Asia Pacific's Premier Investment Conference Acquired by HICAP

PHUKET, THAILAND, March 25, 2014 (Press-News.org) Since its launch in 2009, AOCAP has quickly become Asia Pacific's premier investment conference for the rapidly expanding vacation ownership industry.

Absolute World Group's Chairman & CEO Bryan Lunt said, "AOCAP was conceptualized in Phuket back in October 2009 in order to plug the gap in the region in terms of a Conference focused solely upon Mixed Use Resort Development and Recreational Real Estate, and to bring together regional players to stimulate dialogue on industry issues and facilitate networking opportunities."

It is the region's most important conference focused on mixed-use resorts and annually delivers an abundance of knowledge, insight, and understanding of the alternative ownership sector of the lodging industry throughout Asia Pacific. The most recent AOCAP was held in October 2013 in Hong Kong and attracted a record number of event sponsors and delegates.

"The region currently offers international Developers business opportunities more significant than any other markets on the planet. AOCAP has rapidly developed through the participation and collaboration with some of the most respected international experts within the industry, as well as carefully considered programming, which has been educational, topical and highly stimulating for our attendees. We are delighted to be passing the event to HICAP who will surely enhance AOCAP's importance within south-east Asia," Lunt added.

As part of the transition, the next AOCAP will be held in March 2015 in Singapore in conjunction with HICAP UPDATE. The dates and exact location of these two back-to-back events will be announced shortly. One of the key architects of recent AOCAP programming, Paul Dean of Dean & Associates, has been retained to work with HICAP to develop the 2015 AOCAP program.

"We are very pleased to be bringing AOCAP into the HICAP family of events," said Jim Burba, president, BHN, and a HICAP partner. "The alternative ownership sector of the lodging industry will be an important part of the growth of our industry in Asia Pacific, and placing this program adjacent to HICAP UPDATE will be extremely beneficial to traditional hotel developers, as well as the broader real estate development community. Alternative ownership business models are typically more complex than traditional hotels, and providing this education will be another important role for AOCAP to play in the growth of this important industry sector," Burba added.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

About Absolute World Group

Founded in 1998, the Absolute World Group has grown strategically to become one of Asia leading Lifestyle Property Developers, Vacation Club and Fractional Ownership pioneers in the Asia-Pacific region. Now owning nine eclectic, award winning resorts across the paradise settings of Phuket, Pattaya and Koh Samui, forming a continuously growing collection of self developed, partner developed and managed boutique hotels and resorts, the Absolute World Group has made big strides and covered a lot of ground in its 15 years.

The Group and its subsidiaries now offers a rapidly expanding collection of mixed use boutique resorts attracting world renowned brands such as Interval International, Jones Lang LaSalle and leading design brands such as Design Hotels and Yoo to enhance their resorts to an unprecedented level, never seen before in the Vacation Ownership world.

Further developing and expanding its global footprint, the Group has offices in Australia, China, Europe, Hong Kong, Russia, Thailand and Indonesia. Though the company is geographically spread, it is united in one common goal: to build exciting and eclectic boutique resorts in developing markets, in partnership with other world-leading brands and to continue to provide the most exciting vacation experiences for their owners and members for many years to come.

www.absoluteworld.com

About HICAP
HICAP, celebrating its 25th year in October 2014, is Asia's largest and longest running hotel investment event. It has become the most important annual gathering of hotel developers, investors, lenders, operators, and other industry executives who meet each year in Hong Kong for deal making, information exchange and trend spotting, and deal making.

In 2009, HICAP expanded with the addition of HICAP UPDATE, which is held each March in Singapore. HICAP UPDATE has developed into Southeast Asia's most important hotel investment conference, and in 2014 is expected to attract nearly 400 delegates.

The HICAP family of events are hosted by BHN, Horwath HTL, and Stiles Capital Events.

About AOCAP
Launched in 2009 by AWG, AOCAP is the premier Asia Pacific conference for alternative ownership for hotels and resorts. It is an un-missable event, which year on year delivers an abundance of knowledge, insight and understanding of the alternative ownership industry throughout Asia Pacific.

About BHN
With almost three decades of experience, nearly 120 events completed to-date, and over 80,000 international delegates, BHN conferences have become "must attend" events for industry leaders who come together to network, conduct business and to learn about the latest trends. BHN events include: the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles; the ALIS Summer Update; the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami; the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong Kong; HICAP UPDATE in Singapore; the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Gurgaon Delhi N.C.R.; the Hotel Opportunities Latin America (HOLA) conference in Miami; and the Hotel Investment Conference Europe (Hot.E) in London. The BHN website at www.Burba.com is the gateway for information about the conferences BHN produces, as well as a direct link to important players in the hospitality investment world.

About Horwath HTL
Horwath HTL is the world's largest hotel industry specialized consulting organization, currently with 50 offices in 39 countries. Since the set-up of Asia Pacific operations in 1987, Horwath HTL - Asia Pacific has been involved with over 3,000 projects throughout the region in all phases of the property lifecycle for clients ranging from individually owned businesses to the world's most prominent hotel companies, developers, lenders, investors, and industrial corporations. Horwath HTL currently operates out of regional offices in Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Sydney, and Auckland.

About Stiles Capital Events LLC (SCE)
Stiles Capital Events LLC (SCE) - Event management, communications and marketing in the publishing, entertainment and hospitality industries since 1990. SCE has been associated with the development and organization of the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) since its inception and the subsequent launch of HICAP UPDATE in 2009. SCE is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.