Event Preview: Great GM Debate 2014
A host of new speakers and sponsors are lined up to support this year’s essential networking and education forum for hotel general managers
More than 200 hotel general managers are expected to attend the annual Hotelier Middle East Great GM Debate, now in its fifth edition and being held on September 2 at Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai. The forum will feature five major panel discussions, plus live-on-stage interviews and ‘Take 5’ presentations from some of the most inspirational GMs we know.
An exclusive data presentation from TRI Hospitality Consulting’s senior consultant Christopher Hewett will provide delegates with an essential snapshot of the UAE’s hotel performance in 2014, and Hewett will later be joined on stage by Philip Wooller, area director Middle East & Africa, STR Global to answer questions about how GMs can best use performance data.
Topics for the panel debates include: Beating Benchmarks; Healthy Competition; The OTA Dilemma; Social Media in Hospitality and the GM’s Responsibility for Reputation; and The Evolution of the GM.
Speakers will be finalised this month, but the stage will welcome many new names in 2014, with Laurent A. Voivenel, CEO, HMH Hotel Group; Margaret Paul, GM, Madinat Jumeirah — The Arabian Resort; Pep Lozano, GM, The Ritz-Carlton Grand Canal, Abu Dhabi; Jan Moenkedieck, GM, Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah; and Marko Janssen, GM, Meliá Dubai already confirmed to speak.
To enable more in-depth conversation and the informal sharing of challenges and best practice, the Hotelier Middle East Great GM Debate will also feature four workshops, with each GM choosing one to attend.
These are focused on: The Difference between a Good Manager and a Great Leader; Employee Engagement and Staff Retention; Guest-centric Philosophies and Experiential Travel; and F&B Innovation, which will be led by Robert Ancill, chief executive officer, The Next Idea.
As well as the conference sessions, the GM Debate, as always, will facilitate essential networking among colleagues, peers and industry suppliers.
Sponsors this year include silver sponsor Rikan, associate sponsor Ronai, knowledge partner Glion, and presenting sponsor, Du. Farnek, ESP International, Unique Precise International, Restonic, Pulsar, TCL, Eurocoffee/Lavazza, Horeca Trade, Coffee Planet, Infoscape and Ruud Lighting Arabia are also supporting the event, with experts on hand to explain their products.
Riaz Khimani, managing director of Rikan General Trading, says the event is the perfect platform for hoteliers and suppliers to keep in touch with one another.
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“This conference works both as a way to study and understand the trends of the industry from the leaders, and for us to offer them new creations,” says Khimani, who will be showcasing new F&B and banqueting suppliers as well as bespoke room accessories and the new 2015 catalogue, giving delegates an exclusive preview of the latest products.
Inside the conference room, Khimani expects evolving market segmentation in the UAE to be a significant of topic of discussion among the GMs.
“For the hotel industry we expect a major repositioning of the existing brands,” he asserts.
“There will be changes and improvements in the levels of service and luxury offered, thus creating a super luxury segment. At the same time we also expect emergence of a new budget brand segment and many internationally existing budget hotel brands to be launching in this region.
This will require us to understand the trends of the industry over the next few years to come, and thus help us create a product line for room and F&B accessories in leather, metal, resin etc., that will be suitable to the upcoming market segment of a number of luxury and budget hotels.”
Managing director of ESP International, Rebecca Wilson, who offers a niche recruitment service to hotels with significant event space, agrees with Khimani that “there is much change and diversity in the market”, but adds that she is seeing increased growth in refurbishments too.
“What I am noticing is that many of the stalwart properties that have been around for up to a decade are being refurbished and the restaurant scene in particular is really seeing a revival, with new modern offerings that feel fresh and help take the UAE even further up the stakes when it comes to world class hotels,” says Wilson.
To stay ahead in such a competitive marketplace, Wilson says “General managers need to source, hire, and retain the best people”.
“With so many global and local hotel chains all hiring, it’s essential to create a value proposition to attract new staff in terms of salary and benefits, and then work at consistently empowering, developing, and motivating your team so they don’t look to move to your competition,” she says.
Keeping abreast of industry legislation and trends will also be vital and Wilson is urging general managers to gain as much knowledge as possible through attending relevant forums, such as Hotelier’s GM Debate.
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She has also recently been elected president for the International Special Events Society, Middle East Chapter, the only trade association of its kind in the GCC. She will work closely with her board to grow ties with DTCM and the government in order to bring about much needed change in areas such as Health and Safety legislation, for which a task force is already underway.
“Hotel GMs can benefit by joining this important group in order to stay up to date on trends and developments, meet new trade partners and be exposed to business opportunities as we edge towards 2020,” says Wilson.
Vinayak Mahtani, CEO, Unique Precise International, highlights 2020 as a turning point for the industry, and says that increased competition in the lead-up to this will be a challenge.
“I think we are now going to enter a phase where the high increases in RevPAR and occupancy will be harder to earn. Double-digit growth may be a thing of the past, which means that hotels will need to be more efficient to continue growing,” says Mahtani.
His company too is adapting, with a new projects division recently launched, “which specialises in and will be responsible only for pre-openings”.
A similar approach is true for fellow sponsor Restonic, with sales director MEA Sameer Ahmed revealing that the bedding specialist will “expand its infrastructure by adding more machinery and skilled work force”. Business is certainly out there, he says; revealing project orders of more than AED 10 million (US $2.7 mn) secured by Q2 2014.
This is backed up by Gavin Dodd, managing director of A. Ronai, who identifies a host of upcoming hotel projects, and general managers of those hotels are being invited to both speak at and attend the GM Debate.
“As always the UAE is expanding at a rapid rate with the opening of some fantastic new properties expected this year. New hotels such as Four Seasons, InterContinental Dubai Marina and the Habtoor City to name just a few of the significant developments, only serve to increase the excitement and prospects for this year,” says Dodd.
“As a loyal ambassador to Hotelier Middle East events, A. Ronai LLC is extremely happy to support the debate for this year. We very much believe in supporting the great industry that we are a part of and events as professional as this are a great way of achieving our aim.
With the expected increase in properties as well as the number of visitors to Dubai in the coming years it’s important for all related companies to stay ahead of the game, building and retaining crucial relationships with hospitality industry professionals,” says Dodd.
Hotelier Middle East Great GM Debate essential information
Date: September 2, 2014
Venue: Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai
Format: One-day event with live interviews, panel debates, case studies, presentations, workshops, and metworking opportunities
Attendance: By invitation only and is free to hotel general managers. Please register your interest with Amanda.Elisha@itp.com
Speaker opportunities: Please contact Louby.Maktari@itp.com or call +971 4 444 3578
Sponsorship opportunities: Please contact Charlotte.Ringrose@itp.com or Nick.Clowes@itp.com