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HSMAI EUROPE COMMERCIAL STRATEGY FORUM THURSDAY, APRIL 10TH 2025 LISBON EPIC SANA MARQUES HOTEL REGISTER Full Day. Full Focus. Full Potential for Your Commercial Strategy!

Slide THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2025 FULL DAY AND EVENING EPIC SANA MARQUES, LISBON This is a forum specifically designed for Commercial Leaders and their teams who are looking to stay ahead in the hospitality industry. Whether you are responsible for revenue management, sales, marketing, distribution, digital strategy or as a GM, this is a must-attend gathering to gain valuable insights, share best practices, and network with like-minded professionals. WHO SHOULD ATTEND Can’t make it to Lisbon? We’re also hosting the HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Forum in Athens on April 23, 2025! Read more about Athens about Welcome to the HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Forum in Lisbon. This full-day event will bring together hospitality leaders to discuss cutting-edge strategies in revenue management, sales, marketing, and distribution.

Slide About HSMAI Europe HSMAI Europe aims to be a key influencer, pioneer and the go-to industry resource for professional development, commercial strategies and sustainability in the hospitality industry. MISSION The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Region Europe is committed to growing business for the hotel, event and travel industry and their partners, and is the industry’s leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable revenue growth on a local, national and European level. The association provides practical tools, insights, and cutting edge expertise to enable knowledge sharing and enhance professional development as well as fuel sales, inspire marketing, transform businesses digitally and optimise revenue. VISION The HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Forums were inspired by a simple yet powerful idea: to bring the insights, energy, and expertise of our HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Conference to local markets across Europe.

Our annual conference has become a must-attend event for commercial leaders in hospitality, providing cutting-edge strategies, in-depth discussions, and networking. However, we know that not everyone can travel to a single location. That’s why we are launching these focused, local Commercial Strategy Forums—mini-versions of the main conference —tailored to the specific challenges and opportunities in each local market.

We are particularly excited to expand our presence into Lisbon and Athens, two dynamic markets. We have already secured some great speakers with more to come. We can’t wait to connect with local industry leaders in these local markets - and more cities will be announced later.

Through these forums,our goal is to provide a platform for sharing best practices, learning, collaboration, and innovation—ensuring that commercial professionals across Europe will share best practices, get updates on latest trends and strategies to drive business success.

We look forward to welcoming you to an upcoming HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Forum near you!

Best regards,
Ingunn Hofseth,
President & CEO, HSMAI Europe
HSMAI promotes lifelong learning across the industry, stays on top of trends that affect our industry and the people in it, and creates a sense of fellowship in its community. HSMAI also takes a leader’s responsibility to innovate very seriously and will push the boundaries to create growth opportunities. A Message from Ingunn Hofseth, President & CEO of HSMAI Europe about HSMAI – Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International – is a global organization founded in the US in 1927. HSMAI Region Europe is the European arm of the organisation. WE ARE GLOBAL
Our industry is global and so are we.

WE ARE A COMMUNITY
We work together, we play together and find lifelong friendships and partnerships together. We are more than a group of people with common interests. People feel like they belong.

WE PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW
We create arenas for people to shine whether they are teaching or learning the skills to grow businesses in our industry.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE
We aim to future proof people’s approach to hospitality. We see what is coming next, we get the right people together to create a vision and start working. Come for our commitment to excellence, stay for the warmth of our community

Slide CHRISTELLE PITREL (CHAIR) VP Asset Management
Highgate PEDRO COLACO CEO
GuestCentric & GHOTW André Santos Director of Hospitality Solutions EMEA
Duetto HENRIQUE TIAGO DE CASTRO COO
Estoril Living AFONSO Magalhães Director of Sales
Andaz Lisbon Rudi Azevedo CEO & Founder
RM HUB PORTUGAL ADVISORY BOARD ADVISORY BOARD MEET THE HSMAI EUROPE

NADIM HABIB Faculty Member
NOVA School of Business & Economics SERGIO GUERREIRO Senior Director
Turismo de Portugal MARK STRUIK Partner
Conventus Consultants THIJS PETERS Partner
Conventus Consultants INGUNN HOFSETH President & CEO
HSMAI Region Europe PEDRO COLACO CEO
GuestCentric and Great Hotels of the World CHRISTELLE PITREL VP Asset Management at Highgate & Chair HSMAI of HSMAI Europe Advisory Board Portugal HENRIQUE TIAGO DE CASTRO Moderator of the day
COO at Estoril Living and member of HSMAI Europe Advisory Board Portugal PEDRO MENDES COO
RM Hub BENJAMIN DEVISME Senior Problem Solver
Quicktext ANDRÉ SANTOS Director of Hospitality Solutions EMEA at Duetto and member of HSMAI Europe Advisory Board Portugal SOFIA MORAIS DE SOUSA Business Development Manager - Iberia
Lighthouse JOÃO RIBEIRO Team Leader
RM Hub CATARINA ALVES RIBEIRO CEO
Brainding PAULINE FOUCHER Hospitality & Lifestyle Marketing Consultant SOFIA BRANDÃO Managing Director
AlmaLusa Hotels GAVIN ECCLES Managing Partner
GE Consulting & Advisory FILIPA GUEDES DE CAMPOS Commercial Director EMEA
GuestCentric Systems Speakers MEET OUR SPEAKERS

Slide PROGRAM PROGRAM Join us for an inspiring day of insights, networking,
and thought leadership 09:00 – 10:00 Registration, Coffee/Tea & Partner Showcase Visit our partners to learn how their products & services can help you and your business thrive. 10:00 – 10:15 Welcome and update from HSMAI Europe By Ingunn Hofseth, President & CEO at HSMAI Region Europe and Christelle Pitrel, VP Asset Management at Highgate Portugal and chair of HSMAI Europe Advisory Board Portugal. 10:15 – 10:30 Opening Remarks & Industry Insights by Moderator By Henrique Tiago de Castro, COO at Estoril Living and member of HSMAI Europe Portugal Advisory Board 10:30 – 11:30 Navigating Change: The Art of Agile Decision-Making By Nadim Habib, Faculty Member at NOVA School of Business & Economics Apart from changing the structure of our organizations, how do we, as leaders, initiate the journey to agile decision-making? How do we ensure the necessary buy-in to succeed, and how do we guarantee longer-term consistency?

Key learning goals:
- The dynamics of change and the role of leadership;
- Breaking negative cycles and building positive change;
- Leadership and strategic narratives;
- Preparing the balance sheet for the future 11:30 – 12:00 The European Outlook: The economic and geopolitical risks and opportunities ahead By Sergio Guerreiro, Senior Director at Turismo de Portugal An in-depth analysis of Europe’s economic and geopolitical landscape, highlighting key risks and opportunities shaping the commercial strategy for businesses.

Sergio is currently the Senior Director for Strategy & Knowledge Management at Turismo de Portugal, being in charge of strategy, data, business intelligence, customer service, entrepreneurship and innovation. He is also responsible for the program Tourism 4.0, an integrated program to foster innovation in the tourism sector involving more than 350 startups per year.

He represents Portugal at several international working groups at UNWTO, OECD and European Travel Commission, being currently the Chairman of the OECD Tourism Committee and previously Chairman of the European Travel Commission’s Market Intelligence Group until 2022.

He is also a World Economic Forum's Agenda Contributor and part of the Aviation, Travel & Tourism Community at WEF. 12:00 – 12:30 Coffee Break Break For Coffee & Conversation 12:30 – 13:10 The Portuguese Outlook: The economic and geopolitical risks and opportunities ahead A conversation on how economic and geopolitical trends impact Portugal, exploring risks, opportunities, and strategies for businesses.

This session will be led by Pedro Colaco, CEO at GuestCentric and Great Hotels of the World in conversation with:
- Sergio Guerreiro, Senior Director at Turismo de Portugal
- Sofia Brandão, Managin Director at AlmaLusa Hotels
- Gavin Eccles, Managing Partner at GE Consulting & Advisory 13:10 – 13:25 Lightning Rounds Executives will share their best practices, strategic insights, and big ideas in just 6 minutes and 40 second each!
Lightning Round 1:
Strategic Revenue Management to achieve KPI's - Pedro Mendes, COO at RM Hub


Lightning Round 2:
How can human and AI co-exist instead of compete? - Benjamin Devisme, Senior Problem Solver at Quicktext 13:25 – 14:25 Lunch & Networking Break for lunch and networking. 14:25 – 15:10 Lightning Rounds Executives will share their best practices, strategic insights, and big ideas in just 6 minutes and 40 second each!
Lightning Round 3:
The Future of Revenue Strategy: Forward-Looking Data, Strategic Pricing, and Personalization - André Santos, Director of Hospitality Solutions EMEA at Duetto and member of the HSMAI Europe Advisory Board Portugal

Lightning Round 4:
Low-Season, High Profit: Forecasting Secrets in 6 minutes and 40 seconds - Sofia Morais de Sousa, Business Development Manager - Iberia at Lighthouse

Lightning Round 5: Neurotourism: Creating emotion-based stays that the Brain never forgets - Catarina Alves Ribeiro, CEO at Brainding

Lightning Round 6: How revenue and marketing, hand in hand, use tech and emotions to win guests - Filipa Guedes de Campos, Commercial Director EMEA at GuestCentric Systems 15:10 – 15:20 Introduction to the Breakout Sessions & Workshop We will host concurrent sessions of roundtables and 1 workshop held by specialists in their respective fields. Roundtable attendees will also have the opportunity to ask specific questions.

Over the course of the day we will address the most important issues facing commercial leaders. The different sessions will take place two times so you can attend two in total.

**Please note, the MICE Workshop will last for 2 hours 25 minutes and will only take place once. OPTION 1


15:20 – 17:45 Workshop: Designing Leverage of MICE Potential in the Business Mix Key Objectives:

We’ll be examining this from multiple perspectives, including MICE marketing & sales, the RFP process, distribution networks, yield management, sustainability, training, and data analysis.

This workshop will be moderated by Mark Struik and Thijs Peters, Partners at Conventus Consultants. OPTION 2

15:20 – 16:10 Roundtable Discussions (Session 1) Participants can choose to join one of the following:

Roundtable 1:
Revenue Management Meets AI: Smarter Strategies for Winning Clients. By João Ribeiro, Team Leader and Pedro Mendes, COO at RM Hub

Roundtable 2:
Achieving Commercial Success with Data-Driven Decision. By Pedro Colaco, CEO, Guest Centric and Great Hotels of the World

Roundtable 3:
Total Revenue Playbook: Best Practices and Winning Strategies. By Sofia Morais de Sousa, Business Development Manager - Iberia at Lighthouse

Roundtable 4:
Understanding Your Hotel Owner and Their Objectives. By Christelle Pitrel, VP Asset Management at Highgate Portugal

Roundtable 5:
AI and Marketing: Challenges, Trends, and Opportunities. By Pauline Foucher, Hospitality & Lifestyle Marketing Consultant.

Roundtable 6:
Sales meets AI: Smarter strategies for winning clients. By Benjamin Devisme, Senior Problem Solver at Quicktext 16:10 – 16:40 Coffee Break Break for coffee & conversation. 16:40 – 17:30 Roundtable Discussions (Session 2) Participants switch to another session of their choice. Same breakouts as session 1. 17:45 – 18:00 Wrap ups and Outcomes A short summary of the outcomes from the roundtable discussions and workshop. 18:00 – 20:00 Networking Party Wrap up the day with a relaxed and engaging networking evening at the Koji Bar with an amazing sunset and panoramic view over the beautiful city of Lisbon—connect with industry leaders, share insights, and mingle over drinks and light food. Partners Gold sponsor Gold sponsor Long-standing HSMAI Europe organizational member

You cannot be successful in the hospitality industry if you are not willing to do the work. The task may at times seem heroic, but this kind of hard work can be incredibly rewarding. It is our commitment to perfecting performance through practice that makes it seem effortless to others. We know what it really takes.

We are continuously working to become stronger, more competent, and better at anticipating people’s needs and wishes, so that we can create products and services that provide real value. When we master our skill, we create experiences that deeply affect people and create memories for a lifetime.

HSMAI celebrates the skills and efforts of people in our industry. We work hard to make people want to stay in hospitality by raising the status of an industry that we care deeply about. 🤝 Partner with HSMAI Europe HSMAI Europe’s Sponsor and Partnership Program offers a unique opportunity for companies to align with a well established association in the hospitality industry. By partnering with us, your organisation will gain access to a broad network of professionals dedicated to excellence. Our program is designed to provide maximum exposure and value to our partners, helping you achieve your business goals while contributing to the growth and development of the industry. For more information or if you would like to become a partner, please reach out to us at postbox@hsmai.eu HSMAI Europe Sets the Industry Up
for Success Partnership

Sign up your team! Attending HSMAI activities as a team sparks invaluable conversations afterward. Every participant gains fresh insights, each interpreting the experience differently. These discussions not only deepen the team's understanding but also inspire them to turn key takeaways into concrete action plans. Hotel & Travel Join HSMAI Europe Today and Save on Your Forum Registration! Vendor HSMAI EUROPE MEMBERS €210 Tickets & Membership Benefits tickets HSMAI EUROPE NON-MEMBERS €445
HSMAI Europe is dedicated to empowering hospitality professionals by providing industry insights, networking opportunities, and exclusive benefits.

Now is the perfect time to become a member and save on our upcoming forum! To celebrate our debut forum in Portugal, we are offering an exclusive, one-time opportunity for our valued hotelier HSMAI Europe members: Attend the forum completely FREE!

The forum ticket includes:

✔ A full-day educational program
✔ Multiple coffee breaks
✔ Lunch
✔ Food and drinks at the networking evening Forum Registration Fees FREE HSMAI EUROPE MEMBERS HSMAI EUROPE NON-MEMBERS €140 Register Here Special Offer for Hoteliers & Industry Professionals! We want to help more hoteliers benefit from HSMAI Europe’s community, education, and networking opportunities. That’s why we are launching a limited-time membership campaign with even more value! Become a Member & Unlock Exclusive Benefits! HSMAI Europe Hotel Membership: €960 per year
✔ Covers 1 hotel and 3 people 📌 Special Campaign Offer – Join Now & Enjoy:

✔ More Savings – If your hotel registers three people, your savings could exceed the €960 membership fee on forum registrations alone!
✔ Complimentary Educational & Networking Events – Get 4 exclusive in-person or virtual meetings per year for free included in the membership.
✔ Discounted Certifications Rate – Instantly save on registration.
✔ Priority Networking – VIP access to members-only events and hospitality industry networking opportunities.
✔ Exclusive Industry Insights – Access top-tier educational resources, online courses & reports for free.

💬 Act Now! This offer is only available for a limited time. Secure your membership and start benefiting immediately! For more information or to become a member, contact us at postbox@hsmai.eu or visit HSMAI Europe Membership below. Membership

Slide Contact Us For more information please reach out to us at postbox@hsmai.eu

Why are guests so unpredictable? Is there anything we can do in order to make them more predictable?

In recent years more and more hoteliers have commented on the fact that it is becoming harder to predict what demand will be like. Guests book later and later, events that traditionally had a high impact now have much lower impact and guests seem to change their mind on what they like. During this session we will discuss in what way we might be able to do in order to steer our guests towards a more predictable behavior.

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Niels MekenkampDirector of Business Solutions, EMEA, Cendyn

3 ways to make more strategic use of your brand

How leaders can use modern brand thinking to engage people in delivering distinct customer experiences that inspire loyalty and word-of-mouth.

monna-nordhagen

Monna Nordhagen, Partner and strategy advisor, Mars

What characterizes the best sales teams?

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Remi Morken, CCO, SalesScreen

Revenue Management to Revenue Strategy: Best practices and key learnings to help your organization succeed in 2020 and beyond

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John Gallagher, Sales Director, Duetto

How to sell when customers do not know they need you?

Benjamin is a French entrepreneur and investor. His job consists in solving major problems that hoteliers face every day. He is the Co-founder & Evangelist of Quicktext, a 24/7 AI-powered chatbot helping hotels increase sales while improving guest experience.

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Benjamin Devisme, VP Sales, Quicktext

Real time pricing

As the travel industry has evolved and become more digitized, markets that hotels operate in today have become faster, more transparent and more competitive than ever, pushing down profit margins. The old school of revenue management, where it used to be enough to pull historical reports from an isolated, non-connected PMS, to decide the future room prices, does not longer apply.

  • What is the difference from being a Revenue Manager today compared to 10 years ago?
    • Does the skillset of an RM differ – if so; in what way?
  • What does Real Time Price Optimization mean?
  • What gains (and risks?) come with real time price optimization?
  • How do you think the Revenue Management Department will operate in a real time revenue management environment – will the RM role need to change? If so, in what way?
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Alexander Edström, CEO, Atomize

Expansion of revenue management capabilities

damiano-zennaro

Damiano Zennaro, Global Director of Advisory services at IDeaS

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Laura McNally, Director, Account Management – Strategic and Global Accounts at IDeaS

Customer Centricity

About delivering the promises made, managing the perception and trust of the brand on social and digital media through the experiences delivered.

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Gil Mulders, Former Head of Learning Europe, Intercontinental Hotel Group and Chair of the HSMAI Region Europe People & Culture Advisory Board

Being a General Manager and Leading a team of strong performers

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Jarle Moen, Former Thief Executive Officer at the Award winning hotel The Thief, now the Managing Director at the upcoming hotel Sommerro

Retention strategies for Sales professional that works’

Anant Vithlani

Anant Vithlani, Vice President Sales, Nordic Choice Hotels

Storytelling that works

Brands that tell stories are performing better. We will discuss how you can use stories to clarify your message, connect with customers and grow your business. Make sure your team is on the same page and creating marketing that get results. We will also introduce you to a framework that makes it easier for your team to create stories that work.

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Christian Braathen, Client Director, Scandinavian Design Group

Commercial Technology Strategy

What choices to make to PMS, RMS, CRS, Channel Manager, cost implications, training implications, integration implications and more.

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Julie Grieve, Founder and CEO, Criton

Close the gap between revenue optimization & digital marketing

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Finnbar Cornwall, Senior Industry Head Travel at Google UK

Consequences of Inbound RFP Over-reliance – Why is it the Time to Establish a Proactive Meetings & Events Sales Strategy

MICE segment is becoming commoditized, driven by rate and response time. Cost of acquisition and distribution continues to grow. Need periods are more pronounced. Sales teams have subpar proactive skills – order takers vs. hunters. Sellers are fishing in the same pond with less than 10% conversion rates.

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Erika Bucsi, Enterprise Director of Sales, EMEA & APAC, Knowland

Navigating the changing hotel distribution landscape

Insights to improve competitiveness in an increasingly volatile environment

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Michael Mernagh, Head of Sales EMEA, OTA Insight

Using Technology to Deliver a Personalized Guest Experience

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Michael De Jongh, Chief Commercial Officer, Avvio

Coaching a team for strategic selling

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Evert Schuele, Vice President Sales, Europe, Africa, Middle East and South West Asia, Hyatt International

Intermediaries: Should they be managed like a key account?

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Saurabh Bhargava, Commercial Director UK & Ireland, Taj Hotels

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