The 6th Annual Lending Conference
08:00 AM - 07:00 PM
Registration
Venue : Foyer of Crystal Ballroom
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Breakout Session: Captive Insurance Strategies for Hospitality Owners & Investors
Learn how hotel owners are transforming insurance from an expense into a profit-driving strategy. Speakers: Anne Marie Towle, CEO Hylant and David Macpherson of C.J. Coleman & Company; representing Lloyd's of London
Venue : Merritt
11:00 AM - 03:30 PM
Lender Networking Lounge | Make a Deal @ LendingCon
Open for Lenders, Brokers, and Attendees to Speed Network
Venue : Atrium A&B
11:00 AM - 08:00 PM
Deal Room | Sponsored by City Capital 1031
Open for Lenders, Brokers, and Franchisors along with attendees
Venue : Labored, 2nd Floor above the Crystal Ballroom
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Breakout Session: Aligning Brand, Culture & People to Maximize Your Bottom Line | Sponsored by Red Roof
Speakers: Riz Hussain, Motivational Coach, Noble Coaching International and Matthew Hostetler of Red Roof
Moderator : Esther Hertzfeld, Executive Editor at Questex Hospitality
Venue : Longboat - RSVP in advance required
12:45 PM - 01:45 PM
SBA Educational Seminar: Get SBA Ready; How to Prepare, Apply & Get Approved.
Hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Speakers: Jonel Hines Distric Dir., U.S. Small Business Administration and Edgar Ramos of U.S. Small Business Administration.
Venue : Merritt
01:45 PM - 02:30 PM
SBA Educational Panel: Deal-Ready; How to Structure, Negotiate, and Match the Right SBA Loan to Your Project
Speakers: Jonel Hines, District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Scott Radway of Florida First Capital Finance, and Paul Darrow of PHD Financial
Moderator : Nick Lodovico of Thomas Financial Grouo
Venue : Merritt
02:45 PM - 03:30 PM
Breakout Session - Managing Maturity & Default Risk on Your Loan
Speakers: Rick Patel and Krishan Patel of GRP Capital, and Michael O'Neil of Loyal Trust Bank
Moderator : Rajal Patel
Venue : Longboat
03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Refreshments & Networking Break
Sponsored by Hylant & CJ Coleman & Company
Venue : Foyer of Crystal Ballroom
General Session
04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Introductions provided by the LendingCon Host Committee
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D, E)
04:30 PM - 05:00 PM
STR Market Insights: Industry Trends & Outlook
Presented by: Chantal Wu, STR
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D, E)
05:00 PM - 05:15 PM
AHLA: Industry Updates & Key Developments
Speakers: Chirag Shah, of AHLA and Congressman Darren Soto Representing the 9th District of Florida
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D,E)
05:15 PM - 05:45 PM
Governmental Affairs: Key Trends and 2026 Outlook
An engaging panel welcoming Government Officials including Tyler Teresa, Southeast Regional Administrator of U.S. Small Business Administration, Alexander Acosta, Former U.S. Dept. Secretary of State Labor, and Alfredo Ortiz, CEO of Job Creators Network
Moderator : Chirag Shah, AHLA
Venue : Crystal Balloom (D,E)
06:00 PM - 08:30 PM
Cocktail Reception/Networking -Sponsored by Red Roof, PCPI, and AdReach
Celebrate the end of day one with us with live entertainment, hour devours, and drinks.
Venue : Crystal Ballroom Tradeshow Hall (A, B, C)
08:15 AM - 09:15 AM
Breakfast & Networking |Sponsored by Choice Hotels & Nimble Property
Venue : Foyer of Crystal Ballroom
09:00 AM - 09:10 AM
Opening Remarks
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D, E)
09:00 AM - 09:30 AM
Morning Coffee Fireside Chat
Speakers: Matt Hostetler of Red Roof, Brian Quinn of My Place Hotels, Mark Williams of Extended Stay America, and Krishna Paliwal of G6 Hospitality
Moderator : Heather Carnes of Carnes Agency
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D,E)
09:30 AM - 09:40 AM
The State of Hospitality 2026: Insights from the Global President of HotelPlanner
Speaker: Bruce Rosenberg, Global President of Hotel Planner
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D, E)
09:40 AM - 10:15 AM
State of the Industry: Lending, Capital, Economics and Market Performance
Speakers: Luigi Major, Managing Director of HVS and Daniel Lesser, President & CEO of LW Hospitality Advisors
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D,E)
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Hospitality Development & Financing: Navigating Costs, Capital & Construction Risk
Speakers: Brent Leblanc of Peachtree, Rushi Shah of MagMile Capital, Rohit Mathur of Bridge, and Zack Gharib of Red Roof
Moderator : Greg Remeikis, Partner at CohnReznick LLP
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D, E)
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Trade Show Floor Networking Break | Sponsored by G6 Hospitality & CohnReznick LLP
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (A, B, C)
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Breakout Session - From Guest Experience to Employee Ownership: The Hospitality ESOP Blueprint
Speakers: Marc Herrick of Tenor ESOP Partners and Gary Gray of Tenor ESOP Properties
Venue : Longboat
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Networking Lunch
Lunch begins at 12:00 pm followed by the Keynote Panel at 12:30 PM
12:30 PM - 12:40 PM
Feature Speaker - Sponsor Spotlight
Robert Shaar, Executive Vice President of Commloan
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D, E)
12:40 PM - 12:45 PM
Community Outreach- Charitable Donation
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D, E)
12:45 PM - 01:40 PM
Lunch Keynote Panel | Hosted by PCPI Topic: Leading Forward: Navigating Economic Challenges and Shaping Hospitality’s Future.
Speakers: Carol Dover, President & CEO of FRLA & Congressman Mike Haridopolos, Representing Florida's 8th District
Moderator : Glenn Haussman of No Vacancy News
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D, E)
01:40 PM - 02:20 PM
Tech-Driven Profitability in Hospitality: The New Economics of Hospitality
Speakers: Marianela Nanninga of Todo Robotics LLC, Sriram Nalla of WithCoverage, Chithria Mani of Digit7 and Vish Mutluru of Berymo
Moderator : Tarun Patel of Sonari Capital
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (D, E)
02:00 PM - 02:45 PM
Tradeshow Floor Networking Break | Sponsored by Hylant Insurance
Venue : Crystal Ballroom Tradeshow Hall (A, B, C)
02:30 PM - 03:15 PM
Breakout Session - Financing Green Projects: How C-PACE and Tax Incentives Work Together
Speakers: Neal Daftary of Green Key Global, Anne Hartshorn of CPACE Lending, and Lee Ferry of National Tax Group
Moderator : John Blaton of Peoples Bank
Venue : Longboat
03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
Breakout Session – Emerging Leaders: Smart Capital, Bigger Opportunities
Speakers: Jonathan Gonzalez of JGC Capital Partners, Rhea Patel of AAAR, and Kelton Brito of Shoreham Bank
Moderator : Adrianna Gautam of IHRMC
Venue : Merritt
04:00 PM - 06:30 PM
Trade Show Networking & Closing Reception | Sponsored by CRR Construction, JGC Capital Partners and Invest Mexico
Venue : Crystal Ballroom (A, B, C)
DRAWING: Enter to win $1,000.00 **must be present to win.
Adjourn
Tuesday August 4, 2026
10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
How SBA Loans Are Structured: From Underwriting to Repayment
• Featuring Aaron Hodgkins of United Midwest Bank
• Moderated by Trusha Patel of CEO of Platinum Holdings
11:15 AM – 11:35 AM
Conventional Lending in the Present Market
• Featuring Tom Wallace of Fairwinds Credit Union
• Moderated by Jonathan Gonzales of JG Capital Partners LLC
12:45 PM – 01:00 PM
Defaults and Work-Out Plans
• Featuring Paul Darrow of PHD Financial
• Moderated by Jeremy Bratcher, CEO of Landingplace Hotels
02:00 PM – 02:15 PM
Capital, Cash Flow, and Liquidity
• Featuring Chris Sather of American Bank
• Moderated by John Pascal of Paramount Capital Advisors
02:20 PM – 02:40 PM
Strategic Use of 1031 Exchanges in Commercial Real Estate
• Featuring Andrew Favorito of City Capital 1031
• Moderated by Heather Carnes
03:00 PM – 03:20 PM
The Next Wave: AI, Automation and Digital Transformation
• Featuring Sushant Sen of Cynergy
• Moderated by Brandy Conner
03:30 PM – 03:50 PM
7(a) Loans: Value and Structure
• Featuring Rocky Chamdal of Celtic Bank
• Moderated by Bhavesh Patel of National Tax Group
Wednesday August 5, 2026
09:15 AM – 09:30 AM
Brands vs. Boutique
• Featuring Marc Herrick National Director of Business Development of Tenor ESOP Partners
• Moderated by Brittney Jones, CDO of Brittain Hotels & Resorts
11:00 AM – 11:20 AM
Strategic Capital Raising & Value Creation: Developing Assets Through the EB-5 Model
• Featuring Girish Patel of NewGen
• Moderated by Tarun Patel of Sonari Capital
11:30 AM – 11:40 AM
Understanding CMBS Loans: Structure, Risks and Opportunities
• Featuring Jay Bakta of Peoples Bank
• Moderated by Bhavesh (B.J.) Patel of Hospitality Real Estate Counselors (HREC)
11:45 AM – 12:10 PM
Managing Risk in SBA Lending: Defaults and Protections
• Featuring Bob Cole of Coleman Group
• Moderated by Nash Patel of NashBuilt
02:30 PM – 02:45 PM
Rising Insurance Costs and Their Impact on Hotel Profitability
• Featuring Josh Laberee of Hylant
• Moderated by Larry Sherman of Goodman Gable Gould/Adjusters International
02:50 PM – 03:10 PM
How Bridge Loans Help Hotels Navigate Cash Flow Gaps
• Featuring Rahul V. Shah of Sherpa Capital Group, LLC
• Moderated by Chad Anger of Hotels
03:20 PM – 03:40 PM
The Impact of Brand Support and Incentives on Hotel Performance
• Featuring Matthew Hostetler of RedRoof
• Moderated by Brian Quinn of My Place Hotels
04:00 PM – 04:25 PM
Analyzing the Profitability of Converting Traditional Hotels into Extended Stay Assets
• Featuring Shawn Siemers RVP Essentials & Suites Development of IHG
• Moderated by Glenn Haussman of No Vacancy News and Podcast
04:30 PM – 04:55 PM
A turn key solution to convert your hotel to multifamily
• Featuring Alex Cartwright of Hotel Shift
• Moderated by Chip Rogers ,CEO AFFT