At Pitch Perfect, Roger served as judge and mentor alongside Anna Cohen and Patrick White. Congratulations to all three finalists for presenting their projects admirably:

  1. Karl Chehab - COO, Kourtidis Group, Greece
  2. Jose Matheu -Corporate Development Director, Grupo Pinero, Tenerife, Spain
  3. Kaivan Faria - CFO, Tenuta Montingegnoli, Italy. 

The quality of the competition was high throughout.

The top prize went unanimously to Kourtidis Group from Greece, for their Alexandrou Chora - The Great project in Kavala. A well-deserved win, and a genuinely exciting project.

Alexandrou Chora - The Great

It is a large-scale mixed-use tourism development on the Ofrynio Beach coastline in Kavala, spanning 175,000 sqm. The project combines a five-star resort already under construction, a luxury residential village, and a cultural centre - part of a broader platform of five landmark developments by Kourtidis Group, representing a total investment of €550 million. The resort is expected to be completed by 2027, with international brand partnerships in advanced discussion. At Pitch Perfect, the project was evaluated on vision, sustainability, and investment appeal, and stood out as the development with the strongest investment potential in the room. 

Roger had mentored Karl Chehab (COO Hospitality at Kourtidis Group). In his remarks after the announcement, Karl specifically acknowledged that support: "I would like to thank Mr. Roger A. Allen, Group CEO of RLA Global, who supported as a mentor the entire preparation process for the presentation." Read the full story here.

The timing added its own significance: the competition began on 25 March, Greek National Independence Day. A good day for Greece, on and off the stage. RLA Global has a longstanding relationship with Enterprise Greece, and moments like this reflect the strength of what the Greek hospitality sector is building.

IHIF continues to provide a strong platform for informed, high-quality industry dialogue. We look forward to returning next year.

If you are developing a mixed-use or branded residential project, we would be glad to connect. > contactus@rlaglobal.com 

 Moments from Pitch Perfect

Celebration - Judges and the Winning Team

Celebration - Pitch Perfect - Winners

Roger Allen is among the Judges

Roger Allen among the Judges, IHIF

The Audience - Marinos Giannopoulos (CEO of Enterprise Greece) and Hilda Alisandratou

Marinos Giannopoulos - CEO of Enterprise Greece

 The Winner: Kourtidis Group

From left to right: Roger Allen (Group CEO, RLA Global), Nikos Kourtidis (President, Kourtidis Group), Konstantina Dimitrova (Vice President, Kourtidis Group), Marinos Giannopoulos (CEO, Enterprise Greece), Karl Chehab (COO, Kourtidis Group)

The Winners - Kourtidis Group

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