The event combined a live executive summit at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Robert Rothman ’77 London Campus, with an international online programme. Participants came from markets including the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Austria and the United Arab Emirates.
Delegates represented global hotel brands and groups including Fairmont, Hilton, Frasers Hospitality, Falkensteiner, Trump Hotels and Springboard Hospitality. Independent properties included Hazlitt’s, The LaLiT London, The Stratford and The Killarney Park, alongside properties affiliated with Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Restaurant groups represented included Emerald Hospitality, COYA, Urban Pubs & Bars and JKS Restaurants. The participating businesses represented different hospitality models and markets.
The summit focused on the role of social media teams in demand generation, revenue, reputation and long-term brand value, as well as the strategy, skills and commercial frameworks supporting the function.
Summit creator Kordie described HoSS as an executive working summit rather than a conventional conference, with senior-level strategic education applied to delegates’ own businesses through decisions, frameworks and operational outputs.
Day one was led by Whitney Reynolds, former Global Director of Social Marketing at IHG Hotels & Resorts and co-producer of the summit. Her masterclass covered business goals, audiences and channels, brand personality, content direction, tactics and measurement, with the material applied to delegates’ organisations. Whitney Reynolds said: “The biggest takeaway was realising how ready the hospitality social media community is to elevate this discipline. Starting with strategy and commercial outcomes on day one, then layering in practical tools on day two, gave delegates a foundation for smarter decisions about where to invest. We weren’t simply talking about better content; we were working to demonstrate the influence social can have on hospitality businesses.”
Day two focused on specialist implementation. Faculty included Laura Ferrari, former Director of Social Media EMEA at Hyatt Hotels Corporation; Santiago García Solimei, former Global Director of Social Media and Brands PR at Meliá Hotels International; and Stefano Della Schiava, former Head of the Nespresso Content Studio, alongside specialist hospitality, performance marketing, content and digital teams.
Sessions addressed paid social and direct bookings, AI-assisted workflows, AI content quality, video strategy, international market activation, and social care and reputation. The topics were developed through practical frameworks with delegates.
Laura Ferrari said: “What stayed with us most was the recognition that social strategy has been sitting in the wrong room. The conversation has shifted from ‘how do we make more content’ to ‘how do we make social accountable for commercial outcomes’. That’s not a small shift; it’s a structural one, and the teams who make it will look very different from the ones who don’t.”
Alisa Kremer, Founder of Kordie and the Hospitality Social Media Summit, said: “Across very different markets and businesses, we heard the same underlying challenge: leadership increasingly expects social media to contribute to demand, revenue and reputation, while the commercial frameworks and capability surrounding the function have not evolved at the same speed. That is a wider commercial capability gap, and closing it is exactly what Kordie is being built for. We are grateful to every delegate, faculty member and partner who backed the first edition.”
Delegates retain access to the HoSS Digital Hub, powered by Kordie, which contains the programme’s tools, templates, recordings and expert-led learning.
The inaugural London edition was delivered with SiteMinder as Summit Sponsor, Opposite Land Productions as Video and Content Partner and The Hotel Magazine as Anchor Media Partner. 80 DAYS, Push Group and Giant Leap Digital participated as Programme Partners.
Further editions of the Hospitality Social Media Summit are scheduled to follow in 2027.
The Hospitality Social Media Summit is an international executive summit for hospitality social media, marketing, digital and brand leaders. Created by Kordie, it brings together hospitality businesses with practitioners who have developed and led social and commercial programmes within international hotel groups.
The summit addresses the gap between the commercial expectations placed on social media teams and the strategy, measurement and capabilities available to them.
Tags: Alisa Kremer, Kordie Hospitality Social Media Summit, Laura Ferrari
