HOGAST Symposium 2025: Heading into the future of the hotel industry!

HOGAST Symposium 2025: Heading into the future of the hotel industry!

The HOGAST symposium took place in the heart of Salzburg on October 14th and 15th, impressively setting the course for the future with over 1,100 participants from the hospitality industry. Hoteliers, restaurateurs and delivery partners came together to work on visions for future-oriented entrepreneurship under the motto “Fifty Meets Future”. How HOGAPAGE reports, the event was crowned by a lavish anniversary gala in the Salzburgarena, where award-winning cuisine and exciting show acts thrilled the audience.

The symposium featured numerous well-known speakers, including the keynote speech by Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. He highlighted the need for Europe to take responsibility and reduce dependencies. Andreas Reiter also spoke about resilience in tourism and emphasized that agility will be particularly important in the future. Jochen Schweizer, known for his special experiences, emphasized how important it is to overcome setbacks and believe in yourself.

Inspiring stories and innovative ideas

Another highlight was the lecture by Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, who impressively reported on her experiences climbing all 14 eight-thousanders without oxygen. She motivated those present to exceed their own limits. Sven Gábor Jánszky, a thought leader in innovation and digitalization, highlighted promising innovations such as humanoid robots and quantum computers that could shape the industry.

The crowning conclusion was Judith Williams, who discussed the importance of emotional leadership and its influence on companies. During the event, HOGAST founding member Helmut Peter gave a laudatory speech about the beginnings of the purchasing cooperative, which now looks back on a strong foundation. In her speech, CEO Allegra Frommer emphasized the topics of loyalty and digitalization, which are crucial for the future of the industry.

Challenges of the future

In view of current developments in tourism, it became clear that resilience remains a central issue for the future. A current volume highlights what characterizes more resilient destinations and tourism stakeholders. Topics such as the role of diversity, citizen participation and the perception of the local population are the focus of discussions, as crises and rapid changes increase the importance of resilience and adaptability.

The event was supported by sponsors such as Casablanca, hollu and Kröswang, who made an important contribution to this inspiring event. With so many inspiring minds and innovative ideas, one thing is certain: the future of the hospitality industry will be exciting and challenging at the same time.