As the hotel industry’s recovery picks up speed, owners, developers and operators need to determine where the growth opportunities lie. A good place to find them is at the Midwest Lodging Investors Summit scheduled for July 11-13 at the Sheraton Chicago.

Sponsored by Lodging Hospitality in association with HVS and academic partner The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State, the three-day event will explore the key issues facing many owners, operators and brand companies. Among the topics to be covered include financing, hotels in distress, hot hotel segments, social media, the green movement, asset management and more.

Following an opening reception on the evening of Sunday, July 11, the conference kicks off on Monday morning with two general sessions. One, “A View From the Top”, includes CEOs from major hotel brand and management companies to discuss the current state of the industry. Don Landry, the conference MC and president of Top Ten Consulting, will moderate the panel.

Following the session, four other industry leaders will take an in-depth look at ways hoteliers can cash in on the coming industry rebound. Tuesday morning features two more general sessions: “My Hotel Is Worth What?,” a look at where lodging values are headed; and “Segment’s Overview: What’s Hot, What’s Not,” a review of the market segments and geographic areas ripe for acquisition and development.

A highlight of the conference will be a luncheon address on Monday by former Global Hyatt President Doug Geoga. Geoga is now president and CEO of Salt Creek Hospitality, an Illinois-based firm formed to make strategic investments in the hospitality industry. Geoga will present his view of the short- and long-term prospects for the hotel business and share his firm’s investment philosophies and strategies. A special guest at the luncheon will be Laurence Geller, chairman of Strategic Hotels & Resorts. Geller will offer his always-entertaining perspective on the business and then introduce Geoga.

The conference features 18 breakout sessions under four tracks: financing, opportunities, operations and segments. The financing track will focus on recovery in the hotel transactions and finance market. Sessions in this track include “Dealing with Distress,” “How to Buy Debt,” “Asset Managers Share Their Secrets” and “Hotels in Default: What’s Next?”

The operations topics include social media marketing, green hotels and hotel design. The segment will cover latest developments in indoor waterpark resorts, select service in the Midwest and lifestyle brands. Among the issues discussed in the opportunities track are what’s hot in commercial real estate, a case study of a recent hotel development project and a look at the latest results from the Michigan State Lodging-Market Potential Index.

The conference schedule includes ample time for attendees to socialize, do business and visit with the nearly 20 sponsors and partners of the conference. Receptions are planned for both Sunday and Monday night, and both Monday and Tuesday feature several coffee and networking breaks.