The Future Hospitality Summit and 19th edition of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) is gearing up to check into Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island for three days of discussion, debate and dealmaking at the region’s leading tourism and hospitality summit, taking place from September 25-27.
As the Middle East and Africa’s hospitality industry continues its exponential growth and expansion, more than 1,000 industry leaders will gather to discuss the sector’s hottest topics, including investment opportunities, ESG, pioneering new ventures and artificial intelligence, all under the theme “Focus on Investment”.
Organized by The Bench and supported by host sponsors Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Miral and Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, FHS features everything from seminars to site visits and events to entrepreneurship, with more than 100 speakers across three conference tracks.
The event begins on September 25 with a morning session dedicated to the food and beverage investment scene from the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF), which will focus on hotel F&B, followed by an F&B Concept Tour at Yas Bay Waterfront hosted by Miral.
From then on, it’s all about hotels, resorts and tourism, with dozens of sessions addressing pressing industry topics, including sustainability, innovation, investment trends, economic issues, construction and more.
“FHS Intelligence Talks: Datafication for Resilient Tourism Investment” will give a market snapshot of key trends to give an understanding of the fundamentals underpinning the market, from performance, costs, staffing and contracts. Speakers include: Kashif Khalid, regional director for Africa and the Middle East at IATA; Jan Knappe, senior manager for data at Considerate Group; and Filippo Sona, co-founder and CCO of Wood Couture.
Meanwhile, rising construction costs, funding delays and higher interest rates for hotel development projects are covered by “Building Hotels in a Challenging Environment,” with insights from Michael McGovern, director at Compass Project Consulting; Camil Yazbeck, global chief development officer of Accor; and Hala Matar Choufany, president, HVS Middle East, Africa & South Asia.
Technology will once again be at the forefront of the FHS 2023 program, with leaders discussing the future of the hospitality and travel-tech stack. Confirmed speakers include Cenk Sidar, CEO and co-founder of Enquire AI, who will share key insights on “The Power of AI: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming”
FHS will also feature special sessions highlighting investment opportunities outside of the Middle East, including India and Africa. “Why India Matters in Hospitality Investment” will be chaired by Manav Thadani, founder and chairman, Hotelivate, in discussion with Jitindar Bir Singh, president & CEO, InterGlobe Hotels Pvt Ltd and Suma Venkatesh, chief development officer, The Indian Hotels Company Ltd.Once again, FHS will act
as a springboard for entrepreneurship with the “Start-Up Den,” where new ventures built on innovative, sustainable business models pitch their ideas to a senior panel of judges.
FHS will also feature the finals of the “2023 Sustainable Hospitality Challenge,” a global competition for students to turn their ideas for innovation and sustainability into a reality, taking on the summit main stage.
For the full FHS program, click here.
futurehospitalitysummit
