- How do we recruit and retain the next generation of talent?
- How do we serve younger guests who expect seamless tech, genuine experiences, and visible values?
- How can AI improve (not replace) our decision-making?
- What will the next generation of commercial leadership look like?
Commercial Leadership for the Next Generation
Stockholm, 20th June 2025
Preparing for the Next Generation: Rethinking Hospitality Leadership, Experience and Commercial Strategy
The hospitality industry stands at a critical intersection: welcoming a new generation of employees, guests, and technologies. As the next generation enters the workforce and becomes a dominant consumer group, their expectations are shaping how we attract talent, craft guest experiences, and make commercial decisions. At the same time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is redefining revenue management, marketing, and operational models. The question isn’t if we adapt — it’s how fast.
Why This Theme Matters Now
We are facing a generational handover, both in our workforce and among our most valuable guests. Tomorrow’s hospitality leaders will not only need to understand these shifts but turn them into competitive advantages. This means leading with purpose, enabling flexible and inclusive workplaces, using AI to drive revenue and personalization, and designing guest experiences that are both authentic and data-informed.
Revenue managers, commercial leaders, and general managers alike are asking the same questions:
These are exactly the topics we’ll explore at GRF 2025.
A New Generation of Talent: Rethinking the Employee Experience
1. Purpose-Driven and Flexible Work Cultures
The next generation values purpose as much as a paycheck. They are looking for employers who stand for something, whether that’s sustainability, diversity, or social impact, and offer flexibility in where, when, and how work gets done. Rigid schedules and outdated hierarchies are a deterrent. A hotel team that embraces flexible rostering, hybrid roles, and values-driven communication is better positioned to attract and retain these future leaders.
2. Growth, Collaboration, and Skill Mobility
Younger professionals expect rapid development and want to grow across functions. The traditional career ladder is being replaced by a career jungle gym, where lateral moves and skill-building are just as valued as promotions. Hotels that foster continuous learning, support mentorship, and break down silos will not only retain talent but unlock innovation from within.
3. Inclusion as Strategy
For the next generation, inclusion is not a program, it’s a baseline. They expect diverse leadership, psychological safety, and a workplace where all voices are heard. This isn’t just about values, inclusive cultures drive better commercial outcomes by reflecting the diversity of your guests.
Evolving Guest Expectations: Experience Meets Innovation
1. Authentic, Local, and Personalized Stays
Next-gen travelers seek more than comfort, they want connection. Cookie-cutter experiences are being replaced by immersive stays that reflect local culture, values, and stories. Hotels can tap into this by partnering with local businesses, crafting hyper-local guest journeys, and highlighting community impact.
2. Tech-Integrated, Not Tech-Obsessed
Technology is a hygiene factor, not a wow factor, and it needs to work seamlessly. From mobile check-ins to AI chatbots and smart room controls, guests expect smooth digital touchpoints. However, human interaction still matters. The challenge for hoteliers is blending high-tech with high-touch, a frictionless experience without losing the warmth of hospitality.
3. Sustainability as a Deal-Breaker
This generation is voting with their wallet. Properties that reduce waste, cut emissions, and operate transparently on sustainability will have the commercial edge. It's not just about being green, it's about proving it.
AI and the Future of Commercial Hospitality
1. Smarter Revenue Management
AI enables sharper demand forecasting, granular segmentation, and hyper-dynamic pricing. This means moving from static forecasts to real-time optimization. With AI, commercial teams can spot emerging trends, adjust pricing strategies on the fly, and drive total revenue, not just RevPAR.
2. Hyper-Personalized Marketing & Guest Journeys
AI tools now allow hoteliers to tailor marketing and upselling based on actual behavior, not assumptions. From customized email offers to AI-curated in-stay recommendations, personalization is no longer a luxury, it's an expectation.
3. Operational Efficiency Meets Commercial Strategy
From automating inventory decisions to managing staff scheduling more intelligently, AI isn’t just about back-of-house savings, it’s about enabling teams to spend more time on revenue-generating and guest-facing activities. Efficiency and experience are no longer trade-offs.
Leadership Reimagined: From Top-Down to Tech-Enabled
To meet these changes, hotel leadership must shift from managing operations to leading transformation:
Lead with Purpose and Transparency: Share your “why”, with your team, your guests, and your partners. Authentic leadership builds loyalty.
Empower Through Flexibility: Enable dynamic teams, rethink KPIs, and recognize different working styles.
Foster Lifelong Learning: Create ecosystems where upskilling is continuous and accessible.
Embrace Tech Fluency: Stay hands-on with tools like AI, don’t just delegate. Leaders need to know what the tech does and why it matters.
Prioritize Inclusion: Make sure every voice at the table has a microphone, not just a seat.
Be Data-Driven, Stay Human-Centered: Leverage insights, but always design with empathy.
Final Thought: From Adaptation to Advantage
This is not just about coping with change, it's about leading it. Hospitality professionals who embrace the expectations of the next generation and unlock the potential of AI will not only stay relevant, they’ll thrive.
This is the future of hospitality, dynamic, purposeful, inclusive, and commercial-savvy. And it’s already here.
Join us at GRF 2026 on the 29th of January and be part of the conversation shaping tomorrow’s hospitality.
Discover more and register here: