International Hotel Technology Forum 2021

• From housekeeping to check in: understanding the potential of robots in hospitality
• How might guests react to robots, and how will this impact employees?
• Reality check: in what timeframe will this transformation take place?
• Keeping the human touch present during this time of change

• Legacy systems, new technologies and skillsets: what must be considered when preparing to digitalise processes, and what challenges might hoteliers face?
• Automating internal processes: which tasks are best suited to be automated and why?
• Saving costs, improving margins: which new technologies have the best ROI and why?

A new hospitality market is taking shape as we speak. Power is shifting between distributors, operators and consumers, and walls are broken down between previous silos that suddenly compete for the same loyalty with whole new business models and hybrid user experiences. What role do we take in shaping it? How can we shape the future without losing focus on the present?

• Working with OTAs: getting the most out of these platforms to improve the hotel’s marketing reach
• Driving traffic directly to hotel sites: how can this be achieved in today’s crowded distribution landscape?
• Developing fruitful loyalty programmes for guests
• Strengthening partnerships with third parties to increase bookings and profitability

• Identifying how to create successful concept hotels to driven occupancy
• Determining the different challenges faced in the design and upkeep to maintain quality
• Utilizing technology to create virtual and physical experiences

• From energy to water usage: using technology to measure and monitor environmental impacts
• Finding climate-friendly solutions that don’t break the bank: what areas should be prioritised?
• Driving this message to guests and partners: making sustainability part of your brand

• Introducing Blockchain and its power to streamline back office processes
• Evaluating possible applications of Blockchain technology within the hotel environment
• Investigating viable partnerships with collaborators to accelerate Blockchain development
• Live Q&A from the audience to maximize Blockchain understanding

Our first keynote will take you through the latest developments in the technology space in the hotel industry and look at the exciting work and projects within guest experiences. The session will address and cover the following points:

• Assessing the opportunities, the current pandemic has introduced to guest experience
• How AI and Robotic interface can evolve the current framework of guest interactions
• Why short term investment can bring long term gains for both guests and staff

• The leap to digital: making back-office digitalisation a priority along-side guest experience
• Utilizing advanced data analytics to enrich guest profiles and improve experience
• Giving staff the right digital tools to improve guest experience

• From mobility to speed: what do guests expect from hotels today and how will this evolve?
• A cyclical journey: enhancing customer journeys to keep guests on-side
• Creating the ultimate hotel experience: seamless and personal CX
• Investing in technologies with a clear goal in mind: ensuring ROI for the business
• Data is the new oil: harnessing the power of data to improve profitability and engagement
• Investing in staff: keeping employees on-side to champion corporate goals and deliver seamless services

• Identifying whether new technology offerings within a crowded market address your main challenges as a hotelier
• Distinguishing the benefits of working with start-ups to get access to new technologies that offer a unique product offering
• Ensuring start-ups are able to deliver with a minimal track record as opposed to larger companies with proven delivery results
• Prioritising technologies that allow for easy integration of different platforms to maximize communication and efficiency on the back end