Future Hospitality Summit names first speakers

The Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) has confirmed the first speakers for the region’s flagship hospitality investment platform taking place from September 25-27 at Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island.

Organised by The Bench, FHS brings together the Middle East and Africa’s industry leaders for discussions, deals and insight on the continued growth of the region’s hospitality and tourism sectors.

Leaders from some of the world’s most dynamic hospitality brands who have confirmed to speak include Accor Chairman & CEO Sébastian Bazin, Camil Yazbeck, Global Chief Development Officer of Accor; Guy Hutchinson, President & CEO of Rotana; Kevin Jacobs, Chief Financial Officer and President, Global Development for Hilton, and Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Global CEO of JLL Hotels & Hospitality.

Among the names representing the real estate, asset management, consulting, banking and investment community are Mariam Al Musharekh, Executive Director of Human Resources at Miral Group; Raed Kuhail, Executive Director of Digital & Technology at Miral Group; Giuliano Gasparini, Head of Hospitality Asset Management at Wasl Group; Dale Qi Shen, Vice President, Director – Real Estate Structuring & Advisory of Mashreq Bank; Andrew Gilmore, Principal Economist at The Economist Group, and Nick van Marken, Managing Director van Marken Consulting. Stephen Sackur, Presenter of HARDTalk, will return to FHS as MC for the event.

Technology will once again be at the forefront of the FHS 2023 programme with leaders discussing the future of the hospitality and travel tech stack. Confirmed speakers include Cenk Sidar, CEO and Co-Founder of Enquire IA.

“We are excited to announce our first speakers as part of what is set to be an exceptional line up of distinguished regional and global industry leaders, representing some of the world’s most respected hospitality brands and investment organisations,” said Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench. “FHS, alongside the 19th edition of our flagship event AHIC – Arabian Hospitality Investment Conference, will be making its debut in Abu Dhabi thanks to our host sponsors, Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Miral, and Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island.”

Taghrid Alsaeed, Executive Director, Group Communications and Destination Marketing at Miral, said: “We are proud to host the Future Hospitality Summit on Yas Island, bringing one of the leading hospitality summits to Abu Dhabi for the first time. Our partnership with the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau marks an exciting chapter in our journey to solidify Yas Island’s position as a leading global business destination, defined by world-class assets and unparalleled experiences. We look forward to hosting a new record-breaking event in the Capital and welcoming industry leaders to explore the exceptional experiences this remarkable Island has to offer.”

Under the theme ‘Focus on Investment’, FHS 2023 will comprise several content tracks including Investment, Operating Models, Innovation, the Future of Tourism and ESG. In addition to main stage keynotes, interviews and panel discussions, the event will feature a series of networking opportunities, excursions, master classes and workshops, including a sneak peek of USALI 2024, a masterclass on best practice for financing hospitality assets and key considerations in the UAE, a student workshop with The Emirates Academy, and a Think Tank to discuss the hospitality talent pipeline to develop and attract the best industry professionals.

Again this year, the Future Hospitality Summit will be hosting the finals of the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge, a Hotelschool The Hague initiative that sees over 50 schools participate in a global competition that inspires and connects students from around the world to create innovative, regenerative, and sustainable solutions. This year’s challenge has announced that for the first time, internationally reputable architecture, technology and design universities will be joining the top-tier hospitality institutions, forming multidisciplinary student teams.