New AI Advisory Board Turns Talk Into Action
HSMAI Europe’s freshly launched AI Advisory Board is already moving from discussion to delivery, with Chair Ben Jost revealing a hit list of priorities to help hotels respond to AI-led change.
Jost, CEO and Founder of TrustYou, an HSMAI Europe organisational member and strategic partner, said the board had identified immediate opportunities for white papers, case studies and best-practice articles focused on the first practical challenges facing hotels.
By Gemma Greenwood
High on the agenda are content strategy in the age of large language models, the future of direct channels and AI-ready hotel technology architecture, with further themes set to be explored at future meetings.
“This is about industry education,” said Jost. “There is a lot of chatter around AI. We want to bring clarity.”
Launched in March, the AI Advisory Board brings together senior leaders from HSMAI Europe’s membership across hotel groups, technology companies, commercial strategy, distribution, revenue management and digital transformation, with its second meeting on May 21 setting out an action plan for turning early discussions into useful industry guidance.
Jost says the board’s role is to break down what he calls the “AI pie” into digestible pieces the industry can understand and act on. Content strategy is already emerging as a “low-hanging fruit” opportunity for hotels, while bigger questions around direct channels and technology architecture will require further exploration.
“I would be happy if we just start with a couple of best-practice and high-level articles first,” he said. “Then maybe there’s a feedback loop where people say, great, helpful, or not.”
Looking at the bigger picture, Jost said one of the board’s most important messages is that hotels must stop thinking first about tools and technology, and start with the problems they need to solve.
“The question is not, ‘Do I need another CRM?’” he said. “It is, ‘How do I enable a seamless conversation with the guest, 24/7, in every language, across every channel?’”
Ingunn Hofseth, President & CEO of HSMAI Europe, said: “It is great to see the AI Advisory Board moving so quickly with insights that are practical, relevant and addressing the real challenges hotels are facing. AI touches every commercial discipline, from revenue management and sales to marketing, distribution, technology and guest experience, so this work goes to the heart of HSMAI Europe’s mission: bringing the right people together, turning knowledge into education and helping the industry move forward with confidence.”
