The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Middle East and Africa (MEA) has successfully concluded its 7th annual Commercial Strategy Conference in Dubai with record numbers in attendance, speakers and sessions.
The event brought together the region’s hospitality sales, marketing, revenue management and distribution community for two action-packed days of industry insights, networking, and awards. This year saw a 15 percent increase in attendees from last year with a record 25 percent of delegates coming from outside the UAE.
Over 90 speakers took the stage in a wide variety of sessions ranging from keynote presentations and fireside chats to masterclasses, panel discussions and interactive roundtables. A key highlight was the Lightening Rounds where industry leaders unleashed a whirlwind of wisdom in lightning-fast, adrenaline-pumping sessions in under seven minutes. This year’s speakers included Kinda Ibrahim, Regional GM Operations – METAP, Central and South Asia, Tik Tok; Jeff Strachan, AVP at Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET); Mari-Louise Ek, VP Human Resources – Middle East & Africa at Hilton; Jaime Simpson, General Manager Jumeirah Mina Al Salam; Ashish Narang, CHBA, Regional Director of Revenue Management, MEA at Kempinski Hotels, and CS Ramachandran, CRME, VP Hotel Revenue Optimization, Preferred Hotels & Resorts.
The annual ROCKSTAR Awards 2024 were also held, celebrating the disruptors, pioneers, bold and visionary industry professionals who have pushed boundaries and set new standards of excellence. From a record 40 entries this year, the HSMAI MEA Advisory Board selected a shortlist of eight finalists who all pitched their idea on stage, after which the audience voted for the top three winners. The HSMAI MEA ROCKSTARS for 2024 are Shrikant Trivedi, Marketing & Communications Manager, Millenium Place Barsha Heights Hotel & Hotel Apartments in Dubai (who presented on behalf of his colleague Prasanth Janarthanan, Director of Sales & Marketing); Ahmed Nader, Director of Sales & Marketing, Millennium Central Kuwait City, and Elena Mukhanova, Cluster Director of Revenue, Minor Hotels.
Mona Faraj, President, HSMAI MEA said: “We can look back at another fantastic event for our industry thanks to our incredibly supportive partners, the tireless efforts of our volunteers, the amazing energy of our speakers and each and every one of our 300+ delegates that attended the conference this year. Our community keeps growing and we’re already planning some exciting new features for next year’s event to continue to evolve and innovate.”
