HTNG Connect: Asia-Pacific

• Chip Rogers, President & CEO, AHLA

• Chip Rogers, President & CEO, AHLA
• Anthony Tyler, General Manager, Area VP Operations, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

Every hotelier loves hotels, especially those that have a story to tell. To kick off this year's conference, attendees will learn about the history of the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, which has been a luxury five-star destination for travelers for over 147 years. We will have the privilege of hearing from the property's GM and Regional Vice President Anthony Tyler, who will walk us through this iconic hotel during a conversation with AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers.

• Eric Ricaurte, CEO, Greenview (Moderator)
• Johnny Gao, Senior Manager, Sustainability, The Ascott Limited
• Iris Lam, Director of Sustainability, Global Development, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
• Matawee (Nim) Mujchapan, Operations Manager, Environment & Sustainability, Centara Hotels & Resorts

Sustainable practices are critical for the health of our planet and support of our communities, but also good for business. More and more guests and travel buyers are choosing hotels that are working to reduce carbon emissions and pursuing sustainable practices. This panel will share technology best practices and tools to help in tracking programs, progress, and performance data to measure success in areas of carbon emissions, energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, and more.

• Chip Rogers, President & CEO, AHLA (Moderator)
• Patrick Andres, Regional VP Hotels, JAPAC, Oracle Hospitality
• Andrew Chan, Founder & CEO, ACI HR Solutions
• Khang Nguyen Trieu, Group CTO Architect, Accor

The pandemic was full of surprises. One of them was the difficulty of finding staff. We closed hotels during COVID due to the lack of business; now we are struggling to operate fully due to the lack of staff. Join AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers and his panel to explore ways to deal with this problem, both at the corporate and property level. How as leaders can we find the staff we need, and how as technologists can we help our hotels?

• Letka Prendergast, Director, Solution Engineering - Hospitality JAPAC, Oracle Hospitality

• Dayna Kully, Co-founder, 5thGenWireless (Moderator)
• Irvin Aldridge, Head of Hospitality Solutions, Eleven Software
• Hauke Lenthe, Managing Director, EMEA & Asia-Pacific, Nomadix
• Branden Li, Regional VP, Field Technology Services, Asia-Pacific, Hyatt Hotels Corporation

As the hospitality industry evolves, guests increasingly expect seamless and secure wireless connectivity in every aspect of their stay. Passpoint, a standard for wireless connectivity, promises to deliver just that, allowing guests to connect effortlessly across a brand's global networks, devices, and locations. Open Roaming leverages Passpoint to allow automatic and secure roaming between millions of networks. This conference session will explore the benefits of Passpoint & Open Roaming for the hospitality industry, and how they can enhance the guest experience.

• Kanishka Agiwal, Head of Service Lines, India & Southeast Asia, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

This session will unveil the transformative power of generative AI in the hotel industry. Explore how it will enhance guest experiences, personalize recommendations, optimize operations, and revolutionize revenue management. Join expert Kanishka Agiwal of Amazon Web Services who will guide the audience on ways for our industry to best approach this rapidly trending technology.

• Kwang Tat Ang, Product & Marketing, Director, ANTlabs

• Guillermo Galarza, VP, Partnerships & Law Enforcement Training, International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (Moderator)
• Anchana (Mindy) Chailert, Thailand Department of Special Investigation
• Wirawan (Boom) Mosby, Director & Founder, The HUG Project
• Matthew Wright, Regional Attaché, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)

Human trafficking is a global scourge that requires a global solution. The hospitality industry has been leading on this effort thanks to its deep commitment to eradicating trafficking through the No Room For Trafficking campaign. Learn from representatives of law enforcement, NGOs, and the industry about this issue, as well as ways we can leverage technology and innovation to prevent and respond to human trafficking around the world.

• Tracy McGrath, Manager, Global Payment Strategy, Oracle Hospitality

Payments are an integral part of the overall customer experience in the hospitality industry. Offering seamless and convenient payment options enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty. Providing a variety of payment methods caters to the diverse preferences of guests. The hospitality industry has witnessed a rapid evolution in payment methods, such as mobile payments and contactless transactions. In this session, explore the challenges faced by the hospitality industry in the payments landscape, and the benefits of supporting digital payments. 

• Christina Cornwell, VP Technology Field Services, Asia Pacific, Hilton
• Dayna Kully, Co-Founder, 5thGenWireless
• Liz Ortiguera, Managing Director of Asia-Pacific & Sr. Advisor to the CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council

Hospitality technology is rapidly evolving with enormous potential for growth and innovation. However, women still face many challenges in the field, including a lack of representation in leadership positions and unequal opportunities for career advancement. This panel discussion aims to explore the current state of women in hospitality technology, identify key issues and barriers that women face, and discuss strategies to advance women in this dynamic industry.

Location: Sala Rim Naam

Location: Sala Rim Naam

• Chip Rogers, President & CEO, AHLA

• Kanishka Agiwal, Head of Service Lines, India & Southeast Asia, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Join us for a captivating session where we'll dive into the decentralized web, blockchain technology, and their impact on our industry. Discover the future of trust, ownership, and collaboration that Web3 can provide us when Kanishka Agiwal of Amazon Web Services joins us back on stage on Day 2.

• Harry Taranto, Commercial Distribution, Hotels APAC, CNN International

• Sandy Angel, Senior Director, Technology and Information, AHLA
• David Sjolander, VP, HTNG Operations, AHLA

Everything and nothing have changed since HTNG merged with AHLA. We have far greater resources and industry connections, but we are still HTNG. In this session, we will provide an overview for those new to HTNG and a refresher for those who are not. We will also update you on current workgroups and our new Communities of Interest. HTNG offers a wide range of resources for you, which Sandy Angel and David Sjolander will cover in this session.

• Jai Govindani, CTO, Honest
• David Sjolander, VP, HTNG Operations, AHLA

It is becoming more common for technology leaders in hospitality to come from other industries. It is also common for them to leave again. New to the hotel industry, Jai Govindani joined Red Planet Hotels as CTO in 2014 and left five years later for fintech. During his time in hospitality, he developed a reputation as an outspoken lover and critic of hospitality technology. Join us for Jai's reflection on everything right and wrong about our corner of the world.

• Ted Horner, Managing Director, E. Horner & Associates Pty Ltd (Moderator)
• Floor Bleeker, CTO, Accor
• Martin Bookallil, VP of IT, APAC, Marriott International
• Chin Lee, VP, Global IT Engagement, Melco Resorts & Entertainment

The hotel industry is going through a rapid transformation, driven in large part by advances in information technology. From online bookings and mobile check-ins to smart room technologies and personalized guest experiences, hotels are embracing technology to enhance their operations and better meet the needs of their guests. Yet with these opportunities come new challenges and complexities. In this panel discussion, we bring together some of the industry's top IT leaders to discuss the current state of hotel technology, the challenges they face, and the opportunities that lie ahead.

• Chip Rogers, President & CEO, AHLA