Hideo Sawada, founder of H.I.S. – one of Japan’s largest travel companies – is confirmed to speak at the upcoming Hotel Technology Summit in Dubai taking place on 22 – 23 November 2015 at the Sofitel The Palm in Dubai, UAE..
Mr. Sawada is one of the top CEOs in Japan’s inbound tourism industry. Having founded International Tours Inc. (now HIS Co. Ltd) in 1980, he has served as the chairman and president of several large corporations in Japan including Sawada Holdings Co. Ltd., Khan Bank, HS Securities Co. Ltd., and Huis Ten Bosch Co., Ltd.
Early this year, he opened the world’s first hotel that is staffed entirely by robots, called the Henn-na Hotel. It is a two-story 72-room hotel promoted with the slogan “A Commitment for Evolution”, which reflects how the hotel will bring change and innovation to the industry through cutting-edge technology.
Japan is a world leader in robotics technology, and it’s no surprise that the country now boasts a hotel that relies almost entirely on the latest technological innovations for its day-to-day operations.
The hotel is filled with robots; a Japanese female humanoid robot welcomes you at the concierge, and doors open by facial recognition technology. A cloakroom robot picks up your valuables for safekeeping while you are away, and in the rooms, a lamp-sized robot answers simple questions such as “What time is it?” These features are not merely gimmicks; they were designed as part of a serious effort towards cost-effective utilisation of technology and greater efficiency.
“We are striving to make this the most efficient hotel in the world – it is designed to evolve into having more than 90% of hotel services operated by robots,” says Hideo Sawada. “This is my first visit to the Middle East and I feel it is a great opportunity for me to share our experience with the hoteliers in Dubai, at a time when it is developing into one of the world’s finest MICE destinations,” he added.
The upcoming initiative will privately gather over 150 CEOs and CIOs to discuss the latest technology trends that will impact the regional industry, resolve challenges in providing the ultimate guest experience, and bridge the gap between the needs of existing and upcoming millennial guests.
Sophie Le Ray, CEO of Naseba said, “We are delighted to host Mr. Hideo Sawada at the Hotel Technology Summit. His vision to bring about change in the hotel industry with the effective use of technology is commendable and will certainly add value to the summit.”
The Hotel Technology Summit is partnered with HFTP, the organisers of HITEC – the world’s largest hospitality technology show. It features leading global technology providers such as Honeywell, Rategain, Pagero, Alcatel-Lucent, Assa Abloy, M-Comm, xn Hotel Systems, and Innwise among others. These providers will bring their global expertise and technology innovation to support the regional vision of smart transformation.
eHotelier is proud to partner with the Hotel Technology Summit. For more information, please visit the Hotel Technology Summit event listing.
