6th ITB Hospitality Day with Kempinski, Grand City and interesting studies
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| Kempinski belongs to the most successful brands in Germany, side by side with Volkswagen, Lego and Apple. Last week, CEO Reto Wittwer received the "best brand" Award - evaluated by the renowned research institute GfK Group. |
Berlin (February 18, 2011). Kempinski Hotels, the oldest hotel group in the world, has carried 64 hotels in 114 years and a legendary reputation. Grand City Hotels & Resorts has created 100 hotels within eight years - however, only a few know their name. Which growth is the more promising one? These questions will hopefully be answered by the CEOs of both hotel groups, Reto Wittwer and Christian Windfuhr, with the "CEO-Panel" at the "ITB Hospitality Day" on the Thursday, March 10, 2011. Before that, researchers will explain current study results regarding the CSR policies of chains and have a look at the hotel industry after 2020. The 6th ITB hotel conference has been organised and attended by hospitalityInside for the sixth time.
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For Reto Wittwer at the head of the formerly German five-star hotel chain for the past 16 years, growth presents itself in the five-star hotel segment differently than in other segments. Therefore, he will explain which factors are important to Kempinski and how the high service demands of wealthy guests can be brought into balance with expansion and a focus on yields. Lastly, the group has ambitious goals: They want to become twice as big by 2015.
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| Christian Windfuhr, CEO Grand City Hotels, will discuss strategies with Reto Wittwer. |
Contradicting beginning
From the start, growth was the goal for the Grand City Hotels and the foreign investors in the background. Germany was consciously selected as expansion country No. 1. Grand City looks at the hotel market from the real estate perspective and approaches the acquisition and management of hotels accordingly with sober business. In contrast to Kempinski, who only want to manage the hotels.
Because of these contrasts, this year''s CEO Panel at the ITB carries the title "Priorities on Hospitality or Real Estate?" and under the moderation of hospitalityInside Editor-in-Chief, Maria Puetz-Willems, an interesting discussion can be expected: Thursday, March 10, 13-14 h in hall 7.1b, auditorium London.
Analyses: CSR methods of hotels
60 minutes before the CEO Panel, highly renowned speakers from England will split up. Xavier Font, Co-Director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism at Leeds Metropolitan University, has examined the environmental and CSR methods of leading hotel chains in the leisure segment on the behalf of consumer protection organisations in several countries.
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| Xavier Font, CSR specialist. |
Ten hotel groups in Thailand, Southern Europe and Mexico were analysed: Accor, Barcelo, Carlson, Hilton, Iberostar, InterContinental/IHG, Marriott, RIU, Sol Meliá and Starwood hotels were put under the magnifying glass.
The hotel groups involved do not yet know the results of their evaluations and will only learn them at the "ITB Hospitality Day". Xavier Font will reveal a ranking.
Title and Timing: "Environment & CSR - Concepts & Assessments", Thursday, March 10, 11.45-12.15 h, in hall 7.1b, auditorium London.
Analyses: the hotel future
With this, as well as with the following session, Prof. Dr. Christian Buer, lecturer in tourism and hotel management at Heilbronn University, takes over an interactive presentation and coordination of public questions.
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| Rohit Talwar, futurologist. |
Immediately following Xavier Font as a speaker will be Rohit Talwar, CEO of the English institute, Fast Future Research, together with Jérôme Destors, the IT Director of Amadeus. Both have felt the future of hotels: The study „Hotels 2020: Beyond Segmentation“ explains the characteristic features of future guests and examines how hotel groups can react to them. The listeners may expect, among other things, tips on the subject of service, particularly in the aspect of an even more intensive personalisation in the future.
Title and Timing: "Hotels 2020: Beyond Segmentation", Thursday, March 10, 12.15-12.45 h, in hall 7.1b, auditorium London.
You can find the link for the entire programme for the 6th ITB Hospitality Day here. / red
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