HVS hosts the first "Hotel Operations Summit - India (HOSI 2009)"
The pioneer conference dedicated to Hotel Operations was held on 18-19 December 2009 at Leela Kempinski Gurgaon
Tweet-- HVS Hospitality Services, the world's leading full service consulting and appraisal firm devoted exclusively to the hospitality industry, hosted the first "Hotel Operations Summit - India (HOSI 2009)" on 18 and 19 December 2009 at Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon. The conference is a first-of-its-kind event dedicated to Hotel Operations in India. HVS recognized the absence of an organized platform that would bring together pioneers in the industry. According to Manav Thadani, Managing Director, HVS India and founder of the Hotel Investment Conference South-Asia (HICSA), "India currently does not have a well-organized conference focused on hotel operations. HVS decided to take the initiative of bringing international quality standards and Indian hotel operations system together under one common platform called Hotel Operations Summit - India (HOSI 2009)" HOSI aimed to empower today's hospitality professional through enabling discussions on current hotel operational issues, sharing of industry best practices, and providing access to international quality standards.
In an effort to bring global standards and benchmarks closer to hospitality managers and leaders in India, faculty members from the Lausanne School of Hotel Management, in collaboration with HVS, conducted two workshops: "Transformations Leadership" and "Developing New Business in a Moody Market" on 18 December 2009. The sessions saw active participation from the hotel industry leaders as they discussed and debated topics such as how to keep their staff motivated, how to focus on the customer while keeping the sales targets, and how to mould their leadership styles to bring positive change in the industry.
The Lausanne Hotel School workshops were followed by the HOSI Welcome Dinner on the evening of December 18, 2009 at Hotel Trident, Gurgaon. The event was a great kick-off for the conference as camaraderie floated through the room where leadership of various competing hotels came together to discuss best practices in the industry.
Key Sessions at HOSI 2009
1) Leaders' panel (Leading Chief Operating Officer's Panel)
2) Sales strategies and policies in today's times (Panel Discussion)
3) An owners' perspective by Patu Keswani, Chairman and Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels
4) Challenges in completing new hotel projects by Rajiv Puri, Senior Director Design Management -Asia Pacific, Marriott International
5) Where have all the right people gone? (Panel discussion)
6) Spas - How to make money from them? By Ingo Schweder, Chief Executive Director, Spatality
7) Innovative trends in restaurant designing by Prasanjit Singh, Chief Executive Director, DLF Emporio Restaurants
8) Changing menus to suit today's lifestyle by Mrinal Jhaginani, Managing Director, NutritionVista
9) General Manager's seat - Is it really hot? (Panel discussion)
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Nakul Anand, Divisional Chief Executive, ITC Hotels shared an insightful view of the ever-changing industry in his Key Note Address, Indian Hotel Operations: View from the Top. He highlighted that factors such as care for the environment and healthy eating were becoming major concerns for today's customers. Amongst various global business stalwarts, Mr. Raman Roy, Chairman and Managing Director, Quattro BPO Solutions brought a unique perspective to managing quality in hotels. Addressing the need to benchmark hotel operations to quality standards similar to the BPO industry, Raman emphasized the need for systematic quality management and the use of error-minimizing techniques such as Six Sigma in Hotel operations. Mr. Ashwini Kakkar, Executive Vice Chairman, Mercury Travels informed the gathering of the recent trends in the travel industry, highlighting how the consumer is looking for shorter vacations and value for money propositions.
The conference continued with panel discussions and presentations on Human Resources, Sales Strategies, and upcoming trends in food and beverage operations. The panel on HR, titled " Where have all the right people gone?" saw HR leaders from various leading hotel brands talking about topics such as initiatives to retain the best talent and how to tap unconventional labor pools to fill line level positions. The sales panel highlighted how to use online marketing techniques for enhancing business and how to deal with price sensitive customers in turbulent times. Other techniques to enhance revenues such as managing spas efficiently, creating unique restaurants, and changing menu's to suit today's lifestyle were discussed at the conference.
HOSI 2009 ended with Gala Dinner and Cocktails at Taj Mansingh, New Delhi, which was hosted by Taj Group of Hotels Resorts and Palaces. The event saw a distinguished gathering sharing feedback about the conference and already giving ideas about the next HOSI in September 2010.
The leading hospitality consultancy in India, HVS, over the years has not only contributed to keeping hospitality professionals informed, but has also been successful in identifying solutions and redefining ways to advance and enhance the scope of hospitality in India. Like HICSA, launched six years ago, HOSI too proved to be a successful conference, bringing together the best minds in the industry. HOSI - one and a half day conference will now be an annual feature for hotel operational leaders, managers, corporate-heads and hospitality professionals serving various issues including day-to-day running of the hotel.
The second day of HOSI 2009, 19 December, featured distinguished speakers and interactive panel discussions which addressed current issues and significant trends in Indian hospitality operations.
Notes to Editor
About HVS:
HVS Global Hospitality Services is the leading consulting firm dedicated to the hotel, tourism and leisure industries. Founded by Steven Rushmore in 1980, HVS currently has 29 strategically located offices around the world and a staff of over 300 highly trained consultants to fulfill a wide range of requirements related to the industry. Established in 1997, the New Delhi office of HVS actively works within India and Indian subcontinent, offering a wide range of services to the hospitality industry. Driven by client needs, HVS New Delhi is a one-stop shop for expert advice ranging from Consultancy and Valuation, Executive Search, Marketing and Communications Services, Web Strategies and Asset Management and Strategic Advisory Services.
