NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality Will Host the 27th Annual Stephen W. Brener Distinguished Lecturer Series in Hospitality Management Featuring David Kong, Retired President and CEO, BWH Hotel Group

Jonathan M. Tisch, Chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels & Co. and Co-Chairman of the Board of Loews Corporation, Will Interview Kong on his Leadership & Transformative Legacy

NEW YORK, April 4, 2022—The NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality will present the Annual Stephen W. Brener Distinguished Lecturer Series in Hospitality Management, featuring guest speaker David Kong, retired president and chief executive officer, BWH Hotel Group, and principal, DEI Advisors. The event will take place on Wednesday, April 13, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at the Astor Ballroom at the New York Marriott Marquis.

During the event, titled “Hospitality Leadership in Times of Change: The Transformative Legacy of David Kong,” Jonathan M. Tisch, chairman and chief executive officer of Loews Hotels & Co. and co-chairman of the Board of Loews Corporation, will lead an insightful conversation with Kong on his career and the future of hospitality. A reception will follow the discussion.

When David Kong announced his plans to retire as president and chief executive officer of BWH Hotel Group last year, he did so as the longest-running CEO of any major hotel company. His leadership and legacy, characterized by a genuine care for people and a passion for hospitality, attracted praise and respect from his peers across the industry. The story of his lifelong career in hospitality is truly remarkable: long before Kong joined Best Western® Hotels & Resorts in 2001, his first exposure to the industry was as a busboy and dishwasher. When he arrived in the United States from Hong Kong as a young adult, like many immigrants before him, he had no money, no job, and no connections to offer support. Despite these challenges, Kong leaned into the values and work ethic instilled by his parents to rise through the ranks of the hospitality industry, culminating in his role as one of the sector’s most notable leaders.

In celebration of Kong’s distinguished career, he and fellow industry icon Jonathan M. Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels & Co. and co-chairman of the Board of Loews Corporation, will discuss the emergence of hospitality from the pandemic. While the industry is showing marked and welcome signs of recovery, these two thought leaders also will explore some of the challenges that may still lie ahead.

To RSVP for the event, please register here. (See information regarding COVID-19 protocols below).

PRESS REGISTRATION – Please read carefully

Press members who wish to cover the event, please contact Alka Gupta at aag13@nyu.edu or Michael DeMeo at michael.demeo@nyu.edu. Register online here and complete the uploading of your proof of vaccination details.

Please note: Event guests, including event speakers and NYU alumni and members of the press, are required to upload proof of vaccination into VEOCI, NYU’s Campus Safety System for event access. Steps to upload proof of vaccination into VEOCI will be provided via email and must be satisfied in advance of the event for access. On the day of the event, guests will be required to display a Green Pass on the NYU DAILY SCREENER for event access. Event guests, including event speakers and NYU alumni, please use this LINK to register by Friday, April 8th. Please note this, registration link will expire by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on April 8th.Please be aware that the University’s mask policy remains in effect for all indoor gatherings.

About the Stephen W. Brener Distinguished Lecturer Series in Hospitality Management
The NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality established the Stephen W. Brener Distinguished Lecturer Series in 1994. Instituted in response to Mr. Brener’s desire to provide a forum for industry leaders and students to meet and communicate, the Series focuses on the changes in the social, political, and financial environments that affect the hospitality and tourism industry. Previous prominent speakers and panelists have included: Christopher Nassetta, president and chief executive officer, Hilton; Ian Schrager, founder and chairman of Ian Schrager Company; David Marriott, chief operations officer – Eastern Region, The Americas, Marriott International; Frits van Paasschen, author, former CEO of Starwood Hotels and Resorts; Danny Meyer, chief executive officer of Union Square Hospitality Group and the founder of Shake Shack; Glyn F. Aeppel, founder, president and chief executive officer, Glencove Capital; Brooke Denihan Barrett, chief executive officer, Denihan Hospitality; Anne R. Lloyd-Jones, senior managing director of the New York office, HVS; Karen E. Rubin, managing director, Karen Rubin Hotels; Jason Pomeranc, co-founder, SIXTY Hotels; and Jonathan M. Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels & Co. and co-chairman of the Board of Loews Corporation.

Considered a pioneer in the hospitality industry, Stephen W. Brener was a leading New York-based expert, consultant, and broker in hotel and motel real estate. Before his death in 1994, he was president of InterBank/Brener Brokerage Services, Inc., specializing in management consulting for the hotel industry. Previously, he headed Stephen W. Brener Associates, which provided the whole range of consulting services from the purchase to the sale of properties. Among his many accomplishments, he founded the annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference and established the first hospitality courses offered at the NYU School of Professional Studies.

About the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality
The NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, now celebrating 26 years of academic excellence, is a leading center for the study of hospitality, travel, and tourism. Founded in 1995, the Tisch Center was established in response to the growing need for hospitality and tourism undergraduate and graduate education. Its cutting-edge curricula attract bright, motivated students who seek to become leaders in their fields.

Through its undergraduate degree in hotel and tourism management, its graduate degrees in hospitality industry studies, tourism management, and event management; a plethora of Professional Pathways programs; and its world-renowned hospitality investment conference, students gain the knowledge and the skill sets that enable them to manage change, to communicate, to thrive in complex work environments, and to advance the businesses of hospitality, travel, and tourism. The Tisch Center recently launched the Hospitality Innovation Hub (HI Hub), which will foster entrepreneurship and creative solutions for the industries it serves. The state-of-the-art facilities offer students, start-ups, established industry partners, and investors opportunities to learn, discover, innovate, and invest.

For more information about the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, visit sps.nyu.edu/tisch.

The NYU School of Professional Studies – Celebrating More Than 87 Years of Excellence in Applied Professional Education
For 87 years, the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) has been a deeply respected institution of higher education that is grounded in applied learning. From its early years, training returning World War II veterans to fulfill the nation’s urgent need for skilled technical workers, it has evolved into a professional education powerhouse that offers 22 graduate degrees, 14 bachelor’s degrees for traditional and post-traditional students, four associate’s degrees, and a plethora of continuing education courses and credentials.

NYU SPS is a thought leader, and serves as an incubator for new ideas in industries that are constantly changing, including real estate, real estate development, and construction management; hospitality, tourism, travel, and event management; global affairs and global security, conflict, and cybercrime; global sport and sports business; publishing; marketing; public relations; project management; executive coaching and organizational consulting, human resource management and development, and human capital analytics and technology; management and systems; translation; and professional writing. It is focused on building skills that open doors to opportunities in emerging fields and global markets. NYU SPS faculty members are leading experts in their areas of discipline, with a hands-on approach that encourages students to push beyond their limits and to break new ground.

Home to some of the largest and most prestigious industry conferences in the world, including the Schack Institute of Real Estate’s Capital Markets Conference, REIT Symposium, and National Symposium of Women in Real Estate; and the Jonathan M. Tisch Center’s International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, the School’s invaluable connections to industry leaders is a truly distinguishing factor in the education that it provides. Through career development services and resources provided by the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development at NYU SPS, guest lecturers, site visits, participation in numerous conferences and events, and Global Field Intensives, students benefit from an NYU education that will set them apart. In addition, they have the opportunity to learn from and network with more than 39,000 NYU SPS alumni who live, work, and contribute to innovation in industry around the world. To learn more about NYU SPS visit: sps.nyu.edu.