9:00 am Robotics and automation: the future of the service industry
- 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

Patrick Apostolo
Corporate Operations Manager EMEA
Radisson Hotel Group
9:20 am Session Reserved For Sponsor
9:50 am From cloud to digital PMS: navigating the journey to digital
- 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?

Tomeu Fiol
Global Hotels Technologies Director
Melia Hotels International
10:20 am Session Reserved For Sponsor
10:50 am Virtual Networking & 1-2-1 Business Meeting
11:00 am Why 1% of the business is more important than the 99%
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?

Christian Lunden
Director of Future Business
Nordic Choice Hotels
11:20 am Session Reserved For Sponsor
11:50 am Distribution strategies of tomorrow
- 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

Dado Ljumanovic
Group Director, Digital Media & CRM
Sircle Collection
12:10 pm Keeping guests engaged: the role of conceptual hotels
- 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

Diego Calvo
CEO & Founder
Concept Hotel Group
12:30 pm Virtual Networking & 1-2-1 Business Meeting
12:40 pm Sustainable hotels: working towards a greener world
- 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

Daniel Wishnia
Chief Digital Transformation Officer
Aroundtown SA
1:00 pm How Can Blockchain Work For Hotels & The Wider Travel Industry?
- 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

Menelaos Petrovas
Director of Digital Marketing
Airport Hotel Basel
1:20 pm Reviewing the automated guest experience landscape such as automated check in and out and mobile access as the way forward

Abbas Elshabasy
Regional IT Director, Sunrise Resorts and Cruises
1:40 pm The importance of having a narrative – why hotels need a story

Joanna Becker-Birck
Senior Manager Marketing Strategy, Worldhotels
End of Day 1
9:00 am Future Innovations: Evolving Guest Experience With The Enhancement Of Robots In Hospitality
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

Gerald Scheurmann-Kettner
CIO
Event Hotels
9:20 am Session Reserved For Sponsor
9:50 am 2020 and beyond: shifting from PMS to CRM / CRS centric model
- 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

Markus Felinger
Director Systems & Enterprise Analytics
Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences
10:20 am Session Reserved For Sponsor
10:50 am Networking & 1-2-1 Business Meeting
11:00 am Keeping guests at the heart of business strategies
- 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

Alexandra Schuhmann
Global Senior Director of Travel Industry Partnerships
BWH Hotel Group
11:20 am Session Reserved For Sponsor
11:50 am Revenue Management Techniques During COVID-19

Patty deGruiter
Vice President Revenue and Distribution, Europe Hotels Private Collection
12:10 pm New Customer Behavioural Trends During COVID-19

Magdalena Osmola
Marketing Director
Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa
12:30 pm Virtual Networking & 1-2-1 Business Meeting
12:40 pm Reconsidering Your Business Strategy To Stay Relevant In The Current Climate

Raul Gonzalez
CEO
Barcelo Group
1:00 pm Identifying the vendor selection criteria in relation to start-ups versus established service providers
- 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

Mirella Premeru
Director of Revenue Management Sector, Valamar Riviera
1:20 pm Revenue Management Techniques During COVID-19

Jon Siberry
Group Revenue Manager
Sarova
1:40 pm How Should Hotels Tech Enable Their Businesses
Conclusion of conference
SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES
If you have a service or product you would like to showcase, please use the details below to make contact with our team.
Herdip Kaur
Forum Director
T: +44 (0) 207 936 6539
E: HerdipKaur@arena-international.com
SPEAKER OPPORTUNITIES
If you have would like to join the stage for 2020 please contact our production team using the contact details below, we would love to hear from you.
James Reidy
E: james.reidy@arena-international.com