The HITT Think Tank 2021 launches in hybrid form in Munich: Register now!
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| International experts from the hotel and non-hotel industry will shape the 4th HITT. Top topics for all business strategists. / Photo: HI |
Augsburg/Munich (May 7, 2021). The HospitalityInside Think Tank (HITT) has never been so comprehensive, international and top-class, and this is the first time the Think Tank will be set up in a hybrid form. On 13/14 September, participants will be able to meet live in Munich, with everyone else joining the event virtually. The theme will be the current mega-trend accelerated by corona: "Sustainability & Digitalisation: The Change Drivers." Join us as we discuss how sustainability is resetting the course of the hospitality world this decade and how digitalisation enables this future.
This decade is going to be action-packed. The challenge of climate change, the digital push we have just experienced and a significant change in consumer behaviour are once again rapidly changing the basic conditions in which the hotel industry must operate.
For three years, the HITT community has been working hard on the digital customer journey, and now we're taking the next step: We are linking the digital challenge with the sustainable one.
The 4th HITT is therefore the forum for an even larger target group: The strongly cross-border and cross-sector programme addresses hotel real estate and finance experts, developers such as hotel operators, as well as lawyers, architects, tech, digital and sustainability experts.
The Think Tank will again be held in English only; this allows us to maximise the involvement of our impulse generators (speakers). The 2021 programme also makes it very clear how important the international context will become for each individual hotel company.
"SUSTAINABILITY & DIGITALISATION: THE CHANGE DRIVERS."
The Decade of Action: How Sustainability leads the agenda, how Digitalisation enables it."
HITT 2021 builds bridges from sustainable and connected hotel buildings to a digitised hotel operation and confronts the classic concepts with the demands of the new "sustainable natives", with mixed-use developments and technology opportunities at high speed.
The sector is on the cusp of major upheaval, and the change will be felt right down into every single nook and cranny of the hotel as well as in every guest address.
Therefore, the first day of HITT will focus on and underscore the issues from above: What is driving this whole movement (e.g. environmental innovation, but also the EU taxonomy)? How must hotel design and construction adapt if they want to be sustainable in the future? What will happen to the many old hotel buildings, especially in Central Europe?
The second day will break down the big issues to more concrete everyday situations: How does the new, more agile lifestyle of people (Work, Live, Play) influence the concepts, how will City Centres change, what will sustainable Mixed Use Districts look like? What tools and benchmarks will hotel companies need in future in order to be in a positive to act sustainably? And why must sustainability and digitalisation only be matters for senior management?
Moderator Tim Davis on HITT 2021 "10 years from now, business and consumers will view today's innovations as minimum thresholds. In the past, technology innovation has already unlocked many of the solutions to enable the world to make a big difference now. The current COVID crisis has changed the patterns of demand and reset future industry and market norms. The stage is set for this decade to be transformative.The travel and hospitality industry is a major focus by governments and society; it’s one of the largest employers, and a major driver of commercial real estate development, transportation, and carbon based energy consumption. Travel and Hospitality are important to society and the economy, and consequently critical to the sustainability. The opportunity is that sustainability can also transform the productivity and value of hotel companies. The future leaders in the industry will not only help the planet and society, but will also make sustainability affordable, accessible, and transform the profitability of their business." Tim Davis is the Founder and Managing Director of PACE Dimensions, London, a research and management consulting company focused on travel, tourism and hospitality. |
The Impulse Generators - Experts hitting the right note
These top-class experts set the focus, there is plenty of room for direct dialogue afterwards and direct questions to the impulse generators.
Today we present the first speakers and sponsors, more names and details on speakers and the issues to be addressed will follow in due course.
Enjoy the discussions with:
> Wes Paul, Executive Chairman and Founder, Gemin-i Analytics: an internationally networked investment expert with over 40 years of experience, primarily at J.P. Morgan, and today active in the development of future technologies, among other things.
His topic: The Decade of Action: Why are Sustainability & Digitalisation the catalysts for change? The big picture.
> Fflur Roberts, Global Head of Luxury Goods, Euromonitor: Manager of the worldwide research programme with strategic market analyses in 32 countries.
Her topic: How is Customer Behaviour adapting given the Rise of Sustainability? The digital natives have turned into sustainable natives.
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| Insights from an industry pioneer: Neil Jacobs. / Photo: Six Senses |
> Neil B. Jacobs, CEO, Six Senses Resorts Spas: a pioneer in the luxury hotel industry with experience with Four Seasons and Starwood Capital, the driver of sustainable wellbeing at Six Senses since 2012.
His topic: Authentic Sustainability, the new Wellbeing. How real estate creates communities and meets with people's new way of living, working and playing.
> Gesa Rohwedder, Head of Hospitality, Drees & Sommer: an experienced hotel manager with a career at IHG, who moved to an international project management company in 2014 and has since been thinking about the future with investors, developers and operators.
Her topic: Urban Hospitality under Fire. Mixed Use will reflect the future demand and a new blend of target groups, re-shape the city centres and change hotel concepts.
> Xenia zu Hohenlohe, Founding Partner, Considerate Group: first luxury hotel business (Mandarin Oriental, Oberoi, Aman), then the leap into self-employment and right into sustainability and customised concepts for international hotel and tourism companies.
Her topic in discussion with the participants: Master the Measurement! Which sustainable & digital tools in the market benefit operators and owners?
> Wolfgang M. Neumann, Chairman, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance: Ex-CEO of Radisson Hospitality Group and Arabella Hospitality Group, with a new passion for the implementation of sustainable hotel concepts and great commitment as mentor of Young Talents.
His topic: Make it happen! Leadership & Collaboration. Why sustainability begins in the boardroom and inspires staff and locals.
The sponsors - Companies with vision
Their support for the HospitalityInside Think Tank has been pledged (so far):
• Accor as GOLD Sponsor
• Drees & Sommer as BRONZE Sponsor
• IDeas as BRONZE Sponsor
• Hotelschool The Hague as Partner
• uniper as PARTNER
Accor and Drees & Sommer have supported the Think Tank since its inception in 2018. They share with us the values of this event and their know-how with the participants. This continuity and the ongoing exchange of content throughout the years create the framework for the positive development of the Think Tank. Many thanks for that!
As a new "Partner" for HITT 2021, we welcome uniper, a leading international energy company headquartered in Düsseldorf, with around 11,500 employees and operations in more than 40 countries. Uniper is one of the world's largest electricity producers. Welcome to the HITT Community!
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PROGRAMME, PRICES & REGISTRATION at www.hitt.world
The 4th HITT will take place on 13/14 September in Munich. It starts at 12 noon on the first day and finishes at around 4.30pm on the second day.
The complete programme can be found on the Think Tank's own website www.hitt.worldas well as all speakers and sponsors that have been confirmed so far. More names and companies will be added in the coming days/weeks!
The prices differ by ticket and are set at €980 for the physical event in Munich and €490 for virtual participation. Price reductions are available for early bookers, past HITT attendees and HospitalityInside subscribers.
If you want to be there live in Munich, you should hurry: We can welcome 50 participants at the venue itself, of course subject to corona precautions.
The venue: The first two extremely inspiring events on a ship in Berlin were followed last year by a purely virtual format. For this reason, we are all the more happy that we will be able to see each other in person again this September For this we have chosen a relaxed co-working space, the Smart Village Munich (Ganghoferstrasse 66b, 80339 München).
Click here to register and book for the HITT 2021!
| HITT Think Tank 2021 Programme as of June 23 | |
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