Quick LInks

Dates

Location

Programme

Agenda

Speakers

Networking & Meals

Dress Code

Prices

Register

Hotels

Transportation

Sponsors

Exhibitors

The Dates

Welcome Reception - Wednesday, 11 October, 7:30pm

Conference - Thursday 12 October (full day); Friday 13 October (until 1pm)

The Location

The event will be held in the delightful city of Lausanne, Switzerland.  Lausanne is located on the shores of beautiful Lake Geneva (Lac Leman), with the splendor of the Swiss Alps rising on all sides.  Lausanne is readily accessible via a direct train from Geneva airport, running several times an hour and taking about 40 minutes.

The Programme

The conference programme will include two primary elements - Thought Leadership sessions led by key industry executives and external speakers, and a review of activities of HTNG workgroups.  And as with all HTNG events, there will be plenty of time in between for networking.

HTNG Thought Leadership Programme:

Hotel Technology:  The European Challenge

The European market for hotel technology is exceptionally fragmented.  Only a small number of vendors have achieved pan-European success, primarily in just a few product categories (e.g. property management systems, high-speed Internet) and market segments (multinational brands).  Markets for the vast majority of technology products are dominated by national and regional vendors, in many cases based on longstanding personal relationships between local buyers and sellers who speak the same language – both literally and figuratively.

This situation is comfortable for local operators, but frustrating for hoteliers who want to deliver brand consistency across Europe.  It is equally frustrating for vendors trying to penetrate markets outside their home country.

HTNG’s acclaimed Thought Leadership Program will examine this situation in depth.  How and why did this situation evolve?  How does it impact hotel owners, operators, and brands?  How does it affect technology vendors?   More importantly, how valid is this model in the age of convergence - both technical convergence, led by Internet Protocol (IP) networks, and market convergence, as the European Union continues to reduce barriers to trade?

Presentations will include perspectives from leading hotel brands, owners, and vendors, and will provide insight into the challenges of “making it easy” to buy and sell technology for hotels in Europe.  

The concluding sessions will develop ideas on how the European hotel technology market could evolve to get the best of both worlds – the simplicity and consistency of a small set of pan-European vendors, together with the local knowledge, relationships, and support that national vendors provide.

 HTNG Workgroup Updates

The active HTNG workgroups will present overviews of the groundbreaking work they have been conducting in web services, distribution, in-room technology, infrastructure, and other areas.  Learn directly from the industry’s leading experts how HTNG members are creating next-generation technologies that hotels can buy today.

All sessions will be conducted in English.

Agenda

The continually evolving agenda is posted on our registration event site.  Visit the agenda tab to see the details of the sessions.  All times, session descriptions, and speakers are subject to change.

Speakers

We are still adding a few speakers, but we have an outstanding group of technology leaders already confirmed (see the agenda above for specific sessions)

General Session and Thought Leadership Speakers

David Bankers, Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, LodgeNet Entertainment

Alistair Forbes, CEO, Acentic GmbH

Fraser Hickox, General Manager Research & Technology,
The Hongkong & Shanghai Hotels Ltd. (The Peninsula Group)

Jon Inge, President, Jon Inge & Associates

Stuart Metcalfe, President & COO, Realstar Hotels (U.K.) Ltd.

Dietmar Müller-Elmau, Proprietor, Schloss Elmau Cultural Hideaway & Spa
(Founder and former CEO, Fidelio Software GmbH)

Nick Price, CIO/CTO, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Gebhard Rainer, Senior Vice President, Hyatt International (EAME)

Douglas Rice, Executive Director, Hotel Technology Next Generation

Gustaaf Schrils, Vice President, Hotel Technology & Services, InterContinental Hotels Group

Barry Shuler, Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Marriott International

Mac Smith, Managing Consultant, Hospitality Project People
(former Vice President of Information Technology, Hilton International)

Bryan Steele, Managing Director, Jireh-Tek Ltd.
(former IT Director, Thistle Hotels plc)

John Tattersfield, Regional Vice President, Information Resources, Marriott International (EAME)

Bart van den Hoven, Regional Director, Information Resources, Marriott International (Continental Europe)

Wibecke Vinke, Senior Vice President, Information Technology, Kempinski Hotels SA

Derek Wood, Managing Director, Derek Wood Associates Ltd.

Workgroup Update Speakers

Andrea Carrillo Bianchi, Director Business Development, MICROS-Fidelio GmbH

Sean Datcher, Director Product Systems & Development, Sabre Holdings

Victor Robison, Chief Technology Officer, VFM Interactive

Ragnar Strerath, Senior Director Product Development & Training, TRUST.WIZCOM division of Travelport

Yvette Vincent, Director of Applications Delaware North Companies, Inc.

Networking & Meals

There will be lots of opportunity to network with industry peers, prospective customers, and suppliers, including cocktail receptions on both Wednesday and Thursday evenings, dinner on Thursday evening, and lunches and breaks during the day.  Wednesday dinner and Friday lunch are "on your own" so you can set up private meetings.

Dress Code

Smart Casual

Prices & Registration

Register early for the best price!  All prices are in US Dollars (sorry, but our bank was not able to set us up to process bankcards in European currencies in time for this year's conference).

To register, please visit our online registration site here.

Important note:  Your individual e-mail address must be registered with HTNG in order to obtain the Member conference rate.  If you work for a company that holds a full corporate membership in HTNG, you can register in our database at here.  Once you receive your confirmation e-mail, you will be in our database, and should be able to register for the conference at the discounted Members rate.

If you register at the Members rate and your membership expires before 11 October, then you will need to renew your membership before the conference and/or pay the additional fee for non-members at the door.

Hotels

We have reserved room blocks at two hotels on the waterfront in Lausanne - one deluxe, the other a high quality business hotel.  The hotels are within walking distance of each other.

 Deluxe Hotel
Hotel Beau-Rivage Palace Lausanne

• Rate: CHF 400 per day including VAT, service, and American buffet breakfast (excludes CHF 2.60 city tax, per person per day)

• Add CHF 2.60 per person per day city tax

• Wired Internet available in guestroom (extra charge)

• Free access to spa "Cinq Mondes"

• Website:  www.brp.ch

• To book:  contact the Reservations Department a the hotel, specifying the name of the group “Hotel Technology”.

  • Phone: +41.21.613.3306

  • Fax: +41.21.613.3341

  • E-mail:  reservation@brp.ch

Business Hotel
Mövenpick Hotel Lausanne
**HTNG BLOCK SOLD OUT - Contact Hotel for General Availability**

• Rate: CHF 205 per day including service and VAT (excludes breakfast)

• Add CHF 2.20 per person per day city tax

• Wireless Internet available in guestrooms

• Large, well-equipped fitness center

• Website:  www.moevenpick-lausanne.com

• To book:  The HTNG Block is now SOLD OUT.  Please contact the hotel directly for general availability.

Transportation

Nearest Airport:  The Geneva Airport is about 30 minutes from the hotels and 45 minutes from Ecole Hötelière de Lausanne, and offers nonstop service to most major European cities and to New York and Newark.

Airport to Lausanne:  Direct and frequent train service is available between Geneva Airport and Lausanne.  Trains run approximately every 15 minutes during the daytime and take approximately 40 minutes.  For schedules, see the SBB website.  Tickets can be purchased at the airport station.  Taxi from the Lausanne train station to either hotel is about CHF 13.

Between hotels and conference:  Complimentary bus service will be provided from the Beau-Rivage Palace and the Mövenpick Hotel to and from Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne before and after each day’s activities.  Taxis are available at the hotels or can be called from EHL, cost is about CHF 40 each way.  Buses sponsored by Travelport

Thank You to Our Sponsors and Exhibitors for their Generous Support!

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Exhibitors