Latest news with #Lausanne
Hospitality Net
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Hospitality Net
EHL Innovation Rewind: Bernhard Bohnenberger on Mindful Luxury and the Invisible Power of Technology
Our conversation with Bernhard Bohnenberger, CEO and Co-founder of Discover Collection, took place during the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne. We spoke with him about the role of technology in luxury hospitality, how guest expectations are evolving, and why emotional connection should remain central to high-end travel. Drawing on his background with Six Senses and now the Discover Collection, Bernhard shared his vision for what he calls 'Mindful Luxury' and how technology should support, never replace, the human experience. Which technology or innovation do you think will most reshape the hospitality industry over the next 5 to 10 years? AI and technology are exploding, and nobody can ignore that. In the luxury end of hospitality, we would not send a robot to serve guests, but technology can help us as an amazing army of assistants or a source of information. It can be used in the background to personally serve our guests better. True hospitality still means human interaction and emotional intelligence, especially when you pay thousands of dollars a night. Machines should help our teams serve better, but they should operate by stealth. Like a ninja, if it is invisible, that is great. Do you think there is a big misconception about what AI in hospitality can actually do, especially in luxury? Yes. Especially in luxury, AI could be the backbone of operations. At the very high end, it is key that the emotional side and the human interaction stay. If a guest pays thousands of dollars a night, they do not want to be looking at a machine. But the machine can work behind the scenes to support the team. In lower-end, more functional hotels, a lot can be taken over technologically. The higher you go in the luxury chain, the more the human touch matters. Do you think we need to reevaluate what we think luxury is? Yes. At the Discover Collection, we call it 'Mindful Luxury.' In the past, people associated luxury with chandeliers, gold leaf, champagne and opulence. That may still appeal to some, especially newer money. But as people mature and wealth moves through generations, they want a very different experience. They want something that transforms them - physically, mentally, or through learning something new. Why would you want Wagyu beef flown in from Japan when you are staying at a resort in Oman? The luxury traveller today wants more depth, more meaning, and more connection to the destination. Do you think luxury brands today are ready to deliver meaning, or do they even understand that they need to start delivering meaning? With Six Senses, we revolutionized and disrupted the industry by creating experiences. With the Discover Collection, I want to go even further, into exploration. I want our guests to participate in the activities of our team, of the local community, and to engage with people in a deep and meaningful way. If you do something groundbreaking, others will follow. I have seen it happen before, when what we created was copied. Hopefully this new approach will trickle down through the industry and have a positive influence.
Hospitality Net
2 days ago
- Business
- Hospitality Net
EHL Innovation Rewind: Rainer Stampfer on AI, Personalization, and the Human Touch at Four Seasons
During the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, we sat down with Rainer Stampfer, President of Global Operations, Hotels and Resorts at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Our conversation explored the growing role of artificial intelligence in luxury hospitality, the evolving expectations around personalization, and why the human element continues to be the ultimate marker of excellence in high-end service. Which technology or innovation do you think will have the biggest impact over the next 5 to 10 years? There is a lot of conversation about artificial intelligence, and for good reason. We are still in early stages, but the potential to enable our team members is enormous. Our industry has not always been tech forward. For many years, funding and business models have limited innovation. But I believe we are at a turning point. We are finally in a place where we can move faster. The integration of AI is helping us break down silos and bring systems together. Today, our systems are still fairly fragmented, which makes it difficult for teams to use technology effectively. The opportunity now is to converge those systems in a way that enables our people to serve customers better. That is the real transformation. In luxury, there is a lot of talk about hyper-personalization. Do you think it will be seen as a true differentiator or just status quo? And is there a line that should not be crossed? There is always a line not to cross. But first, let me say that in luxury hospitality, we have always talked about personalization. I would argue the industry has not done a particularly good job at it. Historically, personalization has depended on individual team members. We have given them a framework, some support, but really it has been up to them. If you have the right people, it works. But structurally and systematically, we have not enabled it well. Technology now allows us to do that better. How we apply and execute it will make the difference. Will it be a success? Will it feel like too much? That depends on execution. Personalization still requires human judgment. It has to be contextual. It cannot be scripted. It has to show that we care. In a world of increasingly artificial experiences, do you think the human element will become the ultimate luxury? Yes, absolutely. In luxury hospitality, it all comes back to human connection. Socialization, real interaction, that is the essence. I do not know if luxury is the perfect word, but it is certainly how we label it. If you look at other segments, transactional or lower service tiers, the customer might not expect or even want a human interaction. But in luxury, human engagement will always be the key differentiator. It is what defines how well we deliver. And it justifies the value. So yes, humans are still the common denominator of hospitality at the top end. You are part of a globally recognized brand with deep legacy. How do you stay agile in this fast-moving world of tech? I would actually not call Four Seasons a Goliath. We are proud of the brand and its strength, but we are still a small company. We operate 133 hotels, 56 private residences, and we are building a yacht. The brand is strong and trusted, 64 years old, but we are a focused organization. We know one another. We have strong tenure across the team. And our concentration is laser sharp. Everyone talks about the same themes in hospitality today, but the difference is in how well you deliver. Focus and enablement make that possible. We serve a specific customer with consistent expectations, and we deliver that across 50 countries. In a sea of sameness, that clarity plays in our favor. 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
3 days ago
- General
- Hospitality Net
EHL Innovation Rewind: Sarah Marquis on Why the Future of Travel Must Be Felt, Not Engineered
While attending the EHL Open Innovation Summit in Lausanne, we met with Sarah Marquis, National Geographic Explorer, to talk about the future of travel and what makes it truly meaningful. In our conversation, she reflected on the importance of emotional connection, the irreplaceable value of walking, and how real travel is never about technology but about presence, feeling, and being part of the natural world. Which technology or innovation do you believe will have the biggest impact on travel and hospitality over the next 5 to 10 years? From my point of view, the real impact will not come from outside technology. It will come from within—the experience itself. What I look for when I travel is a boutique moment, a one-to-one connection with the locals, something deep and human. I want to sit in the best coffee shop, drink the local drink, feel the air, hear the language, and see life pass by. Travel should be about emotion and diversity. That is what makes it magical. It is not just moving from one place to another. It is about living, breathing, and feeling a different world. That is the kind of experience we must protect and encourage. What would it take for us to stop compensating for our environmental footprint and start actually healing the system? So far we have approached this the wrong way. We want to look green but we often do not take the real steps to be in harmony with the planet. I can speak from my own experience as a survivalist and explorer. I have hunted for food and survived off the land. I have also made the conscious choice to stop taking from nature. On one expedition in Australia, I came to a canyon with only three fish in a pond. I was starving, had lost five kilograms, but I chose not to eat them. That moment changed me. It was the start of my path to veganism. The next step for humanity is to rise in consciousness. When that happens, we will know what to do. It will not be about ticking boxes. It will be about harmony and awareness. You have explored places most people can only dream of. Is there an ethical way for others to experience these fragile ecosystems? Yes, and it starts with walking. Walking is the human speed. Our senses are made for it. When we walk, we experience everything more deeply and disturb the environment the least. I have learned this over 25 years. Another way is to work with the locals. In Mongolia, I was guided by a Mongolian who took me into his family. It was a real experience. Involving indigenous people leads to more authentic, respectful, and meaningful travel. Travel takes time. It cannot be rushed. Do you think virtual or augmented experiences, like VR, can substitute or prepare us for the real experience of nature? No. For me, there is no such thing as a digital experience of nature. That is not an experience. It is a preview. I live between two worlds—one where I wear nearly the same clothes every day, and one where I am out in the wild, not washing for three months, living off the land. When you are really out there, unmapped, breathing the land, you become part of it. There is no substitute for that. Our bodies have senses. Our heart is our core. That is where experience happens. We cannot feel that through a screen. Instagram, iPhones, VR—they show us something, but they do not let us live it. Is there a right or wrong way to tell a story about a destination? Yes. An experience is not just about the destination. It is about what you feel. I remember being in Italy, in a horrible train station coffee shop at 4 in the morning. I had an espresso in a paper cup, and it was one of the best I have ever had. Not because of the coffee, but because of the moment. That was the experience. The smell, the taste, the tiredness, the place—it all came together. That is what travel is. You do not think experiences: you live them. 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
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Health
- Associated Press
Swimming world body to banish athletes and supporters of doping-fueled event in Las Vegas
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Swimmers and officials who compete in and support a doping-fueled sports event planned in Las Vegas will be banished from the sport, the governing body World Aquatics said on Tuesday. Organizers of the Enhanced Games scheduled next May promise $1 million bonuses for athletes who beat world record times over sprint distances in the pool or on the track. Weightlifting also is on the program. A small group of past Olympic swimmers, including three-time medalist James Magnussen of Australia, are among athletes who signed up for the event that aims to push limits beyond the rules of clean sport. 'Those who enable doped sport are not welcome at World Aquatics or our events,' its president Husain al-Musallam said in a statement after the decision. The new rule targets those who 'support, endorse, or participate in sporting events that embrace the use of scientific advancements or other practices that may include prohibited substances and/or prohibited methods,' the world swim body said. 'This ineligibility would apply to roles such as athlete, coach, team official, administrator, medical support staff, or government representative.' Enhanced Games organizers had a launch event last month for the inaugural event at a Vegas resort, with plans for a year-round training base. Athletes are not subject to doping tests though they should have their health monitored. The project also involves selling personalized programs of supplements and substances to people who pay a refundable $99 deposit. One investment group is backed by Donald Trump Jr. The World Anti-Doping Agency has criticized the idea first touted in 2023 as dangerous and irresponsible. ___ AP sports:
Medscape
4 days ago
- Business
- Medscape
Adjuvant Nivolumab + CRT Improves DFS in HNSCC
Adding nivolumab (Opdivo) to standard-of-care cisplatin radiotherapy (CRT) after surgery for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in patients at a high risk for relapse reduced the risk for recurrence, as per a phase 3 trial. This new therapeutic option 'improved high-risk locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck,' said study author Jean Bourhis, MD, PhD, during a press conference at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025. Postoperative nivolumab added to standard-of-care adjuvant CRT 'could be proposed as a new standard treatment for the first time in two decades,' said Bourhis, MD, PhD, of Lausanne University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland, while reporting results of NIVOPOSTOP (GORTEC 2018-01) during the press conference. Agreeing with Bourhis' characterization of the therapeutic regimen followed in the new trial, Stuart Wong, MD, said NIVOPOSTOP 'represents a potential new standard,' in his comments as discussant of the results at the meeting's Plenary Session. As immunotherapy for head and neck cancers evolve, so must the approach to managing these patients, said Wong, who is director of the Center for Disease Prevention Research at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. 'In a world where neoadjuvant and adjuvant anti–PD-1 [programmed cell death 1] are options for patient care, a multidisciplinary tumor board discussion is optimal and should include individual patient and social factors, as well as consideration of individual tumor growth dynamic,' Wong said. 'The NIVOPOSTOP study presents a major turning point,' he added. 'However, we face many steep obstacles ahead of us, foremost among these the completion of ongoing studies.' Study Design and Results The study enrolled 680 patients aged 75 years or younger with HNSCC who had complete macroscopic surgical resection of stage III or IV cancer. Half the patients were either smokers or heavy smokers, and the most common tumor site was the oral cavity. About 80% of patients had either stage IVA or IVB disease. After surgical resection, patients were randomized to one of the two regimens. The treatment group received one dose of 240 mg nivolumab, followed by a dose of 360 mg nivolumab every 3 weeks plus standard-of-care 100 mg/m2 cisplatin every 3 weeks and 66 grays (Gy) of intensity-modulated RT (IMRT), followed by six doses of 480 mg nivolumab over 4 weeks. The control group received 100 mg/m2 cisplatin every 3 weeks and IMRT 66 Gy. The rate of 3-year disease-free survival in the nivolumab plus CRT group was 63.1% vs 52.5% in the control group ( P = .034), representing a 24% improvement, Bourhis said. The nivolumab plus CRT group also had a 37% reduced risk for cumulative incidence of locoregional relapses alone at 3 years, he added. Compliance rates were similar between both groups. For example, RT compliance rates over 55 days were 95% for nivolumab plus CRT and 97% for CRT. The proportion of patients experiencing more serious side effects in the 100 days following treatment was higher in the nivolumab plus CRT group than in the control group (13.1% vs 5.6%). The most common grade 4 adverse events in both groups were neutropenia and lymphocytopenia. Most treatment-related adverse events were less serious grade 1 or 2 events and were related to chemoradiotherapy in both groups. The nivolumab group had 'a slight increase' in renal toxicity (24% vs 15%) and 'a more pronounced increase' in thyroid disorders (20% vs 2%), Bourhis said. Evidence Is Growing NIVOPOSTOP adds to a body of evidence supporting the use of adjuvant immunotherapy in difficult-to-treat disease, Glenn Hanna, MD, director of the Center for Cancer Therapeutic Innovation at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, said at the press conference. He cited results from the KEYNOTE-689 trial, reported in April at American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025, in which patients with HNSCC were given perioperative neoadjuvant pembrolizumab followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab. 'It brings us into a space where we were with kidney cancers and with melanoma, to say what is the right sequence of immunotherapy?' Hanna said. He noted that NIVOPOSTOP and KEYNOTE-689 both reported similar outcomes. 'So do you give the immunotherapy first, or do we wait and do it in the adjuvant setting?' he said. Based on Bourhis' research, 'they are comparable.' He added, 'I think now immunotherapy will be here and present for our head and neck patients undergoing cancer resection.' NIVOPOSTOP received support from Bristol Myers Squibb and GORTEC. Bourhis reported having financial relationships with AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck Serono, and Merck Sharpe and Dohme. Hanna reported having relationships with Actuate Therapeutics, Bicara Therapeutics, Boxer Capital, Bristol Myers Squibb, Coherus BioSciences, Elevar Therapeutics, Genentech, Greywolf Therapeutics, ImmunityBio, InhibRx, KSQ Therapeutics, Kura Oncology, Merck, Naveris, Nextech Invest, PDS Biotechnology, Regeneron, Remix Therapeutics, Replimune, Secura Bio, and Surface Oncology. Wong reported receiving research funding from Hookipa Pharma, Merck, and Novartis.
