Whitney Spratt, General Manager of the Hotels Division at Tripleseat, sat down with us at HITEC 2025 to share how technology can unlock growth, improve guest experiences, and preserve the soul of hospitality.
Tim Hansen, Vice President of Sales – Hotels & Resorts at Agilysys, joined us at HITEC 2025 to talk about the company’s impressive growth, the evolution of tech stacks in hospitality, and the delicate balance between automation and human connection.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we sat down with Ryan King, Senior Vice President for the Americas at Shiji Group, to unpack how hotels can measure, interpret, and act on guest experience data. Ryan explained why reputation now depends as much on real-time feedback analytics as on human service, and how tools like the Guest Review Index (GRI) are helping hoteliers identify both standout moments and systemic breakdowns. He also weighed in on AI’s growing role in the industry - not as a replacement for people, but as a tool to enhance guest experience and operational focus.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we sat down with Natalie Kimball, Vice President of Strategic Accounts for Americas and EMEA at Shiji Group, to explore the evolving role of hotel content management, data accuracy, and distribution, particularly in the complex Chinese market. Natalie also shared her candid views on AI in hospitality, the importance of operational control, and the risk of losing the entry-level roles that built today’s industry leaders.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we sat down with Klaus Kohlmayr, Chief Evangelist and Development Officer at IDeaS, to discuss how the company’s latest solution, Spotlight, is helping to close the gap between revenue management and marketing. Klaus shared insights into how unified data, AI fluency, and strategic thinking are shaping the future of commercial performance in hospitality.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we caught up with Karen Stephens, Chief Marketing Officer at Revinate, to talk about how changes in leadership are fuelling product innovation, particularly around guest data, AI, and voice. With a fresh team of tech and data leaders on board, Revinate is doubling down on efforts to unify guest profiles and rethink how technology supports human connection in hospitality. Karen also shared insights on AI’s role in luxury travel, the future of voice, and why hospitality is safe from the AI job scare.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we caught up with Jeremy Krol, COO of Phunware, a company helping hotels deepen guest engagement through mobile technology and data-driven personalization. In our conversation, Jeremy explained how Phunware uses mobile apps, behavioral data, and AI to improve the guest experience and generate additional revenue. From replacing paper maps with seamless digital navigation to enabling smarter upsell opportunities, Phunware is helping properties enhance their digital footprint without losing the human touch.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we sat down with Justin Taillon, President of HFTP and professor of hospitality technology, for a closing reflection on what made this year’s event stand out. From a record-breaking exhibitor floor to packed education sessions, Justin shared what makes HITEC more than just a trade show. He also gave us a preview of his next project, a bold new book on what hotel guestrooms might look like in 2075.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we caught up with Ira Vouk, Editor-in-Chief of the 2025 edition of the Hotel Yearbook – Technology Edition. A respected voice in hospitality tech, Ira curated a remarkable collection of essays from over 35 industry leaders, each offering their outlook on where hotel technology is heading. In this interview, she reflects on the themes, surprises, and controversies behind the publication, and shares her own bold view on how AI could disrupt the long-standing standards that have held hotel tech together , or perhaps back.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we spoke with Harman Narula, CEO of Canary Technologies, about the company’s recent AI product launches and the growing role of artificial intelligence in hotel operations. From missed phone calls to personalised upselling, Canary’s suite of AI solutions is designed to enhance the guest experience and increase hotel revenue. Narula shared how voice AI, messaging, and upselling work together to streamline operations and help hoteliers do more with fewer resources.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we caught up with Frank Wolfe, CEO of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), to reflect on a highly successful edition of the conference. With record-breaking numbers, exciting innovation from new exhibitors, and a packed exhibition floor, this year’s event confirmed HITEC’s role as the global stage for hospitality technology. We also looked ahead to 2026, which will bring the event to San Antonio, Texas.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we sat down with Floor Bleeker, a well-known voice in hospitality technology, to explore the future of AI in the industry. The conversation quickly moved from generative AI to autonomous agents, robotics, and the potential disruption of long-standing tech systems. Drawing from his corporate background and current advisory work, Floor offered a clear-eyed view of how fast things are evolving, and what it could mean for hoteliers, vendors, and guests.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we spoke with David Poprawka from Infor about the evolving role of AI in hospitality, not from a trend-driven perspective, but with a focus on long-term value, sustainability, and trust. Rather than chasing the latest buzzwords, Infor is building an architecture that helps hotels adapt at their own pace, with a strong foundation and a people-first mindset. David shared insights on the pace of change, the human side of data, and why it is time to rethink how we measure success.
As hotels evolve beyond stitched together systems and fragmented data, Shiji is betting big on unified architecture that blends flexibility with scale. Speaking at HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, Ryan King, Senior Vice President for the Americas at Shiji Group, joined me for a conversation that touched on the heart of this transformation and why hoteliers can no longer afford to ignore it.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we spoke with Chris Boyle, Senior Vice President and Chief Business and Strategy Officer at Hospitality Solutions, about the company’s new chapter under TPG ownership and its evolving vision for hotel commerce. With decades of experience and a foundation rooted in reliability, Hospitality Solutions is expanding its capabilities, from distribution and booking to payments and AI-driven guest interaction. Chris shared insights on the latest innovations, including Retail Studio, Nexus Pay, and Concierge AI, and how Hospitality Solutions is positioning itself as a leader in the era of conversational commerce.
Hospitality Net met with Brian Reeves, founder and CEO of roomangel Foundation, at HITEC 2025 to explore how AI is reshaping hotel distribution.
At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we sat down with David Woolenberg, CEO and President of Duetto, to explore how the company is transforming hotel revenue management through its new Revenue and Profit Operating System (RPOs). With the recent acquisition of HotStats and a sharp focus on integrating data, Duetto is moving beyond traditional room-centric strategies, placing profit, and decision-making, at the heart of its platform. In this interview, David shares how RPOs will empower hoteliers to break silos, scale decisions, and focus on what matters most.
At HITEC 2025, Hospitality Net caught up with Bernard Tan, Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Technology and Chief Commercial Officer at Castle Resorts & Hotels, to hear firsthand how hotel operators are coping with the challenges of scaling technology across diverse property types.
Adam Seskis, CEO of RMS, joined us at HITEC 2025 to talk about North American growth, the power of embedded payments, and how AI is transforming, not replacing, hospitality roles.
During the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, we spoke with Caty Batten, Co-founder and CEO at Intaconnected and The Nature of Business Lab, about how the hospitality industry can move beyond traditional sustainability and embrace a regenerative approach. Our conversation focused on the Net Positive Hospitality Pathway, a practical tool for building resilience and long-term value, and why regeneration must become the new standard for climate, nature, and people.
At the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, we spoke with Thierry Teyssier, Founder and CEO of Dar Ahlam and 700’000 heures Impact. Our conversation focused on the emotional essence of hospitality, why he sees privilege as more meaningful than luxury, and how impermanence can open the door to more human-centered guest experiences.
At the EHL Open Innovation Summit, we spoke with Will Guillaume Foussier, CEO of AceUp, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping revenue strategies in hospitality and why coaching remains one of the most powerful drivers of lasting change. Will introduced his ITO framework, a structured model that connects individual growth with team alignment and organizational transformation.
At the EHL Open Innovation Summit, we had the opportunity to speak with Ásta Kristín Sigurjónsdóttir, CEO of the Iceland Tourism Cluster, and Milena S. Nikolova, Ph.D., Chief Behavior Officer and Co-founder of BehaviorSMART. Our conversation explored how artificial intelligence might transform the way we plan and experience travel, how technology must be used with behavioral insight to enhance rather than diminish hospitality, and why the industry must rethink success in terms of community well-being—not just business outcomes.
Shiji Group, a global leader in hospitality technology, is set to make waves at this year’s HITEC with a series of activations centered around mobility, personalization, and integrated digital solutions. In a joint session with iPort, Shiji will explore how iOS technology is transforming hospitality operations, showcasing forward-thinking approaches to property-wide tech investments.
