Washington, DC – October 25, 2024 – Historic Hotels of America® and Historic Hotels Worldwide® are pleased to announce the speakers for the upcoming 2024 Historic Hotels Annual Conference, to be held at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia, November 19-22.
The Historic Hotels of America® and Historic Hotels Worldwide® Annual Conference is the only global educational conference for owners, general managers, asset managers, and other senior leaders and decision makers of historic hotels. The Historic Hotels Annual Conference welcomes owners of historic hotels, hoteliers working at member hotels of Historic Hotels of America® and Historic Hotels Worldwide®, as well as hoteliers working at non-member historic hotels.
Attendees will hear new insights, inspiration, strategies, and tactics from speakers including:
Rosie Rios: Chair of America250, Former U.S. Treasurer, and Chief Executive Officer of Red River Associates. She was appointed by President Joe Biden as Chair of America 250, the United States Congressional Commission planning the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding in 2026.
Philip Anschutz: Chairman of the Board at The Anschutz Foundation and Founder of the Anschutz Corporation in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Anschutz will be recognized during the conference for his commitment to historic preservation and his exemplary record of long-term stewardship of The Broadmoor, The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and Sea Island.
Mark Bowe: Entrepreneur, on-camera host, TV producer, and historic preservationist. In 1996, Mark created his business, Barnwood Living, where he and his crew preserve pioneer-era structures and give them new life.
Rita McClenny: President and Chief Executive Officer of the Virginia Tourism Corporation, a state agency charged with marketing the Commonwealth as a premier travel destination and film location.
Andreas Augustin: President and founder of The Most Famous Hotels in the World, established in 1986 to preserve the histories of the great hotels like Raffles Singapore and The Savoy London. Mr. Augustin and his wife, Carola Augustin, will be recognized during the conference for their research of over 450 hotels, representing nearly 100 countries.
Kevin Carey: Interim President and Chief Executive Officer at the American Hotel and Lodging Association, a hospitality trade association supporting the hotel industry including major chains, independent hotels, management companies, REITs, bed and breakfasts, industry partners, and more.
Hannah Smith: Senior Analyst on the Product Analytics and Insights team of STR (STR, Inc.). STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics, and marketplace insights.
Elizabeth Dixon: A business leader and serial entrepreneur, specializing in best practices for innovation, leadership, and personal development. Author of The Power of Customer Experience and The Strength of Purpose.
Carol Everhart Quillen: President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and formerly the 18th president of Davidson College (2011-2022).
Carly Fiorina: Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and National Honorary Chair of the Virginia 250 Commission. A former candidate for President of the United States, Ms. Fiorina was the first woman to lead a Fortune 50 company during her successful tenure as Chair and Chief Executive Officer at Hewlett-Package.
In addition to these addresses, the conference will feature educational breakout sessions and presentations by over 23 leading subject matter experts in the hospitality, tourism, public relations, and public history sectors. Attendees will join subject matter experts leading educational academies about topics ranging from ecommerce, marketing, food & beverage trends, public relations, recruiting and hiring, and new ways to reach travelers that seek the experiences offered by historic hotels. This conference is also an opportunity to hear the STR-Historic Hotels of America Forecast for 2025-2027. Learn more about the agenda.
“The Historic Hotels Annual Conference offers owners, asset managers, general managers, senior leaders, and other decision makers a unique opportunity to learn about the latest trends, opportunities, and changes happening within historic hotels and resorts across the USA and around the world,” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Vice President, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “The takeaways from the Keynote and Guest Speakers and subject matter experts are immense for all departments from culinary, digital marketing, PR, and operations. This is the only industry conference focused on leveraging the histories, enhancing the guest experience, and capturing an increasing share of the rapidly growing heritage and cultural leisure travel market. The ideas exchanged and the new connections made with other owners and leaders of the most iconic and legendary historic hotels, many representing more than 32 brands, chains, and collections, are invaluable.”
To close the 2024 Historic Hotels Annual Conference will be the 2024 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala, held on Thursday evening, November 21. Each year, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide recognize and celebrate the finest historic hotels from around the world by presenting awards in various categories ranging from Best Historic Resort, Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers of the Year, New Member of the Year, and many others. Tickets for the 2024 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala are available for those who cannot attend the full conference.
The host of this year’s Historic Hotels Annual Conference, The Omni Homestead Resort, is iconic. Located in the scenic Allegheny Mountains, it has been welcoming guests for more than 250 years. Today, the legendary resort and National Historic Landmark continues to provide unparalleled hospitality and Southern charm in a 2,300-acre setting distinguished by natural hot springs and a splendid four-season climate. The resort is famous for its historic Warm Springs Pools and its championship fairways, and TIME Magazine recently included The Omni Homestead Resort on its list of the “World’s Greatest Places 2024.” Attendees at the 2024 Historic Hotels Annual Conference will experience the grandeur and hospitality of “America’s First Resort” for themselves.
Register here for the 2024 Historic Hotels Annual Conference and 2024 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala, held November 19-22.
About Historic Hotels of America®
Historic Hotels of America® is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels across the United States of America. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was chartered by U.S. Congress in 1949 and is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is leading the movement to save the places where our history happened. To be nominated and selected for membership in this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historical significance. Of the more than 300 historic hotels inducted into Historic Hotels of America from 44 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, all historic hotels faithfully preserve their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity. For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org
About Historic Hotels Worldwide®
Historic Hotels Worldwide®, an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (in the USA), is a prestigious and distinctive collection of historic treasures, including luxury historic hotels built in former castles, chateaus, palaces, academies, haciendas, villas, monasteries, and other historic lodging spanning ten centuries. Historic Hotels Worldwide represents the finest and most distinctive global collection of more than 320 historic hotels in forty-nine countries. Hotels inducted into Historic Hotels Worldwide are authentic historic treasures, demonstrate historic preservation, and celebrate historic significance. Eligibility for induction into Historic Hotels Worldwide is limited to those distinctive historic hotels that adhere to the following criteria: minimum age for the building is 75 years or older; historically relevant as a significant location within a historic district, historically significant landmark, place of a historic event, former home of a famous person, or historic city center; hotel celebrates its history by showcasing memorabilia, artwork, photography, and other examples of its historic significance; recognized by national preservation or heritage buildings organization or located within UNESCO World Heritage Site; and presently used as a historic hotel. For more information, please visit HistoricHotelsWorldwide.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Katherine Orr
Historic Hotels of America │ Historic Hotels Worldwide
Director, Marketing Strategy & Communications
KORR@historichotels.org
