As with many industry events, this year’s Hotec conferences were brought online to continue connecting hoteliers with industry insiders across the operations and design sectors. The online event consolidated five in-person events (Hotec Design North America, Hotec Operations North America, Hotec Middle East, Hotec Asia and Hotec Europe) into the two-day Hotec Global virtual conference, held Nov. 9–10 and sponsored by Questex, parent company of Hotel Management Magazine.
More than 1,000 virtual one-on-one meetings were conducted on the Grip platform among 70 buyers and designers as well as representatives of 50 supplier companies from 20 countries. Buyers represented top hotel management companies, purchasing companies and interior and architectural design firms with key leading domestic and international suppliers representing products and services.
In addition to the one-on-one meetings, this year’s conference included presentations from two motivational speakers who offered hope in the wake of the crippling pandemic.
Life is Good
The event’s first speaker was Lisa Tanzer, president of Life is Good, a Chicago-based lifestyle brand dedicated to spreading the power of optimism on clothing and accessories. The company also supports the Life is Good Kids Foundation, which helps childcare professionals leverage optimism to help kids heal.
“What happens when the world looks like this?” Tanzer asked the attendees as she told her company’s story. “What role can Life is Good play here for society overall and for our business?” The company, she said, talked with those customers who could focus on the good. “We know that what we focus on grows,” she said “What are our customers saying right now? How can we help and support them and the broader community? ... What we learned quickly is that our customers really do want to focus on the good. They want to focus on what they have right now and the little things they can celebrate, instead of what they don't have.”
John O'Leary
Inspirational speaker John O’Leary, who also spoke at the Hotec Design conference last year, kicked off the next day’s programming by suggesting two thoughts for attendees to keep in mind throughout their meetings. “The first is gratitude—gratitude for where we've been, gratitude for where we are, gratitude for who we are and how we show up,” he said, noting that gratitude leads to creativity, increased collaboration and greater health while simultaneously reducing illness, stress, anxiety and depression.
The second thought was a new vision for where the industry can go next. “People are looking up to you,” he said. “They're looking up to your leadership; they're looking up at the way you show up in virtual meetings. Give them an example that is worthy, always. In a marketplace that frequently does not, give them something to strive to be more like in their life. Be the kind of leader that others want to live and look like.”
The dates for upcoming Hotec events will be announced soon. Visit HotecGlobal.com for updates.