The mayor of Moscow, Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov, is to receive the first-ever Leadership Award at the forthcoming Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference.The RHIC Advisory Board selects an individual who through their leadership has impacted the direction of the hotel industry. The award will be presented to Luzhkov on 21 October 2008 in front of hundreds of international hotel and investment professionals attending RHIC to explore investment opportunities in Russia and the CIS.

Marius Gomola, Horwath HTL Hungary & Russia and RHIC Advisory Board, said: “Taking a strategic perspective, we believe that Mayor Luzhkov’s recognition of the severe shortage of quality hotel accommodation in Moscow was an impediment to not only the growth of the tourism industry, but the economy as a whole. His action on starting to bridge the gap with legislative tools has been the single greatest contribution to facilitating hotel investment. This has led to developers’ and lenders’ recognition of hotels as vehicles for creating shareholder value in the fast-changing real estate sector in Moscow, Russia and the CIS region.”

Mr. Luzhkov was elected the Moscow City Mayor in June 1996 and in December 1999. He was then re-elected in 2003. Mr.Luzhkov is an author of more than 200 printed publications as well as books on social and economical development of Russia. He has also over 50 patents for inventions. Luzhkov is also Honorary Professor of Russian Academy of Sciences, of Moscow State University, of Academy of Labor and Social Relations, of other Russian and foreign universities as well as an academician in several Russian academies. Luzhkov was born in Moscow in 1936. He is married to Elena Baturina, founder of Inteko, and has four children.

The Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference (RHIC) programme is led by a powerful line-up of more than 60 speakers including HRH Prince Michael of Kent, who is Conference Patron. To access a full list of participating speakers and review the conference programme in detail, please visit: www.russia-cisconference.com/programme.

The Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference will run from 21-22 October 2008 at the Ritz-Carlton, Moscow, and is jointly organised by Bench Events and Questex Media Group, Inc.
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