Big investors flock to FIHA for networking and deal-making

Friday, January 25, 2019

Leading investors will attend Forum de l’Investissement Hôtelier Africain (FIHA) in Marrakech in February. The forum is the ninth edition of Africa’s leading hospitality investment conference, AHIF. It provides a platform for networking and creating new synergies.

The FIHA business event, is organised by Bench Events, and connects the North and West African countries – to develop their economies and support hospitality investment, including tourism projects, infrastructure, entertainment and hotel expansion across the region. The forum’s agenda offers unrivalled networking opportunities across two days, February 7-8. Business leaders will mingle with government ministers and officials. Simultaneous translation in French and English will be available.

Some of the speakers taking part in a panel discussion moderated by Nawfal Bendefa, Managing Partner, REIM Partners are Serge Yanic Nana, President & CEO, FINANCIA Capital, Leila F. Mokaddem, Country Manager, Morocco, The African Development Bank, and Jonathan Kouassi, relationship manager, Societe Generale, Cote d’Ivoire, will be among the speakers That’s backed up by an investors’ panel with leading figures like Olivier Granet, Chief Executive Officer, Kasada Capital Management, Othmane Jabri, VP M&A and Development, Kingdom Hotel Investments, M’hammed El Merini, General Director, Eagle Hills Morocco, Adil Rzal, Managing Director, Upline Alternative Investments & CEO, ALHIF and Belinda Wong-Vacher, Chief Investment & Corporate Advisory Officer, Grit Real Estate Income Group.

The real demands of financiers such as what are they looking for, what are their lending terms and what does it take for them to back a project will be discussed in the forum.

On the final day, there is the Regional Leaders panel featuring Olivier Jacquin, CEO, Mangalis Hotel Group, Sami Nasser, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East & Africa, AccorHotels and Alain Sebah, CEO, Golden Tulip Afrique Francophone & East Africa.

The second day will be marked with one-on-one interviews with high-profile business leaders. One of them is Pierre-Frédéric Roulot, CEO, Jin Jiang Europe & CEO, Louvre Hotels Group. An interview with the leading entrepreneur and visionary, Samih Sawiris, Chairman, Orascom Development Holding, will bring the event to a close.

Mossadeck Bally, Founder and CEO, Azalai Hotels Group, will reveal on day one, how he pioneered the independent African hotel brand and created a flagship chain in West Africa, providing employment to over 900 people with a major impact on local economies.

Leading operators, will discuss their experiences – opportunities and challenges – while expanding their hospitality portfolios in the region.

Philippe Doizelet, Managing Partner, Horwath HTL will be in conversation with Karim Cheltout, Regional Vice President – Development, Africa, Marriott International; Réda Faceh, VP Development Northern & Western Africa, AccorHotels; Feras Hasbini, Development Director, MENA Hilton, and Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Development, Middle East, Turkey & French Speaking Africa, Radisson Hotel Group.

Other Round Tables include a choice of regional discussions, focussing on the nuances of doing business either in West and Central Africa or in North Africa, and a choice of market segments focussing either on business or on leisure.

Matthew Weihs, MD, Bench Events, said: “There’s increasing investor appetite for these markets and FIHA will lead the debate, help bring projects to the market and aid local owners and investors to decide on new partnerships, joint ventures and deals.

“FIHA is the only top-calibre, francophone investment forum for Africa’s hospitality sector, at which delegates can be confident to gain genuine insight from the leaders of the industry, to participate in relevant, high-level networking activities and to lay the foundations for promising future business relationships.”

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