Latest news with #HiltonMEA
Zawya
06-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Africa's Leading Hospitality Investors and Visionaries Come to Cape Town in June
Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Africa 2025 comes to Cape Town from 17–19 June 2025, bringing together the most influential voices in hospitality investment, development, and sustainability from across the globe. This year's speaker lineup features major investors, visionaries, strategists, and dealmakers who are actively reshaping the landscape of hospitality across Africa. William E. Heinecke, Founder and Chairman of Minor Hotels, will headline the summit. A self-made entrepreneur who launched his first business at 17, Mr Heinecke has built one of the world's most respected hospitality groups. His keynote will explore the lessons behind that legacy and what's next for hotel expansion in Africa. Guy Hutchinson, President of Hilton MEA, and Haitham Mattar, Managing Director of IHG for MEA&Southwest Asia, will delve into how global hotel groups adapt their strategies for Africa's evolving markets. Meanwhile, Jerome Briet (Chief Development Officer EMEA, Marriott International), Jean-Baptiste Recher (CDO Luxury Brands, Accor), and Esteban Lozada (MD North, West&South Africa, Hilton) will highlight expansion plans and pipeline insights from the region's top brands. On the investment side, the programme features heavyweights like Folaseto Akin-Olugbade (Principal, Actis), Olivier Granet and David Damiba (Co-CEOs, Kasada Capital Management), Rahul Chaudhary (MD&CEO, CG Corp Global), Magdaline Osei Baffour (Investment Director, Westmont Hospitality Group), Nyawira Kariuki (CEO, Janus Continental Group), and Jameel Verjee (Founder&CEO, CityBlue Hotels). They'll share unfiltered insights on how they evaluate opportunities, manage risk, and unlock long-term value in different African markets. Graham Wood (CEO, Sun International), Marcel von Aulock (CEO, Southern Sun), and Tony Romer-Lee (Managing Partner AMEA, Valor Hospitality Partners), David Green (CEO, V&A Waterfront) add further firepower to the operator perspective, joining sessions on operating strategies, sustainability, and navigating development constraints. Conservation and tourism sustainability will also take centre stage with Dr Morne du Plessis (CEO, WWF South Africa) and Mark Read (former WWF SA Chairman) exploring how hospitality can be a vehicle for positive environmental impact. Brooke Friswold of Bring The Elephant Home and Joe Pietersen of Nkombe Rhino will share field perspectives on ecotourism's potential. Other voices enriching the dialogue include Gillian Saunders, one of Africa's leading tourism consultants, Kevin Teeroovengadum (Proptech Africa), Thami Nkadimeng, Paul Gardiner (CEO, Terra Nova), Bani Haddad (Aleph Hospitality), Tadiwos G. Belete (Kuriftu Resorts), Euan McGlashan (Valor Hospitality), Wayne Godwin (JLL Africa), and many more. An Investor Powerhouse FHS Africa 2025 will once again host the region's most active capital partners, including: Berkeley Properties, Cameroon Hotels Corporation, CityBlue Hotels, Cresta Marakanelo Limited, DEG, FROS Capital, Fundo Soberano de Angola, IFC, Janus Continental Group, Oak&Satin Properties, Proparco, Rockshieldburg-City, The Midwest Company, and UAG Investments. Together, these investors represent billions in active projects, acquisitions, and greenfield development across the continent. With over $4 billion in hospitality deals signed at FHS Africa since its inception, the event remains a catalyst for serious deal-making and investment. Matthew Weihs, Commercial Director of the Bench, which organises FHS Africa, said: ' We're incredibly proud to bring FHS Africa to Cape Town for the first time. It's a city that represents innovation, diversity, and growth — the perfect backdrop for an event that connects the brightest minds in hospitality and drives real investment across the continent. The 2025 programme is bold, dynamic, and focused on action." FHS Africa 2025 promises unparalleled opportunities to build meaningful relationships through various formats tailored for real engagement. From high-energy speed networking sessions and curated closed-door investor councils to exclusive offsite visits showcasing Cape Town's latest hospitality developments, every moment is designed to foster strategic connections. The event also features a community-focused charity Run, offering a lighter way to meet other delegates while supporting a worthy cause. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Bench. About FHS Africa: For over a decade, the Future Hospitality Summit Africa (FHS Africa) has been the launchpad for hospitality investment in Africa, driving growth, connecting visionaries, and transforming the continent's tourism and hospitality landscape. As a beacon of opportunity, FHS Africa brings together global investors, developers, operators, and industry leaders committed to turning potential into reality. Strategic Partners: Accor, BWH Hotels, Hilton, Marriott International, IHG Hotels&Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group Headline Sponsors: ACT, CHIC, Hansgrohe, TUI Hotels&Resorts Sponsors: Aleph Hospitality, CityBlue Hotels, EQUATE, Knight Frank, JLL, St Helena Island, STR, TIME Hotels, TV5 Monde, Valor Hospitality Partners Event Ambassadors: Develop Hotels Inc, Hotel Partners Africa, Voltere by Egis, W Hospitality Group Official Carriers: Discover Airlines, Kenya Airways Supported By: South Africa Tourism About The Bench: The Bench has a legacy of delivering world-leading investment forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The key principle behind these events has remained "dealmaking'. Transforming the way businesses connect, Bench has developed a reputation for creating innovative and high-impact meetings for the industry. For over two decades, government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel&tourism associations, the world's most influential hospitality brands, hotel owners&investors, renowned restaurant groups, airlines&aviation authorities, destination developers, asset managers, financial groups, and consultants have been participating in The Bench's events. These include FHS Africa, FHS World, FHS Saudi Arabia and AviaDev, where industry players showcase their brands, position themselves as thought leaders or innovators, and connect with the right individuals, opportunities and knowledge. Learn more at
Campaign ME
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
Hilton nods to nostalgic ‘Fawazeer Ramadan' in four-part campaign
This year's Ramadan campaign from Hilton features a modern reimagining of Fawazeer Ramadan, the beloved riddle series that once defined family entertainment across the region during the holy month in an effort to prove that some traditions are too good to leave in the past. For generations, solving daily fawazeer (riddles) was a staple of Ramadan evenings, a time when families gathered around the TV, piecing together clues and guessing answers. Hilton's take on the classic taps into that same nostalgia, but with a fun, playful spin that combines retro charm with today's modern hospitality. 'Our mission was to create a campaign that speaks to the heart of every individual, honoring their unique culture and experiences,' said Iva Skrlec, Destination Marketing Director, Hilton MEA. The campaign's design and narrative The four-part series featured a young couple from the 90s navigating a contemporary Hilton Ramadan experience. From buffets too good to choose from to late-night Suhoor cravings, each episode takes viewers on a visual and cultural throwback. 'While Hilton showcased its modern luxury, the couple's humorous encounters and the helpfulness of our Team Members provided comedic relief,' Skrlec said. Each episode concluded with engaging riddles, encouraging audience interaction and tapping into the nostalgic charm of this traditional entertainment. The insights behing Hilton's Fawazeer Ramadan-inspired campaign Skrlec explained that Hilton's approach intended to navigate highly saturated marketing during the holy month. A key challenge was tackling the complexity of engaging a multifaceted audience across extensive geographical coverage. 'Each audience segment has distinct aspirations and preferences for tailored hotel experiences, but the reality is, regardless of ethnicity, location or preference, Ramadan resets and unites people through shared emotions and values,' she said. Inspired by this insight, Hilton took the route of curating an 'immersive experience' to allow its audience to relive 'Ramadan's golden-era days'. 'Nostalgia is a very big theme in advertising with people simply longing for simpler, better times,' Skrlec explained. 'We decided to navigate the emotional landscape of Ramadan by tapping into the deep emotional ties and shared memories associated with the Holy Month through the revival of Fawazeer Ramadan.' The campaign was developed to resonate emotionally with audiences in the region, while staying true to Hilton's brand pillars. 'While Hilton remains the epitome of hospitality, our retro couple relive the golden days of Ramadan, blending seamlessly with the core pillars of The Stay,' Skrlec said. 'By connecting authentically with local audiences through our Ramadan campaign, we can demonstrate Hilton's deep understanding and respect for local culture.' Key tracking and results The campaign ran across Hilton Arabia's social media platforms, the brand's first dedicated in-language social channel. 'Being able to engage with and speak to our audience with content that is appealing to them throughout Ramadan, in their preferred language, drives impact across every stage of the customer journey,' Skrlec said. 'By utilising our social channels for this campaign, we were able to drive outbound content and two-way conversations, through which we build awareness and drive consideration of Hilton.' Hilton's Ramadan campaign aims to go beyond short-term sales, using its brand platform 'The Stay' to authentically connect with audiences through meaningful storytelling. By tracking a wide range of KPIs – from bookings to engagement metrics – Skrlec explained that the brand aims to test its content strategy with this campaign to see what method effectively strengthen long-term relationships. 'We have a comprehensive list of KPIs we are monitoring across all channels, both organic and paid,' she said. 'From business objectives such as digital direct bookings, to behavioral ones including website traffic, video views and VTRs, post engagements, newsletter and app engagement to the way it impacts brand consideration.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hilton Arabia (@hiltonarabia) She added: 'While this is a tentpole moment campaign, it builds a long-term foundation for us to meaningfully communicate with our audiences.' 'Alongside our paid media amplification, we maximised our own-channels by utilising the Hilton Honors member database, delivering exclusive in-app riddle content and strategically timed newsletters to promote episode launches and riddle solutions,' she said. She further testified that the response to the campaign has been overwhelmingly positive so far. 'We have seen an uptick in social following and engagement and an increase in traffic, views and bookings,' she said. 'But equally important, we have heard heartwarming feedback from our customers, stakeholders and team members, many of whom commented on how this concept brought back fond memories and put a smile on their face.' The campaign has been rolled out across the GCC, Egypt and Morocco on Hilton's social channels within the region. Credits Client: Hilton Iva Skrlec – Director, Destination Marketing MEA Mirvat Wehbe – Senior Manager, Destination Marketing MEA Nikhil Tailor – Senior Manager, Destination Marketing MEA Lauren Taylor – Manager, Destination Marketing MEA Chloe Chappenden – Senior Manager, Customer Strategy & Engagement EMEA Fatma Sheikh – Social Content Creator & Editor MEA Fatme El Hajj – Manager, Platforms & Content MEA Lara Senbanjo – Manager, Media Planning & Activation EMEA Agency: Monks. MEA Omar Abou-Ezzeddine – Managing Director Mohammed AlThaher – VP Growth MEA Nada Nassar – Creative Film Director MEA Hoda El Nazer – Head of Film Sara Payo – Senior Account Director Mohamed Rady – Head of Accounts MEA Reem Amin – Producer MEA Production: Hadi El Bagoury – Director Hadi Awada – Choreographer Gabriel Rabuini – Animation Ahmed Essam – Head of Production Dentsu: Daisy Turnecliff Mustafa Ozturk Florence Langford Holly Varney Laura Baldrick
