The ALIS Host Hotel Story: Javier Cano on 15 Years of ALIS at L.A. LIVE

In the final installment of our conversation series with retiring Marriott Area General Manager, Javier Cano, Jeff Higley caught up with Cano outside the JW Marriott/Ritz-Carlton at L.A. LIVE -- the property Cano has led since it opened in 2010, and the host hotel for every ALIS since 2011.

Cano recalls the early days of ALIS, the room-block and logistics matrix built to organize the very first ALIS at the property, and the pressure of knowing the industry's leadership was about to stay under his roof for several days. He calls ALIS our Super Bowl -- the event the hotel plans for months in advance, clearing calendars and lining up resources well ahead of the date.

The hotel's opening was itself a milestone for the city, the first new downtown LA skyscraper since 1992, and Cano credits it with moving a market that had been stuck in per-diem territory for years, paving the way for further downtown hotel development. Of the countless events the property hosts annually, he doesn't hesitate on which is his favorite: ALIS, for the caliber of delegate it brings through the door and the deals that get made under his roof.

Watch the full conversation for Cano's reflections on hosting ALIS delegates year after year, and his parting message to an industry he calls an honor to have served.