Workshops
11:30am
Complacency, compliance and cost: navigating the Employment Rights Act
Employment law changes are raising the stakes for hospitality businesses. Join us for an interactive session covering key Employment Rights Act developments, tipping and tronc compliance and emerging workforce issues. We'll highlight common pitfalls, discuss upcoming changes and share practical steps to help protect your people, reputation and profits.
Speakers:
Peter Davies, Client Service Partner, WMT Troncmaster Services
Claire Clarke, Director of Hospitality People Services, Moore Kingston Smith
11:30am
What Millions of Guest Interactions Reveal about AI inside the Stay
Think you know what guests want from AI? The data may surprise you. Drawing on millions of real guest interactions, this workshop goes inside the stay to reveal how guests actually use AI, where hotelier assumptions break and what those behaviors mean for the business. Bring your guesses.
Speaker:
Michael Pryde, UK Account Executive, Canary Technologies
12:05
The Invisible Guest Wallet: Connecting Hospitality Payments, Data and Loyalty
Featuring new research from Retail Economics, FreedomPay and Worldpay, now Global Payments, this workshop will explore how hotels can better connect payments, guest data and the wider customer journey. From identifying where valuable guest context is lost to understanding changing payment expectations, the session will look at how more connected payment experiences can improve visibility, recognition and long-term guest value.
Speakers:
Richard Lim, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Retail Economics
Ron White, Payments Specialist, Worldpay
Garrett Brennan, Director of External Affairs and Marketing, FreedomPay
12:05
Making Hospitality a Career: Systems to Success
Hospitality is too often a stopgap, not a profession. Drawing on 15 years of running hotels and working with 600+ properties, Sinead Marron shows how the right systems can cut admin, recognise people and free teams to connect with guests, turning short-term jobs into careers.
Speaker:
Sinead Marron - Director of Growth at Alkimii
12:40
Beyond the Search Bar: Winning the Modern Guest from Discovery to Checkout
Guests don't find hotels the way they used to. AI assistants, social feeds and review platforms now shape decisions long before a traditional search. This hands-on workshop looks at how guests discover, compare and book today, and what they expect your direct booking experience to do once they arrive.
Speaker:
Hollie McHugh, Group Marketing Director at Net Affinity and Smart Hotel
12:40
Martyn's Law: The Role of Connected Technology
CCTV, access control, digital signage and AV systems are already part of many hospitality environments, but their potential extends beyond their individual functions. With Martyn's Law bringing protective security into sharper focus, connecting these technologies can help operators improve situational awareness, communicate important information to guests and staff, and respond more effectively when it matters most.
Speaker:
Richard Reid, Senior Commercial and Growth Leader, Airwave
Amy Lishman, Senior Sales Manager - Europe, Brivo
