This year, Booking.com, Grape Hospitality, and IHG Hotels & Resorts presented hospitality students with three challenges aimed at shaping the future of the industry.

The Young Talent Awards, organized by Hospitality ON, is an international competition and the prize rewards the students who have best responded to the challenges posed by companies in the sector.

Booking.com

Booking.com represented by Angélique de Courtivron, challenged its students to the theme of Sustainable Travel Business, proposing the following challenge:

This is our first every participation. And for that first participation we really wanted to present why it is an ambitious challenge- Angélique de Courtivron,  Area Manager Chains at Booking.com

The challenge

How Booking.com together with the hoteliers can improve the "Sustainable Travel Business"?

Challenge accepted!

Angélique de Courtivron  and Marine Piai came in person to congratulate Galia Smit and Sinovuyo Dlepu, the winners of the " STENDEN NEXUSHUB" project.  The idea was to create a software programme that will analyze hospitality industry’s needs.

Well done  to the finalists of "Greenius" project: Anna Vekshyna, Polina Chala and Yui Sun Koo – Zach and "HOSPITALITY FORWARD":  Luisa Schuputz, Niklass Lott and Simon Stachelhaus.

Grape Hospitality

At Grape Hospitality, under the direction of Pauline Staub, students were challenged to solve the following challenge:  

The challenge:
How can you innovate The People Ho(s)tel hybrid model, beyond its accommodation offering, through a global experience for each segment, from booking to customer departure?

- How can you imagine reinforcing this hybrid brand promise by designing 3 signature customers innovative and differentiating experiences (from booking to check-out...) dedicated to each of our main customer segments (backpackers, flash packers and families), while maintaining the performance of our business model?

We were really impressed by the maturity of the pitch - Pauline Staub, Directrice Ventes, Marketing & RSE at Grape Hospitality

In all pitch we could catch really interesting and relevant and innovative ideas. - Pauline Staub, Directrice Ventes, Marketing & RSE at Grape Hospitality

Challenge accepted!

Pauline Staub personally congratulated ":  Luisa Schuputz, Niklass Lott and Simon Stachelhaus for their " HOSPITALITY FORWARD ". That project combines gamification andn built AI elements, In order to create an enhanced guest experience. It includes, the guest directories, the booking the stay that has been taken one step forward and adjusted this model hostel industry and created some new features in order to help the guests.

Congratulations  to the "VINIFY" finalists: Anna Vekshyna, Polina Chala and Yui Sun Koo – Zach, and "STENDEN INNOVATHERS": Juliet Alexander, Julia Kilpin and Kelsea Frachet. 

IHG Hotels & Resorts

IHG Hotels & Resorts represented by Mariana Machado, challenged its students on the following challenge:

The challenge:

How can you find innovative ways for hotels to create and sustain a learning culture that not only enhances individual and team performance but also contributes to the overall success of the hotel?

We have a good tools, a lot of good will. But how to bring that together? This was our gem. How to actually create a learning culture that makes sense? - Marianna Machado, Human Resources Director on IHG Hotels & Resorts 

What would makes sense for you to learn something? - Marianna Machado, Human Resources Director on IHG Hotels & Resorts 

Challenge accepted!

Mariana Machado came in person to congratulate Helena Pérez and Marina Gil Coll, the winners of the " TRIBE SISTERS" project. This project is about an app that includes a highly personalized training for the employees.

Well done  to the finalists of "FLORIAN’S BRIGADE" project: Emma Zanin, and Chloé Salmon and "N2":  Nikhil Hemnani and Nour Amedjahdi.