Robot Mario: Relaxed at the Ghent Marriott Hotel.photo: robot NAO by Aldebaran Robotics
Berlin. The "Special Guest" of the "ITB Hospitality Day" on Thursday, March 10, 2016 is named Mario and he is a hotel robot by profession. The visitors to the 11th hotel conference of the globally leading trade fair for the international travel industry will not only be able to experience him during the opening, but also briefly at each of the talk rounds. Regarding digitisation, the central topic of interest of the ITB Berlin conventions, well-known hotel experts will discuss the subjects of robotics, high-tech innovations and innovation labs – and more during the ITB Hospitality Day. As usual, HospitalityInside is an exclusive media partner of the conference.
Welcome, Mario! The first humanoid hotel robot in Europe is the latest staff member at the Ghent Marriott Hotel, Belgium. He is 57 cm tall, weighs a light six kilogrammes and speaks 19 languages. His inventor, Fabrice Goffin, and his hotel General Manager, Roger Langhout, will explain why the robot was created and where the challenges and opportunities lie in dealing with these creatures during the opening of the ITB Hospitality Day from 10:30.
Mario has worked at the hotel since summer, 2015 – particularly at the reception where the – surprised – guests can become familiar with him and a new era.
Roger Langhout, Marriott.
Then Mario will listen in on the second panel when Stephan Demmerle, Director Business Unit Central Europe with the NH Hotel Group will explain why today, the hotel chain offers a technology with which people can be sent around the globe in life-size and the inside of the heart by 3D holographic technology.
The journalist Sarah Douag, moderator of the round, will question the influence of such high-tech innovations and of robots on the industry. By profession, Roland Schwecke, Managing Director of the DICON Marketing and Consulting company in Berlin, has already given this consideration as well.
Stephan Demmerle, NH.
For example, will robots be able to unburden the hotel industry or will they also destroy jobs? Perhaps Richard Singer, President of Travelzoo, has additional answers prepared: For the ITB, he has surveyed worldwide how robots can be used within the travel industry.
The 25hours Hotel Company has already been living innovation before the "innovation labs" generally existed. CEO Christoph Hoffmann will recount how creativity is lived within the individually themed hotels. Dr. Jens Pippig, Managing Director of the Pro Sieben Accelerator, will explain why the company has promoted start-ups from all industries with larger sums for several years now. And Hotel Strategist, René Massatti with TrendONE Vienna, will analyse the unusual ideas that trend scouts deliver to him and which he packs, e.g., into a data bank.
Christoph Hoffmann, 25hours.
Additional subjects: China, OTAs, digital natives, the guest
We will introduce you to the additional subjects of the ITB Hospitality Day 2016 in the subsequent issues. So for the first time, a Chinese hotel group will take the stage to be asked questions: Plateno Hotels, the largest hotel group in China. In an additional panel, two top executives from Google and Booking.com will face each other. A futurologist will describe the digital natives and three additional experts will investigate the investment in the guest.
You can find the complete ITB Hospitality Day Programme under this link.
The 11th ITB Hospitality Day will take place on Thursday, March 10, 2016 in Hall 7.1b/ Auditorium London. Entry is free for all ITB visitors.
Those who are not able to attend the trade fair can follow the hotel conference on March 10th via an Internet Livestream under this link! / kn
You will find the summarizing panel reports of the ITB Hospitality Day 2015 under this link. This year again, hospitalityInside.com will provide such summaries – available from March 18 on our page 1, accessible for all users.