About 300 boutique & lifestyle owners, operators and marketers attended the 2010 Lifestyle/Boutique Hotel Development Conference.

In an economic environment of mostly bad news, one bright spot for the hotel industry has been the blossoming boutique and lifestyle hotel segment. While it’s been difficult to obtain financing to build or acquire most kinds of hotels, some entrepreneurs have been looking to this niche as a way to grow during challenging times. Many of them will convene in Miami Beach next month to explore these opportunities and challenges at the 3rd annual Lifestyle/Boutique Hotel Development Conference. The event will be held Oct. 19-21 at the Fontainebleau Hotel in the epicenter of the boutique hotel industry.

Lodging Hospitality sponsors and produces the conference along with HVS Hotel Management. The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University is the conference’s academic partner.

The three-day event combines provocative general sessions with down-to-business panel discussions and a host of networking opportunities among attendees, sponsors, brand companies and consultants.

The kitschy and hip Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach hosts the Lifestyle/Boutique Hotel Development Conference.

Following a welcome reception on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 19, the conference kicks off Thursday morning with a general session that examines the future of the boutique and lifestyle segments. Other general sessions throughout the conference will focus on financing for the segment and leadership lessons from boutique company executives.

On Friday morning, HVS Chairman and founder and Lodging Hospitality columnist Stephen Rushmore will present his outlook for the boutique business and the overall hotel industry.

Heart of the conference is a series of panel discussions that bring together experts in a number of boutique/lifestyle disciplines. Here is a sampling of the breakout session offerings:

Anatomy of a Boutique Development
Case study following the ins and outs of developing a new boutique hotel in East Lansing, MI from the viewpoints of owner, operator and a Michigan State professor using the project as a case study for hospitality students.

Boutique/Lifestyle Hotels: From A to Z
A panel of boutique/lifestyle experts discuss some of the key issues facing owners and operators, including the necessity of a spa, how to handle f&b, how star/diamond ratings affect performance, etc.

Boutique Marketing: How to Find New Customers
Distribution strategies and channel management isn’t as easy as it used to be. A group of experts discuss different approaches to OTAs, Google, Facebook booking engines and more.

Brand vs. Independent
An update on brand initiatives aimed at attracting boutiques and lifestyle hotels to their full-fledged flags and alliances.

New Approaches to Boutique Development
The latest trends in adaptive reuse of non-lodging assets and repositioning of existing hotels into boutique hotels. Topics include use of available tax credits and how to assemble a team for a redevelopment project.

Visit the LBHDC website for more information on the conference and the Fontainebleau.