Latest news with #EHL
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Oberoi Group announces second edition of The Oberoi Group Scholarship Program
(You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Oberoi Group said on Thursday it has launched the second edition of The Oberoi Group Scholarship Program . The chain said this initiative, launched last year, honours the legacy of Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi and Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi as it creates the next generation of hospitality leaders through 'world-class' education and international Oberoi Group will offer two scholarships: The Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi – 'Dare to Dream' Scholarship which is open to hotel operations executives from hotels outside The Oberoi Group in India, and the Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi – 'Be the Best' Scholarship, which is available for hotel operations executives from The Oberoi Group in India and hospitality chain said each scholarship recipient will pursue a Master of Business Administration in Hospitality at École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), Switzerland – one of the world's most prestigious hospitality management schools. The two-year MBA combines virtual learning with a three-week immersive experience at the EHL campus in Lausanne each year, complemented by a Best Practice Tour at some of the world's finest hotels."The inaugural edition of the scholarship program reinforced our belief in the importance of nurturing talent for the future of hospitality. We are proud to launch its second edition, carrying forward the legacy of our founders by supporting exceptional individuals to become world-class hoteliers,' said Arjun Oberoi, executive chairman of The Oberoi Group. Vikram Oberoi, CEO, The Oberoi Group said the chain's founders believed in the 'transformative' power of continuous learning and mentorship. "Building on the success of the first edition, inspires us to continue investing in people who will shape the future of hospitality with a deep understanding of our business, innovation, leadership, and a commitment to exceptional guest experiences," he added.
Hospitality Net
12-06-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
EHL Innovation Rewind: Christine R. Gould on Breaking Silos, Remixing Traditions, and the Next Gen Innovation Stack
At the EHL Open Innovation Summit, we had the chance to sit down with Christine R. Gould, Founder and CEO of GIGA, for a conversation about the future of innovation in hospitality. Christine shared her perspective on why the next big shift won't come from a single technology, but from a new mindset—one that values remixing over reinvention, embraces collaboration across sectors, and brings young changemakers directly into the innovation process. Do you see one specific innovation or technology changing the hospitality industry over the next 5 to 10 years? We have always had hyped technologies, whether it be the metaverse, AI or generative AI. But what we are seeing now is a realization that it is not about a single technology. It is going to be the integration of these technologies into a new tech stack that fundamentally shifts what opportunities are available. For me, it is not about the technology. It is about the innovation approach. That means breaking down silos and fostering collaboration, especially across industries. There is a huge opportunity for hospitality to work more closely with food and agriculture. Technology is the enabler, but it is this approach of open innovation that is really exciting. How do we reconcile the tension between innovation and tradition, especially when younger generations take over legacy businesses? I do not believe it is innovation versus tradition. At my previous organization, Thought For Food, we identified an innovation approach called multispectral thinking. It comes from agriculture and medicine, where you use a multispectral camera to see more than what the eye can see. I thought, what if we could equip our brains to think this way? It would allow us to move beyond binary thinking and see a rich palette of possibilities. That is how you blend tradition and technology to unlock new opportunities. I also see this in music. I am learning to DJ and I love how electronic music embraces experimentation and remixing. We need more of that in hospitality and food. I want to see remixes. Let's remix our industries. Why is it that we welcome innovation in music, but remain so protective of tradition in food and hospitality? It is so true. In music, innovation is welcomed. In food and hospitality, especially in cultures with strong traditions like Italy, it can be more sensitive. But I believe there is a rising generation of digitally savvy, curious and entrepreneurial people who are looking for new, differentiated experiences. That is where the remix comes in. We need to futureproof our businesses by welcoming this experimentation. We can still honour tradition, but we can also evolve it. If you had one suggestion for someone entering the market today, in hospitality or food, what would it be? Know your customer. There will always be customers who want what they know and value tradition. But the next generation wants something different. They want to be part of something new. My advice is to engage with innovators from that next generation. Do not just invest in them or look at them top down. Actually bring them into your innovation strategy. Let them help you pilot, prototype, and scale new ideas. That is where the real opportunity lies. About the EHL Open Innovation Summit 2025 This interview was recorded during the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, where Hospitality Net joined as official media partner. The event brought together a global mix of thinkers and doers to explore the future of hospitality, food, and travel through open innovation. What made it special was the mix of ideas, formats, and people. It was not only about tech or talks. It was also about people showing up, working together, and sharing energy in real time. Key Figures 385 participants 48 speakers and contributors from more than 20 countries 7 innovation challenges collectively addressed 45 sessions 25 student volunteers 15 F&B startups letting us taste the future 1.5 days of connection, learning, and co-creation Key Insights from the Summit
Hospitality Net
12-06-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
EHL Innovation Rewind: Lucas Nottaris on Agentic Systems, Human-Centered Personalization, and the Future of Consent
During the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, we caught up with Lucas Nottaris, Partner at Visium, to discuss how agentic systems are reshaping the guest experience, why personalization must be guided by consent and human judgment, and how the hospitality industry can build trust by giving guests more control over their data. Which technology or innovation do you think will reshape the most our industry over the next 5 to 10 years? Lucas believes that agentic systems will have the most significant impact in the near future. These are systems that consume and absorb information and then take their own action based on that data. They can independently access other systems and complete entire workflows—not just point solutions anymore. For example, in some golf resorts in the US, customer support has been replaced with voice agents that book tee times based on user preferences and weather conditions. This is one of the first times we can truly transform an entire workflow end to end, and that's due to agentic systems. Do you think it is possible in our industry—with tech silos and a very long booking journey—to actually hyper personalize or even personalize? Lucas says personalization is possible, and it is needed. He thinks the hospitality industry may feel under-personalized because we have always valued human touch. As long as personalization enhances human connectivity and does not replace it, it can elevate guest experience. The key is consent and context. Personalization must make a guest feel heard and known, but not watched. It has to avoid artificial empathy. Systems can help by providing the right information—like coffee preferences—but a person still needs to guardrail that use and apply it appropriately, depending on the guest. What is your take on the fine line between personalization and being too intrusive, almost creepy? Lucas shares an example of a hotel that left a condolence letter in a guest's suite after hearing their dog had passed away. For some, that may be appreciated. For others, it may be too much. Whether personalization is intrusive depends on the individual. Lucas believes the experience must be guided by humans, because only humans understand consent and context. We cannot generalize personalization for everyone. Older generations might not like it, younger generations might want more of it. Systems can give the input, but a person has to make the decision: do we use this information, or not? Do you think in a few years we could see a policy for personalization—where a guest sets their preferences at the beginning of the booking journey? Lucas says he hopes so. He emphasizes transparency and openness. What he dislikes is when someone interacts with him using tools or information they do not disclose. If a store is using a system to personalize his experience, he wants to know. Maybe having a policy like accepting cookies online is the way forward, where guests can choose a fully personalized experience or one that is totally neutral. This would give people the power to decide how much personalization they want—and help the industry build trust. About the EHL Open Innovation Summit 2025 This interview was recorded during the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, where Hospitality Net joined as official media partner. The event brought together a global mix of thinkers and doers to explore the future of hospitality, food, and travel through open innovation. What made it special was the mix of ideas, formats, and people. It was not only about tech or talks. It was also about people showing up, working together, and sharing energy in real time. Key Figures 385 participants 48 speakers and contributors from more than 20 countries 7 innovation challenges collectively addressed 45 sessions 25 student volunteers 15 F&B startups letting us taste the future 1.5 days of connection, learning, and co-creation Key Insights from the Summit
Indian Express
10-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
CII to expand Vocational Education and Training diploma programme to over 250 schools
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in collaboration with ITC Hotels and EHL (founded in 1893 as École hôtelière de Lausanne) plans to expand its 18-month Vocational Education and Training diploma programme to over 250 schools in the coming months. The programme is currently operational across 10 ITC Hotels, where it has trained over 800 students who have been placed in relevant roles, said Praveen Roy, Advisor, CII. 'After the Covid pandemic, especially after 2022, there has been a surge in demand in the hospitality industry. This has also resulted in huge investment in this sector which was not witnessed till a few years back,' Praveen Roy told this paper. Nilesh Mitra, Vice-President, Talent Management at ITC Hotels Limited, during an industry-academia connect held in Ahmedabad on Tuesday said, 'Such inititaives (industry-academia connect) are crucial as these serve as a bridge between aspiration and opportunity, aligning educational outcomes with industry needs. The distinguished speakers in the event also included Sidhant Bedi, Education Consultant, EHL; Sanjay R Deora, Chief Executive Officer, Nandan Terry Ltd; Shyam Kadakia, Managing Director, Pinnacle Therapeutics; and Mr Vinod Agarwal, Managing Director, Arunaya Organics Limited. As it expands nationally, the industry-academia connect initiative is expected to engage more than 600 educators and industry representatives across nine cities, with the broader goal of addressing the disconnect between academic training and workforce requirements.
Hospitality Net
10-06-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
EHL Innovation Rewind: Margot Stuart on Blockchain, Digital Passports, and Building Trust in Luxury Hospitality
At the EHL Open Innovation Summit, we sat down with Margot Stuart, Co-founder of OriginAll and ORIGINALLUXURY, to explore how blockchain and digital product passports are reshaping trust and transparency in hospitality. Our conversation looked at how these technologies can go beyond compliance to unlock deeper guest engagement, emotional storytelling, and a new kind of luxury experience rooted in authenticity. Which technology do you think will have the most impact in the hospitality industry over the next 5 to 10 years? Digital product passports are a big thing. They allow you to tell the full story of a product—its origin, provenance, inspiration, the designer, and the communities behind it. In hospitality, the same tools can be leveraged to transform engagement with suppliers and consumers. Whether in the hotel sector or through curated experiences, digital product passports can bring an immersive digital world to life for guests. What is the real application of blockchain when it comes to creating trust around products? Blockchain is like hot sauce—it's great for enhancing things, but you don't want to put it on everything. In transparency and traceability, blockchain is a powerful tool for proving accountability. A real-world case is in the mined diamond supply chain. Blockchain allows you to track each step—from mining to cutting and polishing—so that when a consumer wears a diamond, they not only have a genuine product, but also a whole story that brings the stone to life. That said, blockchain needs a trust layer—human validation. One node validates another. You cannot implement blockchain without trusted people. Once you have that, the information uploaded can become powerful and trustworthy. Do you see blockchain more as a compliance tool, or can it also create meaningful experiences? We want to go beyond compliance. Blockchain and other technologies like AI can come together in a more aggregated way to bring emotion and engagement into hospitality and luxury. Right now, tech is too often 'made by engineers for engineers.' We need tools that create immersive, meaningful experiences for consumers. Think about hotel memberships. They could become much more than tier levels. They could be immersive. Guests should be able to revisit not just their status, but their experiences—like the elephant ride, or the shark dive. Let the platform store photos and memories and make those emotional moments part of the membership. That's what technology should be enabling. Would you agree that blockchain only works if you still have a strong human trust layer behind it? Absolutely. You need the right people and the right information first. Blockchain is a tool, an enabler. If the information entered is false, it simply scales the problem. So yes, we need trusted people to be accountable for the data. Then blockchain can help ensure transparency, but the human factor cannot be removed. It is central. Technology can enable trust, but it must start with truth. About the EHL Open Innovation Summit 2025 This interview was recorded during the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, where Hospitality Net joined as official media partner. The event brought together a global mix of thinkers and doers to explore the future of hospitality, food, and travel through open innovation. What made it special was the mix of ideas, formats, and people. It was not only about tech or talks. It was also about people showing up, working together, and sharing energy in real time. Key Figures 385 participants 48 speakers and contributors from more than 20 countries 7 innovation challenges collectively addressed 45 sessions 25 student volunteers 15 F&B startups letting us taste the future 1.5 days of connection, learning, and co-creation Key Insights from the Summit
