The Hotel Technology Expansion Summit has concluded after a successful two-day run at the Sofitel the Palm Resort and Spa in Dubai.
The summit gathered 150 hoteliers, hospitality executives and decision-makers within the hospitality industry, including CEOs, Heads of IT, Heads of Technology, Heads of Sales and Marketing, Revenue Directors, Procurement Directors, Managing Directors and General Managers from various international hotel chains and brands.
These hospitality executives and procurement specialists were introduced to top solution providers and project holders within hotel technology, who showcased some of their most cutting-edge solutions at the summit.
At a time when the hospitality industry is increasingly turning to smart technology, mobile apps and digital solutions to streamline their administrative processes and enhance guest experience, it is vital for hoteliers to learn about the latest innovations that could help them stay ahead of curve. The hoteliers at the summit were provided with some essential tools and information to help them navigate the changes in the industry as it reinvents itself in the wake of what some are calling a technological revolution.
Summit attendees heard from industry leaders like Hideo Sawada, President of Huis Ten Bosch and Chairman of H.I.S., Laurent Voivenel, Chief Executive Officer of Hospitality Management Holding, and Denis Sorin, President of Hotel Operations, Dur Hospitality. Commenting on his participation, Mr. Sawada said: “I feel this a great opportunity for me to share our experiences with hoteliers in Dubai” which he believes is “developing into one of the world’s finest MICE destinations.”
His much anticipated talk focused on the use of robots in hotels, based on his own experience running Henn-na, the world’s first robot-staffed hotel.
The other topics covered during the summit’s panel discussions, keynote speeches and tech talks varied widely, from the viability of hotel automation, to streamlining hospitality supply chains through smart networks, to the importance of centralising IT and embracing disruptive technologies.
The last-named topic is currently a hot button issue in the hospitality industry, and was addressed by many summit speakers, including Fredrik Rosenqvist, Vice President Partner and Alliances, Pagero, who said “Over the last few decades, our lives have been transformed through the introduction and adoption of disruptive technologies, revolutionising the way we live and work. Introduction and adoption of these technologies lead to significant improvements in efficiencies, procurement accuracy, cost and environmental sustainability.”
However, speakers were also careful to point out the importance of securing data. Lijo Mathew Kankapadan, Corporate IT Director at Emaar Hospitality, said “Cloud is not a new technology for hotels, but we need to make sure that data stored in the cloud is secured”. His sentiments were echoed by Wael Othman, Director of IT & Business Solutions at Rotana Hotel Management Corporation, who commented “80 percent of big data in the world is unprotected. We invest a lot of money in security, but data protection remains a critical question”.
Attendees were given the opportunity to network with industry peers and leaders at networking lunches, during coffee breaks between sessions, and during the unique Naseba networking hub. The latter provided attendees with the chance to connect with up to 20 fellow hospitality professionals for brief but intense one-to-one networking sessions of two minutes each.
These sessions provided attendees with an ideal setting in which to build valuable business relationships, and connected qualified buyers with the industry’s top suppliers.
The summit was sponsored by Pagero, RateGain, DigiValet, Alcatel Lucent, MCOM Media Communications, Eros Group, Sharaf DG among other well-established organisations. Sponsors also included American multinational conglomerate Honeywell.
The summit was also supported by Idiso Hotel Distribution, Assa Abloy Hospitality, Xn Hotel Systems, Infor and Ruckus. Cetis, Terunt, Vtech and Excel Distribution are the summit’s supporting partners, while media partners include eHotelier.com, Hospitality News, Hozpitality, TTG MENA and HSyndicate.
eHotelier is proud to partner with the Hotel Technology Summit. For more information, please visit the Hotel Technology Summit event listing.
