KEY TOPIC AT SEVENTH ANNUAL CHICOS CONFERENCE IN BERMUDA 9TH & 10TH NOVEMBER 2017

In the seventh annual CHICOS conference almost 300 attendees listened, debated and networked on the current state of the tourist industry in the Caribbean. The potential impact of the recent hurricanes on the industry was obviously a hot topic but the resilience of our region in dealing with disasters proved again the Caribbean is definitely “Open for Business”, and the mood was upbeat with the upcoming opening of several major resorts and announcement of others at planning stage, and whilst financing remains a challenge innovative capital stacks are being developed to overcome the limited financing from the legacy banks in the region. Conference attendees included individuals with a range of backgrounds including; architects, hotel owners and executives, lenders, developers and investors.

Caribbean veteran Bould Consulting Limited was represented by Chairman Martyn Bould. Martyn moderated a panel of experts debating “Caribbean Investment Opportunities ” exploring key questions with a diverse panel of both operators and developers, covering such topics as which projects are most appealing and why; which islands; whether luxury, full service, limited service; boutique; all inclusive; mixed use – What size? Better to acquire and reposition or build ground up? What is best financing source? Importance of concessions, airlift, staffing, infrastructure, feeder markets, amenities, brands, distribution and loyalty programmes, Key takeaways from regional successes and failures were discussed as well as the outlook for these investments in our region. The key conclusions reached were key to the success is the ability to acknowledge each of our 32 island nations as the very different opportunities they represent, that select service appears to offer some great market gaps of opportunity and the employment of seasoned experienced professional advisors with extensive regional knowledge is essential-particularly BCL!!!

CHICOS 2017 was a huge success and each year gets better. It covered topics such as the above and a Welcome and Global and Regional Overview, Hospitality Leaders Outlook, Financiers Outlook, How to Attract Capital to Your Project, Regional Hotel Design, Brokers Panel and where to find the Debt you need.