Registration & Welcome Coffee

Welcome Remarks

Summit Opening

The African Growth Story:
Macro-Economic Insights

One Continent, Many Destinations – Building Africa’s Tourism Economy

Fireside Chat – Catalyzing Tourism Growth Through Strategic Investment

Linking Destinations – Strategies for a More Connected Africa

Networking Coffee

From First Timer to Power Player:
Making the Most of FHS World

Daria Smith

Portfolio Director
The Bench

Numbers that Matter – Understanding Africa’s Hotel Performance

Africa’s Talent Pipeline – Empowering the Future of Tourism & Hospitality

Signings & Announcements

Empowering Connections:
Networking Session

Direct from the Destination – Unfiltered Investor Perspectives

Networking Luncheon

Financing the Future – Capital Flows into African Opportunities

Closing Remarks

Networking Luncheon

Welcome to FHS World 2025

Gemma Greenwood

Director
Content Inc

Jonathan Worsley

Chairman & CEO
The Bench

KeyNote:
The UAE’s Blueprint for Tourism, Innovation, and Economic Resilience

His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri

Minister of Economy and Tourism
United Arab Emirates

Then and Now:
Two Decades of Hospitality Investment Evolution

Moderator

Jonathan Worsley

Chairman & CEO
The Bench

In conversation with

Gerald Lawless

Ambassador
World Travel & Tourism Council

Naser Mohamed Ali Naser Alnuwais

Chairman of the Board of Directors
Rotana Hotel Management Corporation P.J.S.C

The Middle East Playbook:
How to Enter and Succeed in Hospitality Investment

Giuliano Gasparini, FRICS, CRE, HAMA, IoH, CHIA

Head of Hospitality Asset Management
WASL Group

Keynote:
Leading with Empathy in the Age of AI

Redefining Tourism Leadership for a New World

Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais

Corporate Vice President of Owner Relationship Management, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation
Secretary-General Elect, UN Tourism

When Machines Decide:
The Ethics and Economics of AI in Hospitality

Nicolas Nasra

Head of Hotel Advisory
Colliers MENA

Serving the Next Wave of Travellers:
Meeting Mixed-Purpose Demand

Philippe Najjar

Consulting Partner, Destinations
PwC Middle East

The Human Touch, Enhanced:
Using AI to Personalize Every Step of the Hospitality Journey

Moussa Beidas

Partner and Ideation Lead
PwC Middle East

Asif Alidina

Co-Founder & CEO
Inntelo AI

FHS Africa 2026:
Advisory Board Meeting

Roy Bannister

Head of Strategic Partnership
The Bench

Tourism in Transition:
Rebuilding Investor Confidence in a Challenged Market - A  Phoenix Rising from the Ashes

Hospitality Master Planning and Operational Strategy:
A Data-Driven Approach to Value Creation

Gustavo De Hostos

Founder and Managing Partner
FORSITE CREATIVE

Building Destinations Together:
The Impact of Public-Private Partnerships

Marinos Giannopoulos

Chief Executive Officer
Enterprise Greece

Artur Gerber

Chief Executive Officer
TUI Blue Hotels & Resorts

How Operators Drive Asset Value:
Leveraging Technology, Data & AI to Maximize Owner Returns

Ralph Melis

Chief Operating Officer
ExploreTECH

Leo Barrit

Vice President of Sales
FLYR

Maarten Edelman

VP International Sales
dailypoint

Thomas Niens

Vice President Sales
Adyen

Global Deal Flow:
A Worldwide Investment Outlook

TECH Lightning Round

Smart Hospitality, Smarter Returns:
Measuring the ROI of Automation

Moderator

Fritz Dickamp

Managing Director
Studio 49

In conversation with

Jiri Konecny

Founder and Chief Executive Officer
ELKO EP

Khalid Shiba

Chief Information Smart Officer
HDL Automation

Signings & Announcements

Speed Networking

FHS Welcome Reception

Executive Investor Breakfast & Project Showcase – A Closed-Door Gathering

Welcome Back

The impact of Geopolitics and your Business Outlook

Daniel Thorniley

President
DT-Global Business Consulting

Hospitality in a Changing World

Dr Achim Schmitt

Dean
EHL Hospitality Business School

Welcome Back

PitchPoint:
The FHS Investment Spotlight

Hospitality 2050:
The Long View from the Top

Haitham Mattar

Managing Director MEA & South West Asia, IHG Hotel & Resort
Special Advisor to Secretary General, UNWTO

Country Pavilion Showcase:
Albania

Rebuilding the Workforce:
Attracting and Retaining Talent in Hospitality

Owners Forum:
The Power Struggle – Owners vs. Operators (Invitation-Only)

Dinky Puri

Founding Partner
Eagle Wing

Beyond the Peak:
What the Numbers Say About the Next Chapter in Hospitality

Philip Wooller

Area Director - Middle East and Africa
STR

Mapping the Money:
Tracking Smart Capital in a Changing Hospitality Landscape

Amr El Nady

Head of Hotels and Hospitality MEA and Managing Director, Global Hotel Desk
JLL

Amit Nayak, CHA

Vice President
HAMA MEA

Hospitality with Purpose:
Landmark Initiatives Reshaping Inclusion in Hospitality

Atul Chopra

Founder &CEO
FRESHONTABLE LLC

H․E. Abdulla Abdulalee Al Humaidan

Secretary-General
Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination

Signings & Announcements

Forming Culture to Build Brands

Catherine Edwards

Chief Strategy Officer
QUO Global

Building More Than Hotels:
A Legacy of Innovation and Expansion

Automating the Predictable, Humanizing the Exceptional:
Investing in People for the Moments that Matter

Rosanna Wang

Chief Operating Officer
Aristara

Workforce 2.0:
Talent Innovation Hackathon

Bertrand Audrin

Professor & Human Capital Specialist
EHL Hospitality Business School

Deal or No Deal:
Where Banks and Equity See Opportunity

Giuliano Gasparini, FRICS, CRE, HAMA, IoH, CHIA

Head of Hospitality Asset Management
WASL Group

TUI Raffle

From Resilience to Growth:
The European Hospitality Investment Outlook

Dirk Bakker

Head of EMEA Hotels | EMEA & Global Capital Markets
Colliers

Country Pavilion Showcase:
Philippines

Katrina Craig

Chief Executive Officer
Hotel Solutions Partnership

Negotiating with Operators:
Mastering Contract Structures for Maximizing Returns

From Local Roots to Global Reach:
Charting the Hospitality Expansion Journey

Moderator

Stephen Sackur

Former Presenter
HARDTalk

In conversation with

Marc Dardenne

Chief Executive Officer
Modon Holding Hospitality

Building Tomorrow:
The Geographies and Segments Defining Growth

Serena Lim

Chief Growth Officer
The Ascott Limited

Jerome Briet

Chief Development Officer EMEA
Marriott International

Suma Venkatesh

Executive Vice President - Real Estate & Development
The Indian Hotels Company Limited

Capital, Coastlines & Control:
The Eastern Mediterranean Investment Map for Owners

Elie Milky

Chief Development Officer, The Middle East, Northeast Africa, Cyprus and Greece
Radisson Hotel Group

FHS Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award 2025

FHS Leadership Award 2025 - Supported by ISHC

Future Leader Award 2025 - Supported by EHL

#FHSWomenPower Impact Leader Award 2025

Moderator

Jonathan Worsley

Chairman & CEO
The Bench

In conversation with

Dr․ Carole Ackermann

Chairwoman of the Board President of EHL Board of Trustees
EHL Hospitality Business School

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum

Chairman and Chief Executive
Emirates Airline and Group

Networking Luncheon

Fireside Chat:
“Art of Creation” Redefining Hospitality

Moderator

Louis Abi Abboud

Regional Head - Lifestyle Collective MEAIT
Ennismore

In conversation with

Alan Faena

Founder and President Faena Group
Faena Group

The Asian Investment Outlook:
Navigating Capital, Risk, and Opportunity

Larissa Esser

Senior Advisor, Representative to the GCC
Colliers

Country Pavilion Showcase:
Egypt

The Future of Hotel Asset Management – HAMA Asset Management Workshop

Amit Nayak, CHA

Vice President
HAMA MEA

Rene Beil

Managing Director, BEAUFORT
Chairman, MAARAH HOLDINGS & HAMA President Middle East

Thinking Reverse to Go Beyond:
A Reverse Learning Experience

Moderator

Andre Wiringa

Founder & CEO
Start Reverse

In conversation with

Sinead Devlin

Regional Director EMEA & Head of Global Strategic Partnerships
Emergenetics International

Private Capital, Public Impact:
The Hospitality Footprint of Private Investors

Neil Benjelloun

Founder & Managing Partner
JL Equity Group

The Future Is East:
Mapping the Mindset of Tomorrow’s Asian Tourist

Moderator

Ben Baseley-Walker

Founder & Managing Partner
Andart Global

In conversation with

Dominique Backhouse

Managing Director
Companion Communications

Siegfried Nierhaus

Vice President & Head of Development Middle East, India and Africa
H World International

Tokenization & Digital Assets:
Transforming the Future of Real Estate With Blockchain

Signings & Announcements

Unlocking Capital Flows:
The Evolving Investment Landscape in the Gulf and Saudi Arabia

TenX Leadership Talk:
Driving Change Across a Continent

Pelumi Nubi

Founder
Nubi Network

The Philippines Advantage:
Private Insights for Strategic Investors

New Rules of Ownership:
Catalyzing Investment Through Real Estate Reform in KSA

Next in Line:
Africa’s Rising Destinations for Hotel Investment

Efficiency engine:
Automating operations for higher profit margins

Li Hawkins

Partner and Managing Director
Insight Out

Siggi Schrot

VP Sales - EMEA
RMS Cloud

Risk or Rhetoric:
Navigating Climate Risk, Regulation, and Reality in 2025

Professor Marc Lepere

Lead in ESG & Sustainability, Executive Education, Department of Banking & Finance
King’s Business School

FHS Africa Excellence Award

Moderator

Jonathan Worsley

Chairman & CEO
The Bench

In conversation with

Hala Matar Choufany

President - Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Dubai
HVS

TECH Lightning Round

Mitigating Risk, Managing Costs:
Hospitality’s Climate-Resilient Playbook

Beyond the Game:
How Immersive Sports and Culture Drive Tourism Growth

Peter Daire

Senior Executive Advisor, Sports Consulting
PwC Middle East

Sophie Ryan

Head of Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand
Dubai Racing Club

Sam Dawson

Managing Partner
GSIQ

Mushtaq Al Waeli

Senior Executive Advisor, Sports Consulting
PwC Middle East

Country Pavilion Showcase

Capital at a Crossroads:
How Sustainability is Rewriting the Rules of Hotel Investment

Ufi Ibrahim

Chief Executive Officer
Energy & Environment Alliance

PitchPoint:
The FHS Investment Spotlight

Franchise Models:
A Barrier to Sustainable Hospitality—or a Catalyst for Change?

Bani Haddad

Founder & Managing Director
Aleph Hospitality

Klaus Assmann

Chief Operating Officer - Middle East, India & Southeast Asia
United Hospitality Management (UHM)

Roi Ariel

General Manager
Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)

David Thomson

Senior Vice President Development
The First Group Hospitality

Yasser Ahmed

Chief Executive Officer
Action Hotels Limited

Lizzy Coates

Associate Director
Considerate Group

Signings & Announcements

The Second Life of Hospitality Assets:
Investors' Playbook for Repositioning and Conversion

Jan-Patrick Krüger

Managing Director
Pandox AB

Kapil Jobanputra

Managing Director
Elaeo Partners

Vijay Raghavan

Director
Golden Sands Hotel Co․ LLC.

FHS Evening Reception

From Groundbreaking to Grand Opening:
Aligning Project Delivery with Operational Success

Eoghan Devlin

Project Quantity Surveyor
Compass Project Consulting

Costas Livadaris

Technical Director - Hotels & Hospitality
Parsons

Country Pavilion Showcase

The New Reality:
Climate, Conflict and the hidden workforce opportunity in hospitality

Ufi Ibrahim

Chief Executive Officer
Energy & Environment Alliance

Dr Khaled Khalifa

Senior Advisor, Representative to the GCC
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

TenX Leadership Talk

Charting Franchise Growth:
A Franchise Development Workshop for MEA

“Hybrid Lives” – The Big Shift and Vision of Future Spaces

Guy Ivesha

Founder & CEO
Maslow's

Armand Steinmeyer

VP Business Development
The Ascott Limited

Beyond the Tangible, Towards the Meaningful:
Reimagining Perceived Luxury

Arjan Pit

Managing Director
UNS United Network Studio

Welcome to Restaurant Investment Trends Transforming Hotels

James Hacon

Founder & Partner
Think Hospitality

Work. Live. Belong. Rethinking Hospitality for the Borderless Professional

Hans Meyer

Co Founder & Managing Director
Zoku

Beyond Yield:
The Emotional Architecture of Luxury Resort Brands

Jean-Baptiste Recher

Chief Development Officer Luxury Brands Middle East, Africa and Turkiye
Accor

Shaun Killa

Design Director and Founder
Killa Design

Joe Tabet

Founder & Managing Director
JT+Partners

Dining in the Future:
AI’s New Role in Gastronomy

Future of Hospitality Concepts and Operating Models

Marco S․ Rentsch

Partner | Global Consulting Hospitality and Tourism Center of Excellence
PwC Middle East

The Business of Taste:
Leveraging F&B to Elevate Asset Value

Rizwan Kassim

Chief Executive Officer
Rikas Hospitality

AI in Action:
Practical Tools for Hospitality Leaders

From Mass to Class:
The Upscale Shift in the All-Inclusive Hospitality Market

Gregory Lanter

Group Deputy CEO
Club Med

Investing in Mixed-Use Real Estate:
Strategies for Maximizing Value in Modern Developments

Pedro Ribeiro

Chief Commercial Officer
Rua Al Madinah Holding

Next-Gen Leisure:
The Business of Competitive Socialising

Ben Baseley-Walker

Founder & Managing Partner
Andart Global

Wellbeing Ecosystems:
Building Destinations Around Health and Harmony

Enrico Manaresi

Press & Media Director
Technogym

TenX Leadership Talk:
Crafting Flavorful Identities and Shaping the Culinary Scene

From Dorms to Destination Assets:
Investing in Student Accommodation as the Next Ultimate Class

From Neighbourhood Gems to Five-Star Plates:
How Local Chefs Are Transforming Hotel Dining

Living the Brand:
How Branded Residences Drive Culture, Capital, and Communities

Affordable, Scalable, In Demand:
The Midscale Hotel Evolution

Muin Serhan

Chief Executive Officer
Amsa Hospitality

Wytze Van Den Berg

Vice President EMEA
BWH Hotels

Maya Ziadeh

Chief Development Officer Luxury Brands Middle East, Africa and Turkiye
Accor

Property Meets Prime Time:
How Reality TV Fuels Hospitality-Driven Real Estate

Moderator

Stephen Sackur

Former Presenter
HARDTalk

In conversation with

Eleonora Srugo

Licensed Associated Real Estate Broker, Douglas Elliman
Star of Netflix’s Selling the City

Crossing Over:
Integrating Branded Residences with Senior Living, Wellness, and Co-Living Trends

Amit Arora

Chief Operating Officer
Arada

From Iconic Design to Strategic Returns:
Inside the Mind of a Global Real Estate Visionary

Moderator

Stephen Sackur

Former Presenter
HARDTalk

In conversation with

Nick Candy

Chief Executive Officer
Candy Capital

Marc Socker

Chief Executive Officer
Maybourne

From Day to Dusk:
How Beach Clubs Redefine F&B, Wellness & Exclusivity

TenX Leadership Talk:
The Road Ahead for Global Hospitality

Closing Plenary:
The Road Ahead for Global Hospitality

Closing Plenary

Luncheon

Luncheon

Welcome to the Branded Residences Forum at FHS World 2025

Moderator

Jonathan Worsley

Chairman & CEO
The Bench

In conversation with

Barry Landsberg

Principal
Landsberg Residential Consulting Inc.

TenX Leadership Talk - State of the Industry

Jeff Tisdall

Chief Business Officer, Global Head of Mixed-Use
Accor One Living

Branded Residences Uncovered:
Global Performance Review & Insights

Riyan Itani

Founder
Global Branded Residences Ltd.

Maximizing Returns, Minimizing Risk:
How to Optimize and Protect Value for Investors

Nadia Zaal

Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Zaya Real Estate Developer

Daniel von Barloewen

Senior Vice President, Global Mixed-Use Development
Accor One Living

World Branded Residences Awards

Jonathan Worsley

Chairman & CEO
The Bench

The Perfect Fit:
Selecting the Right Brand for Residential Success

Jaidev Menezes

RVP Mixed Use Development EMEA
Marriott International

Stefano Saporetti

Director of Brand Diversification
Aston Martin

Rosa Piro

Chief Investment Officer
Arada

TenX Leadership Talk:
Where Lifestyle Meets Living

The Misconception Myth:
Why Branded Residences Aren’t Just Hotels with Keys

Decoding the Data:
What Guest & User Trends Tell Us

Rahul Salgia

Founder and Chief Executive Officer
DigiValet

From Insight to Lifestyle:
Translating Guest Trends into Branded Residential Experiences

The Real Deal:
Unpacking the Financial Realities

Riyan Itani

Founder
Global Branded Residences Ltd.

Legal Structures:
Protecting Interests of Investors, Purchasers & Brands

Paul Saba

Vice President and Senior Counsel - EMEA
Marriott International

Closing Plenary:
The Road Ahead for Branded Residences

World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards

Terra, Expo City, Dubai