HSMAI MEA launches its 9th edition of the Commercial Strategy Conference MEA 2026 in Dubai

Dubai, UAE - Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Middle East and Africa (HSMAI MEA) today announced the return of the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference MEA 2026 (CSC MEA 2026), taking place on 17 and 18 November 2026 at Conrad Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai.

Now in its 9th year, CSC MEA is the Middle East and Africa's only dedicated conference for hospitality commercial strategy, bringing together revenue management, sales, marketing, digital, distribution and technology, as well as leadership professionals under one roof for one and a half days of inspirational presentations, panel debates, networking opportunities and awards. 

Under the theme of “Resilience. Agility. Results. The spirit that defines MEA”, this year’s conference promises to be more targeted and more impactful than ever. You can expect pressing topics, sharp delivery and real takeaways across the full commercial spectrum. Every session is designed to be practical and immediately applicable.

The 2026 agenda has been shaped by the passionate, outspoken voices of our community, placing the top voted topics front and centre: artificial intelligence and automation, commercial leadership and strategy, market trends and industry outlook, data analytics and business intelligence, hospitality innovation and emerging trends, leadership, resilience and change management. 

The 2026 Conference will host sessions by sought-after experts, trends and insights, roundtables, master classes, peer networking, and new this year is Women Voices@CSC, featuring trailblazing women in leadership within hospitality commerce.

One of the conference’s headline moments is the eagerly anticipated ROCKSTAR Awards. In line with the conference theme, “Resilience. Agility. Results. The spirit that defines MEA”, we will be spotlighting the on-property talent whose bold thinking and standout initiatives are raising the bar for commercial performance across Middle East hospitality. 

Nine finalists will be shortlisted and will receive expert coaching by Kim Iskandar, MD, HSMAI Egypt and Tarek Labib, Head of Commercial - IMEA, IHG Hotels & Resorts®, before pitching their winning strategies live to the CSC MEA audience, who will vote to crown the top three. Submissions are open now here until 10 September.

This year has demanded more of our industry than almost any other, and our region has answered with resilience, agility and results. That’s not just our theme, it’s what we’ve watched our community do all year. Nine editions in, we know exactly what commercial hoteliers need, and this November in Dubai, we’re delivering our most targeted and energized conference yet.

Mona Faraj, President, HSMAI MEA

Places are filling fast. Register here. For full details of the conference, click here.

Media Contact

Anne Bleeker

Managing Director, In2 Consulting [email protected]