Commercial Strategy Week At a Glance
HSMAI Europe’s Commercial Strategy Conference – the evolution of HSMAI ROC – reflects the development of marketing, revenue optimization, sales, and other commercial functions into new and evolving commercial strategy organisations inside many hotel companies.
The conference — and pre- and post-conference certifications, leadership day, training and roundtables — will equip commercial professionals and leaders with the skills, knowledge, and strategic vision necessary to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of hotel commercial strategy while driving profit throughout the customer journey.
The Week-at-a-Glance for the Commercial Strategy Week 2026 will be updated regularly, as we are in the progress of setting the final program for the week.
Wednesday, January 14th, 2026: Pre-Event Workshops & Leadership Day
09:00 am – 12:00 pm
Talent Workshop (By-Invitation-Only): “Step Up Your Talent Game: Developing Strong Commercial Leaders”
InterContinental London Park Lane
Moderated by Michael Wierling, Director HR, Northern Europe at IHG Hotels & Resorts and the Chair of the HSMAI Europe People & Culture Advisory Board.
Developing strong commercial leaders is not an HR responsibility — it’s everyone’s responsibility. Whether you work in sales, marketing, revenue, operations, HR, or education, every role has an impact on how the industry attracts, develops, and retains commercial talent.
Through the diverse mix of people in the room — different companies, seniority levels, and disciplines — we will build a full picture of what developing strong commercial leaders looks like in today’s hospitality industry. We will discuss what the industry is doing well, what needs to change, what opportunities we can leverage, and what practical actions each of us can take back to our own organisation to step up our talent game.
This workshop is designed for hoteliers and educators across HR and non-HR functions, from experienced commercial leaders to those just beginning their careers. It is for those who want to step up their talent game and contribute to a more resilient commercial talent pipeline in hospitality.
*Please note that all registrations will be pending approval.
09:00 am – 12:00 pm
MICE Workshop (By- Invitation Only): The Profitability Equation: Rooms × Meetings. How Meetings Multiply Your Hotel’s Total Revenue per m²
InterContinental London Park Lane
Moderated by Mark Struik and Thijs Peters, Partners at Conventus Consultants.
Hotels often underestimate the real financial impact of MICE — not only in room nights, but in hidden margins, F&B, upsell opportunities and the true value of meeting space. This workshop explores the commercial tension every hotel faces: should you contract rooms far in advance at lower group rates to secure meeting business, or hold out for high-yield transient demand on peak dates?
Using real data insights, profitability dilemmas and strategic trade-offs, we challenge industry assumptions and reveal how smarter alignment between Sales and Revenue can dramatically increase Total Revenue per m².
This workshop is designed for senior hoteliers, commercial strategists, revenue leaders, and sales & marketing professionals looking for new perspectives and inspiration.
*Please note that all registrations will be pending approval.
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
CRME Review Course
InterContinental London Park Lane
Including lunch and Global exam at 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
The more you know, and the more you can prove you know, the better ROI you can provide to your employer, the more you can improve your company’s bottom line, and the better you can position yourself in your chosen discipline.
12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
HSMAI Europe Board of Directors meeting (Internal)
InterContinental London Park Lane
3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Including working dinner
Leadership Day (Internal)
InterContinental London Park Lane
The HSMAI Europe Leadership Day 2026, an invitation-only event, will take place at the conference venue. For this gathering we invite HSMAI Europe Advisory Board members, Rising Leaders Council, Board of Directors members, Student Council and special supporters and sponsors of the region.
Invited HSMAI Europe members may register here – all registrations are subject to approval.
Thursday, January 15th, 2026: Commercial Strategy Conference and HSMAI Awards Europe 2025
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Conference
InterContinental London Park Lane
HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Conference (formerly ROC) has become one of the most compelling and comprehensive learning exchange for commercial leaders in the hospitality industry. Join us for an unparalleled professional development experience.
6:30 pm – 11:00 pm
HSMAI Awards Europe 2025
InterContinental London Park Lane
The annual HSMAI Awards Europe recognises the people and companies that have shown excellent work in the hospitality, tourism, and travel industries. This event allows companies and employees to show that they value and recognise the importance of each other.
Friday, January 16th, 2026: 2 Executive Roundtables
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Senior Revenue & Commercial Executive Roundtable (By Invitation Only)
InterContinental London Park Lane
*Please note that all registrations will be pending approval.
Topic: Rising costs and OTA dominance require smarter channel mix and cost control – how do you balance profitability and volume?
Moderated by Julie Jones, Senior Vice President at HSMAI
HSMAI Executive Roundtables are networks of like-minded senior leaders. They are a unique opportunity for executive-level peer groups to have meaningful dialogue in a confidential environment.
For more information, contact HSMAI Region Europe at postbox@hsmai.eu
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Senior Sales and Distribution Executive Roundtables (By Invitation Only)
InterContinental London Park Lane
*Please note that all registrations will be pending approval.
Topic: AI in Hotel Distribution (as a follow up from Curate that took place in London in November, this important topic will again be on the agenda)
Moderated by Elodie Leunen CEO, Fastpayhotels & and a member of HSMAI Europe Board of Directors
HSMAI Executive Roundtables are networks of like-minded senior leaders. They are a unique opportunity for executive-level peer groups to have meaningful dialogue in a confidential environment.
For more information, contact HSMAI Region Europe at postbox@hsmai.eu
3:00 – 20:00 pm
Including working dinner
Leadership Day
The HSMAI Europe Leadership Day 2025, an invitation-only event, will take place at the conference venue. For this gathering we invite HSMAI Europe Advisory Board members, Rising Leaders Council, Board of Directors members, Student Council and special supporters and sponsors of the region.
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