After the Expo Real: The leap from the low

Dear Insider,

What did you think of the atmosphere at Expo Real? We found no clear mood! Our editorial team – four women working flat out – can only draw conclusions today from the many conversations they had. The hospitality area in Hall A1 was very well attended on the two main days, Monday and Tuesday; everyone was keen to hear each other’s views. The hospitality industry did not complain; it was self-critical, honest and keen to foster greater cooperation both amongst itself and with its stakeholders.

Nevertheless, it sat there, terrified, like a rabbit caught in the headlights – "the Indians", PRISM. It's no wonder, given the rapid and harsh redundancies over the last few months. The culture clash intensified yet further when a Prism manager introduced himself to a German operator at the trade fair and, in his second sentence, asked, "Can we buy you?"

First there was the Revo shock earlier this year, and now the market is undergoing rapid change driven by new, international operators. Prism's founder and CEO, Ritesh Agarwal, sought to build trust during the conference panel and, due to time constraints, outlined only parts of the strategy. Seated next to him were the Dutch white-label operator Odyssey – which had recently undergone a thorough restructuring and was a "new entrant" to the market – as well as the two franchisors, Wyndham and Accor. Everyone wants solid business relationships.

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