Former Hilton chief exec at hotel conference

SIR David Michels, the former chief executive of Hilton Group, will be the keynote speaker at the annual conference for the hotel sector in the north.

The event, now in its fifth year, is to be held on October 30 at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester.

It will consider how the hotel industry stands in today’s turbulent economic climate.

Sir David has spent 37 years in the leisure industry.

He is the deputy chairman of M&S, senior independent director of EasyJet, board member for Strategic Hotel Resorts and board member Jumeirah Hotels.

From 2000 until 2006, he was Hilton Group’s chief executive and from 1999 to 2000 he was chief executive of Hilton International.

Prior to that he was chief executive of Stakis.

The event is sponsored by law firm Halliwells, TRI Hospitality Consulting, RBS and Colliers Robert Barry.