WINDOW 2 THE FUTURE 2018

Window 2 the Future, a Swiss knowledge initiative of Lausanne Hospitality Consulting (LHC), an Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne and Swiss Hotel Association company, gathered 120 high-level academics, hotel investors, serial entrepreneurs, hotel chain executives and consultants at Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne to consider the industry’s future

Ernst Brugger, LHC chairman, opened the 2018 edition of the summit by offering a glimpse of the challenges the hospitality industry is expected to face in the future and how to approach them. “Sustainability is not just to correct environmental risks. The question is how we can create a high-quality environment,” he said. “Anticipate, not correct, this is sustainability, a competitive factor for the future.”

What is the role of technology in the future of hospitality education?

The use of new tools and tech enablers in the field of hospitality education can play an important part in creating a sustainable environment, according to Dominique Turpin, dean of external relations at IMD. Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and Mobile Learning will shape the future of hospitality education, he noted, adding: “Ted Talks of 20 minutes are now sliced into much shorter videos to respond to the reduced attention span of Millennials and Generation Z.” Forbes found the attention span of Millennials and Generation Zers to be 12 seconds and 8 seconds respectively when it measured them. Professor Nouria Hernandez, rector at University of Lausanne, said that in the current climate of information abundance, critical thinking was the most important skill to teach students.

Professor James Larus, dean of the School of Computer and Communication Sciences at the EPFL, explained that while students who embarked on their courses five years ago wouldn’t have spotted even a hint of neuroscience in their classes, today, it lies at the heart of much of what is being taught. Throughout the curriculum, students have seen disciplines grow and others replaced, he noted, adding that this trend will continue expanding, requiring us to adapt.

Christophe Dubi, IOC Olympic Games executive director, unveiled his vision for the future of hospitality with a striking analogy: “What we want from managers is to deliver ultra-performance, like Olympians, on a daily basis. Do we give all the educational tools to the students to train, perform and most of all, recover when they become managers?” he asked. He then suggested a new take on the panel’s title, ‘High tech for High Touch’, explaining that the future of hospitality will allow millions of ticket buyers, as well as heads of state, to personalize their experience at the games.

There was a lively exchange when the topic of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was discussed between Samih Sawiris, chairman of the Board of Directors Orascom Development and Yaron Ashkenazi, CEO of GCH Hotel Group. All attendees agreed that May 25, 2018, would bring changes to the way that the future of hospitality is examined.

Tej Tadi, CEO at Mindmaze told the audience that technology’s role in hospitality is that of enabler, rather than replacer. “The key is to stick to one modality of training,” he said. “Technology can enable different ‘touch points’; decoding dreams will be possible in 20 years. Today, we can already control cars with our brains. We will be able to enhance what we feel, what we touch and experience in 10 years. But how cannot be determined yet.” Tadi also shared concrete actions being tested in his hotels, such as how staff could communicate in any language with tech tools. Efforts were also underway to identify the moods of staff and hotel guests, which he said, could enable personalized staff training in soft or hard skills and experiences for hotel guests. All of the panel’s experts agreed that outsourcing would be an important trend in the future, especially in the areas of technology, social media and customer relationship management (CRM).

Technology can enable different ‘touch points’; decoding dreams will be possible in 20 years. Today, we can already control cars with our brains