Les Roches in Crans-Montana and Spark, its innovation center dedicated to the hospitality industry is abuzz this Thursday with the presentation to investors of the winning startups in the second edition of the Awake Tourism Challenge, an international competition organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations' specialized agency.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), producers of the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), is pleased to announce PROVision Partners as the exclusive sponsor of Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) Toronto. The successful pitch competition featuring hospitality technology start-ups will take place as a Headliner presentation at HITEC Toronto on Wednesday, June 28 beginning at 8:15 a.m.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) is pleased to announce two champions of hospitality technology, Sherry Marek and Mark Heymann as the 2023 HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame inductees, both recognized for innovating a pioneering technology solution specific to hospitality. Marek is co-founder of Datavision Technologies, retired and continues to share her experience as owner of Aiken Street Consulting and a mentor for women in the technology profession. Mark Heymann is founder of Unifocus and currently the managing director at Mark Heymann & Associates. The 2023 inductees will be honored at the upcoming Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®) in Toronto on June 26, 2023.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), producers of Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), has announced the nine outstanding startups participating in Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) Dubai held on May 23, 2023 at HITEC Dubai, co-located with The Hotel Show Dubai.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has just announced that exhibit space for the 2023 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®) is sold out, and a waiting list for interested companies has been started. The status is a signifier of the continued interest in the 50+ year annual event, selling out even with a 5 percent booth space expansion from the successful HITEC 2022 in Orlando.
Hotelbeds and the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality have launched a collaboration to explore and inspire the next generation of tech start-ups through the company’s TravelTech Lab initiative and the school’s Innovation Hub (HI Hub) Incubator Programme.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), producers of Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), has announced the seven exceptional startups participating in Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) Toronto held on June 28, 2023 at HITEC Toronto.
Global travel marketplace Skyscanner is publishing a new report exploring the latest trends in global travel. Titled Skyscanner Horizons: Destination & Booking Insights Q1 2023, the report unpacks and explores extensive flight search and booking data from each region – the Americas, APAC and EMEA – to provide a unique view of how travellers are thinking about travel over the next six months.
hihotels by Hospitality International, a recognized leader in franchising of conversion and new build hotels for economy lodging, is pleased to announce a partnership with Hopper, the world’s fastest-growing travel app.
It’s 3 p.m. on a Monday at Homewood Suites by Hilton Largo Washington DC, arguably one of the busiest times for this hotel’s lobby. A guest, having checked in on Sunday, would like to inquire about dinner reservations. They approach the front desk. Although the hotel is at capacity, there is no line. The guest is welcomed personally by a smiling Hilton team member, who has time to ask their preferences, their dining style and more before making a recommendation.
Since early 2023, ChatGPT has dominated the conversation in technology. Many have described this new AI tool as a “seismic shift” and “the biggest thing since the Internet.”
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Questex announced today an initial list of high-value speakers, industry leading sponsors, and impactful programming for The Hospitality Show (The Show). The Show is a bold, new hospitality operations and technology event to be held June 27-29 at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
The NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and Growth Advisors International Network (GAIN), a leading travel and hospitality innovation and growth advisory firm, are delighted to announce a multi-year strategic collaboration with the NYU SPS Tisch Center of Hospitality and its Innovation Hub (HI Hub) Incubator Program. This international collaboration will extend to NYU's campuses in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi, with GAIN serving as an official advisory sponsor for both the NYU Tisch Center of Hospitality and the HI HUB Incubator.
Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) has finalized an event management agreement with longtime partner Hospitality Upgrade to help coordinate the annual Executive Vendor Summit and CIO Summit, founded by Hospitality Upgrade in 2002. This agreement kicked-off with the 2023 Executive Vendor Summit, which was held last week at The Loews Hotel in New Orleans, La. from March 29–31. HFTP has been a sponsor of the Summits from their beginning and recently the association has contributed its event planning expertise to both events. This recent agreement extends this collaboration through 2026.
BLAH expands its network across South East Asia. BLAH has created a free marketplace for the hospitality industry
The restaurant industry has traditionally been slow to adopt technology and innovative digital solutions. But in 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic and economic instability that spilled into 2022 - and now the anticipated recession in 2023 - changed that and forced food and beverage outlets to look beyond the traditional. Many restaurants have turned to tech in the last couple of years, even if reluctantly, to adapt to a new reality. One which includes more contactless technology, and is realigned with new customer expectations and wants.
In recent years, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game-changing technology with immense potential across various industries. Subsequently, generative AI startups are rapidly gaining traction, and venture capital investors are keen to capitalize on their potential, observes GlobalData, a leading data, and analytics company.
Announced at Biban 2023, Saudi Arabia's largest SME conference, the Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East, will further advance UNWTO's work to make tourism a pillar of women's empowerment. The initiative gives innovators the chance to compete for enhanced capacity building and visibility. Finalists in each category will join the UNWTO Innovation Network, giving them access to the UNWTO Member States network, mentorship programs and to UNWTO scholarship opportunities.
In celebration of World Sleep Day (Friday 17th March), YOTEL has announced a global partnership with light therapy experts, Lumie, giving guests the opportunity to loan a wake-up light for free during stays around the world. With a shared passion for innovation and functional technology, the collaboration is empowering YOTEL’s on-the-go guests to reconnect with their natural rhythms and achieve best-ever sleep, mood and energy performance.
A packed house at the ITB Berlin Convention: on Tuesday afternoon three experts presented their assessments of the potential offered by new technologies. Caroline Bremner from Euromonitor International reported on the potential for growth of the metaverse, while Leila Summer, CEO of PlayToChange, explained how ChatGPT can suggest a travel route in just seconds. Professor Dr. Alexander Knauer from the Blockchain Competence Center at the college Hochschule Mittweida, explained that, although blockchain technologies are currently in the hype-phase, it will be two to four years before they are in practical use in the travel sector, making it advisable to become acquainted with them now.