The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is hosting two premier events—the Lodging Industry Summit and the Legislative Action Summit, on May 17-18, 2005, at the Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, in Washington, D.C. Both Summits promise to be engaging, informative, and provide lively discussions of the major issues facing the hotel industry today.

The Lodging Industry Summit, a half-day event launched last May, brings together leading lodging business analysts who provide a wealth of cutting-edge data unavailable anywhere else. The Summit boasts presenters that are recognized leaders in their disciplines who will offer their collective perspectives and forecasts for the U.S. travel and hotel industries. Moderator—Peter C. Krause, Greenhill & Co.; Consumer behavior—D.K. Shifflet, president and CEO, D.K. Shifflet and Associates; Consumer Trends—Peter Yesawich, managing partner, Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell; Economic Overview—Bjorn Hanson, group industry leader, hospitality and leisure practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd.; Operating Performance—Mark Lomanno, president, Smith Travel Research; and Development Trends—Pat Ford, president, Lodging Econometrics.

Hundreds of hoteliers from across the country will then converge at the Legislative Action Summit to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill as they learn about, and have an impact upon, public policy. The two-day Summit features discussions on government regulations and legislative proposals, presentations by prominent government officials and Washington policy experts, and personal meetings with Members of Congress and their staffs. Attendees will hear from Senator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), who is running for his fourth term in the U.S. Senate and has served as Co-Chair of the Senate Tourism Caucus, Representative Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), considered by many to be one of Congress' rising stars and a likely Senate candidate in 2006, and Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), elected in 2004 after defeating then Senate Democratic Minority Leader, Tom Daschle, in one of the hardest-fought races in recent memory. Hoteliers also will hear from respected television journalist Chris Wallace, host of Fox News Sunday and author of Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage.

“Both Summits will provide attendees with invaluable information. The Lodging Industry Summit will provide hoteliers with key sector information to help plan strategies, get a comprehensive look at industry trends, and learn about current industry performance,” said AH&LA President and CEO Joseph A. McInerney, CHA. “And, year after year, the Legislative Action Summit holds up its reputation as the nation's largest and most prominent legislative conference for lodging industry leaders who want to learn about and have an impact upon public policy decisions that are critical to the future of our industry.”

To register for the Lodging Industry Summit and the Legislative Action summit, contact AH&LA's conventions and events department at (202) 289-3171 or conventions@ahla.com, or visit AH&LA's Website at www.ahla.com. AH&LA members can register for both conferences for the discounted price of $275 (a savings of $75).