Robotics expert David Abbink, professor at Delft University of Technology and scientific director of the FRAIM research and innovation centre there, kicked things off. He and his team conduct research in the field of human-robot interaction - for which he was awarded a prestigious prize worth 1.5 million euros by the Dutch Research Council last Friday.
"We are building a transdisciplinary research and innovation centre to shape the future of physical work processes. This means that we incorporate several academic perspectives such as robotics, human factors, design, work and organisational psychology, but also ethnography, and combine these with professional knowledge and experience from the world of work," says the mechanical engineering graduate.
One of the key issues that Abbink is concerned with is the shortage of skilled workers, particularly in the critical sectors of care, logistics and hospitality. He is often asked whether AI (software-based) in combination with robotics (machine-based) has the solution to this problem. He doesn't have a "killer idea", the scientist admits, but he does see AI and robotics as enablers for a successful transformation.
Many things are already technically possible when it comes to standardised processes. But that is not the real world, which also needs the social component. "The aim is not to replace people with robots, but to see where robots can support people and thus improve productivity."
The audience provided an example of the areas in which automation reaches its limits: the cruise industry. A few years ago, this industry pushed to automate processes on ships and invested considerable money in development. This included service staff, waiters and bartenders. Mixing cocktails? These tasks can be programmed. In a pilot project on a cruise ship, "colleague robot" was the attraction on the first day and was accordingly besieged. Everyone took photos and put the mixing skills to the test. But by the second day, the space in front of the bar was already deserted, with guests preferring to order from the human bartender. The problem was not the cocktails, but the lack of attention and communication. So a robot cannot be a host. It cannot engage and interact in the same way that a human can. But that is precisely what distinguishes a good hotel from a great hotel. In a good hotel, the processes work reliably. A great hotel has people who are real hosts.
David Abbink summarises: Some of the background work can be automated. Interpersonal exchange, personal experience and empathy, on the other hand, are irreplaceable. The audience breathed a sigh of relief.
The Hague: Plea for "sustaining innovation"
Innovation and sustainability often go hand in hand. Dr. Alexander L. Schmidt, Professor of Technological Innovation at Hotelschool The Hague, therefore took up Abbink's approach: "We prefer to talk about 'sustaining' innovation rather than 'sustainable' innovation." The "supporting" variant makes companies' business significantly more efficient and aims to achieve higher margins.
Four keynote speakers sparked a lively discussion among the participants on the second day: (clockwise) Prof. Alexander L. Schmidt, The Hague; Matt Welle, Mews, with moderator Heleri Rande; David Abbink, TU Delft, and Sylvain Morgaine, Accor.HI, Maria Mindal
So how can the hotel industry cope with social and technical disruption and how can AI also give a massive boost to the economic side? In the field of robotics, one option is to break through the replication trap, the hotel expert advised. He cited the room service robot from aloft Dublin as an example of AI in action. Butlr, Temi's robot, brings the drink or fresh towels to the door. These types of robots are already in use in many hotels. According to Schmidt, innovation has so far consisted of 90% recombinations.
TU Delft, Hotelschool The Hague and Robo House have been conducting joint field experiments since Easter this year, which show, among other things, that: When people are given the option to choose between robots or humans, for example at check-in, they have significantly higher expectations of humans. So far, robots have acted as "doubles" for their human colleagues at work. Robots significantly reduce the error rate, especially for simple tasks. Employees now also see them as helpful support.
But AI can also be used in other ways, e.g. for training videos that show housekeeping the order in which a bathroom can be cleaned hygienically and efficiently. Or you can control the upselling of rooms via the digital twin of a hotel.
Schmidt's conclusion: Robotics and AI are fascinating. And necessary, because if we refuse to embrace technology, others will move ahead of us, such as China and even more so Japan, in line with the motto "Embrace technology or lose competitiveness".
From the Accor Lab directly to the lobby
Sylvain Morgaine, Vice President of Accor's Innovation Lab for two and a half years, bridged the gap between human-robot coworking and everyday hotel life. He presented innovations from the perspective of a hotel brand. The Lab with its basic team of three and a half staff generates start-ups and cooperates with start-ups. Accor's overarching mission is: All innovations must increase sales.
Morgaine's team has divided its projects into four innovation areas: Hotel Experience, Mobility, Room Experience and New Products and Services. The aim of the Connected Fridge service, the prototype of which can be found at the Mercure Paris Montmartre Sacré-Coeur, is to improve the guest experience and make profitable use of unused space in the lobby. Fridges filled with drinks and food were placed in the lobby where they were clearly visible. Hotel guests, but also external visitors, can shop by credit card. "After just three months, the hotel was already making a profit with this service," explains Morgaine.
Another example from the Novotel Megève Mont-Blanc, here the lobby store is designed in the hotel's look and feel. The range of goods is more comprehensive, refrigerators have been omitted for aesthetic reasons. Instead, food and drinks are selected and paid for in the store, but then picked up at the hotel bar. The benefit of both concepts is that guests can serve themselves easily and the hotel generates additional income.
Improving the guest experience is also the focus with regards to mobility - also illustrated by two examples. Alltheway Luggage Check-in is a kind of luggage transportation deluxe. Guests save themselves the time-consuming check-in and security check at the airport, which is already done in the hotel lobby. Passport and ticket are sufficient. Accor's ambitious goal is: "Become the world leader in smart travel journeys". Morgaine: "I think that passenger numbers will increase. We will need more and more of these urban hubs."
HITT premiere in Amsterdam - also a premiere for the two charming and highly professional presenters: Heleri Rande and Prof. Willy Legrand. HI, Maria Mindal
Matt Welle: Technology for people
The story behind the success story of software unicorn Mews was told by co-founder Matt Welle (see also our interview with him/relevant articles). What did he learn from it, what can hoteliers learn from it? Surprisingly, he had just as many "human" tips as tech tips. He advised decision-makers to embrace change, find a balance between innovation and operational excellence and, above all, build emotional intelligence to find talented employees and bring out the best in them.
"We have to find people who want to live hospitality," Welle stresses - he has not yet seen such people in the industry. Guests want authenticity, he noted: This is why Gen Z employees attach increasing importance to knowing what attitude their employer has. "They don't want fancy videos on TikTok, they want transparency and honesty." The Mews team has grown from 200 to 1,050 employees after the corona pandemic, and he only wants the best.
What do companies, including those like Mews, need to pay attention to in future when it comes to technological development? On data protection and cyber security, Matt Welle responded promptly and very seriously. No matter how annoying it is to enter a new code word every time you return to your PC - it will simply become a must. Cybercrime is simply "terrifying".
Welle was fascinated by the mountains of data that hoteliers are sitting on but can't do anything with. You should learn to curate each guest's data to see their profile and drive them towards greater consumption and loyalty accordingly. "That's what big language models do. They provide us with a lot of context, which we can then condense in order to deliver it to the employees on the front line. In addition, the search field in a PMS can be very, very powerful. That's why we rebuilt it from the ground up," adds Matt Welle.
So what was the take-home message for HITT participants? Innovation is no longer focused solely on interfaces and machines; AI is bringing people closer to the technology - but also to relieve them. / BB, kpo, map
Watch it: PLAIN TALK in two videos on the sidelines of HITT on www.hitt.world
Ufi Ibrahim from the EEA and sustainability and hospitality expert Anthony Williams talk about why and how to accelerate the transformation.
Dr Renée Nicole Wagner from Orascom Development and Prof Graham Miller from Nova School of Business and Economics Lisbon discuss whether the focus today is on customers or people.
