FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Industry Innovator to be Honored at ALIS
Washington, October 14, 2009—Leland C. Pillsbury, co-chairman and chief executive
officer, Thayer Lodging Group, will receive the 2010 International Society of Hospitality
Consultants (ISHC) Pioneer Award at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS),
January 25-27, 2010, in San Diego.
Pillsbury formed Thayer Lodging Group, a privately-held hotel investment company
based in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1991 with Frederic V. Malek. Pillsbury oversees all
aspects of Thayer´s activities, including strategy and investment policy. Since forming its
first private equity fund in 1991, Thayer has completed 37 hotel investments with a total
acquisition cost of approximately .8 billion.
Pillsbury is also a founder and partner in TIG Global Internet Marketing Company; EMC
Venues, representing conference centers and resorts; Hubs1, the GDS platform for
China; HQuant Lodging Real Estate Index Group; and Thayer Insurance Group,
providing specialized health, benefits, liability and property insurance to hotels
nationwide.
Pillsbury began his career in the lodging industry in 1969 when he joined the Marriott
Corporation. During a 20-year tenure at Marriott, he served in a variety of roles, including
general manager, director of sales and marketing, and corporate officer and executive
vice president of Marriott Corporation. He was responsible for launching several
initiatives, including revamping Marriott´s pricing strategies, developing the first generation of revenue management and yield management systems, and developing
Marriott´s frequent traveler program. He also launched venture teams that led Marriott´s
entry into the time-sharing business, Fairfield Inns’ economy lodging business, and
acquired the Residence Inn Company. As vice president and general manager of
Fairfield Inns and Residence Inn, he supervised 18,000 people and in excess of
billion in capital investment in lodging products. Prior to forming Thayer, Mr. Pillsbury
founded Grand Heritage Hotels, a manager of historic and unique independent hotels.
During Pillsbury’s career in lodging/hospitality real estate, he has overseen the launch,
acquisition, and operation of over 250 hotels throughout the U.S.
Pillsbury received a bachelor’s degree of science from the Cornell School of Hotel
Administration and an Executive M.B.A. from Northwestern University J.L. Kellogg
Graduate School of Management. He serves on the University Council at Cornell
University, the Dean´s Advisory Board of J.L. Kellogg School of Management, and is a
director and investor in several privately-held companies. Pillsbury is founder and
director of the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship
at Cornell University.
“Lee was chosen for this award not only having been a pioneer in co-founding the
Thayer Lodging Group and TIG Global, but also founding the Leland C. and Mary M.
Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at Cornell University, “ said Lori
Raleigh, executive director of ISHC.
The ISHC Pioneer Award was established in 1996, honoring those in the lodging
community based on three criteria: active involvement in the industry, extensive
contribution to the industry, and personal/organizational attributes and qualities. Further
details on specific criteria supporting these general categories can be found on the
HYPERLINK “http://www.ishc.com/what_is/pioneer_award.cfm” \t “_blank” \o “http://
www.ishc.com/what_is/pioneer_award.cfm”ISHC Website.Co-hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and Burba Hotel
Network (BHN), the two-and-a-half-day ALIS event features an extensive array of
seminars and panels hosted by leading experts and investors discussing important
trends and identifying new opportunities. The conference attracts the lodging industry’s
leading hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers, and professional advisory
community. Proceeds from ALIS benefit the educational, research, and training missions
of the Educational Institute (EI) of the American Hotel & Lodging Education Foundation
(AH&LEF), AH&LA’s nonprofit affiliate.
Online registration is available via the HYPERLINK “http://www.alisconference.com/” \t
“_blank” \o “http://www.alisconference.com/”ALIS Website. For general event
information and sponsorship opportunities, contact Jonathon Zink, BHN director, at (714)
540-9300 or HYPERLINK “mailto:jzink@burba.com” \t “_blank” \o
“mailto:jzink@burba.com”jzink@burba.com.
CONTACT: Kathryn Potter
AH&LA
HYPERLINK “mailto:kpotter@ahla.com”kpotter@ahla.com
Bob Hayes
BHN
HYPERLINK “mailto:bhayes@burba.com”bhayes@burba.com
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Serving the hospitality industry for a century, AH&LA is the sole national association representing all sectors and
stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty
members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy
on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added
services to provide bottom line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. Partner state
associations provide local representation and additional cost-saving benefits to members.
AH&LEF is the charitable fund-raising and endowed fund-management subsidiary of the American Hotel & Lodging
Association. Founded in 1953, AH&LEF is the premier organization for scholarships, professional certification, and
instructional material as well as funding for hospitality industry research.
With more than two decades of experience and over 60 events completed to date, BHN is the worldwide leader in
developing and organizing conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. BHN conferences have become
“must attend” events for industry leaders who come together to network, conduct business, and to learn about the latest
trends. In addition to ALIS, BHN events include: the Central America Tourism & Hotel Investment Exchange (CATHIE)
taking place in Managua in 2009; the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC) taking place in
Bermuda in 2009; Digital Discovery Day (D3) in New York; the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) in Hong
Kong; the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Mumbai; and the PATA CEO Challenge in Bangkok. The BHN Website at HYPERLINK “http://www.burba.com/” \t “_blank”www.burba.com is the gateway for information
about the conferences BHN produces, as well as a direct link to important players in the hospitality investment world.