Future of Emerald City Hospitality

As Vice President for Real Estate and Development, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Kimo is responsible for overseeing new hotel development, acquisition, franchise, and management contract transactions for Hyatt’s full-service brands (Hyatt Regency, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Park Hyatt, Unbound Collection by Hyatt, and Andaz) in the Western United States. Mr. Bertram joined Hyatt from Hilton, where his career included several Feasibility and Investment Analysis roles and development roles. He was most recently Vice President of Luxury and Lifestyle development for North America, leading the growth effort for Waldorf Astoria and Conrad brands in North America. Prior to joining Hilton, Mr. Bertram worked at PKF Consulting in San Francisco. Mr. Bertram holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration.

Throughout his career, he has worked closely with some of the top brands in the industry, directing the design, planning and project management for five-star properties, boutique hotels and luxury resorts around the world. As the hospitality market leader for MG2, Ron captures the story each client wishes to tell through their site, architectural design and guest experiences. His work reflects an expertise in creating spaces that are not only memorable for guests, but also highly reflective of the needs of hotel owners and operators.

“My People used to say, when a stranger appears at your door, feed him for three days before asking who he is, where he's come from, where he's headed. That way, he'll have strength enough to answer. Or, by then you'll be such good friends, you don't care.” Bashar Wali is a founder, a father, and a hotel fanatic. He’s a pragmatist—hungry to experience life not as it is packaged and sold, but as it is. His vested interest in hospitality, culture, and design, is cut with curiosity of what’s possible, beyond the status quo. Bashar is always looking for that spark—that perfect symmetry of an idea and its physical manifestation—to make human experiences as we know them, better. He’s the consummate Host of the Soirée—ever in pursuit of a shared humanity among friends, colleagues, and total strangers. This is perhaps his greatest gift: bringing together a group that’s more inspiring than the sum of its parts. As founder and CEO of This Assembly and Practice Hospitality, Bashar draws upon expertise honed over a 30-year career in hospitality. An expert in the lifestyle space, Bashar is known for pushing limits in his philosopher-meets-hotelier kind of way. Whether helming the TEDx stage, hosting a Global YPO event, or collaborating on Clubhouse, Bashar’s message is unwavering: service is what you deliver, hospitality is how you make people feel. Bashar has done every job in a hotel—from frying an egg to negotiating a deal—working for Starwood Hotels before leading acquisitions and development globally at Grand Heritage Hotels. Prior to launching This Assembly and Practice Hospitality, Bashar served as President/CEO of Provenance Hotels, where he remains a partner, for 15 years, growing the company from five to 15 hotels, 1,500 team members, and expanding the collection from the Pacific Northwest to an award-winning national brand, with annual revenue in excess of $150 million. When Bashar isn’t traveling to 50+ countries and 45+ states, he’s home in Portland, Oregon with his wife and kids, dreaming up the hotels of tomorrow.

John Oppenheimer is a travel and tourism visionary and entrepreneur with a passion for the hospitality industry. Over the past 25 years, he has founded five successful, private hospitality-related businesses. John was a founding general partner of Seattle Hotel Group, the investment group that developed the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Seattle. In 1995, he founded Columbia Hospitality to manage Bell Harbor International Conference Center for the Port of Seattle. In this role he established the company's consulting division, which has completed more than 80 hospitality development projects throughout the United States and abroad. In addition to serving on the Virginia Mason Health System Board, John serves on the Virginia Mason Medical Center Foundation Board as chairman, the 5th Avenue Theatre Board of Directors, the Western Region Advisory Board of Northern Trust, Anthony's Restaurants Board of Directors, and is a past chairman and current member of the World President's Organization. He is a past board member of several organizations including the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Washington Council on International Trade and past chairman of the Woodland Park Zoo. John is also author of the book, Keys to the Room: Unlocking the Doors to Opportunities and Possibilities. He earned his bachelor's degrees in urban affairs and political science from the University of Puget Sound. John is married to Deanna Oppenheimer and the proud father of two adult children, Jeni and James.

Joslyn is a Senior Interior Designer and Architect with over 15 years’ experience in workplace, commercial, hospitality, retail, and multi-family design. She is a strong proponent of B+H's Advance Strategy approach that upends the traditional design process and begins instead with an exploration of the client's business and organizational goals. She believes that when designers drop their egos and start listening to their clients, everyone is happier. Joslyn's data-driven approach allows her to meet people in their own space, witness daily interactions, and immerse herself in their culture. She rejects the notion of a pristine, photo-ready workplace and instead believes that the kinds of spaces that support and grow organizational culture are meant to be hacked, pulled apart, and put back together in unexpected ways. In Joslyn's experience, it is frequently possible to bring a project in under budget when the focus is on culture and business performance rather than the proforma. Joslyn's recent clients include Microsoft's Studio H, B34 Café and the B34 Executive Refresh as well as the highly popular new co-working space, the Coterie Worklounge in downtown Seattle

Murray Dow has dedicated his entire career to the hospitality industry, working both on the front lines and behind the scenes of prestigious hotels across the country. His passion, vision and experience led him to found The Dow Hotel Company in 1997. Under his guidance, DHC has grown into a successful, nationwide hotel investment and management company with a substantial collection of popular hotels and an innovative restaurant division. Dow leads corporate strategy, investment opportunities, capital formation and investor relations, as well as hotel design and construction. Dow launched his career in the management development program of Westin Hotels & Resorts more than four decades ago. After working his way through all departments of the famed Benson Hotel, he became the opening assistant director of rooms at the 1400-room Westin Detroit Plaza. He spent over five years in senior management at Four Seasons Hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, the Four Seasons Clift Hotel in San Francisco, and the historic Four Seasons Olympic Hotel in Seattle. Dow then served as managing director for Christensen Hotels in the Seattle area and as opening general manager of the Boca Raton Marriott in Florida. Prior to founding DHC, Dow was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of HEI Hotels & Resorts. Under his tenure, the company grew from a single property to 20 properties with over $200 million in sales. Dow is a graduate of Western Washington University's College of Business and Economics. He currently serves as chair of their College of Business and Economics Center for Excellence in Business Education. In 2007 he received the college’s most distinguished executive award, presented by Sigma Iota Epsilon. Dow is a member of the Hilton Advisory Council and is involved in Seattle’s Lodging Roundtable, which is concerned with travel and tourism issues impacting the lodging industry. He is a frequent speaker for industry-related organizations. Additionally, he is active in several community and charitable organizations. Dow is the father of three daughters, and enjoys discovering new wines and spending time on the golf course.