The benchmark event for the sector will take place on June 11 and 12 at the WiZink Center in Madrid and will feature the participation of key players in the industry. The forum will host the ITH Annual Assembly, celebrating its 20th anniversary, and will award individuals and institutions committed to excellence, sustainability, and innovation in the hotel industry.
Artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation of hotels, and the role of influencers as drivers of tourism. These will be some of the key topics at the ITH Innovation Summit 2024, the leading event for the tourism sector organized by the Hotel Technology Institute (ITH) on June 11 and 12 at the WiZink Center in Madrid. For the full program of the ITH Innovation Summit 2024, visit this link.
With the aim of showcasing the latest innovations in the field and analyzing how AI, robotics, and cutting-edge technologies have become crucial drivers for making the sector more competitive and sustainable, the forum will feature a lineup of presentations, debates, and networking sessions on the successful implementation of these innovations in hotel establishments.
To discuss these topics, ITH has gathered high-level speakers. From an institutional perspective, Rosario Sánchez Grau, Secretary of State for Tourism, and Luis Martín, Deputy Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Sports of the Community of Madrid, will participate. Additionally, Kike Sarasola, President and Founder of Room Mate Hotels, Raquel Sánchez, CEO of Paradores, and Jorge Marichal, President of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations (CEHAT), will also be in attendance.
The forum, which was attended by nearly 500 professionals in 2023, will also feature the participation of presidents and senior officials from top public and private entities linked to tourism, as well as technology companies such as Amadeus, Huawei, Lenovo, and Vodafone, among others. Additionally, Nespresso will be the official coffee of the event.
During this seventh edition, specifically on Tuesday, June 11, the ITH Annual Assembly will be held, followed by the presentation of various awards to individuals and institutions for their commitment to excellence, sustainability, and innovation in the hotel industry.
ITH Innovation Summit has established itself as the premier forum for tourism debate, one of Spain’s main economic activities, which contributed 12.8% to the national GDP in 2023, with 187 billion euros, and generated over 2.4 million direct jobs.
The rise of AI, an opportunity or a threat
After the opening session featuring Luis Martín, Vice Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Sports of the Community of Madrid; Jorge Marichal, CEHAT President; Javier García Cuenca, President of ITH; and Gabriel García, President of the Madrid Hotel Business Association (AEHM), the first panel discussion on “The technology to come” will take place. Representatives from top-tier technology companies such as Huawei, Lenovo, and Amadeus will offer their insights on future trends in this field.
This will be followed by the debate “Retirees, robots, and other bold moves. The curious ITH TechRoom 1.0 project,” which will reflect on how trends such as robotics and AI can be incorporated into unusual settings and unconventional applications, through 360º innovation and public-private collaboration. Olivia Estrella, Director of Tourism Innovation in the Valencian Community; Pablo Hernández, General Manager of RH Hotels; Alfonso Díez, CEO of Uground; and Enrique Planelles, CEO of Robbotions, will be the speakers.
The future of hotel chains will be the focus of the next forum, featuring Kike Sarasola, President and Founder of Room Mate Hotels; Raquel Sánchez, President and CEO of Paradores; and Jorge Nuñez, CEO of AdQuiver as the moderator.
An AI-focused session is a must: “Ally or Threat? Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence,” an analysis of how this technology is revolutionizing the hotel industry, from customer experience to operational management. This will be led by Estela Díaz, Innovation Manager at Vodafone Business; Carlos Bello, Director of Innovation at ILUNION Hotels; and Tomeu Bennasar, CIO of the Iberostar Group. This thematic block will be completed in the afternoon with the workshop “Unlocking the potential of AI with practical applications for tourism companies.”
The afternoon sessions will begin with the annual assembly and the conference titled “Here Yes AI tourism” by Javier Sirvent, a technologist and international speaker, which will set the stage for the presentation of the 20-year ITH excellence, sustainability, and innovation awards in the hotel sector. In this special edition for the 20th anniversary of ITH, Turisme de la Comunitat Valenciana, the Madrid Hotel Business Association (AEHM), and Jesús Gatell will be honored for their outstanding contributions to the sector. Seven other distinctions will also be presented.
Closing the first day of the forum will be Javier García Cuenca, President of ITH, and Álvaro Carrillo de Albornoz, General Director of ITH, whose presentations will focus on “Present and future of tourism” and “Current trends: ITH in a year,” respectively.
Second day
The day of June 12 will kick off with a panel discussion on the rules of the game when creating marketing campaigns on social networks and the role played by influencers, under the title: “Social Marketing & Influencers: not everything goes, not just anyone works.”
This will be followed by discussions on the “Keys to the success of experiential tourism. The case of Spain” and the dialogue “In search of the secret recipe for luxury tourism.” In both cases, experts in different disciplines will explain success stories, challenges, and opportunities in their professions.
Subsequent topics will include the management of food waste in hotels without incurring additional costs, tools applied in various operational processes that aid in sustainable management of the establishment, risk prevention, and efficient hotel management, cybersecurity services for Spain’s economic engine offered by INCIBE, and the challenges and opportunities that technology offers hotels.
The closing ceremony will be led by Rosario Sánchez Grau, Secretary of State for Tourism; Héctor Coronel, Director of Tourism at the Madrid City Council; and Javier García Cuenca, President of ITH.
Attendees of the forum will have the opportunity to contribute to the collection campaign for electronic devices (unused, broken, or faulty mobile phones, tablets, and laptops) launched by ITH and the Llamada Solidaria Foundation, with proceeds going towards rare disease research.
Accessibility: an inclusive virtual setting
ILUNION Accessibility in collaboration with Bemyvega will make this Summit an inclusive virtual environment. Attendees will be able to see the speakers and their presentations on their devices (smartphone, tablet, or computer) with real-time transcription and the option to choose what interests them most (speaker or screen). Designed for everyone, but especially for individuals with low vision, hearing impairment, color blindness, or ADHD, to have a complete event experience.
Moreover, at the ITH Innovation Summit, we will have “EazyEvent,” a personal event assistant with AI for the Digital Twin that allows interaction with all participants. UGround will make the world debut presentation in this setting.
ITH Robotics Club
During these days, we will have a space for the ITH Robotics Club, with the participation in this edition of Fundación ONCE presenting accessible robotics (AccessRobots) along with service Cobots from companies Muzibar and Robottions.
This is a meeting club between hoteliers, associations, and technology for the co-creation of automation and robotics solutions (especially collaborative: COBOTS) and their implementation in hotels.
About ITH
The Hotel Technology Institute (ITH) is the hotel sector’s response to the challenges posed by technological advances for industry entrepreneurs. With twenty years of history, this innovation center, attached to the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations (CEHAT), aims to promote the use of new technologies and management systems that contribute to improving the competitiveness, profitability, quality, efficiency, and sustainability of the companies linked to the hotel and tourism industry.