Advertisement

Opinion Articles

Opinion Article

Vine to Mind 2025: Where Data and Wine Form the Perfect Blend

Organized by EHL Hospitality Business School and the Harvard Data Science Initiative, the second iteration of the Vine to Mind conference took place on EHL’s iconic Lausanne campus in June 2025. Discussions centered on the role that data science plays in the wine industry. Drawing participants from over 20 countries, the conference featured presentations rooted in academics, data science and in-the-vineyards insights. The conference put forward a clear and informed message: the evolution of the wine industry now depends as much on advances in data science as on traditional expertise in viticulture, winemaking, and business.

Philippe MassetAndrew Brenner
By Philippe Masset and Andrew Brenner
Opinion Article

Swiss Beer Inspires Innovation in Traditional Industries

For centuries, industries such as beer, wine and whiskey have been built on foundations of heritage and craftsmanship. Over time, these products have become precious, cultural artifacts, deeply tied to regional identity. The botti used for ageing Barolo wine in Piedmont, the ancient recipes used to produce beer in Germany, or the oak used for aging whiskey all carry symbolic meaning beyond their technical purpose. Entrepreneurs entering these fields quickly learn that innovation often means challenging industry traditions that entire regions have held sacred for generations. The price of novelty can be high: reputational risk, resistance from loyal consumers, even rejection from local communities who see innovation as an attack on authenticity. Inspired by research on the Swiss beer industry, this article proposes strategic ways of weaving centuries of tradition into new interpretations.

Margarita Cruz
By Margarita Cruz, Associate Professor of Corporate Strategy and Entrepreneurship EHL Hospitality Business, EHL
Opinion Article

Women in Wine: Careers in the Industry

Wine has long been perceived as a male-dominated world. For centuries, symbolic authority, from inheritance in family domains to the role of the “master winemaker”, has largely been coded as masculine. Women were present, often as vineyard workers or “wine widows” taking over after a husband’s death, but their visibility and recognition were limited. Today, the landscape is changing. In some oenology programs, women now make up the majority of students, and in countries such as Spain and Italy, close to a third of wineries are led or owned by women. Yet this presence is not evenly reflected across positions of leadership and prestige.

Alicia Gallais
By Alicia Gallais, Assistant Professor in Wine Management, EHL
Opinion Article

Reimagining the Hotel Minibar: How Bartech’s Automation Technology is Powering a Profitable, Guest-Centric Comeback

For decades, the hotel minibar has stood as a symbol of indulgence and convenience in the hospitality industry. For guests, a cold soda or their favorite late-night snack was always within easy reach. With this in-room convenience, there was no need to get dressed to go to the hotel restaurant, lobby bar or grab-and-go counter, or even make a call to room service to satisfy a craving. Yet in recent years, this once-prized hotel amenity has come under fire. A recent CNBC feature, which has been widely circulated in hospitality circles, labeled the minibar a “dying breed,” portraying it as a relic of hospitality’s past. The reporter makes a case that most minibars are overpriced, underused and expensive to maintain.

Bruno Agrario
By Bruno Agrario, Executive VP of Sales, Bartech International, Bartech Systems International Inc.
Opinion Article

Artificial Intelligence-Driven Personalization in Restaurant Guest Experiences

Artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming the restaurant industry, with personalization emerging as perhaps one of the most significant developments. Unlike basic personalization that might simply remember a customer’s name or birthday, Artificial intelligence-driven personalization leverages advanced algorithms, machine learning, and large datasets to anticipate needs, personalize offerings, and create seamless experiences uniquely crafted for each individual. As reported by Statista the global food service market, valued at $2.52 trillion in 2021 and projected to reach $4.43 trillion by 2028, is increasingly embracing these technologies. So how will AI-driven personalization in restaurants reshape guest experiences over the next five years? What are the current applications, emerging trends, technological elements, and implications for businesses and consumers?

Joe Cilli
By Joe Cilli, Assistant Dean and Director of Distance Learning for the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, FIU
Ad Tambourine One
All you need is one.

Some call it a website with a booking engine built in. Some call it a booking engine with a website built in. We call it One.
Tambourine
Opinion Article

The Growing Need for Food Allergy Compliance in Restaurants

Approximately five years ago, when my daughter was just two years old, we confirmed through allergist testing that she had multiple severe food allergies—cashews, pistachios, sesame seeds, peas, and lentils. While some of these would result in immediate and intense gastrointestinal distress, others carried a much graver risk: anaphylaxis.

Melissa Rosen
By Melissa Rosen, Founder and Principal Consultant of Be My Guest and member, Cayuga Hospitality Consultants
Opinion Article

In-Room Herbal Tea Is the Most Effective Cost-Per-Unit Wellness Amenity

Executive summary: Coffee and tea service, specifically herbal tea, as an in-room wellness amenity represents an area where there’s a strong opportunity for hotels to improve their presentation. This guestroom feature is easily accessible for all hotel categories due to low per-unit costs and scalable due to minimal labor inputs, thus representing a great entry to the wellness market. A hotel’s tea presentation cannot exist in isolation, though, and is best approached as part of a concerted effort to enhance the room’s wellness branding through a cluster of sleep or health-focused amenities.

Larry MogelonskyAdam Mogelonsky
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
Ad HITEC 2026
Visit HITEC 2026 in San Antonio!

HITEC is the center for the latest conversations on hospitality technology. Come and see the technology shaping the industry.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP)
HN TV
Opinion Article

EHL Innovation Rewind: Anderson Yang on Innovation, Heritage, and the Power of Community

At the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, we spoke with Anderson Yang, EAM to the General Manager’s Office at Yun Ding Food & Beverage Co. Ltd, about how artificial intelligence is shaping the future of hospitality, how innovation can thrive when rooted in tradition, and why building genuine community through storytelling is more powerful than conventional marketing in today’s evolving landscape.

By Simone Puorto and Anderson Yang
Opinion Article

The Debut of Appellation as an Immersive Culinary Hotel Brand

For hotel brands near the top of the chain-scale, the requirement for creating meaningful experiences that embrace ‘sense of place’ becomes essential. In the constant pursuit of business growth, offering incredible and ‘peak’ experiences becomes essential for driving ADR and ancillary spend. This is what we call the ‘reason to visit’, inspiring word-of-mouth, boosting occupancy rating, and enhancing overall value in various ways.

Larry MogelonskyAdam Mogelonsky
By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky
United States
Opinion Article

The Ultimate Guide to Sous Vide Equipment [for Professional Chefs]

A high-quality sous vide machine is the foundation of precise, reliable sous-vide cooking in any professional kitchen. Whether you're managing a high-volume restaurant or refining your approach to modern gastronomy, selecting the right sous vide equipment is key to achieving consistent texture, precise doneness, and efficient workflow.

Morgane Dumollard
By Morgane Dumollard, Marketing Manager EHL School of Practical Arts, EHL
Opinion Article

8 Common Sous Vide Mistakes [And How To Fix Them]

Sous-vide cooking has redefined precision in professional kitchens. By controlling temperature with unmatched accuracy, this technique ensures that proteins, vegetables, and even delicate ingredients reach their ideal texture without risk of overcooking or drying out. It has become an essential skill for chefs who seek consistency, efficiency, and enhanced flavor retention.

Morgane Dumollard
By Morgane Dumollard, Marketing Manager EHL School of Practical Arts, EHL
Opinion Article

Food & Beverage Innovation: Trending Creativity and Sustainability

F&B is an ever-evolving sector and, in recent years, has been both proactive and reactive to changes in the social and business landscape of the nation. F&B industry operators are steadily evolving, driven by changing consumer preferences and global influences. The pandemic prompted fast action for many operations just to survive. In a high-speed world of change, the F&B sector has become increasingly innovative, as evidenced by its products, service, safety, and technology operations. This discussion will review creative ideas and a variety of trends in innovation and consumer demand for F&B.

Robert O’Halloran
By Robert O’Halloran, Professor Director, School of Hospitality Leadership, East Carolina University