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 Bench has built a legacy as a global curator of opportunity, designing transformative forums and summits that empower the hospitality and travel industries to connect, innovate, and thrive. With over two decades of expertise, The Bench creates platforms that go beyond transactions to inspire collaboration and drive meaningful change.

Each event brings together government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel associations, leading hospitality brands, hotel owners and investors, airlines, destination developers, and more. From flagship gatherings like FHS World (formerly AHIC) and FHS Saudi Arabia, to FHS Africa (formerly AHIF) and AviaDev, The Bench creates events where ideas spark, relationships deepen, and investments take flight.

The Bench thrives on fostering dynamic and forward-looking dialogues, uniting industry pioneers to address challenges, seize opportunities, and co-create the future. Each event is crafted to deliver more than just connections - it's about transforming ideas into action and building a better tomorrow.

Discover more at thebench.com

About FHS World

Dates: 27-29 October 2025

Location: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE

Sponsors:

Jumeirah as Host Sponsor; Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities (MHUC) – Egypt, Neom, Rua Al Madinah, Taiba Investments, Territorial Development Agency (Albania), Tourism Promotions Board Philippines and UAE Ministry of Economy & Tourism as Strategic Partners; PWC as Knowledge Partner; Accor, Arada Hospitality LLC, Barriere, ClubMed, Colliers, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Italia Hospitality, Jabal Omar Development Company, Marriott International, Modon Hospitality, Radisson Hotel Group, Red Sea Global, Rotana and The Ascott Limited as Headline Sponsors; Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy - Les Roches, Action Hotels, Aleph Hospitality, Aristara.ai, Arthur D Little, Blastness, Bushtec Creations, BWH Hotels, CBRE, Compass Project Consulting, Credibl ESG, Danube Hospitality Solutions, EHL Hospitality, ELKO EP, Enterprise Greece, Forsite Creative, H World International, HDL Automation, IHCL, JLL, JT & Partners, Knight Frank, Legacy Hotels Holding (Louvre), Millat Group, Minor Hotels, Parsons, QUO, Rikas Hospitality, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), STR – a CoStar Group Company, Technogym, The First Group Hospitality, TUI Hotels & Resorts, United Hospitality Management, UNS and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as Sponsors; ARK People Solutions, Cavendish Maxwell, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Inntelo AI, Invest Cyprus, Rove Hotels and Shaza Hotels, Start Reverse and iReserved as Exhibitors; and Adyen, dailypoint, ExploreTECH, Fairmas, Flyr, Portal, RMS Cloud and ROOMNET in the ExploreTECH Tech Pavilion.

Jonathan Worsley
The Bench