We didn't go to HITEC 2026 for the demos. We went for the conversations. We sat down with exhibitors right there on the show floor. No script, no prepared questions, just one starting point: tell us what you do, in plain language. This is where it went with Natalie Kimball, VP of Strategic Account Management for Horizon Distribution and Iceportal Content at Shiji.
A Holiday Inn Portland sales director shares how her team uses Knowland data to prospect for group business, monitor competitors, and build relationships that convert to bookings.
Aven Hospitality's Mark Hollyhead discusses how AI-driven search shifts booking from filling forms to expressing intent, requiring hotels to control their own representation.
Cendyn's CEO and HOSPITALITY X Co-Founder discuss how social media evolved from brand awareness to direct conversion channel at ITB Berlin.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Dino Jevric, Arlo’s Social Media Manager, to discuss how the brand is taking a different path on Instagram at a time when many hotels still use social mainly to push rates and packages. Arlo is treating the platform less like a sales channel and more like an extension of the guest experience, curating its feed as a living diary of hotel life and neighbourhood energy. The aim is simple but ambitious: make people feel like they are already there, before they have even booked.
In this insightful interview, Scott Dahl and Mercedes Blanco discuss the evolving landscape of upselling and cross-selling in the hotel industry heading into 2026. They highlight how traveler preferences have shifted away from just prices and views toward meaningful, personalized experiences, emphasizing the emotional story behind offers. Mercedes shares her extensive expertise in digital marketing and hospitality technology, underscoring the fast-paced integration of AI in enhancing guest experiences, marketing strategies, and direct booking channels.
As Chief Commercial Officer for Accor’s Premium, Midscale & Economy Division across the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, Kerry Healy oversees some of the most diverse and fast-evolving hospitality markets in the world. In this exclusive interview, she discusses how Accor is harnessing data and AI to deliver hyper-personalised experiences at scale—without losing the human touch. From redefining loyalty beyond points and perks to embedding emotional connection and cultural relevance into every stay, Healy shares how Accor’s vision for hospitality blends innovation with authenticity to create meaningful, lasting relationships with guests.
There is nothing cheap about loyalty. I wrote those words years ago while evoking Ryan Bingham and his manic pilgrimage through miles and tiers, and I still believe them today. Because the true loyalty currency is not plastic or points. Loyalty is, instead, measured in attention, presence, memory, and the feeling of being recognized.
Email fatigue is a clear and present problem for practically everyone under the sun who isn’t a monk abstaining from the temptations of the internet. All of us are opted in to blanket, impersonal newsletters that pile up in our inboxes, with this digital noise only further compounded by junk texts, social media direct messages, and telemarketers.
During the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, we sat down with Rainer Stampfer, President of Global Operations, Hotels and Resorts at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Our conversation explored the growing role of artificial intelligence in luxury hospitality, the evolving expectations around personalization, and why the human element continues to be the ultimate marker of excellence in high-end service.
The Merchant-Model, Channel Management, On-Line Distribution, eDistribution. These words are thrown around quite a bit these days in the hospitality industry. What do they all mean? Here's an update from High Country Hospitality's Scott Anderson.
Bob Gilbert - HSMAI President & CEO talks about how HSMAI helps sales & marketing professionals in finding the right tools in todays age of information overload. Gilbert also provides information about HSMAI's Foundation project called 'ClearingHouse'. Finally, the interview features information about HSMAI's new conference/marketplace geared around the lucrative airline contract market segment.
John Carres has 1,040 rooms. His property is putting on a large event and needs a solution to help manage the process. Carres wants and needs to fill those rooms. Give Passkey a call in Quincy. Mass. This is more than just a commercial. Paul and Jon talk about how they have teamed up to make this and other events happen - seamlessly. Why is it good for Boca and how easy is it to get done? Click 'play' and listen.
Tina Samson has a lot on her plate. She's CFO at the Loews Hotel Universal Orlando. With kids out of school, that property will soon be busy when families come to see Mickey and Minnie. She's the chairperson of HFTP's ProLinks, which we discuss in this streaming audio interview and finally, she's the President-Elect for the HFTP. We also get her thoughts on this year's HITEC and tell you about next year's dates and location. That's a lot of information in less than 10 minutes. Check it out before you head to New Orleans.
Pegasus Solutions' Chairman and CEO John Davis delivered the keynote address at this year's Multiunit Lodging Operators & Owners Forum in Denver. On hand were several of the nation's management company executives and multi-property owners. Hear a preview of what one of the leading software providers for hotels and on-line merchants has to say about current business relationships between hotels and on-line merchants.
Six Continents Hotels jumped a little higher on the on-line distribution bandwagon this week as inventory from 3,300 properties appeared on
During HITEC 2002, Hospitality Net & HFTP Jointly produce HITEC Online Studio. The Studio features about 40 interviews with industry executives, consultants and CEO's of HITEC exhibitors. Interviews broadcast LIVE on the Internet and will be available for on-demand broadcast one week after show. To listen and view the interviews, you need Real-Player software installed on your system.
Held in Chicago at the Swissotel, immediately preceding HITEC on June 24, Global Wireless Devices: Connecting to the Consumer will be an intensive one-day session (fourth in a series of THINKs), uniting high-level travel and hospitality executives with experts in the marketplace who will present the current and future state of wireless technology, as well as case studies and live demonstrations. Here's AN Interview with HSMAI's CEO for a roundup of the session.
Pegasus Solutions, Inc.
During HITEC 2002, Hospitality Net & HFTP Jointly produce HITEC Online Studio. The Studio features about 40 interviews with industry executives, consultants and CEO's of HITEC exhibitors. Interviews broadcast LIVE on the Internet and will be available for on-demand broadcast one week after show. To listen and view the interviews, you need Real-Player software installed on your system.
