Hospitality International Taps Belmonte as Featured Speaker

Company officials say veteran hotelier's down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach to management and marke

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. October 14, 2008

RANDOLPH, NJ, August 17, 2005. Steve Belmonte, the former President and C.E.O. of Ramada Franchise Systems who founded full-service hotel consulting firm Hospitality Solutions LLC, will be the featured speaker at Hospitality International Inc.'s Marketing & Management Seminar, to be held Sept. 12 and 13 in Elizabeth, N.J.

Belmonte, a sought-after industry speaker, founded Hospitality Solutions in 2003 after more than a decade's service as Ramada's top executive. Randolph-based Hospitality Solutions provides new franchise agreement negotiations, franchise termination and liquidated damage claim negotiations, mediation, expert witness, litigation support, motivational speaking, market studies, feasibility studies, on-site analysis and ownership and development assistance to the hospitality and service industries.

Hospitality International, based in Tucker, Ga., is the exclusive franchisor of the Scottish Inn, Red Carpet Inn, Master Hosts Inn, Downtowner Inn and Passport Inn brands. Its new President, Tim David Blalock, said that due to substantial franchise growth in the Northeastern states, Hospitality International expects the Elizabeth marketing and management seminar-one of several regional events the chain hosts annually-to be exceptionally well attended. Belmonte serving as keynote also will help draw attendees.

"Steve Belmonte is an experienced, respected hotelier who has been an employee, franchisee, owner and franchisor in our industry and he knows the business top to bottom," said Amy Foy, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hospitality International. "We invited Steve to be our featured speaker because he's a 'straight shooter' in addition to having all that experience and we thought our staff and franchisees would benefit from him sharing his experiences and opinions. Just as important is the fact that Steve truly considers this business to be all about the guests, their satisfaction, and giving them the value for which they are paying their hard-earned money-and there never seems to be enough of that attitude still around the industry theses days."

Louise Crespin, Hospitality International's Director of Marketing, said the choice of Belmonte as featured speaker is a perfect match for the franchise chain's operating philosophy.

"I've had the privilege of hearing Mr. Belmonte speak, and he is indeed a down-to-earth type of person who speaks to attendees, not above them," she said. "They appreciate honesty and to-the-point information that can help them grow their business, or to learn how to protect their hard-earned investment. Mr. Belmonte has been through the trenches so he knows what works and what doesn't work. Our company may not be as large as Cendant or Choice, but we offer the same services to our franchisees and we can afford to add that personal touch because we are not a Goliath-type chain. And I know, from hearing him speak in the past, that the personal touch is what Steve is all about, both as a speaker and as a hotelier."

A flattered Belmonte responds: "I'm proud to be asked to be the featured speaker for Hospitality International," he said. "Having been an owner and a franchisee for many years, I always enjoy talking to people who are themselves owners and franchisees. I always learn something from them when I speak, and it always reminds me that people like these franchisees, who are in the trenches every day, are the ones who really make this industry so successful."