Future Hospitality Summit Leads the Way, Live From Riyadh & Across the World, 26-27 October — Source: The Bench

Riyadh, KSA (23 September 2020): Future Hospitality Summit - this hybrid virtual conference is being developed to explore big ideas and tackle the challenges facing the hospitality industry - is set to take place live from Riyadh and around the world, on 26 and 27 of October. Organised by the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and G20 Saudi Secretariat, as part of The International Conferences Programme, honouring the G20 Saudi presidency year 2020, Future Hospitality Summit will be powered by Bench Digital.

The event, which promises to be one of the most impactful gatherings of the world's hospitality community, will be delivered on Bench Digital's tried-and-tested, cutting-edge, digital event platform - providing an immersive live experience, including a virtual exhibition, one-to-one video networking, and integrated chat features for all participants.

A comprehensive three-pillar programme has been developed in collaboration with industry creators, innovators and mentors, with particular focus on understanding the new landscape, collaborating and assessing opportunities, and innovating to recreate the industry's future. Arne Sorenson (President & CEO, Marriott International), Arnold Donald (CEO, Carnival Corporation), Gloria Guevara (CEO & President, WTTC), Jerry Inzerillo (CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority), and Anita Mendiratta (Special Advisory to the Secretary General, UNWTO) are lined up as featured speakers, along with over 100 other esteemed speakers and thousands of attendees.

"As a country that is at the forefront of the tourism sector's response and recovery plans through the G20 Presidency, Saudi Arabia is leading the conversation on the future of tourism and will provide an international platform to bring the industry together at the Future Hospitality Summit. Together, we will map out the rebuilding of the tourism and travel sector and strategically plan a sustainable future for stakeholders at every level," says Mr. Mahmoud Abdulhadi, Deputy Minister for Investment at the Saudi Ministry of Tourism.

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & Founder of Bench Digital, adds, "During this difficult time, it is vital that hospitality professionals across the globe come together as a community to work towards the recovery of our industry. Future Hospitality Summit will not only provide a powerful platform to network virtually, showcase best practice and demonstrate thought leadership, but it will also prove invaluable in ensuring that the industry emerges stronger as a whole from these unprecedented challenges."

Future Hospitality Summit aims to gather the global industry for important conversations and create critical connections to build relationships, unity and actionable ways to support each other - to facilitate a stronger response for a stronger future. The event programme will dig deep into establishing the most effective ways to build a hospitality industry that is:

  • Relevant for a post-pandemic world
  • Attractive to tomorrow's international traveller and consumer
  • Supportive of entrepreneurs and innovation
  • Sustainable for the global economy and the environment
  • Attractive to tomorrow's workforce.

Empowering tomorrow's workforce and attracting talent into the hospitality sector - imperative factors in sustaining the industry - will be two of the key focus points of the hybrid summit. Developing a skilled workforce is paramount in order to quickly evolve and keep pace with the demand being created from the hospitality sector. In Saudi Arabia, for example, 253 new hotels are coming online by 2030. Consequently, Future Hospitality Summit is a forum to engage with the hospitality workforce of the future and promote the sector as an attractive career path.

To keep up with all the latest news and announcements, and to register to attend Future Hospitality Summit, visit www.FutureHospitalitySummit.com

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About Future Hospitality Summit

Organised by the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and G20 Saudi Secretariat, as part of The International Conferences Programme honouring the G20 Saudi presidency year 2020, and powered by Bench Digital - Future Hospitality Summit has been developed to tackle the big ideas and challenges facing the hospitality industry in both the Kingdom and the world. On 26 and 27 October 2020. This hybrid virtual conference will host over 100 leading industry speakers and more than 6,000 participants from around the world. The event is being delivered on a tried-and-tested, cutting-edge, digital event platform, managed by Bench Digital - providing an immersive live experience, including a virtual exhibition, one-to-one video networking and integrated chat features for all participants. The conference has been designed to dig deep into how we create a hospitality industry that is:

  • Relevant for a post-pandemic world;
  • Attractive to tomorrow's international traveller & consumer;
  • Supportive of entrepreneurs and innovation;
  • Sustainable for the global economy and the environment; and
  • Attractive to tomorrow's workforce.

About The Bench

The Benchhas established a legacy for delivering world-leading investment forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The key principle behind these platforms has remained "dealmaking'. Transforming the way business connect, Bench has developed a reputation for creating innovative and high-impact meeting spaces for the industry.

For over two decades - government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel & tourism associations, the world's most influential hospitality brands, hotel owners & investors, renowned restaurant groups, airlines & aviation authorities, destination developers, asset managers, financial groups and consultants – have been participating in The Bench's events for their respective objectives. These include AHIC, AHIF, FHS, AHF, IDEEA, AviaDev and RENEW –where industry players showcase their brands, position themselves as thought leaders or innovators, and connect with the right opportunities and knowledge.

Learn more on thebench.com

About FHS World

Dates: 30 September – 2 October 2024

Location: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE

Sponsors:

Jumeirah as Host Sponsor; Italia Hospitality, Maldives Fund Management Corporation, Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development-SMIT and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority as Country Pavilion Sponsors; Aseer Development Authority, Hilton, NEOM, New Murabba, Radisson Hotel Group and Taiba Investments as Platinum sponsors; Accor, Club Med, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Minor Hotels, Red Sea Global and Rotana Hotels and Resorts as Emerald Sponsors; Action Hotels, Adyen, Aleph Hospitality, ARC International Design Consultants, Ark People Solutions, AtkinsRealis, Barriere Group, CBRE, Colliers, Compass Project Consulting, Dusit International, Elaf Group, Emaar Hospitality Group, Enterprise Greece, HVS, Hyatt, IHCL, JLL, JT+Partners, Kearney, Knight Frank, LEVA Hotels, Livit Consulting & Design, Louvre Hotels Group, Prologic First, PwC, Quo, Rikas Hospitality Group, roboSculptor, Rove Hotels, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Sommet Education, The Ascott Limited, TUI Hotels & Resorts, United Hospitality Management, Unox and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as Gold Sponsors; Aldar, Conran Business Group, COREcruitment, EHL, H World International, Shaza Hotels, STR, and Time Hotels as Silver Sponsors; SOHO Hospitality as Gold Sponsor - Restaurant Invest; Forsite Creative as Data Partner - Restaurant Invest; Lokalee as Start-up Exhibitor; Lock Stock & Barrel as After Party Host; BE WTR as Water Station Sponsor; Considerate Group, HAMA, Sustainable Hospitality Challenge, The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, The Emirates Culinary Guild, UAE Restaurants Group, UN Tourism and World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance as Supporters.

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Jonathan Worsley
The Bench