ITB Berlin Convention: Power shifts in the hotel industry

The power of brands, safety in hotels and future workforce issues – leading international hotel experts and CEOs to debate the latest trends and challenges at the ITB Hospitality Day on 8 March 2012

Safety at hotels, the shortfall in staff in the hotel industry and the consolidation trend among hotel portals: these are items on the agenda at this year's ITB Hospitality Day at the ITB Berlin Convention. On Thursday, 8 March 2012 experts and CEOs representing the hotel and tourism industries will be discussing the latest topics. Now in its seventh year, the forum has developed into one of the industry's leading events. Maria Pütz-Willems, editor-in-chief of hospitalityInside.com, is responsible for its content.

Cassidy Morgan, CEO Central and Eastern Europe, Interbrand, will kick off the event with his keynote entitled "Unlimited brand power ". The first discussion round will take up this subject, asking: "Brands everywhere: how many brands make sense?". Bernold Schroeder, CEO, Jin Jiang International Hotels, China, and Osama Hirzalla, vice president, Brand Marketing and eCommerce Europe of Marriott International – the chain with more brands than anyone worldwide – will discuss whether many different brands offer travellers a better service or whether they are simply clever marketing strategies.

The wave of consolidation among hotel booking portals and new economic dependencies in the hotel distribution will be the main topics of the discussion round entitled "Distribution: less providers with more power?". Arne Erichsen, director of Markt-Management Deutschland, Expedia Partner Services Group; Monique Jaspers-Wijn, vice president, Business Development, EMEA beiSabre Hospitality Solutions; Tobias Ragge, managing director of HRS, and Ognjen Zeric, founder and managing director of the startup Justbook Mobile will debate the most recent shifts in the market and their impact.

Two discussion rounds at the ITB Hospitality Day will highlight issues concerning staff and senior executives. Taking as its slogan "the next generation", the CEO panel will feature two well known CEOs and their sons. Chanin Donavanik, managing director and CEO of the luxury hotel group Dusit Hotels & Resorts, Thailand; Siradej Donavanik, manager, Investment and Development, Dusit Hotels; Daniel Müller, director, Operations, of the budget design chain Motel One Hotels & Resorts, and Dieter Müller, chairman of the board of One Hotels & Resorts, will talk to Maria Pütz-Willems about how the two generations view the hotel industry today and what challenges exist in business dealings between fathers and sons. The discussion round entitled "The War for Talent: the mass exodus from the hotel industry" will also address the topic of this sector's future workforce. Manuel Konen, chairman of Konen & Lorenzen Recruitment Consultants; Katrin Melle, director, Human Resources, Hyatt International, and Robert F. Wetterauer, president of EUROCHRIE/European Council on Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Education, will debate what the hotel industry must undertake to keep its trainees and future workforce and what incentives the industry needs to offer young graduates.

Rounding off the ITB Hospitality Day, the travel journalist and author Peter Hinze and his fellow panel members will discuss how hotels can protect their guests in the event of unexpected political unrest, crises and bombings. Mayar Abdel Aziz, tourism and marketing expert from El Gouna; Ed Fuller, the long-standing and experienced president and managing director of Marriott International, and Michael-W. Hartmann, senior vice president and head of Market Development Board Hospitality, Siemens AG will be debating the topic of "Safety: when a holiday turns into chaos".

The 7th ITB Hospitality Day will take place on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds in Hall 7.1b, the London Room, on Thursday, 08 March 2012 from 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. The online trade magazine hospitalityInside.com is the media partner of the event. A trade visitor pass is valid for admission to the ITB Berlin Convention.