MINNEAPOLIS — HospitalityVIEW, a new working group of global hotel industry executives, launched with its first virtual meeting on September 17. Powered by IDeaS, provider of revenue management software and services, HospitalityVIEW (Visionary Industry Executive Working group) was formed to deliver high-level insights into the future of hospitality innovation.
Alex Dichter, senior partner at McKinsey and Company, delivered opening trend remarks. Klaus Kohlmayr, chief evangelist at IDeaS, moderated the discussion, reaching a consensus that technology innovation will be a driving force to lead the industry out of the current downturn and into a transformed but bright, strong, and sustainable future for travel and hospitality. HospitalityVIEW will share its insights with the wider industry on an ongoing basis, in partnership with key industry publications and organizations. The next group meeting is scheduled for December 2020.
Charter members participating in the group’s first meeting include:
- John Bortz, CEO, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
- Tom Corcoran, president and CEO, TCOR Hotel Partners
- Sloan Dean, CEO, Remington Hotels
- Alex Dichter, senior partner, McKinsey and Company
- Chris Hemmeter, principal, Thayer Ventures
- Shane O’Flaherty, global director: Travel, Transportation, and Hospitality, Microsoft
- Shyam Patil, internet equity analyst, Susquehanna Group International
- Kristen Richter, Sonder
- Dave Roberts, adjunct professor, Cornell School of Hotel Administration
- Michelle Russo, founder and CEO, HotelAVE
- Prakash Shukla, managing partner, Wayfare Ventures
- Rachel Spasser, managing director and chief marketing officer, Accel-AKKR
- Cinn Tan, chief commercial officer, Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts
- Ravi Mehrotra, president, founder and chief scientist, IDeaS
- Klaus Kohlmayr, chief evangelist, IDeaS
“We are delighted to host this unique group of industry leaders for an unbridled discussion of where the hotel industry is—and where it is going,” said Klaus Kohlmayr, chief evangelist, IDeaS. “While there is still much to diagnose about how lodging will recover from this unprecedented downturn, the history of our industry is a story of evolution driven by disruption and resilience. It is clear technology innovation is the key to managing margin pressures, responding effectively to the challenges of the COVID era, and moving hoteliers forward. Our first meeting set an important foundation with insights from technology, investment, ownership, and management which will carry the conversation into the future.”
