Last week, I was invited as a speaker for the HVS 2013 Ukraine & CIS Hospitality Operations Forum held at the Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv. The two day conference saw me lead a three hour master class discussing online marketing strategies for hotels and the emergence of experiential marketing as well as a half hour presentation on contemporary issues facing hoteliers. This was my first time in Eastern Europe so another whole day was spent touring the sights and sounds of the beautiful capital city of Kiev. All said, the event was a tremendous success, and if any of you get a chance, I’d definitely recommend a visit to this part of the world!