The 10th ITB Hospitality Day on track with the big movements
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| This year, the ITB Hospitality Day will only discuss trends. / photos: HI, companies |
Berlin (January 23, 2015). 880 trade show visitors attended the talk rounds of the first "ITB Hospitality Day" in 2006 and then there have been more than 2,100 at its peak number in the years after … The hotel conference of the ITB takes place this year for the 10th time – and is proud of the fact that today, it has developed a leading position in the extremely comprehensive programme of the trade fair. Hotels have simply remained sexy – because they are a strong part of every holiday. And the travel industry is booming. But, what happens next? This is why hospitalityInside Editor in Chief, Maria Puetz-Willems – who has been responsible for the trade fair content from day one – is raising the big trend questions for this first milestone birthday. The emotive words of the "ITB Hospitality Day" 2015: Cyber Attacks, Sharing Economy, Luxury & Lifestyle and Budget & Lifestyle, Digitalisation and Internet Distribution.
After a specialist with KPMG provided an insight into security gaps last year, Stefan Hoelzner, Senior Manager and Dr. Florian Kohlar, Representative with KPMG Security Consulting, will demonstrate live this year how customer data is stolen, magnetic cards are copied and video conference systems are broken into (10.30-11.30 h "Check Out - Hack In": Demonstration And Live Presentation Of Cyber-Attacks").
Then it continues forward with an exciting trend subject: With the Sharing Economy. Internet shopping sites claim they can deliver their customers the products they want even before they are ordered. Travellers are also becoming more and more transparent. Increasing numbers of online providers are taking advantage of this fact by analyzing Big Data. But the new Sharing Economy trend is also a powerful driving force in tourism. Does the conservative hotel industry even have a chance to keep up with this development? Where are their business models and how do they benefit from the sharing economy? (11.45-12.45 h Sharing Economy: What Can The Hotel Industry Learn From The New Trends, And How Can It Benefit?). Moderator is Hans-Juergen Klesse, Reporter for the German magazine "Wirtschaftswoche".
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| Joining the Sharing Economy panel: Marcus Bernhard, Europcar. |
Experts who have examined the Sharing Economy very precisely or are practically experienced with it will take part in the search for new opportunities: Robert Wissmath, Managing Director of the DICON Marketing and Consulting Company from Berlin; Michael Hartmann, Senior Executive Advisor on the Executive Board of Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, deals with the subject in his latest report; Marco Nussbaum, Chief Executive Officer of the young prizeotel chain who views the hotel industry critically; and finally, Marcus Bernhardt, Group Chief Commercial Officer & Member of the Executive Board of Europcar in Paris will be present.
More trends, more buzz words…
Trends have developed – and also through the Internet – and an unknown dynamism has developed in the meantime because it also kindles a mega resonance with the end customer. And so these days, two extremes maintain the same attitude toward life: Luxury and Budget. (13-14 h Luxury & Lifestyle, Budget & Lifestyle: A Global Attitude Toward Life Turns The Conventional Hotel Industry Model Upside Down). How can a hotel find its (new) position in these times when everything is in flux? Hotel chains are flooding the world with more and more new lifestyle brands. Is this just new wine in old bottles? The budget design boom fosters passion in chic & style, especially in the younger, mobile generation. But budget & lifestyle can also be confusing - in services, prices and quality. Where is the differentiation to upscale or even luxurious hotels? Classical luxury hotels still find their clientele. Hotel managers and experts will explain which attitude to life can be assigned to which hotel segments.
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| Joining the CEO panel: Hubert Viriot of Yotel. |
Up to now, two hoteliers have accepted for this round, but at least one other participant is still expected. Emile Bootsma, Managing Director of Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin and Michael Struck, Chief Executive Officer of Ruby Hotels already confirmed their participation. And Claudia Roth, Advisor for Luxury Brands & Managing Partner Totally Indispensable will moderate the session.
Between digital and real values
Brought to life in 2006, the CEO Panel has allowed many "established" hotel CEOs the opportunity to speak in the meantime; but the young trendsetters will have the word for this milestone birthday. With Hubert Viriot, Chief Executive Officer, YOTEL and Gesine Haag, Digital Entrepreneur & Founder, barefoot living (14.15-15.15 h CEO Panel: Design Flashes, Digitalization Or Sustainable Values?). In which direction are hotels drifting, what do guests want?
Yotel Hotels came into being because its founder was inspired by the luxury that British Airways provided in its First Class cabins. He decided to translate this “language" for hotels. Chief Executive Officer Hubert Viriot reports how his initial ideas have changed – away from the windowless sleeping box towards the pleasant comfort of a mini-room. Yotel simply listened to its customers – as does Mr. Viriot's talk partner on this panel, a woman who has successfully been developing brands and digital worlds for decades. Currently Gesine Haag is working on the barefoot living hotel concept together with the German actor Til Schweiger. An example of how trends and needs of consumers are being translated from other sectors into the hospitality industry - and how design and digitalisation can be linked with life "values". Moderation: Maria Puetz-Willems, hospitalityInside.com.
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| Joining the IT panel: Peter Verhoeven, Booking.com. |
The keyword Digitisation leads through to the last panel of the 10th ITB Hospitality Day – with the provoking title "IT Takes Over Hotel Industry: How Software And Internet Distributors Are Shaking Up The Industry" (15.30-16.30 h). While hotel managers are still arguing about commissions, behind the scene online distributors are engaged in an entirely different struggle about the future power of search and booking engines. Will SEOs, OTAs or Google dominate hotel bookings? How much higher will online distribution costs go? And will hotel brands survive this fight of the IT giants? Panel guests are: Vassilis Syropoulos, Founder & Director, Juyo Analytics; Peter Verhoeven, Managing Director EMEA, Booking.com; Brannon Winn, vice president of Business Development EMEA of Sabre Hospitality Solutions; as well as Luis del Olmo, EVP Group Marketing & Asia Pacific at Meliá Hotels International and executive chairman of IDISO. The session is moderated by Wilhelm Konrad Weber, Partner, Swiss Hospitality Solutions. / kn
10th ITB Hospitality Day: Thursday, March 5, 2015, ITB Hall 7.1 B / London Room, 10:30 -16:30. Live Stream on the Internet. Summaries of the sessions afterwards guaranteed on hospitalityInside.com.
Follow the updates on www.itb-convention.de/en or www.hospitalityInside.com.
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