Introducing HospitalityVIEW, The Innovation Working Group of Global Hotel Industry Executives

HospitalityVIEW™, a new working group of global hotel industry executives, was formed to deliver high-level insights into the future of hospitality innovation. Powered by IDeaS, the world’s leading provider of revenue management software and services, HospitalityVIEW (Visionary Industry Executive Working group) launched with its first virtual meeting on September 17.

Alex Dichter, senior partner at McKinsey and Company, delivered opening trend remarks. Klaus Kohlmayr, chief evangelist at IDeaS, moderated the discussion, reaching a consensus that technology innovation will be a driving force to lead the industry out of the current downturn and into a transformed, but bright, strong and sustainable future for travel and hospitality. HospitalityVIEW will share its unique thought-leadership insights with the wider industry on an ongoing basis, in partnership with key industry publications and organizations. The next group meeting is scheduled for December 2020.

Charter members participating in the group’s first meeting:

• John Bortz, CEO – Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

• Tom Corcoran, president and CEO – TCOR Hotel Partners

• Sloan Dean, CEO – Remington Hotels

• Alex Dichter, senior partner – McKinsey and Company

• Chris Hemmeter, principal – Thayer Ventures

• Shane O’Flaherty, global director: Travel, Transportation and Hospitality – Microsoft

• Shyam Patil, internet equity Analyst – Susquehanna Group International

• Kristen Richter – Sonder

• Dave Roberts, adjunct professor – Cornell School of Hotel Administration

• Michelle Russo, founder and CEO – HotelAVE

• Prakash Shukla, managing partner – Wayfare Ventures

• Rachel Spasser, managing director and chief marketing officer – Accel-AKKR

• Cinn Tan, chief commercial officer – Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts

• Ravi Mehrotra, president, founder and chief scientist – IDeaS

• Klaus Kohlmayr, chief evangelist – IDeaS

Klaus Kohlmayr, chief evangelist, IDeaS, said: “We are delighted to host this unique group of industry leaders for an unbridled discussion of where the hotel industry is—and where it is going. While there is still much to diagnose about how lodging will recover from this unprecedented downturn, the history of our industry is a story of evolution driven by disruption and resilience. It is clear technology innovation is the key to managing margin pressures, responding effectively to the challenges of the COVID era and moving hoteliers forward. Our first meeting set an important foundation with insights from technology, investment, ownership and management which will carry the conversation into the future.”

About HospitalityVIEW

With a goal of bringing forth the needs, insights and perspectives from across all hotel types, operational functions and global markets, HospitalityVIEW includes the perspectives of investors, owners, managers and leaders from around the world. The C-suite working group will meet quarterly with a mission to share challenges and best practices, network with industry peers in an exclusive, closed-door setting, and distribute insights to the industry via a distinctive though