. When his Wall Street investment-banking career was cut short due to a death in his family, Rodriguez moved to his native Costa Rica to head up the Aurola Hotels group (1986 – 1996). Between 1991 and 1995 Rodriguez also served the Costa Rican government as Vice Chairman of the country’s pension, hospitals and social security system and represented his country as its Director of the Central American Bank of Economic Integration (1990-1991). In 1996, Rodriguez relocated to Miami, FL with his family to form Cardel Hotels, a development company, and Cardel Hospitality Group, specializing in hotel management. After opening several successful hotels in the area as well as developing a bank and two restaurant parcels, the Miami Doral-Airport West Chamber of Commerce named Rodriguez its “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2000. In 2003, he merged the Cardel Group with Driftwood Hospitality Management where, as Executive Vice President he oversaw lodging real estate development and acquisitions. With his Driftwood Hospitality partners, he co-founded the group of DVI Cardel Investment Funds in 2006, specializing in hotel properties. His hotels have won numerous awards and accolades across all of the major hospitality franchises. In 2007, Rodriguez teamed up with developer Stephen Blumenthal to form RodBlu Investment Fund to invest in a wider variety of real estate sectors. In 2015, he and his son Carlos Jr. developed the blueprint for Driftwood Acquisitions and Development, designed to combine the best attributes of private equity funds, REITS and high-net worth family offices as a vehicle for highly profitable U.S. hotel investments. Since 2015 DAD has acquired 12 hotels and has several others in various stages of development. Rodriguez holds a degree in Finance from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

  Driftwood Acquisitions & Development

  COO

  Canopy by Hilton West Palm Beach, Home 2/Tru by Hilton

  Carlos Rodriguez

  COO

  Driftwood Acquisitions & Development

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  Robert Finvarb

  Robert Finvarb is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1993. Following his graduation from law school, he practiced law at Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. in Miami. In 2003, he founded Robert Finvarb Companies (RFC) and currently serves as its CEO. Under Robert’s leadership, RFC has become an industry leader in developing, owning and operating mixed-use hotel projects throughout the United States. RFC has developed projects in excess of $1bn of market value, containing more than 3,000 hotel rooms and over 200,000 square feet of retail space throughout the U.S. and the company’s projects have been recognized for excellence by several organizations and municipalities, including, the American Lodging Investment Summit (best hotel project in 2017), Marriott International (Outstanding Contribution), the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) and the City of Miami Beach. Robert is a Founder of Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach, a Diamond Society Member of the Miami Children’s Hospital and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Miami Country Day Sc

  Robert Finvarb Companies

  President

  AC Hotel by Marriott, Element by Westin

  Robert Finvarb

  President

  Robert Finvarb Companies

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  Carmine Zayoun

  Carmine Zayoun is the Vice President of Heafey Group’s Miami office, and he has been a partner on all new U.S. investments since 2013. Mr. Zayoun has a broad spectrum of responsibilities, which include management of the firm’s American assets, evaluation of all acquisition and disposition opportunities, coordination of strategic partnerships for the firm, and supervision of the day-to-day operations of the Miami office. In 2012, Mr. Zayoun joined the Heafey Group as an asset manager in Canada, where he spearheaded the successful turnaround and sale of a winery near Niagara Falls. An engineer by training, Mr. Zayoun orchestrated the implementation of a number of new corporate policies that effectively augmented corporate efficiency, including an overhaul of the company’s IT protocols and a number of tactical personnel decisions to increase the firm’s in-house capabilities. Mr. Zayoun relocated to Miami with an eye to grow the company’s South Florida presence and to take advantage of the incredible real estate opportunities that were presented to the firm on a regular basis. Since 2013, Mr. Zayoun has overseen the purchase and sale of over $400 million in real estate assets throughout the State of Florida, including the acquisition of the stunning Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, the purchase and development of several high performing multifamily communities in Orlando and Jacksonville, and the long-term ground lease of the historic Miami Women’s Club. After first commencing undergraduate studies at the University of Ottawa in biopharmaceutical sciences, Mr. Zayoun pursued his B.Sc.A. in civil engineering, which he completed in 2010. Upon realizing his profound interest in the business world, and particularly in the real estate sphere, Mr. Zayoun matriculated into the Executive MBA program at the University of Ottawa, where he graduated with honors in May 2013.

  Heafey Group

  Vice President

  Conrad Fort Lauderdale

  Carmine Zayoun

  Vice President

  Heafey Group

• Moderator

  Christian Charre

  CBRE