Bench Events has acquired south-east Europe’s leading hotel investment conference, Adria Hotel Forum.

The move comes as the company expands its global presence as a trusted organiser of hospitality investment forums and business events.

Having co-founded the globally renowned International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin, Bench Events chairman, Jonathan Worsley, has continued to develop and deliver some of the most impactful hospitality investment and aviation conferences globally.

These include the Africa Hotel Investment Forum, the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference, the Global Restaurant Investment Forum and AviaDev.

Adria Hotel Forum, which was founded in 2013, has encouraged the development of the hotel industry in the south-east Europe region.

The event sees key hotel investment decision makers gather every year to discuss the latest investment trends and projects while exchanging sustainable ideas to foster the development of the industry.

Marina Franolic, chief executive of AHF, said: “With this acquisition, we have proven our excellence in business delivery while harnessing a unique opportunity to grow AHF internationally.

“I have always admired Bench Events, and this is just the beginning of our journey.

“We are now better equipped to deliver the great plans we have for our industry.”

Bench Events have an established record of delivering high-level networking and thought leadership conferences for hospitality investment and aviation in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Worsley commented: “We are delighted to add the Adria Hotel Forum to our portfolio, and I’m thrilled that AHF’s Marina Franolic has joined our rapidly expanding team.

“With her experience, we are adding a whole new dimension to the development of our business across Europe.”