The 4th annual Caribbean Hospitality Investment Conference and Operations Summit (CHICOS) will be held Nov. 13-14, 2014 at the Hard Rock Hotel&Casino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and is co-hosted for the second consecutive year by the Caribbean Hotel&Tourism Association (CHTA), representing over 600 Caribbean hotels, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), representing over 30 Caribbean governments, and HVS, the leading global hospitality consulting firm.

“With HVS’s strength in appealing to the leading investors, developers and brands in the Caribbean and with CHTA and CTO’s ability to gather the region’s governmental and private sector leadership, our partnership for CHICOS is truly the perfect marriage,” explains Mr. Parris E. Jordan, managing director of HVS in the Caribbean and executive director of the CHICOS conference.

“CHICOS has become renowned for pulling together the key industry investors, operators and movers and shakers in the region, and thus has established itself as the official and leading hospitality and tourism investment conference for the Caribbean,” Jordan added.

Since its launch in 2011, CHICOS has brought together international investors and operators as well as leading decision makers. The 2013 edition of CHICOS saw a record number 300-plus top executives from regional and international hotel and real estate groups based in the Caribbean, South America, Europe, China, and the United States. Also attending and speaking are governmental representatives, and international industry and opinion leaders, discussing the region’s markets, developments and opportunities.

CHICOS 2014 will also focus on international investment in the Caribbean, highlighting diverse speakers and panels to encourage new and vibrant discussion and even debate. CHICOS provides an excellent platform for delegates to share views, observations, ideas, and proposed strategies for overcoming challenges in the region.

CHICOS 2014 will feature panels of investors. As the Caribbean market continues to benefit from the recovery, investors are actively seeking opportunities with renewed interest. CHICOS will also welcome panelists from the major banks including CIBC FirstCaribbean Investment Bank, which finance projects throughout the region, to alternative lenders who are seeking new possibilities as the Caribbean’s hotel market performance continues to strengthen year over year.

According to Jeffrey S. Vasser, CHA, Director General and CEO of CHTA, “We are delighted that CHICOS has become the ‘must-attend’ event for everyone in the hospitality industry as well as the investment and development communities.

Adds Karl Bulot, General Manager of the Hard Rock Hotel&Casino Punta Cana, which will serve as the location of the conference, “Here at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Punta Cana, we are proud to be a part of this prestigious industry conference.”