The Campo Quarterly
Pictured Left to Right: Shelby L. Shankle, Historian; Amy Finklea, Project Manager; John T. Campo, Principal; Kerry Soniat, Project Manager; Erika Torres, Administrative Assistant
Campo Architects Presents at the NABIE Conference
The annual National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers Conference was hosted at the Bourbon Orleans hotel in New Orleans from February 28 - March 1, 2020.
John T. Campo & Associates were featured on the opening day of the conference with a presentation titled “On-site Engineering Exploration of New Orleans’ Historic French Quarter: A Showcase of Selected Engineering Techniques.” After a brief introduction of the firm and background, President John T. Campo Jr. introduced Campo speakers, Amy Finklea and Kerry Soniat. The presentation consisted of three separate tours of former Campo projects: the Eliza Jane [Formerly Country Inn & Suites] (John), the Troubadour (Amy), and the Fairfield Inn & Suites (Kerry).
Following the tours, everyone met at the Eliza Jane for a cocktail reception hosted by Campo Architects. Attendees were given a chance to meet other members of Campo Architects’ team and discuss what they’ve learned through out the day. We are thankful for the opportunity to have shared our experiences and projects in the city of New Orleans with a great organization!
Campo Architects at the ALIS Conference 2020
Last week, John T. Campo and Historian Shelby L. Shankle attended the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles, California. Aptly titled, “On The Edge of Our Seats!,” the conference took place from January 27th through January 29th at the JW Marriott & Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live. As a firm specializing in Architecture, Interior Design, and Historic Tax Credit Consulting, we recognized many familiar faces and clients through out the networking events, panels, and lectures. One of ALIS’s greatest accomplishment is having representation across the hotel and lodging industry participate and administer such thorough and thought-provoking discussions to its audiences. During the course of this three-day event, we had the opportunity to network with one another, reconnect with former clients, and meet with potential ones while learning about the latest industry innovations.
The conference began on Monday morning with the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Forward at ALIS: Women’s Leadership Forum. The panel was moderated by Andrea Foster (SVP Development, Marcus Hotels & Resorts), and the panelists included Mary Beth Cutshall (EVP & Chief Development Officer, HVMG), Krissy Gathright (Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Apple Hospitality REIT), Rachel Humphrey (COO, AAHOA), Leeny Oberg (EVP & CFO, Marriott International), and Talene Staab (Global Head, Tru, Hilton). These inspiring leaders discussed current issues that have impacted women’s development within the workforce and emphasized personal experiences to underline successes and failures thus far.
The afternoon plenary sessions began with a warm welcome by Jeff Higley (President, The BHN Group) and opening remarks by Chip Rogers (President & CEO, AHLA). Moderator, Simon Hobbs (LPL Financial Advisor, California Financial Partners), discussed “The Economist Outlook - How Close To The Edge Are We?” with Richard Barkham (Chief Global Economist/Head of Research, CBRE) and Ryan Severino (Chief Economist, JLL) as they reflected on the final quarter of 2019 and anticipated the projections of 2020 in reference to current events and their effects on the hotel and lodging industry. Next, Brian Kelly (Founder/CEO of The Points Guy) introduced the topic of “Loyalty Pointers: What Frequent Guests Want From Hotel Owners.” Kelly emphasized his own personal experiences to make surface-level connections with how and who benefits from loyalty programs. Following his introductory lecture, Kelly participated in a larger panel titled, “Loyalty + Experience = Business Success in Today’s Economy,” moderated by Maki Bara (President/Co-founder, The Chartres Lodging Group, LLC) and included additional panelists, Bridget Blaise-Shamai (VP, Customer Loyalty and Insights, American Airlines), and David Flueck (SVP, Global Loyalty, Marriott International). Each panelist brought new perspective to the industries that make up the hotel and lodging industry across the board. The consensus on loyalty certainly resonated with attendees: “Loyal members stay more, pay more, and cost less.”
Day 2 of the ALIS Conference began with “The Numbers - What to Expect in 2020 and Beyond?,” moderated by Ravi Patel (President, Hawkeye Hotels), with panelists Cindy Estis Green (CEO and Co-founder, Kalibri Labs), Amanda Hite (President, STR), and Mark Woodworth (Sr. Managing Director, CBRE Hotels Research). The morning and afternoon panels each presented half of the six plenary sessions focused on the “Boardroom Outlook” for topics such as travel, innovation and distribution, branding evolution, assets, people, and branding experiences. In between those panels, there were eighteen additional breakout sessions that emphasized varying topic-tracks, including acquisitions, segments and brands, development, and ownership tracks.
The final day of the ALIS Conference began with announcements of the ALIS Awards, followed by the Money Morning breakout sessions. Topics included Private Equity (US$50 & Under), Lenders (Development), REITs, Private Equity (Over US$50M), Lenders (Acquisitions), and Emerging Development Strategies. Campo Architects attended both the Lenders (Development) and Emerging Development Strategies panels to hear from familiar faces and clients on the current state of development affairs. The Lenders (Development) panel was moderated by Bradley G. Langner (Managing Director, Piper Jaffray & Co.), and included Keegan Bisch (Stonehill Strategic Capital), Rickman Davis (VP, Head of Hotels, Live Oak Bank), Russell Munn (Managing Director, Broadshore Capital Partners), and Dilip Petigara (CEO, Access Point Financial). The Emerging Development Strategies panel was moderated by Rick S. Kirkbride (Partner, Paul Hastings LLP), and included panelists Billy L. Brown (Chairman/CEO, LodgeCap Inc.), Ben Brunt (Principal/Executive VP, Noble Investment Group), and Grant Sabroff (Sr. VP of Business Development, Concord Hospitality).
Over the past 35 years, Campo Architects has designed over 200 hotels in 26 states. Opportunities such as the ALIS Conference have been vital to Campo Architects’ success in establishing and maintaining business relationships amidst many of the hotel and lodging industry’s finest professionals. The importance of creating and nurturing professional relationships in person was highlighted through out the conference by professionals across the industry. Networking and listening to powerful panels are only a small part of the true opportunity that attending a conference like ALIS provides. We eagerly anticipate what 2020 will bring and are already looking forward ALIS 2021!
The Campo Quarterly
Annual Holiday Party
The Campo Architects’ team celebrated an immensely successful year at the Annual Holiday Party. The afternoon began with a delicious meal at Annunciation and a few heartfelt speeches of gratitude. The fun carried on to Fulton Alley for an afternoon of bowling and a holiday favorite, the White Elephant game. We are very thankful for the successes that we have celebrated in 2019, and look forward to what 2020 will bring!
John T. Campo Jr. to Speak at NABIE 2020
We are pleased to announce John T. Campo Jr. will be speaking at the NABIE 2020 Conference on February, 28th 2020, with a reception hosted by Campo Architects to follow.
The National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers' annual conference attracts the nation’s top building and home inspection, investigation, and consultation professionals for educational seminars and networking with other industry professionals. Learn more about NABIE on their website here.
Annual Thanksgiving Potluck Celebration
We wrapped up our week by celebrating Thanksgiving a few days early with our annual potluck lunch. A variety of dishes ranging from desserts, pies, and specialty sides were brought to share with everyone. We have a lot to be grateful at Campo Architects, getting to apply our skills and talents to better enhance the world we live in. Thank you to our employees and clients who make our business a success!
Believe the Hype: Campo Attends the 47th Annual NOMA Conference
Architectural Designer, Bryan Bradshaw recently represented Campo Architects at the 47th Annual National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) Conference. This year's theme was Believe the Hype: A Global Collective of Industry Change Agents. Held in Brooklyn, New York, this conference brings together design professionals for three days filled with seminars, keynote speakers, events, and awards banquet. More information about NOMA can be found on their website at https://noma.net/
