This is a lot to read, but there’s so much more that we’d love to tell you! You are welcome to take a look. We appreciate your interest in our company and hope to meet you soon.
HSMAI Europe will hold its final Power-Up in Amsterdam, on Thursday 3rd July, with the topic “Powering Up before the Summer Break”. The VAT rate for hotel stays could increase to 21% by January 1, 2026. We will dive into the implications for your business.
HSMAI Europe membership is free of charge for Power-Up Europe. The preliminary calendar is available: hsmai.eu/event.
We are currently on vacation until August 21, but will be returning to Oslo that evening. Topic: The Evolution of Luxury – Redefining High End Hospitality for the New Generation.
As we enter the second half, we’re excited to share exciting updates on our recent activities as well as upcoming initiatives in Europe and beyond. With momentum continuing to build around our local meetings & events, strategic partnerships, and future gatherings, we are more committed than ever to creating platforms for collaboration, innovation, and commercial growth across the hospitality industry.
We are excited to share with you some exciting news from recent activities in Europe and our upcoming plans.
Today, a new podcast is launched.
A new episode of HSMAI’s Tomorrow starts Now Podcast is now available. In this episode, Gemma Greenwood, Journalist, together with guests Young Nguyen, Founder & CEO at D2O, and Cecilie Laeskogen, CEO at Sundvolden Hotel in Norway, reflect on sustainable hospitality, focusing on the profitability of successful sustainable initiatives.
How can we minimize the risk perception that comes with the change required by sustainability? What have hotels done in the name sustainability? Listen to the voices of industry leaders shaping the future in hospitality.
Athens and Lisbon: Successful Events
We are encouraged by the high level of engagement among local participants following the successful Commercial Strategy Forums held in Athens and Lisbon, both in April. In the last week of June, these events reinforced the importance of localized discussions and building strong connections among brands and sectors. We will continue this momentum in the months to come with a number of new local events.
Connecting Future Leaders: From Oslo to Europe
The local initiative that began in Oslo a few short years ago, has evolved into an international platform for hospitality professionals. We host regular after-work meetings in London and Oslo to encourage dialogue, network, and mentorship.
We are eager to expand to other countries, including the Netherlands, France and Spain, with growing community support and enthusiasm. Each location is unique and brings with it local talent and energy. However, the mission remains unchanged: connect, inspire, develop the next generation hospitality leaders.
Strengthening Our Presence in Spain
After a very productive meeting in Madrid last May, at which we were graciously hosted by the Radisson Hotel Group, we are eager to return this year to Spain and do even more. In October, we’ll be back multiple 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 – Only by invitation, a roundtable on DistributionThe event is held in conjunction with the Hospitality Pricing Innovation series (HPI).
More to come!
- We will be bringing HSMAI Europe to Europe later this year. MICE Workshop The exact dates will be announced later.
- We are hosting our first event Connecting Future Leaders
The event to be held in Spain by the end of 2025
After the summer, we will create a National Advisory Board to help guide and shape our future initiatives in Spain.
Returning to France
In June we hosted two Power-Up Events in Paris, which were a great success. The feedback was very positive. We plan to build on this momentum by establishing a National advisory panel after the summer. This board will guide future initiatives.
In the future, we want to:
- Continue to host Power-Up Events are held quarterly (four times per year).
- We will be bringing HSMAI Europe to Europe later this year. MICE Workshop Paris
- We are hosting our first event Connecting Future Leaders Event in Paris at the end of 2025
- Launch the DigiTech and Commercial Strategy Forum Dates for Paris 2026 are currently being investigated
We are already brainstorming and forming partnerships and we’re excited to expand our community and presence in France.
Future YOU
Future YOU, a local event, is designed to assist young students in discovering rewarding (and often unexpected) career pathways within the hospitality sector. Last year, an initiative that began in Norway was expanded to the Netherlands. The event will begin in Oslo on September 24th, then move to Manchester on November 6th and finally the Netherlands mid-November. We are excited to give students the opportunity to learn from real career stories and ask questions of professionals.
June highlights from London & what’s next for the UK & Ireland
HSMAI Europe’s London office had an exciting month in June. We held three powerful meetings in London: 2 Power-Up Sessions and Connecting the Future Leaders. They were all full of energy and fresh ideas. The engagement between seasoned professionals and emerging talent was particularly encouraging.
Now, we will take the next step.
We are in the process of forming an HSMAI Europe Advisory Board for the UK & Ireland. This board brings together leaders in the industry from across Europe to guide our activities and make sure we are delivering high-impact initiatives at local level.
MICE Spotlight in the DACH Region
We are thrilled to focus more attention on the DACH Region
In the coming year, we will focus on bringing the HSMAI Europe MICE Workshop into several cities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other European countries.
This initiative aims to connect professionals, share best practices and help the MICE leaders of the region navigate change together.
After the summer break, we will be expanding our advisory board to include the DACH region. We also have some interesting new information.
HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Week, London
Planning is essential for HSMAI Europe Commercial Strategy Week The planning is underway and we hope to see many of you in January 2026. We will bring commercial leaders together from sales, marketing, distribution, revenue management and tech.
Save the date: NoVacancy Australia February
HSMAI Europe also will be present at NoVacancy Expo from the 25th to 26th of February, 2026. We hope to have many of our UK-based members at the Expo. This is a great opportunity to meet and connect with other professionals.
Please also take note of the following important articles in this newsletter.
- HSMAI Europe Sustainability Podcast Episode 2 is Live!
- Cendyn’s Data Silos: Unraveling the Hotel Guest Journey
- MKG Consulting: May 2025: Europe’s major markets do not outperform.
- MKG Consulting, April 2025. Easter Vacations Support European Hospitality Activity.
You can reach us by calling or emailing at [email protected].
Enjoy your summer and I look forward to meeting you soon. All the best!
Ingunn Hofseth
President & CEO
HSMAI Europe
HSMAI Europe
HSMAI – Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International – is a global organisation founded in the US in 1927. HSMAI Region Europe represents the European branch of the organization. HSMAI Europe strives to be the leading industry resource in professional development, commercial strategy, and sustainability for the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries. HSMAI, with a focus on education has become an industry leader in identifying and communicating hospitality trends.
