The 18th edition of India’s biggest hospitality investment conference, HICSA 2023 (Hotel Investment Conference – South Asia), was a booming success what with the country’s leading hoteliers and industry stalwarts coming together under one roof to address and spotlight the many trials and triumphs witnessed by the hotel industry in the last one year, and take a look at the road ahead…
Hilton Garden Inn Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park, the venue for the two-day conference, was abuzz with vibrant keynotes, insightful presentations, meaningful conversations, enjoyable interviews and more…
The evening before the conference, however, saw an informal get-together of sorts with all the members of HICSA over breezy cocktails and sumptuous dinner at the JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort and Spa, which had the most picturesque view of the beautiful Nandi Hills.
Enlightening!
Day 1 of the conference was opened by a warm welcome by Manav Thadani, Founder-Chairman, Hotelivate, the host of HICSA 2023. Thadani spoke of the exciting future of the hospitality industry, and how the G20 Summit, sporting events and weddings will be additional revenue generators.
This was followed by an interesting fireside chat between Bhaskar Bhat, Chairman, Vistara – TATA SIA Airlines Ltd; and Puneet Chhatwal Managing Director & CEO, The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), where the duo discussed how aspirational India will drive growth.
While Anthony Capuano, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International, unravelled the exciting plans his brand had for India, G Kishan Reddy, Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoNER, Government of India, spoke about how the vision is to build tourism as a 1 trillion dollar industry by 2047.
Zubin Saxena, Managing Director and Area Senior VP – South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, moderated a session with Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman, AmbujaNeotia Group; Nirupa Shankar, ED, Brigade Group; Snehdeep Aggarwal, Chairman and Founder, Bhartiya Group; and Sonica Malhotra, JMD, MBD Group, on challenges for hotel owners.
Concurrent sessions saw parallel discussions on AI in the hospitality industry; stepping ahead with tech; and the role of frontline in enhancing guest experiences and incremental revenue.
Megna Shankaranarayanan, Industry Head – Travel & FoodTech, Google; Radha Dhir, Chief Executive Officer and Country Head; JLL, Ankur Gupta, Partner, Brookfield Asset Management; Sanjay Sethi, CEO and MD, Chalet Hotels Limited; Alan Watts, President – Asia Pacific, Hilton; Dillip Rajakarier, Group CEO, Minor International; Dimitris Manikis, President & MD-EMEA, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; Elie Younes, Executive VP and Global Chief Development Officer, Radisson Hotel Group; Chris Nassetta, President and CEO, Hilton; and Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, were some of the other speakers and panellists on the day 1 of the conference.
Infotaining!
From cutting-edge technology to innovative design and sustainability, Day 2 covered the latest trends and insights shaping the hospitality industry.
Panellists Andrew Langdon, Senior VP Development Asia, Accor; Anuraag Bhatnagar, CEO, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts; Jatin Khanna, CEO, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts; Suma Venkatesh, Executive VP, Real Estate & Development, The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), had an interesting discussion on ‘Change Makers: Leading From The Front’, which was moderated by Achin Khanna, Managing Partner Strategic Advisory, Hotelivate,
‘India Shining’, another eye-opening session, consisting of eminent speakers like Gautam Birudavolu, CEO, GreenPark Hotels; Suhail Kannampilly, CEO, The Fern Hotels & Resorts; Vikram Cotah, CEO, GRT Hotels & Resorts; and Vikram Lalvani, Managing Director and CEO, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, was wonderfully moderated by Dilip Puri, Founder and CEO, Indian School of Hospitality.
Manav Thadani, Founder Chairman, Hotelivate, steered a remarkable chat with Anil Chadha, Divisional Chief Executive, ITC Hotels; Armand Steinmeyer, VP – Business Development, The Ascott Limited; Chander Baljee, Chairman And MD, Royal Orchid Hotels; James Kaplan, CEO, Destination Group; Rajiv Kaul, Luxury Hotelier, Kaul Advisory; and Vikramjit Singh, President, Lemon Tree Hotels, on ‘Hot Seat: A Generation Apart’, a subject that appealed to one and all.
The air was filled with vibrancy and excitement as industry leaders, innovators, and experts shared ideas, mingled over delectable lunches and dinners, and flipped through copies of Hotelier India, an official media partner at the event.
The much-awaited Hotel of the Year Awards, where Bibhor Srivastava, Managing Director, ITP Media India, was a jury member, was also conducted amidst the sessions with much fanfare and delight.
An event the entire hospitality fraternity looks out for, HICSA 2023 rocked as always!
