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14 Must-Attend Hospitality Conferences for Industry Professionals in 2022

Hospitality professionals saw the industry undergo tremendous changes in 2021. Many hospitality conferences and conventions were virtual or hybrid events, while others were forced to cancel altogether. 2021 also brought about many exciting developments in hospitality technology, digital marketing, hotel services, and changes in travel trends. As a result, many industry professionals are wondering what to expect from the top hospitality conferences of 2022.

We’ve compiled a list of 14 of the most exciting and innovative hospitality conferences scheduled for this year. Keep reading to find out how flagship hospitality conferences and hospitality mega-events are preparing to tackle the industry’s most important topics. 

1. Cvent CONNECT

April 11-14 | Caesars Forum | Las Vegas

A hybrid event in 2022, guests can attend Cvent CONNECT virtually or live in Las Vegas. Cvent’s annual hospitality conference brings together professionals from the hospitality, meeting, and event industries that are interested in engaging with the latest in hospitality technology. 

CONNECT guests can focus on networking with industry peers, building lasting professional connections, finding tips for hosting modern meetings or events, and discovering how to integrate new cutting-edge hospitality strategies into their business. Attendees will also learn how Cvent’s end-to-end event technology platform is helping to reinvent hospitality and event management. 

Missed the conference altogether? Don’t worry! You can now access 110+ on-demand sessions for FREE.

2. HFTP Mid-South Atlantic Regional Conference 

February 23-25 | Francis Marion Hotel | Charleston, SC

The 15th Annual Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference is a joint effort between North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia chapters of HFTP. HFTP is a nonprofit global hospitality association focused on providing essential education for hospitality professionals, cost-effective ways to improve your business, as well as access to top event experts and leaders in the field of hospitality technology. 

The HFTP put together the Mid-South Atlantic Regional Conference to encourage socializing. Conference attendees spend three days getting to know their industry peers while continuing the pursuit of professional education. 

3. HFTP Club Summit

March 14-15 | The Westin Riverwalk | San Antonio

After the Mid-South Atlantic Regional Conference, the HFTP will host their annual Club Summit in San Antonio, Texas. The Club Summit consists of two days of advanced-level education addressing industry strategy, trends and engagement. Summit attendees will have the opportunity to work with club professionals and continue their professional education. Registration is now open, but availability for the event is limited in order to provide attendees with a more immersive experience. 

4. Mountain Travel Symposium

April 3-8 | The Dobson Ice Arena & The Hythe | Vail, CO

The Mountain Travel Symposium is proudly the largest gathering of mountain travel professionals in the world, with more than 1,000 representatives from 35+ countries attending each year. Attending MTS can help mountain-related hospitality professionals learn to reach target consumers, get introduced to new products, build brand awareness, and create relationships with renowned leaders in the mountain travel industry. 

MTS is broken down into two main components: The Exchanges and the Forum. Exchanges focus around meeting face-to-face with a wide array of vendors, buyers, and mountain tourism suppliers from around the world. Exchanges will be held at the Dobson Ice Arena. The Forum, on the other hand, is packed with peer-to-peer sessions and is designed to get professionals in the ski industry talking. The Forum will take place at The Hythe

5. HD Expo + Conference

April 26-28 | Mandalay Bay | Las Vegas

The Annual HD Expo + Conference showcases “the latest products, services, and innovative developments from the industry’s leading manufacturers. With over 100 speakers on the agenda, and more than 30 unique educational sessions to choose from, the 2022 Expo + Conference in Las Vegas will cover all things hospitality-related. 

The event will also highlight the expo hall’s DesignWell Pavilion, where attendees can learn about the importance of wellness, sustainability, and how to incorporate sustainability into their products and projects.

6. International Hotel Technology Forum 2022

April 27-28  | Austria Center | Vienna 

The focus of 2022’s International Hotel Technology Forum will be learning from the pandemic and the unique struggles hospitality professionals faced in 2021. Event organizers explain, With hospitality one of the worst hit during the pandemic but now on the mend; the event will bring together hoteliers, management companies, OTAs, and solution providers to discuss the learnings and challenges of 2021, how technology is helping transform the hotel industry by enhancing guest experience to increasing revenue and operational efficiency.

7. The Hotel Show

May 24-26 | Dubai World Trade Centre | Dubai

The Hotel Show, or the Middle East’s undisputed flagship event for the hospitality industry, is once again partnering with HITEC in 2022 in an effort to bring together technology professionals driving innovation within the sector. 

The Hotel Show Dubai focuses on connecting regional buyers, who are interested in finding new products and services, with global suppliers. Meet with hoteliers, general managers, F&B directors, owners, operators, procurement managers, and other hospitality professionals to discuss industry developments, demonstrate services, shop for new products, and even showcase your own. 

8. TTRA Annual International Conference

June 14-16 | Caesars Forum | Victoria, BC

Each year, researchers, industry professionals, and educators gather at the TTRA International Conference to learn from each other, discuss the latest data developments, and offer industry insights. The theme of the 52nd Annual Travel and Tourism Research Association International Conference is Regenerative Tourism: Building Resilience. Conference registration opens in January of 2022 for hospitality professionals interested in improving their travel marketing strategies and analyzing past trends, as well as projecting future trends in the hospitality and tourism industry. 

9. HITEC ORLANDO

June 27-30 | Orange County Convention Center | Orlando

The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference is an annual event produced by HFTP, a nonprofit global hospitality association. The organizers of HITEC 2022 are focused on providing event attendees essential education through event planning and hospitality industry resources and teaching cost-effective strategies industry professionals can use in their own businesses. 

Attend HITEC to gain access to top hospitality experts, leaders in the field of hospitality technology, and discover hospitality innovations used by top hotels. General ticket sales for HITEC Orlando 2022 go on sale January 11, 2022. 

10. National HR in Hospitality Conference

June 14-16 | Loews Miami Beach Hotel | Miami 

To give attendees a preview of what’s to come, organizers presented the mission statement for the 2022 conference on their website: Offering a diverse range of speakers and topics, HR in Hospitality strives to produce timely sessions that will help you navigate the ever-changing professional landscape.

Detailed event schedules, session details, speaker lists, and other event information will be released soon. Keep an eye on the conference website for updates and announcements. 

11. Hotel Data Conference

August 10-12 | Omni Hotel Nashville | Nashville 

Attend the 13th annual Hotel Data Conference to receive expert advice from industry leaders. Produced by STR, the core objective of the Hotel Data Conference is to help hospitality professionals learn how crunching data can improve performance. Attendees of this hospitality conference will receive recaps of valuable data from 2021 as well as forecast reporting on key must-know hospitality trends. Event attendees will have the opportunity to work with leading experts to analyze the current hospitality environment in addition to developing tangible best business practices they can take home.

12. The Lodging Conference

September 12-22 | JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa | Phoenix

Attendees of the 27th Annual Lodging Conference will have unparalleled access to networking opportunities, strategy sessions, and in-person training from highly-decorated senior-level executives. From hotel management and financial development to property maintenance and design, The Lodging Conference brings together representatives from more than 60,000 hotels all over the world each year. 

If you’re looking to network and build relationships with some of the most powerful players in hospitality and tourism, then The Lodging Conference could be the perfect 2022 event for you. You’ll get advice from industry pros with first-hand knowledge of what it takes to run a business. According to conference representatives, Over 85% of conference attendees are Presidents and CEO’s or run their own company, brand or business unit. 

13. The Annual Hotel Conference

October 3-4 | Manchester Central Convention Complex | Manchester, UK

Full of inspiration of empowerment, the theme of 2022’s Annual Hotel Conference is Change for good. The event will center around sharing wide-ranging content across four stages “ Vision, Collaboration, Innovation and Transformation. Featured speakers at the 2022 conference are set to include: Satya Anand, President of Marriott International for EMEA; Dimitris Manikis, President EMEA for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; and many more.

14. ILTM North America 

September 19-22 | Fairmont Mayakoba | Riviera Maya, Mexico 

ILTM North America is an ideal hospitality conference for luxury hotel professionals to attend in 2022. The International Luxury Travel Market expo presents boutique hoteliers, luxury hotel managers, marketing professionals, and industry suppliers with a unique opportunity to meet an exclusive collection of handpicked luxury travel professionals. 

Attend the ILTM North America trade show to showcase your products, destination, venue, services, or experiences to luxury travel advisors from across the world. Stay up to date on the latest in luxury hotel marketing to help your business stay competitive. 

Bookmark this post and keep your calendar updated with the top hospitality conferences of 2022!

Up next, check out six of the top event trends that will shake up meetings and group business in 2022.