Community Cannot Be Built From a Distance

I hope you have had a wonderful summer and found some time to slow down, recharge and enjoy a well-deserved break. As we now enter a busy and exciting autumn, the HSMAI Europe team is looking forward to meeting many of you in person.

In September alone, HSMAI Europe will host events in six cities across five countries. It is a demanding schedule, but it reflects something we believe deeply: a strong professional community cannot be built from a distance. Technology has made it easier than ever to connect. We can hold meetings, share knowledge and build relationships across borders without leaving our desks. But a digital connection is often not enough.

Real communities are built when people meet face to face. They grow through the conversations that continue after a session has ended, the honest questions asked over drinks, and the introductions that lead to new ideas, partnerships and opportunities.

Europe is not one single hospitality market. Every country has its own realities, challenges and ambitions. If we want to understand what matters to our members, we need to be present where they are. We will meet them at their head offices, in their hotels and in destinations across Europe – and we will listen, not assume.

And September is only the beginning. We will continue at an even higher pace throughout October, November and December, bringing together senior executives, commercial professionals, young leaders and future talent in cities across Europe. The formats and audiences will vary, but the purpose remains the same: to create meaningful places where people can learn from one another, build relationships and move our industry forward together.

Then, in January, we will bring our wider European community together once again for Commercial Strategy Week at InterContinental London Park Lane. This is where senior leaders from different markets, head offices, disciplines and organisations can connect with peers and perspectives from across Europe, exchange ideas and explore what the future of hospitality should look like. It is also an opportunity to bring your leadership team – not only to learn, but to reflect together, build new relationships and return home with a shared sense of direction.

As you may have seen in the invitation we sent last week, registration is now open. I warmly invite you and your leadership team to join us in London from 13–15 January 2027.

Ultimately, HSMAI Europe is not built from one city or one central office. It is built every time our members and partners come together, share generously and turn individual experience into collective progress.

Community requires presence and we intend to keep showing up.

Have a wonderful day, and I hope to see you soon!

All the best,

Ingunn Hofseth
President & CEO

HSMAI Region Europe
Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International

W: www.hsmai.eu