MARKETING

For over two decades, partners have trusted Expedia Group’s travel tech solutions to create exceptional traveler experiences. In that time, we’ve become experts in helping our hotel partners achieve their goals with the best of our tech and advertising expertise, all in service of the traveler. Join this presentation to see how you can get the most out of your partnership with Expedia Group.

In partnership with HSMAI Europe.

Key takeaways:

• How to use first-party data to drive guest loyalty and direct bookings in the cookieless era.
• Practical examples of how AI and automation are reshaping campaigns and guest communication
• What’s next: balancing personalisation, privacy, and profitability.

The gap between Brand Promise and Guest Experience is where profit and bookings are lost. Whether managing independent collection hotels or multisite and franchise brands, the real commercial risk is drifting into the "Sea of Sameness." Join us to tighten the "Golden Thread" between commercial marketing strategy and execution—ensuring you don't just get seen, but get booked.

Key takeaways:

• Commercial Swim Lanes: Aligning Marketing & Ops to drive distinctiveness across multibrand and independent portfolios.
• Distinctiveness vs. Visibility: Why standing out is more profitable than just showing up.
• The 2026 Banned Words List: Replacing "authentic" and "curated" fluff with commercial reality.

Hotel Marketing and Revenue teams work closely but have to use disconnected tools. That means gaps, silos and inefficiency. We’ll look at how technology can close the gaps and drive more direct bookings. Key topics:

• Why AI isn’t all that matters for marketing in 2026  
• Using occupancy data to automatically optimise marketing, and how personalisation extends your CRM
• A new way to see how marketing influences direct bookings

As generative search becomes the new front door to travel discovery, independent hotels have a real opportunity to stand out - using GEO to help AI understand, trust and confidently recommend their brand. This session will explore practical strategies to:

• Decode how AI systems evaluate hotel websites, content and brands
• Structure and present your content for AI
• Apply proven GEO tactics already helping independent hotels today 

Oliver Cousins of Screen Pilot explores how the luxury market is being redefined by a younger generation of cash-strapped, yet intensely aspirational consumers - and why hospitality is at the centre of the action.