Message from depa united group CEO Dear guests, On behalf of Depa United Group, I am honoured and excited to present you with the 6th edition of the Depa Hotel Awards. On May 2nd 2007, we cordially invite you to attend a special event: the first of its kind in our industry. For many years, Depa has been working closely with the hospitality industry and contributed to what it is today; now the aspirations are to help the industry continue improving in the future.
Following the great success of the five previous editions, we have been gathering hotels’ feedback and comments regarding the awards’ judging process and have decided to respond to this feedback. Therefore, the Depa Hotel Awards 2007 will be significantly different from the previous years. We will assume a new voting method as we strongly believe the best people to recognize and judge excellence in the hotel industry are those working in the industry itself. Therefore, this year, to decide who will win these prestigious awards, you will be the judge! The process will begin in February 2007, when hotels will be invited to submit their applications on a brand new website, which has been designed and created to give you maximum freedom in your submission. The application period will end in the beginning of April 2007, to grant you a month to view each other’s complete submissions and prepare to vote! Then, on May 2nd at the Gala dinner, using the latest, interactive and most innovative real-time technology, hotels can anonymously vote, to determine who truly deserves to win each award category of the Depa Awards 2007. To support the new voting system, we are involving professional third party companies’ services, using state of the art technology to ensure the success of the event and guarantee unbiased voting. In this manner, you are driving the selection of the finalists and winners, live, playing an important role in recognizing the hotel sector and its significant contribution to the hospitality industry, while encouraging all countries within the region to achieve new levels of excellence. Furthermore, your application provides you with the opportunity to showcase your outstanding services, performance and initiatives that have come to characterize the Middle East and North Africa hospitality industry. By displaying your brand, strength and distinctiveness to all your colleagues and competitors, you will set a new standard for quality in the region. As we anticipate this exciting and innovative event, we look forward to your participation in the Depa Hotel Awards 2007 competition and to celebrating with you, on May 2nd, the continued success of your industry. Good luck and best regards, Mohannad Sweid Chief Executive Officer Depa United Group