The ITB Hospitality Day is celebrating its tenth anniversary. “In 2006 we had 880 visitors to this event. The number of listeners now annually attending the ITB Hospitality Day at the ITB Berlin Convention is over 2,000“, is how David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin, commented the success of the event that has become a driving force and a platform for exchanging information among senior executives of the hospitality industry. Maria Pütz-Willems, chief editor of hospitalityInside.com, has been responsible for content at the event since its launch.
On Thursday, 5 March 2015, the agenda will once again feature the latest topics and outstanding speakers will be taking an in-depth look at future trends in the hospitality industry. “Check out – hack in”: more and more hotels now have to deal with the problem of internet hacking. On the opening day of the convention Stefan Hölzner, senior manager, and Dr. Florian Kohlar, representing KPMG Security Consulting, will be giving a live demonstration of how to guard against cyber attacks. These two specialists will be taking a look at security loopholes, showing how hackers steal customer data, copy bank cards and break into video conference systems.
Another trend with the potential to change the hospitality industry is the sharing economy. Traveller information is becoming more and more accessible, something that online providers are exploiting by analysing big data. However, the sharing economy is also a big force driving tourism trends. Can the conservative hospitality industry still keep up? What business models do they have lined up, and can they accommodate the sharing economy? These are the questions that Robert Wissmath, managing director of DICON Marketing und Beratungsgesellschaft, Berlin; Michael Hartmann, senior executive advisor on the executive board of EcoleHôtelière de Lausanne; Marco Nussbaum, chief executive officer of the progressive prizeotel chain and Marcus Bernhardt, the group chief commercial officer of Europcar in Paris, will be debating at a panel discussion moderated by Wirtschaftswoche reporter Hans-Jürgen Klesse.
