HOTEC to address buyer/supplier relationships

HOTEC Middle East, which will be held at Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort in Muscat from May 7-10, will address challenges between buyer and supplier relationships in order to improve and build on these partnerships.

The event, which is organised by McLean Events International, is a forum for the hotel industry that will bring buyers and suppliers together in a series of one-to-one meetings over two days.

McLean Events International CEO Noor Kassam said: “McLean Events International launched the concept of the one-to-one forums 13 years ago to provide a new and innovative platform for buyers and suppliers to meet and discuss business opportunities in a more effective and focused way through a specialised programme of one-to-one meetings.

“These events now attract the leading and most powerful players within their industries to talk business, network, exchange ideas and build long lasting relationships in five-star hotels away from everyday work.”

To help guide delegates — which will comprise 100 suppliers and 65 buyers — HOTEC will open with a panel session designed to ‘dissect and reconstruct’ the buyer / supplier relationship.

Kassam said: “The panel discussion at this year’s HOTEC Middle East is ‘Challenging the Relationships between Buyers and Suppliers’, with a view to discover ways to improve, build and reward. With Rachel Leane from Starwood Hotels participating alongside Giribabu Koteeswaran from Jebel Ali International Hotels, their views differ between unconventional and traditional, so the discussion should be interesting.

“We also have Michel Landi from Deltabuy bringing in the purchasing company perspective and Daniel Moncunill from LEDS-C4 with the supplier opinion.”

He added that of the 165 delegates, 40% would be new to the 2010 event.

“Among the many new suppliers are: Dedon from Spain; Groupe GM from France; Desert River from Dubai; Siro Wood from Egypt; and Luzerne Ltd from UK,” said Kassam.

“New buyers include: Mohamed Ahmed from Ritz-Carlton Hotels; Steven Jones from Fairmont Raffles Hotels & Resorts; Rachel Leane from Starwood Hotels & Resorts; Bruce Beardwood from Hilton Worldwide; and Mohammad Tarazi from Movenpick Hotels.”

HOTEC Middle East will be held at Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort, Muscat, Oman from May 7-10, 2010. Visit: www.mcleaneventsinternational.com