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To equip you with fresh ideas and keep you ahead in an ever-changing hospitality landscape, we have curated more than 35 seminar sessions across the Hotel Business Stage, Innovation Stage and Social Business Space. Under this year’s theme, Shaping Tomorrow: Where Innovation Meets Independent Spirit, the programme will explore hotel design, changing guest expectations, AI, automation, profitable F&B and the trends redefining luxury travel.
Alongside thought-provoking panels, expect practical Power Hour sessions, interactive discussions and expert-led conversations tackling the real challenges facing independent hoteliers. With sessions spanning digital strategy, sustainability, team wellbeing, new revenue opportunities and long-term hotel value, the 2026 programme is designed to spark ideas you can take straight back to your business.
Hotel Business Stage
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Hotel Business StageJoin Michal Rao, STR’s Regional Director for Northern Europe, for a data-led look at the latest hotel performance trends across the UK and Europe. Discover what’s driving demand, rates and revenue, ho …
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Hotel Business StageHospitality doesn’t clock off, but your team needs to. Guests expect fast responses and seamless service at all hours, while teams are under constant pressure to protect margins, drive revenue and mak …
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Hotel Business StagePower Hour: Big ideas, business-critical advice and practical takeaways to power your hotel. Capital allowances might not be the first thing you think about when buying or investing in a hotel, but th …
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Hotel Business StagePower Hour: Big ideas, business-critical advice and practical takeaways to power your hotel. For too long, sustainability has been treated as a communications exercise rather than a business strategy. …
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Hotel Business StagePower Hour: Big ideas, business-critical advice and practical takeaways to power your hotel. What if your next high-value guest is already staying with your competitors? This session will explore how …
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Hotel Business StageFood and beverage can be one of the biggest opportunities for independent hotels – but it can also be one of the biggest challenges. Rising costs, changing guest expectations and evolving dining habit …
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Hotel Business StageToday's candidates want more than job descriptions. They want to know what it's really like to work for your business. In this practical session, Tiffany Black, Chief Storyteller at Scrumptious, will …
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Hotel Business StageSustainability shouldn't sit alongside your day job – it should be part of how you run your hotel every day. From design decisions and operations to guest experience and procurement, the most effectiv …
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Hotel Business StageRecognising the passion of independently spirited hoteliers and designers who continue to drive our sector forward, the Independent Hotel Show Awards, in partnership with Preferred Hotels & Resorts, c …
Innovation Stage
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Innovation StageThe UK luxury traveller is still spending, but how, when and where they choose to spend is changing. Drawing on Agility’s latest TrendLens™ research, this session will reveal what wealthy travellers a …
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Innovation StageToday's guests are looking for more than just a place to stay. They want memorable experiences, meaningful connections and every moment of their trip to feel worthwhile. As expectations continue to ev …Moderator
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Innovation StageAI is changing the way hotels work, but success depends on people, not just technology. This session will explore the essential skills hotel teams need to thrive in an AI-enabled workplace, from AI li …
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Innovation StageAI agents are beginning to search, compare and book hotel stays on behalf of travellers – but what happens when your website isn’t ready for them? For independent hotels, the rise of agentic AI could …Sponsored by:
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Innovation StageThe way people travel, work and socialise has changed, and hotels are evolving to keep pace. From flexible workspaces and multi-functional public areas to design that encourages connection, wellbeing …
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Innovation StageThe biggest hotel brands may dominate advertising budgets, but independent hotels are proving that creativity can outperform scale. Join hotel marketing experts and a leading travel influencer as they …Moderator
Social Business Space
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Social Business SpaceAccessibility is no longer a compliance checkbox, it's one of the fastest-growing opportunities in hospitality. Disabled travellers and their companions represent significant spending power, yet many …Presenter
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Social Business SpaceHospitality Action’s latest survey findings show that manager capability around mental health is becoming even more important across hospitality. While openness around mental health may be improving, …
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Social Business SpaceWhat happens to your bottom line the moment a guest walks through the door? Check-in is often treated as a simple transaction, but it can also be one of the final opportunities to drive additional roo …Moderator
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Social Business SpaceEnergy is one of the largest controllable costs within a hotel, but reducing consumption cannot come at the expense of the guest experience. In this interactive session, attendees will explore where e …Presenter
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Social Business SpaceA more connected hotel will give operators a clearer view of what’s happening across the property, bringing everything from guest-room technology and access control to energy and building systems toge …
Hotel Business Stage
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Hotel Business StageEach year, the Independent Hotel Show brings together a select group of hoteliers to explore the state of the industry at an inspiring invitation-only breakfast session with an industry leader. This y …Interviewer
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Hotel Business StageArtificial intelligence and automation are no longer technologies of the future; they’re rapidly becoming part of everyday hospitality. But while technology can streamline processes and improve effici …
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Hotel Business StageJoin Boutique Hotel News’ Eloise Hanson in conversation with UKHospitality CEO Allen Simpson as they unpack the prospect of tourist taxes across the UK, following the introduction of a visitor levy in …InterviewerSpeakers
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Hotel Business StagePower Hour: Big ideas, business-critical advice and practical takeaways to power your hotel. A memorable hotel brand is about far more than a great logo, clever font or beautiful interiors. It’s about …
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Hotel Business StagePower Hour: Big ideas, business-critical advice and practical takeaways to power your hotel. When you’re constantly focused on running your hotel, it’s easy to forget to ask what you want the business …
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Hotel Business StagePower Hour: Big ideas, business-critical advice and practical takeaways to power your hotel. The hotel market is fragmenting. Gen Z is discovering hotels through TikTok, Instagram and ChatGPT. Millenn …
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Hotel Business StageThe right refurbishment can transform more than a hotel’s appearance; it can transform its performance. From how guests move through a property to the spaces they spend time in and the identity they r …
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Hotel Business StageAs the hospitality landscape continues to evolve, many hotel owners and operators are exploring how to retain the individuality and personality of an independent hotel while benefiting from the commer …Moderator
Innovation Stage
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Innovation StageExceptional guest experiences start with exceptional teams, and with managers who know how to bring out the best in their people. Join hospitality leaders as they explore how empowering managers to le …
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Innovation StageWellbeing is becoming an increasingly important part of the guest experience – but how can thoughtful interior design genuinely influence the way we feel? This session will explore the role interiors …
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Innovation StageLuxury travel is evolving, and so are guest expectations. Join Michelin and hospitality leaders as they explore the trends influencing where discerning travellers choose to stay, dine and spend their …
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Innovation StageSocial media is often the first place guests discover your hotel, shaping expectations long before they book. For boutique hotels, it's a chance to showcase personality, tell authentic stories and cre …
Social Business Space
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Social Business SpaceCreativity is becoming the last frontier of competitive advantage. As AI takes on more of the functional side of marketing, the value of original thinking has never been greater. Yet while marketers i …
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Social Business SpaceCould your team be your biggest competitive advantage? As independent hotels face rising expectations and tighter resources, attracting the right people and making smarter workforce decisions has neve …
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Social Business SpaceAA ratings remain one of the UK hospitality industry’s most recognised marks of quality, but are independent hotels making the most of their accreditation? In this interactive session, the AA will unp …
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Social Business SpaceThe days of the uninspiring meeting room could be numbered. As businesses look for more flexible, characterful and convenient places to bring people together, independent hotels have a growing opportu …
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