NEW YORK, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questex’s Hotec EMEA brought leading hospitality buyers, designers and suppliers from Europe, the Middle East and Africa together to discover new valued partners and strengthen existing relationships, diving deep into procurement innovation. The 2022 event, which took place at the Tivoli Marina Vilamoura Algarve Resort in Portugal September 21st to 24th, featured one-to-one meetings tailored to buyer/supplier business needs, educational content, sandcastle building with a local artist, wellness sessions and more, curated specifically to foster genuine interactions and make long-lasting connections that go beyond the constraints of introductory business relationships.
The event kicked off with a panel focused on profitable sustainable practices for the hospitality industry, Driving Positive Change through Business Sustainability, moderated by Giulia Borsa, Senior Sustainability Advisor at top business sustainability ratings company, EcoVadis. Borsa spoke with Philip Halanen, Head of Sourcing & Sustainability for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Holger Jung, Global Corporate Account Director at INPACS and Shahbaz Tiavar, Vice President Procurement – Global Pre-Opening & IMEAT for Accor about sustainable business practices that have had positive impacts on their bottom line, new initiatives for 2023 and advice for how to start/enhance a sustainable procurement program.
Following the panel, Claudia Roth, Founder of Soul Luxury presented a keynote, Where We Dare to Tread: The Rise of the Spiritualised Consumer, where she shared research on who the new “spiritualised consumer” is, what their expectations are and how hotels can evolve to meet these new demands.
Over the course of three days, Hotec EMEA brought together 83 attending companies, 47 buyer/designer attendees and 55 supplier attendees, generating nearly 755 face-to-face meetings.
Facilitating new connections through one-to-one meetings is at the core of the Hotec program and this year’s event delivered on that promise with Fabrizio Zonca, Sales Manager at Zonca Lighting sharing his delight at the new prospective buyers he met, “There is no doubt that Hotec EMEA is the place to be. I spent three wonderful days of profitable meetings, and I met super interesting people. Gorgeous event.”
Amy Vaxman, Vice President, Questex Hospitality Group, says, “Taking the time for face-to-face meetings has never been more important as the industry nears a full recovery across the EMEA region. We are thrilled to bring together these leading buyers, designers and suppliers to connect authentically in person while experiencing the beauty that Portugal has to offer.”
Back by popular demand was the STR keynote, presented by Alex Robinson, Director, Industry Partners, diving into global hotel performance and providing a rosy outlook for the future. Robinson and STR expect a full recovery from a RevPAR perspective in Europe, the US and UAE in 2022 with APAC to follow in the second half of 2023.
Hotec events are known for immersive, interactive networking activities that allow buyers and suppliers to connect beyond the typical business relationship, and this year’s event was no exception. “The evening networking sessions are coordinated well so that as a buyer I can get to meet with suppliers in both formal and informal settings. The hospitality industry is a friendly environment to work in and Hotec is a good event to catch up with those industry friends and make new acquaintances,” says Anna Sabin, Manager – Project Procurement at Hilton Supply Management.
This year’s attendees were treated to a nautical themed sand art creating activity hosted by local artist, Vitor Raposo, a morning affirmation and meditation session led by Claudia Roth, Founder of Soul Luxury and a nautical themed farewell reception complete with a live band for dancing.
The 2023 edition of Hotec EMEA will be announced in the coming weeks.
For those interested in becoming a supplier, please reach out to Mary Malloy, Hotec Global Events Director. For those interested in being considered for a hosted buyer position, please reach out to Maritsa Samonas, Industry Relations Manager.
To learn more about Hotec EMEA visit www.hotecemea.com.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter at @HotecEvents.
About Questex
Questex helps people live better and longer. Questex brings people together in the markets that help people live better: travel, hospitality and wellness; the industries that help people live longer: life science and healthcare; and the technologies that enable and fuel these new experiences. We live in the experience economy – connecting our ecosystem through live events, surrounded by data insights and digital communities. We deliver experience and real results. It happens here.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Alexandra Aldridge
Marketing Director, Questex Hospitality Group
212-895-8284
[email protected]