A high-level look at the hospitality investment climate, transaction activity, financing conditions, and development outlook heading into 2027.

An overview of current transaction activity, investor appetite, and the sectors driving hospitality deal flow, including conversions, adaptive reuse, branded residences, and distressed opportunities.

Key considerations in hotel acquisitions from LOI through diligence and closing, including negotiation strategy, deal terms, risk allocation, and operational transition planning.

How hospitality projects are being financed today, lender expectations, recapitalization strategies, and emerging financing structures in a higher-cost capital environment.

Common deal risks that can derail transactions, including diligence failures, management disputes, franchise issues, labor liabilities, and regulatory exposure.

This presentation delivers a fun, interactive ethics course and best practices to keep your hospitality establishment out of Jeopardy! Modeled after the game show itself, get ready for friendly competition and excellent education and learning opportunities.

Hotels face an evolving landscape of legal claims arising from guest interactions, property operations, and third-party relationships. This session examines recent litigation trends through the lens of three key areas of risk: knowing your guests, knowing your products and property, and knowing your employees and vendors. Through practical case studies and real-world examples, attendees will gain insight into emerging liability issues, recent court decisions, and proactive strategies to reduce legal exposure while strengthening operational practices.

AI tools like Chat GPT are helping employees submit well drafted and legal sounding harassment complaints, requests for accommodations and raising other employee relations concerns. This is all despite their lack of legal knowledge and without regard to the actual facts of the situation. This session will provide an overview of 2026 employment law challenges and how to handle the ChatGPT “complainer.”

Hospitality employers are increasingly navigating accommodation requests that extend beyond the Americans with Disabilities Act. This session explores employers' obligations under Title I of the ADA, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and federal protections for religious accommodations. Through practical examples and recent legal developments, attendees will learn how these laws intersect, how to evaluate accommodation requests, and how to develop consistent, legally compliant practices that reduce risk while supporting employees.

Social media, influencer partnerships, user-generated content, loyalty programs, and digital promotions have become essential marketing tools for hospitality businesses—but they also create significant regulatory risks. This session explores how federal and state alcohol advertising laws intersect with FTC endorsement rules, platform policies, sweepstakes regulations, and age-gating requirements. Attendees will learn practical strategies for promoting alcoholic beverages while minimizing compliance risks.

Presenting the 2026 Thomas G. Davis Loss Prevention Lifetime Achievement Award

AI is already inside the building. Staff use it for guest messaging, scheduling, and content, mostly without a policy and almost always without legal review. This session gives risk and legal leaders a working framework for governing that use, from data handling to vendor terms to the small daily habits most likely to trigger a claim. Attendees leave with a checklist they can put to work the same week.