Hotel events allow hoteliers to network, learn, and get inspired. It’s easy to fall into a routine as a hotelier and become stagnant. Hospitality conferences, expos, and conventions allow you to discuss the challenges and lessons of recent years, picking up valuable information and fresh ideas. Here are 10 of the biggest and best hotel industry events you can experience.
Table of Contents:
- What Is the Hotel Industry?
- What Is a Hotel Event?
- 10 Best International Hotel Events
- Luxury Hotel Groups
- Hospitality Management
What Is the Hotel Industry?
Hotel events are created as a way for the hotel industry to network and develop, discover new products and services, and benefit from industry expertise. As part of the broader hospitality industry, the hotel industry provides accommodation for customers who need a place to sleep for one or more nights. This covers various businesses, from the most humble backpacking hostel to the grandest luxury resort chain.
Rooms, suites, apartments, holiday cottages, and camping facilities are all examples of the hotel industry’s facilities. Hotel events cater to many diverse kinds of business, with some focusing more on high-end accommodation providers while others are oriented towards budget hotel businesses. Here, hoteliers can learn more about how the industry is developing and coping with new challenges, such as the restrictions encountered due to COVID. You can learn more in the article “Hotel Industry: Everything You Need to Know About Hotels!”
What Is a Hotel Event?
Hotel events allow hotel businesses to showcase their services and products. They may be B2C (business-to-consumer) or B2B (business-to-business). The purpose for a specific business to attend might be promotional or commercial, or it might be to strike new partnerships with other organizations. Hotel events can include conferences, expos, and trade shows, usually in person. With the rise of COVID restrictions, online virtual events have grown in popularity and now represent an exciting way for hoteliers and consumers to interact.
Expos and trade shows allow hoteliers and other businesses in the hotel industry to showcase their offerings in a face-to-face, hands-on environment. They allow participants to demonstrate their services and products in a real-world setting, garnering feedback and allowing prospective consumers to ask questions. They’re also the ideal context for hotel marketing.
10 Best International Hotel Events
Many annual hotel events offer different perspectives on the hospitality industry. Below you can find ten events hosted worldwide and addressing different hospitality aspects.
Skift Sustainable Tourism Summit
The Skift Sustainable Tourism Summit aims to bring together leading lights in the hospitality industry to create dialogue around sustainable hospitality and tourism. This summit intends to look into the actions of hoteliers and travel companies to become more sustainable and environmentally conscious. As consumers and businesses alike are increasingly concerned about climate change and environmental issues, those making decisions in the industry need to be conscious of tourism’s impact on the local area and community.
Sustainability is set to fundamentally change the travel and tourism industry; the Skift Sustainable Tourism Summit aims to examine this phenomenon and prepare for the future. Aimed at tourism company managers, decision-makers, tourism leaders, and marketing professionals.
Go to “Skift Sustainable Tourism Summit” to learn more about this hotel event.
The ITB Berlin Convention
Of all annual hotel events, the ITB Berlin Convention is the biggest. It’s a world-renowned travel trade show held annually in Germany. This event hosts over 10,000 exhibitors from as many as 180 nations, exhibiting innovations in travel industry products and services. The core theme of the ITB Berlin Convention is “Experience and Experts”. The event aims to deliver enriching experiences for all participants and attendees through interactions with individuals and organizations worldwide.
In 2023, the ITB Berlin Conference will include a new segment for technology and tour activities. This new segment will gather leaders from the tourism and travel industry with the shared goal of promoting their in-destination services to the public.
You can learn more about this hotel event at “The ITB Berlin Convention”.
Video: ITB Berlin Convention 2022 – HIGHLIGHTS
International Luxury Travel Market Africa
This hotel event is aimed at the luxury travel sector. The International Luxury Travel Market introduces buyers and travel planners worldwide to travel providers and promotes their luxury establishments. This way, buyers and planners can discover fresh and unique experiences for clients who want to explore Africa. During this three-day event, trade-only buyers will be introduced to African suppliers. The event uses a bespoke program where interactions will be by appointment only.
The bespoke agenda will include face-to-face meetings over breakfast and lunch, an expert forum featuring industry leaders, and a cultural gala. It’s an opportunity to make important industry contacts and learn more about emerging trends in the luxury tourism industry.
If you’re excited about this hotel event, you’ll want to read “International Luxury Travel Market Africa”.
Hotel Revenue & Distribution Summit
This hotel event is a one-day summit taking place in Singapore. It’s an important event that top names from across the industry will attend. Resorts and hotels from small and mid-sized to larger operations will be represented. The main feature of the summit will be the Buyers’ Programme. Solution providers will have the opportunity to connect with buyers from Asia via scheduled appointments, allowing them to showcase their services and products to decision-makers in key positions.
The summit also offers hoteliers new insights into changing trends in the industry, with a look at the future hotel rooms. Hoteliers will also get the chance to learn about emerging technologies in revenue and distribution.
Read “Revenue & Distribution Summit Singapore” for more information about this hotel event.
Skift Global Forum
This hotel event is the flagship travel industry conference for Skift. It brings together CEOs, marketing professionals, industry researchers and analysts, and other business leaders. There will also be an online option, opening up the forum to a global audience. The event will include networking opportunities, panel discussions, and interviews. Organized by Skift, a travel industry news and resources leader, the forum aims to create opportunities to explore some of the biggest issues facing the travel industry today.
Discussions, presentations and interviews will examine how the travel industry has responded to COVID, how travel and hotel business can act on climate change, and identify the industry’s biggest challenges. It will also create networking opportunities for professionals in the industry.
Check out our “Skift Global Forum” article to learn more about this hotel event.
The Hotel Show Dubai
The Hotel Show Dubai is a hotel and trade show for the wider hospitality event. It’s one of the most important events in the Middle East in hospitality and interior design. During the three-day event, hospitality professionals can explore new products and concepts, network, and build important business connections.
The show aims to unite over 1000 local and global brands to showcase their products. Hoteliers can experience new products and services in a real-world setting and interact with other key buyers for resorts, hotels, and hospitality establishments worldwide. The Hotel Show takes place in Dubai.
To learn more about this important hotel event, read the article “The Hotel Show Dubai”.
Travel Forward London
This event will unite over 7,000 travel executives and 250 technology solution providers. It will include an interactive exhibition of new technology and other products and a two-day conference featuring round-table discussions and opportunities to talk to tech providers one-on-one. With new technological advances and new challenges facing the hotel industry, this event should inspire hoteliers.
Participants can interact with top tech companies and learn about the new solutions. For their part, tech providers will have the opportunity to showcase their services and products and demonstrate how these can help businesses in the sector grow and tackle challenges more effectively. The event takes place at ExCel London.
Read the “Travel Forward London” article to learn more about this hotel event.
FHT Paris – Smart Hotel
FHT stands for Food Hotel Tech. Held in Paris, this will be the industry’s first event. It’s a trade show dedicated to digital technology solutions for the hospitality industry. Hoteliers will want to seize this opportunity to discover how new technology can improve guest experiences and streamline operations. More than 250 technology providers will be exhibiting at the show, with conferences and keynote speeches from established companies and startups.
The event aims to introduce hotel and hospitality industry representatives to new technologies and demonstrate how these products will be relevant. Hoteliers and other professionals in the industry will be able to meet and exchange ideas with technology providers and see how new technology can help them.
To learn more about the Food Hotel Tech event, visit the article “FHT Paris – Smart Hotel”.
WTM Latin America
This B2B event attracts more than 700 exhibitors annually, with over 6,000 visitors attending. Hoteliers and other professionals from the industry can discover new products, engage in networking and see a wide range of services on show. The upcoming event will include addresses by influential speakers on travel industry topics. The event’s objectives include allowing hotel industry professionals and professionals from the travel industry to learn more about brands and their services.
There will be free seminars from leading data analysts and the opportunity to learn more about the latest developments in technology, including hotel technology. Attendees will be able to network with experts and professionals from throughout the industry and engage in negotiations with providers. WTM Latin America will take Expo Centre in São Paulo, Brazil.
Read the article “WTM Latin America” to know more about this hotel event.
Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam
Aimed at hoteliers and buyers in the luxury and boutique hotel sector, this event was launched in 2012. It gathers together attendees and exhibitors from many countries. More than 2,000 guests are expected to attend. The event aims to create a venue where the top suppliers and service providers in the luxury hotel sector can present their products and solutions.
Hoteliers and industry professionals can take this opportunity to discover enticing new products to help create ideal guest experiences, learn about the latest luxury hotel trends, and network with their fellow industry professionals. Hoteliers can draw inspiration from providers in all fields, from business and finance to interior design and hotel technology. The two-day event will be held at RAI Amsterdam.
Go to “Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam” to learn more about this hotel event.
Luxury Hotel Groups
Now that you’ve discovered these hotel events, you might want to learn more. Maybe you want to move to a more up-market position. Finding work in the luxury hotel sector can be challenging but highly rewarding. If you’ve always dreamed of managing a high-end boutique hotel or just staffing the desk at an exclusive resort, there’s an ideal position.
In “Hotel Groups: Top 10 Luxurious Hotel Groups to Work For”, you’ll learn about some of the most extravagant hotel groups today. You’ll also get tips and advice on how to find a position with them.
Hospitality Management
You’ve read about hotel events and their importance to those working in hospitality management. Maybe you’re curious now about what hospitality management entails and how it’s different from hotel management. Maybe you want to know more about the roles available in this sector and how you can find openings.
From food and beverage to the travel industry, hospitality management is a highly varied sector with incredible opportunities. In “Hospitality Management: The Essentials About Hospitality”, you’ll learn everything you need about management roles in the hospitality industry.
Hotel events are an amazing source of inspiration for hoteliers. From interior design ideas, smart hotel systems, and new experiences to offer your guests, attending hotel events will give you invaluable insights and new ideas to push your business forwards.
More Tips to Grow Your Business
Revfine.com is a knowledge platform for the hospitality & travel industry. Professionals use our insights, strategies and actionable tips to get inspired, optimise revenue, innovate processes and improve customer experience. You can find all hotel & hospitality tips in the categories Revenue Management, Marketing & Distribution, Hotel Operations, Staffing & Career, Technology and Software.This article is written by:
Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I specialize in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have successfully developed, implemented, and managed revenue management and marketing strategies for individual properties and multi-property portfolios.
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