Ahead of the Africa Hotel Investment Forum [AHIF], the most influential tourism investment conference in Africa, which will take place in Nairobi, on 2nd – 4th October, the event’s Advisory Board has named two individuals who will receive AHIF’s Creating Impact Awards.
One is Trevor Ward, Managing Director of W Hospitality Group, who receives the Outstanding Contribution Award; the other is Mossadeck Bally, CEO of Azalaï Hotels Group, who receives the Leadership Award. The awards will be presented on stage at the conference at 1.00 pm on the closing day, followed by a Q&A session in which the winners will share the most valuable things they have learned from a lifetime of doing business successfully in multiple countries.
Trevor Ward is a specialist consultant whose firm has become well-known for its Africa Hotel Development Pipeline report, which collates and analyses all the hotel development activity across the continent, undertaken by the international and regional hotel chains.
His industry experience spans over 40 years and includes advising clients on hotel, tourism and leisure development in over 90 countries around the globe, including 39 in Africa. With a special focus on sub-Saharan Africa, he works with many of the international hotel groups seeking a presence there, and with financial institutions, investors and entrepreneurs across the continent. He is regarded as one of the foremost experts on the hotel industry in sub-Saharan Africa and is engaged primarily in development consultancy, ranging from investment appraisals to operator selection and asset management.
Mossadeck Bally is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of the Azalaï Hotels Group. In 1994, he acquired the mythical “Grand Hôtel de Bamako”. In 2000, he built the Salam Hotel and managed Hotel Nord Sud. In 2005, he consolidated the activities of various properties under a common brand “Azalaï Hotels”.
The Azalaï Hotels Group expanded to Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Benin and more recently to Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Guinee Conakry, and Niger. Azalaï Hotels Group is today the first African private hotel chain group in the West African Region, providing direct employment to about 900 people and over 2,000 indirectly.
Matthew Weihs, Managing Director, Bench Events, which owns and runs AHIF said: “The personal contributions of these two individuals to the development of the hotel industry in Africa has been immense. Trevor’s advice has been enormously valuable to countless entrepreneurs and investors, helping them to decide what to do and how best to do it.
Mossadeck has been a true trail-blazer and entrepreneur, setting a tremendous example to others by showing what can be done in West Africa if one has the imagination, vision and personal charisma.”
In addition to the Creating Impact Awards, AHIF will also be presenting elegant lapel pins to loyal participants. Silver pins will be given to delegates who have attended three AHIFs, orange pins will go to those who have attended five and gold pins will be presented next year to any people who have been to ten.
By Lucky Onoriode George
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