NEW YORK — HX has some exciting new features to highlight this year, now in the second year of a multimillion-dollar rebrand from the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) to HX: The Hotel Experience—Rooms to Restaurants, according to show organizer Hospitality Media Group (HMG).
The rebranded event drew more than 12,000 visitors in 2015, and HMG is expecting the 2016 turnout to be just as strong.
“2015 was a year of bold changes for the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS). The rebrand from IHMRS to HX: The Hotel Experience—Rooms to Restaurants thrilled our audiences and gave a whole new life to the show in its 100th year,” says Phil Robinson, HX Group show director. “HX is now well-positioned to serve the sourcing, education and networking needs of the hospitality industry going forward.”
The 2016 show will take place here Nov. 13-15 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
The three-day event will feature more than 400 inventive exhibitors, knowledgeable speakers and eye-catching demos—all on one floor. HX 2016 includes three enterprise feature areas on the show floor, says HMG.
HX: TECH, sponsored by MasterCard, is home to technology education and will demo the latest tech tools and gadgets. HX: ONSTAGE-HOTEL will feature top hospitality leaders, who will educate attendees on subjects such as travel trends, management, leadership and sales and marketing direction. HX: ONSTAGE-RESTAURANT will present chefs, restaurant owners and operators, and kitchen consultants and designers, covering what’s new and what’s next in the foodservice industry.
Not only does HX have a brand-new look and feel but HX: TECH is adding new interactive features this year to help enhance the attendee experience and educate about all the new tech gadgets, according to HMG.
In addition, HX is adding a brand-new, live demo section to the show called HX: COOKS that will include some of the top chefs in the industry.
EXPANDING TECH
HX: The Hotel Experience is expanding on technology and digital marketing for hospitality and travel, and the HX: TECH Area and Stage are coming back in a big way this year, says HMG. The HX Experience team is expanding the offerings in the area from last year, and it will be the spot to visit during the show.
Dahlia El Gazzar, Tech Evangelist, DAHLIA+ and HX: TECH contact, says that HX will have lots of new and innovative ways to expand knowledge in the up-and-coming hospitality tech gadgets this year.
“Here’s what you can expect at the HX: TECH area,” says Gazzar. “TECH Bar, where you can drop by to get tech help at the Tech Bar, and get answers and advice on all your tech and digital marketing questions. Wearable Tech Showcase, where you can experience and play with wearable tech gadgets like VR gear, robots and more, and see how they will impact your professional and personal worlds right now. LinkedIn Corner & Headshot Station will allow HX staff to update LinkedIn Profiles and headshots for all attendees at no charge.”
HX will also feature all-new technology-focused sessions and speakers that will help build knowledge about issues facing the hospitality industry and new ways to expand a hotel’s technology base to help create a better guest experience.
Companies conducting the sessions include MasterCard, Google, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Interstate Hotels, IHG, Maidbot, Hotel Business and more. Some of the topics that will be covered at the HX: TECH stage include:
- Challenges & Solutions in Hospitality Cybersecurity
- The Future of Mobile Payments in the Hospitality Industry
- 10 Ways Virtual Reality Will Change Your Guest Experience
- A Glimpse of Robotics in the Hospitality Industry
- Top Digital Marketing Trends & Tactics for the Travel & Hospitality Industry
- Mega Trends Impacting the Travel Industry
- Productivity Apps That Work for You & Your Teams
Lastly, HX: TECH will be hosting its second annual TECHpitch Competition. This allows HX technology exhibitors to showcase their unique products in a 15-minute presentation, with the winner chosen by HX attendees. The winner will be announced from the HX: TECH stage on Tuesday, Nov. 15.
RESTAURANTS AND COOKS
For 2016, HX: The Hotel Experience and the New York City Hospitality Alliance have formed a partnership through which the Alliance will produce restaurant and foodservice content for the show, says HMG.
The Alliance will create and present sessions for both HX: ONSTAGE-RESTAURANT, the show’s on-floor center for foodservice education, and chef demos at the new HX: COOKS, the show’s culinary theater.
The New York City Hospitality Alliance represents 2,000 members made up of restaurant and nightlife establishments across all five boroughs and plays a critical role in meeting the specialized and unique needs of these essential pillars making up New York City’s identity, according to HMG.
“We’re thrilled to partner with HX to discuss today’s hottest trends and topics in the hospitality industry. We’ll bring together some of the most influential names in the industry to dish on topics ranging from tipping to mobile technology. If you’re in the hospitality industry, you will not want to miss this year’s show, I assure you,” says Andrew Rigie, executive director of NYC Hospitality Alliance.
“Whether it’s sessions for HX: ONSTAGE-RESTAURANT or demonstrations at HX: COOKS, we know the creativity and talent of the Alliance’s diverse membership will bring relevant, thought-provoking content to attendees,” says Robinson.
SPEAKERS AND SESSIONS
HMG says that the session lineup for HX: The Hotel Experience 2016 is taking shape, and will be educational across the board.
“HX session attendees keep up with trends and make smarter business decisions, and our three on-floor stages—Hotel, Restaurant and Technology—help attendees focus on the topics most relevant to them,” Robinson says.
Session highlights at HX:ONSTAGE-HOTEL
- Hotel CapEx: What’s in Store for the Next 18 Months & What it Means to Your Business — Hear an all-star panel of International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) members discuss the impact of the current hotel cycle and its implications.
- Behind the Numbers: What Two Leading 2016 Surveys Say About Sustainability Trends — Discover trends and innovative best practices from two leading industry surveys.
- STR presents the 2016 Lodging Survey, featuring topics ranging from energy management sensors to recycling programs to electric vehicle charging stations.
- Greenview presents the Green Lodging Survey, including results of “green” questions never before posed to hoteliers.
- STR’s Lodging Industry Trends — Join STR and learn how industry trends, outside influencers and potential disruptors will impact hotel performance in the future.
- Session/competition highlights at HX: TECH, sponsored by MasterCard
- New Consumer Mega-Trends Reveal the Future of GX — Sabre Hospitality Solutions explores mega-trends defining the future of business and consumerism and how they are impacting hospitality and the guest experience
- Plus, engage with the winner of TECHPitch, whose innovation may change the way hotels do business.
Session highlights at HX: ONSTAGE-RESTAURANT
- Three of eight sessions developed by The New York City Hospitality Alliance explore how top trends can impact your business — and help it grow.
- Rooms to Restaurants offers an insider’s look into how food and beverage are enhancing the hotel experience.
- PR & The Digital Age answers questions about social media’s influence on your business.
- Tech in the Fast Casual Boom discusses in-depth how the fast casual restaurant segment is using technology to streamline their operations and scale their concepts.
HX EXHIBITORS
Following is a list of HX exhibitors that offer products or services of interest to those engaged in laundry/linen services:
- Averill’s Sharper Uniforms, Waltham, Mass.; booth 2349
- B&C Technologies, Panama City, Fla.; booth 3165
- Bib & Tucker Uniforms, New York, N.Y.; booth 3355
- Braun Inc., Syracuse, N.Y.; booth 2965
- Cawly Co., Manitowoc, Wis.; booth 1918
- Chadsworth & Haig, Pageland, S.C.; booth 3061
- Chicago Dryer Co., Chicago, Ill.; booth 3055
- CleanBrands LLC, Warwick, R.I.; booth 3063
- Cuddledown, Yarmouth, Maine; booth 3137
- First Preference Products, Hudson, N.Y.; booth 2473
- Fresh Wave IAQ, Long Grove, Ill.; booth 2959
- GBS Enterprises, Sutton, Neb.; booth 2543
- GFL USA, New York, N.Y.; booth 3231
- Harris Pillow, Beaufort, S.C.; booth 2964
- HD Supply, San Diego, Calif.; booth 2745
- JS Fiber Co., Statesville, N.C.; booth 3346
- Kartri Sales Co. Inc., Forest City, Pa.; booth 3337
- P&G Professional, Cincinnati, Ohio; booth 2419
- Pellerin Milnor Corp., Kenner, La.; booth 3057
- Professional Laundry Systems, Deer Park, N.Y.; booth 2669
- Sassafras Enterprises Inc., Chicago, Ill.; booth 2244
- Say Yes Hotel Supply, Chandler, Ariz.; booth 2960
- Sintex Sales USA, Woodland Hills, Calif.; booth 3369
- Smart Step Flooring, Troy, Mich.; booth 2768
- Summit Appliance division of Felix Storch Inc., Bronx, N.Y.; booth 2765
- UniMac, Ripon, Wis.; booth 3267
- Welspun USA, New York, N.Y.; booth 3333
- White Towel Services, Fort Worth, Texas; booth 2544
- Xeros Inc., Manchester, N.H.; booth 2437
Returning to the show floor from 2015, HX: Connect will be where attendees and exhibitors can sit and meet face-to-face or just recharge from the busy show floor, according to HMG.
HX: Studio will utilize its space to interview top hospitality industry executives, speakers and exhibitors of the show.
With all-new environmental treatment, session areas, speakers, and event highlights, the multimillion-dollar renovation made a big impression on lodging and foodservice executives who were in attendance at HX last year, says HMG.
The group expects even more from 2016.
RELATED STORIES:
Introducing HX: The Hotel Experience: Rooms to Restaurants, Oct. 27, 2015
HX: The Hotel Experience Trade Show Debuts, Dec. 1, 2015
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].