Successful participation at the first HotelTech Summit Mallorca
Professionals from the hotel and technology sector share a day of debate and reflection on leadership, digitisation and new technologies.
After the pandemic, the tourism sector is embarking on an exciting challenge, a change marked by the emergence of new technologies that was already being sensed two years ago and which, after the forced hiatus, we have seen accelerate.
Leading this change, looking for technological partners to accompany you, optimising resources, never thinking that we are late, having a clear strategy, listening, and not rushing. These are some of the issues that were discussed at the first HotelTech Summit Mallorca, which took place at the Meliá Innside Palma Bosque and was attended by more than 60 professionals from the tourism and technology sector, with the collaboration of Turistec.
Xavier Pallicer, CEO & Founder of GuestPro - Photo: Santiago Ferreyra
HotelTech Summit is a pre-pandemic event organised by GuestPro, which was born in Menorca in 2019 with the aim of weaving a network of trust between nationally consolidated technology companies and the hotel sector. After the forced hiatus due to COVID-19, it has returned in the year of the sector's recovery and has already visited the island again and other cities such as Valencia, Benidorm and now Palma de Mallorca.
This is the 4th event that GuestPro organises under the name HotelTech Summit and on this occasion it has brought together technology companies, experts in marketing, revenue management, operations and digitalisation with the aim of engaging in direct conversation with hoteliers, consultants and, in general, all types of professionals in the tourism industry.
The day woke up to a rainy day, but that didn't stop more than 60 professionals from both the island and abroad from gathering at Meliá's modern Innside Palma Bosque to learn from each other, share experiences and find out about the latest trends in the sector.
Some of the speakers - Photo: Santiago Ferreyra
Disruptive companies
The presentations were given by some of the most disruptive technology companies in the sector. From Ibiza, Irene Guinarte, CEO & Co-founder of Wavyssa, gave a lesson on revenue, analysing the holiday hotel segment and highlighting the importance of segmentation and profitability by channel. Xavier López, COO of the Mallorcan company EISI SOFT, analysed the current situation of the digitalisation of hotel operations and the importance of working on three fundamental aspects: consultancy, training and software. From Benidorm, Javier Quesada, CCO of FlexMyRoom, spoke about strategies to follow to reduce cancellations by giving value to the hotel proposal through flexible rates. The Mallorcan company Roibos and its Business Development Spain & Portugal Malvina Costela introduced attendees to a new B2B distribution model that helps hoteliers to diversify, reduce time and expenses, have security in payments, increase their bookings and have total control of distribution. Xavier Pallicer, CEO & Founder of GuestPro and organiser of the event, closed the presentations by talking about the importance of analysing data to make the best decisions and how the technological solution that his company has designed helps the digitalisation of hotels by integrating all the main tools that hoteliers need in one: PMS, booking engine, channel manager and CRM.
Moments of the presentations - Photos: Santiago Ferreyra
The experience of a hotel group such as Meliá Hotels International
After the presentations by the guest companies, it was time to ask the hotelier how to deal with change management. Antonia Jiménez, Global Hotel Technologies Senior Manager at Meliá Hotels International, put the audience in her pocket with her vision and experience in the business. "Let's think big but let's start small", because according to Jiménez, haste is not good and there is still time to make this technological migration that has come not only to sell more but also to optimise hotel resources.
Antonia Jiménez of Meliá Hotels International - Photo: Santiago Ferreyra
After a short chat between attendees and speakers, the meeting moved to the roof of the Innside Palma Bosque where the sun had made its presence felt. A lively networking was testimony to the sector's desire to return to face-to-face events where they can be in direct contact with clients, acquaintances, friends and establish new commercial relationships that are very beneficial for a sector in full reactivation after the crisis suffered due to the pandemic. The joy and good faces put an end to a day on hotel technology that augurs a promising 2022 season.
Photo: Santiago Ferreyra
