NEWS RELEASE

Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax; 713/743-8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2004

Contact: Leticia Konigsberg
713/743-8152 (office)
713/617-7143 (pager)
lkonigsberg@uh.edu
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY TO ADDRESS PRIVACY CONCERNS,
IMMIGRATION LAWS AT UH CONFERENCE

Hotel guests hanging out “Do Not Disturb” signs need to know that it may not guarantee their privacy.

Under the Patriot Act, hotel management now has the right to enter any “private” room, if deemed necessary,
according to Stephen Barth, professor at the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management.

That’s just one of the hot topics, along with immigration reform and changes in insurance policies, that will be in the spotlight during the Second Annual Hospitality Law Conference at the UH Hilton Conference Center Jan. 22-23.

“Our industry has a huge responsibility for what happens on the properties we manage whether they be clubs, bars, restaurants or hotels,” said Barth. “There has been so much change in policy it’s become absolutely imperative for hospitality professionals across the board to get together and share information.”

The two-day meeting is designed for general counsel and executives of lodging, restaurant and club operations; risk managers; safety & security directors; legal practitioners in the hospitality industry; and hospitality law faculty. Specific sessions include “Menu Warnings, Ingredient Disclosures, and Allergy Issues,” “Immigration Update,” “Trends in Liability,” “Resort Development Issues” and “Ethical Considerations.”

The conference was jointly developed by the UH Conrad N. Hilton College; HospitalityLawyer.com; the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section; and the Loss Prevention Management Institute. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. is the conference underwriter.

Barth, attorney and founder of HospitalityLawyer.com, is also co-chairing the conference along with JeAnna Abbott, attorney and associate dean of the Hilton College.

For more information visit www.hospitalitylawyer.com.

WHAT: Second Annual Hospitality Law Conference
WHEN: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 22
8:30 – 11:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 23
WHERE: University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton Conference Center
University Drive at Calhoun Road, Entrance 1
Parking available in Lot 1A and Hilton underground garage
WHO: UH Conrad N. Hilton College; HospitalityLawyer.com; the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section; and the Loss Prevention Management Institute

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.