Arizona to Host Hotel Event

Historic Hotels of America® and Historic Hotels Worldwide® are pleased to announce the keynote speakers for the upcoming 2023 Historic Hotels Annual Conference and the 2023 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala, held at The Wigwam resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona, (near Phoenix) October 9-13, 2023. Registration is open.

Attendees will hear new insights, inspiration, strategies, and tactics from more than 10 Keynote Speakers, including:

• Jerry Colangelo: American businessman and sports executive. Formerly owned the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League, and the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. Former Chairman of USA Basketball.
• Mari K. Eder (Major General, U.S. Army retired): Renowned speaker and author, a thought leader on strategic communication and leadership; and the author of the award-winning The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of WWII. Her next book, The Girls Who Fought Crime: The Untold True Story of the Country’s First Female Investigator and Her Crime Fighting Squad, will be released in August.
• Katherine Malone-France: President & CEO at The Better Angels Society, the preeminent organization supporting American history documentary filmmakers, including Ken Burns and an array of established and emerging filmmakers, advancing their work in ways that promote civic engagement and educate generations of students and lifelong learners.
• Stu Grant: General Manager for Global Race Tires at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Grant has led the Goodyear Racing program for more than 25 years, has overseen the company being named NASCAR’s official tire supplier for its top three national series (NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck) since 1997, and has also worked with the NASCAR Foundation, serving as a board member, which is a leading charity that works to improve the lives of children in NASCAR communities.
• Matt Montgomery: Chief Marketing Officer, National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Steven Parker, JD: Chief Innovation Officer for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA); Directs Strategy, Policy Coordination & Innovation. Charged with enhancing TSA’s innovation capacity by connecting, enabling and incorporating innovative technology and process ideas from passengers, employees and transportation industry partners, throughout TSA and the greater transportation security ecosystem.
• Julius E. Rhodes, SPHR: Founder of mpr group and author of BRAND: YOU, Personal Branding for Success in Life and Business.
• Chip Rogers: President and CEO, American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)
• Vail Ross: Senior Vice President Global Business Development & Marketing, STR
• Robert Vera: Accomplished entrepreneur, speaker, university professor, startup investor, mentor, economic development catalyst, best-selling author, and adventurer. New York Times and Amazon #1 best-seller and author of A Warrior’s Faith and co-author of Perfectly Wounded.

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 hoteliers working at member hotels of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide, as well as hoteliers working at non-member historic hotels.

During the 2023 Historic Hotels Annual Conference, attendees will join subject matter experts leading more than 16 educational academies about topics ranging from ecommerce, marketing, food & beverage trends, recruiting and hiring, and new ways to reach travelers that seek the experiences offered by historic hotels. This conference is also an opportunity to receive the STR-Historic Hotels of America Forecast for 2024-2026 and hear why STR predicts continued strong results for the Historic Hotels sector.

Read updates to the 2023 Historic Hotels Annual Conference 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 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.”

See highlights from the 2022 Historic Hotels Annual Conference at Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, established in 1847, in Point Clear, Alabama.

Following the Historic Hotels Annual Conference will be the 2023 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala, held on Thursday evening, October 12. 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 2023 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala are available for those who cannot attend the full conference. Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala Tickets are $500. To register for the 2023 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala ONLY, click here. To register for the full 2023 Historic Hotels Annual Conference, held October 9-13 and inclusive of the Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala, click here.

Learn about the 2022 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence winners.

The host of this year’s Historic Hotels Annual Conference, The Wigwam (1929), is an iconic Arizona landmark located in Phoenix’s West Valley. Originally built by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company as an executive retreat, The Wigwam has remained a cornerstone of the West Valley for travelers, businesses, and families from near and far since its founding as a resort in 1929. Today, the resort is situated on 440 acres of lush desert grounds offering 331 authentic Southwestern-style accommodations with spacious luxury casitas. Amenities include three pools with adult and family areas, two waterslides, four dining experiences, three 18-hole championship golf courses, including two courses designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, Sr., nine lighted tennis courts, the 26,000-square-foot LeMonds|–|Aveda Salon and Spa and 100,000-combined-square-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. The Wigwam has been the recipient of numerous awards over its history, including the 2022 Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Resort award.