Have Hospitality Trade Shows Gone the Way of the Dodo?, Hotels Choose a Role in Guest Wellbeing, GEO and the Restaurant That Isn't Recommended

A World Panel viewpoint asks hotels to decide what their wellness offer is really for, using the Japanese art of Kintsugi as its frame. Jason Floyd of Floyd Hospitality Resources asks a question that lands while The Hospitality Show runs in Miami Beach: has the exhibit hall lost its purpose now that buyers build vendor shortlists with AI before they travel? Jun Kwon of East Carolina University looks at the same shift from the guest side, where AI tools decide which restaurants a traveler sees. Wayne West III, a former chair of the IHG Owners Association, makes the case that owners should spend time on their brand associations. Signals carries GBTA data on stretched travel teams and an expansion of Wyndham's Registry Collection.

Viewpoint: The Role Hotels Choose to Play in Facilitating Their Guests' Wellbeing Journey

The viewpoint uses Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer, to describe three roles a hotel can take in guest wellbeing. The Servant and Decorateur masks the cracks with comfort and sensory pampering. The Hammer treats the body as a machine to be measured and optimized. The Golden Glue aims for conscious restoration, helping guests put themselves back together as something better than before.

The question for the panel is which of the three a wellness offer is actually built around, and what it would take to move from treating symptoms to addressing what guests came to heal. Share your perspective →

Have Hospitality Trade Shows Gone the Way of the Dodo?

Jason Floyd has attended hospitality trade shows for nearly three decades, and he argues that the exhibit hall is no longer where buyers discover vendors. He cites a Gartner survey in which 67% of B2B buyers said they prefer a buying experience without a sales rep, and 45% said they had used AI in a recent purchase. He also gives the counter-evidence: HITEC 2026 sold out its exhibit floor and drew more than 6,100 attendees.

His conclusion is that events will last but the large exhibit hall may not. He would rather send a few senior sellers to focused conferences than staff a booth with 20 people, and he sees growing value in customer events, citing Gainsight data that links user-conference attendance to higher retention while noting that this is correlation, not proof. Read the argument →

What Generative Engine Optimization Means for the Restaurant That Isn't Recommended

Jun Kwon starts from a trip to Japan, where AI connected restaurant recommendations to maps, reviews and transit in minutes, and asks what that means for the restaurant left off the list. Deloitte's 2025 survey found 24% of respondents planned to use generative AI for holiday travel planning, up from 8% in 2023.

Kwon is cautious about GEO itself. A 2026 survey of the research found no technique with a stable effect on discoverability across platforms, and Google says many suggested GEO tactics do not work. His advice is to treat accurate hours, addresses, consistent listings and timely review responses as marketing work rather than admin. Read the analysis →

Beyond the Summits: The Lasting Power of IHG's Owners Association

Wayne West III of Newport Hospitality Group writes after attending one of three regional Summits hosted by the IHG Owners Association, which he once chaired. He describes the association as a bridge between owners and the brand: owners and IHG share goals but sometimes differ on how to reach them and at what cost.

He tells owners to treat association involvement as an investment in their business, alongside capital plans and cost control. That does not have to mean a leadership role; it can start with attending a meeting or raising an operational concern others may share. Read the column →

Signals

62% of travel managers say their teams are understaffed. GBTA research with Cvent, based on 270 travel managers, finds business travel programs taking on risk, expense, payments and meetings responsibilities while also handling AI transformation.

Wyndham adds more than 40 luxury boutique hotels to Registry Collection. A partnership with HotelREZ brings properties from its Elegant Hotels of the World portfolio to Wyndham's 129 million Rewards members.

Mandarin Oriental renames its F&B function Restaurants, Bars & Experiences. The group appointed James Norman to lead the function in Europe and the Americas, and its portfolio holds 33 Michelin stars.

An updated guide helps tourism businesses prepare for the EU's greenwashing rules. ETC, GDS-Movement and NECSTouR revised their practical guide to the EmpCo Directive so destinations, DMOs and event organisers can make evidence-based sustainability claims.

Pertlink publishes a free AI tokenomics playbook with Hospitality Net on 5 November. The 30-page playbook covers how hotels can track AI costs per guest across touchpoints.

People

Stephen Ho was named Group President, Asia Pacific at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, effective January 1, 2027, succeeding David Udell, who retires from the role at the end of 2026. Francis Desjardins was named Regional Vice President, Pacific Northwest and General Manager at Fairmont Pacific Rim, and Tanja Münker was appointed Area General Manager at Grand Hotel Belvedere, a Beaumier Hotel, from 1 January 2027.

Properties

Fairmont New Orleans returned to the Crescent City as Fairmont's 100th hotel, and Kimpton Al Rowda Doha opened in Qatar. Amàre Cancún, Curio by Hilton opened, bringing the Mediterranean brand to the Americas, while Impression Isla Mujeres joined The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. IHG signed Holiday Inn Resort Sasan Gir in Gujarat's wildlife tourism destination.