Caribbean Conversations with Nick Hecker

 we talk with top ULI leaders in finance, development, government, and real estate.

Speakers | Nicholas Hecker, Executive Managing Director Sculptor Capital Management | Moderator: Adam Greenfader, Chair ULI Caribbean Roundtable, AG&T. 

Are Hotels Coming Back to The Caribbean?

Are Hotels Comming Back Caribbean

Join an all-star panel to discuss “Are Hotels Coming Back to the Caribbean?” : a ULI discussion on The State of the Caribbean Hotel Market.

 

Hear from leading Caribbean hospitality professionals about what’s happening from operations, investing, transactions, and lending perspectives.

 

 

Adam Greenfader

Managing Partner AG&T

 

Alejandro Zozaya

Executive Chairman, Apple Leisure Group

 

Christian Charre

Senior Vice President, CBRE Hotels

 

Chris Cylke

COO, REVPAR International, Inc.

 

 

Nicholas Hecker

Executive Managing Director/Chief Investment Officer, 

Sculptor Real Estate

 

Three questions answered: 

 

1. What hotel transactions are happening today?

2. Is the hotel market going to undergo a series of defaults, acquisitions, and repurposing?

3.  What operational changes is the hospitality industry doing to successfully come back on line?

 

 

 

The State of Tourism in Latin America and Caribbean with IDB Invest

Rogerio Bass

ULI Caribbean Conversation

“The role of multilateral development banks (MDBs) in supporting the tourism sector in Latin America and the Caribbean”.

Conversation with with Rogerio Basso, Head of Tourism at IDB Invest and Adam Greenfader, Chair ULI Caribbean Council / Managing Partner AG&T.

  • * State of affairs of the tourism sector prior to COVID-19?
  • What makes this crisis different than prior ones?
  • What tourism players are doing to mitigate the impact of the pandemic?
  • Top three actions to better face this crisis?

 

Rogerio Basso leads all initiatives related to tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean for IDB Invest, the private sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group. In his capacity as Head of Tourism, he is responsible for origination, investments and for executing IDB Invest’s tourism strategy in the region, offering a variety of financial instruments including debt, mezzanine and equity. Rogerio has executed numerous tourism transactions in the region spanning from hotels to conference centers.With over two decades of experience in banking, private equity, development, and strategy consulting within the hospitality and real estate sectors, Rogerio has held a variety of positions across top global firms, working across a variety of domestic and foreign markets, with a strong focus in Latin America. Prior to joining IDB Invest, he was CIO at Key International, a Miami-based real estate investment platform active across many industry sectors. He also served as EVP Acquisitions & Development for Terranum Hotels, an owner and operator of hotels across Latin America, sponsored by Colombia-based Santo Domingo Group and Sam Zell’s Equity International.

 Rogerio holds a business degree from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

Tax Incentives for Strategic Recovery

See video on strategic tax incentives and recent fiscal policy for the territories and Puerto Rico.

Francisco Luis, Partner at Kevane Grant Thornton and Adam Greenfader, Caribbean Chair / AG&T discuss “ Bringing back manufacturing to USA – Puerto Rico. “ 

In this in-depth conversation about Tax Policy and Incentives,  Mr. Luis discusses the GILTI and BEAT provisions of the 2017 Tax Code and some of the implications of the House Resolution 6448; otherwise known as ” The Territorial Economic Recovery Act.

Other topics include,  ‘Opportunity Zone incentives’ and the ‘Tourism Tax Credit’ as part of the recently passed Act 60.

Francisco Luis has over twenty-nine years’ experience in public accounting, including the “Big Four” and private consulting practice. 

He engages in the design and development of tax planning and consulting strategies. This includes tax services in the area of mergers and acquisitions, business reorganizations, partnership transactions, tax incentives and exemptions, individual and corporate tax issues, personal financial matters, and others. Moreover, since the designation of Puerto Rico as an Opportunity Zone, Francisco has been actively participating as guest speaker on several conferences and activities lecturing about this new incentives regime.

His experience includes participation in multiple international and global business transformation engagements, including post-acquisition implementation and executing strategies focused on reducing global effective tax rates, mostly interplaying with the Puerto Rico tax incentives. Francisco has significant experience assisting clients before the Internal Revenue Service and the Puerto Rico Treasury Department, among others. He also possesses extensive tax compliance experience.

Membership

  • Puerto Rico State Society of Certified Public Accountants
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Travel and Tourism and the COVID19 Pandemic

Headshot of Brad Dean

The Covid 19 pandemic has brought worldwide tourism to a standstill. In this ULI Caribbean Conversation, we speak with Brad Dean, CEO of Puerto Rico’s Destination Marketing Organization (DMO).  Brad shares some insights about what some of the top private and public minds in the industry are thinking, planning, and prepping for travel 2.0.

” I think this down time gives the travel and tourism industry our George Bailey moment. “We have all seen that without travel it’s pretty ugly….there is a lot greater value to travel than most of us ever realized..travel lifts spirits, it connects people, it leads to progress, exclaimed Brad Dean.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

AG&T is a real estate development and consulting company founded in 1998 with headquarters in Miami, Florida. Our  track record spans over 55 real estate development projects in Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and various other Caribbean islands.

Manufacturing 2.0 with Manuel Laboy

Join Manuel Laboy, Secretary of Economic Development of Puerto Rico and Adam Greenfader, ULI Caribbean Chair as they discuss “ Bringing Back Manufacturing to USA – Puerto Rico. “

In this in-depth conversation, Mr. Laboy discusses the current opportunities in pharmaceutical manufacturing, Puerto Rico’s history in Life Science,  inventory, infrastructure, and potential pitfalls. Other topics include,  Puerto Rico Tax incentives, HR # 6443,  Opportunity Zones, Public Private Partnerships, and the recently enacted regulations allowing foreign cargo to Puerto Rico; “ a game changer”, according to Manuel Laboy. 

 

 

Manuel A. Laboy Rivera is the Secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DEDC) in Puerto Rico and Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) with the mission to attract new investment, promote the creation of new jobs and strengthening of small and medium enterprises. He is also responsible for the formulation and strategic implementation of the Puerto Rico economic development plan, including competitiveness-related reform, infrastructure projects and the innovation of technology agenda. Mr. Laboy is a licensed professional engineer with 19 years of experience in various industries and sectors, including manufacturing, chemical production, life sciences (pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical devices), construction, public utilities, export services, renewable energy, infrastructure, technology and project management.

Manuel Laboy has a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez Campus, a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Turabo in Puerto Rico. He is also a member of the College of Engineers and Surveyors of Puerto Rico, and holds a Certified Safety Professional certification from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.

To learn more contact  Adam Greenfader Managing Partner of AG&T, a real estate development and advisory services company. 

 

Making America Safe Again

Ready to Make America Safe Again

 

In this insightful conversation during the COVID19 pandemic, Adam Greenfader and Rich Holman, Chairman of Lifeafar, explore USA longstanding relationship with Puerto Rico manufacturing, the consequences of the elimination of Section 936, and how 1.2 million Puerto Ricans living in Florida may decide the the 2020 US Presidential election. 

Other topics discussed:

  • Act 20/20 Tax Incentives

  • Puerto Rico Opportunity Zones (98% of the island)

  • The positive consequences of Hurricanes Irma and Maria