Successful Events in Athens and Lisbon

Following successful gatherings at the Commercial Strategy Forums in both Athens and Lisbon in April, we are encouraged by the strong engagement from local participants. These events have reaffirmed the need for locally anchored discussions and the building of strong connections across different brands and sectors with more local meetings that took place in the last few weeks in June. We are committed to continuing this momentum with a series of new local events planned in the months ahead.

Connecting Future Leaders (CFL): From Oslo to all of Europe

What began as a local initiative in Oslo just a few years ago has now evolved into a dynamic, international platform for emerging hospitality professionals.Our after-work meetings designed to spark dialogue, networking, and mentorship are now regularly hosted in both Oslo and London.

With growing enthusiasm and community support, we are excited to expand next to the Netherlands, France, and Spain. Each location brings its own energy and local talent, but the mission remains the same: Connect, inspire, and develop the next generation of hospitality leaders.

Strengthening our presence in Spain

After a very successful meeting in Madrid in May, where we were kindly hosted at the Radisson Hotel Group offices, we are excited to return to Spain with even more activity this year. This October, we will be back several times:

• October 2 – Madrid – Hosted once again by Radisson Hotel Group, we’ll focus on Revenue Management in a dynamic after-work setting.
• October 9 – Palma de Mallorca – A by-invitation-only roundtable on Distribution, held in conjunction with the Hospitality Pricing Innovation (HPI) series.

And there is more to come:

• Later this year, we will also be bringing the HSMAI Europe MICE Workshop to both Madrid and Barcelona with exact dates to be announced later.
• Host our first Connecting Future Leaders
  event in Spain in late 2025

To keep the momentum going, we will be setting up a National Advisory Board after the summer to help shape and guide our future initiatives in Spain.

Returning to France

We recently hosted two successful Power-Up events in Paris this June, and the feedback has been very positive. Building on this momentum, we plan to establish a National advisory board after the summer to guide future initiatives.

Looking ahead, we aim to:

• Continue hosting Power-Up events quarterly (4 times a year)
• Later this year, we will also be bringing the HSMAI Europe MICE Workshop to Paris
• Host our first Connecting Future Leaders event in Paris in late 2025
• Launch the DigiTech and Commercial Strategy Forum in Paris with dates currently being explored for 2026

We have already started brainstorming ideas and partnerships, and we are excited to grow our presence and community in France.

Future YOU

Future YOU is a local event designed to help young students to discover rewarding (and sometimes unexpected) career paths in the hospitality industry. Something that started in Norway expanded to the Netherlands last year. We are kicking it off in Oslo on 24th of September before moving to Manchester on the 6th of November and the Netherlands in mid November. We are looking forward to giving students a platform to hear real career stories, ask questions to professionals, and connect with companies offering jobs and internships locally.

June highlights from London & what’s next for the UK & Ireland

June was an inspiring month for HSMAI Europe in London. We hosted three impactful meetings, including 2 Power-Up sessions and the Connecting Future Leaders in London, all filled with energy, fresh ideas, and meaningful connections. It was especially encouraging to see such strong engagement from both seasoned professionals and rising talent.

Building on this we are now taking the next step:
We are in the process of forming an HSMAI Europe Advisory Board for the UK & Ireland. This board will bring together industry leaders from across the region to guide our future activities and ensure we are delivering relevant, high-impact initiatives locally.

Spotlight on MICE at the DACH Region

We are excited to turn more focus toward the DACH region!

Starting this year, our key priority will be to bring the HSMAI Europe MICE Workshop to several cities across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

This initiative is all about connecting professionals, sharing best practices, and helping the region’s MICE leaders navigate change and seize new opportunities together.

We will also expand our advisory board for the DACH region and we also have more interesting information to share after the Summer break.

HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Week in London

The planning for HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Week is well under way and we look forward to seeing many of you there on the 14th-16th of January 2026. We will bring together commercial leaders from across sales, marketing, revenue management, distribution, and tech.

Save the Date: NoVacancy Australia in February

HSMAI Europe will also be present at the NoVacancy Expo on 25th-26th of February 2026. Amongst other things we will be organising two panel discussions during the Expo and hope to see many of our members in the UK there. This presents another exciting opportunity to connect and share insights.

We would also like to draw your attention to some important articles below in this newsletter:

1. Episode Two of HSMAI Europe’s Sustainability Podcast Series Is Live!
2. Data silos: The unraveling of the hotel guest journey by Cendyn
3. May 2025: Europe’s major markets are not the outperformers by MKG Consulting
4. April 2025: Easter vacations support European hospitality activity by MKG Consulting

If you or any of your colleagues are interested in learning more about how you can become involved in one of the local Advisory Boards or just have questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Enjoy the summer, and I hope to meet you soon! All the best,

Ingunn Hofseth
President & CEO
HSMAI Europe

About HSMAI Europe

HSMAI – Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International – is a global organisation founded in the US in 1927. HSMAI Region Europe is the European arm of the organisation. 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, travel and tourism industry. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry while operating as a leading voice for both hospitality and sales, marketing, and revenue management disciplines.

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HSMAI Europe
HSMAI Europe