AUSTIN, TEXAS, USA (September 13, 2016) – On November 16-17, 2016, hospitality buyers and experts from around the Middle East will gather in Dubai for the Hotel Technology Summit.
At the summit, global solution providers will showcase their products to hoteliers from leading brands like Accor, Marriott, Starwood, Mövenpick, Hyatt, Rotana, Al Hokair Group, Swiss-Belhotel and more – providing an ideal gateway into the lucrative Middle Eastern hospitality market, which will be worth over $40 billion by 2018.
The summit is the result of a partnership between Naseba, a business facilitator based in Dubai, and Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP), the world’s leading global hospitality association and organizers of HITEC. Naseba and HFTP have been in the hospitality industry for more than a decade, and the past three editions of the summit have been enhanced by their combined resources.
Its unique format includes one-to-one business meetings designed to facilitate deals, as well as interactive panel discussions, informative tech talks, live demonstrations and networking sessions. Day one will focus on technology and digital transformation, while day two will revolve around accounting and financial management in hospitality.
The 200 attendees of the Hotel Technology Summit will include Managing Directors, Vice Presidents, IT and Technology Heads, Directors of Procurement and Purchasing, Heads of Finance and other key decision makers from international and regional hospitality brands.
The summit’s second day will be moderated by HFTP leaders: Frank Wolfe, CAE, HFTP Chief Executive Officer; Arlene Ramirez, CHAE, CHE, CHIA, MBA, HFTP Global President and a hospitality finance consultant and educator; and Lyle Worthington, CHTP, HFTP Global Vice-President and a hospitality technology consultant.
“Both HFTP and Naseba have wide-ranging resources for providing hospitality education to the industry on an international scale,” said Wolfe. “The combination of expertise from the two organizations is set to provide a thought-provoking and valuable exchange of ideas amongst hoteliers in the Middle East.”
The Hotel Technology Summit will also be the setting of the Middle East Smart Hotel Award Ceremony. The awards will recognize the most high-tech hotels in the region, across six categories: Best Booking Experience, Best Online Concierge, Best Mobile App, Best In-Room Automation System, Best Use of Cloud Service and Best Smart Hotel.
Ismail AlKamal, CEO of Nawatt, remarked “The Hotel Technology Summit is a vital venue for all industry leaders to get exposed to the latest technological trends in the Hospitality Sector. Naseba does a great job as always in organizing and bringing together hoteliers and suppliers.”
“The 20th edition of the Hotel Technology Summit marks an important turning point for the hospitality industry – where hotels have accepted the realities of digital transformation and smart technology, and are now beginning to fully explore all the opportunities that they offer. It’s an exciting time to be a hotelier and to be involved in the regional hotel industry, with heightened deal activity throughout the market,” said Nicholas Watson, Managing Director at Naseba.
The summit is sponsored by Ateco, Nawatt, Xnprotel Systems, Idiso, Network International, Pagero, Infor and MCOM Media Communications.
