CONNECT  ~  ENGAGE  ~  NETWORK 
Join us for another fun-filled HLAGH membership mixer.   Come and network with some of the brightest minds in the hospitality industry.  Grab a few hospitality colleagues and see what we are all about.
Hors d’ oeuvre and cocktails will be provided by Embassy Suites by Hilton Houston West – Katy

Jorge Franz oversight over three departments at Houston First.  First is the Tourism department, which is tasked with travel trade relations and various initiatives designed to help promote Houston to visitors, like the Houston Marketplace and the Houston Insider program.  He also oversees the Houston Film Commission, tasked with marketing and promoting the Houston region to producers, production executives, and independent filmmakers as a film/TV media production destination.  Lastly, he oversees the Services Department For Houston First and the company’s event management.

Mr. Franz is very active in the Tourism sector.  He currently serves on Expedia’s Media Solution Select Board, is the Vice Chair of The Texas Travel Alliance, and is on the Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus board.  He is also a Past Chair of the Governor of Texas’ Tourism Advisory Committee.  Mr. Franz was born in Santiago, Chile, and has lived in Chile, Venezuela, Spain, and the United States.  He has also represented Houston personally worldwide and is a true believer in Houston as a leisure destination.

THANK YOU TO OUR MEETING SPONSOR

Montgomery Roth Architecture & Interior Design

We make dreams come true! Montgomery Roth is an award-winning architecture and interior design firm located in Houston, Texas. We specialize in combining form and function to create fresh, sophisticated, and exciting designs for residential and commercial clients. Montgomery Roth is a one-stop-shop as we handle all aspects of the design and build process, including procurement.
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Reflecting how you want to dwell, work, escape, dine, shop, and play, the Montgomery Roth team utilizes a collaborative process to translate a client’s desire into a vivid reality, elevating everyday life through evolved design.
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Montgomery Roth’s culture of design innovation is led by licensed architects and interior designers John Montgomery and Lisa Roth, both firm principals. Become our client to create your own sophisticated and inspiring spaces.

For More Information Please Contact:
Lisa Roth
Principal, AIA Architect, Registered Interior Designer
lroth@montgomeryroth.com
713.654.9400

Hannah Perepeluk
Business Development and Marketing Coordinator
hperepeluk@montgomeryroth.com
713.654.9400 Ext 237

Patrick Jankowski is the Senior Vice President of Research at the Greater Houston Partnership.  He oversees the research department, which provides data analysis and forecasting functions for the Partnership.  His observation and analysis of the local, regional, and U.S. economic trends have appeared in over 200 newspapers, magazines, radio, and television broadcasts.

Dr. Jason Draper has recently conducted a study with Dr. Agnes DeFranco on travel intentions post COVID, the study will be presented to the HLAGH members.

Associate Professor Jason Draper’s extensive background includes Tourism industry experience, including working with a group tour company and spending five years as research manager for the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau; he has conducted numerously funded and/or sponsored research projects for convention and visitor bureaus and in the meetings, incentives, conventions, and events (MICE) sector; an author or co-author of 30-plus peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings/presentations; recipient of Hilton College Stephen Rushmore/HVS Faculty Research Award in 2013; Award of Excellence from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at Clemson University in 2008; first recipient of the Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award from Western Illinois University’s Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration in 2008.

Rachel Quan oversees the strategies and teams executing the marketing, public relations, and community relations plans for the 2023 Men’s Final Four.
Rachel’s background in production and events began as a Festival Director and then the National Director of Production and Arrangements for an international non-profit, overseeing one of their largest festivals to date in Houston and then managing production in other festivals cities. She went on to lead various large-scale events and conferences for a myriad of clients, including as the Vice President of External Operations for the HLOC with the 2011 and 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Fours in Houston and on the NCAA team, overseeing event marketing for the 2018 and the 2022 Men’s Final Fours.

The City of Houston will host the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four for the fourth time ever in 2023. The event will occur from March 31st – April 3rd at NRG Stadium. The event will bring more than 70,000 out-of-town visitors to Houston’s hotels, and the economic impact on Houston is over $300 million.

As this is the year’s first meeting, Jacques D’rovencourt, HLAGH Chair, will present the proposed 2023 HLAGH Board of Directors.