Leading hospitality industry professionals were in Dubai for a one-day summit hosted by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Middle East (HSMAI ME) where they discussed its best practices, strategic insights and big ideas for driving revenue and profit.

The 5th Annual ROC Commercial Strategy Conference, which concluded yesterday (November 28) at the Conrad Dubai, saw 270 delegates discussing a wide range of topics aimed at accelerating the hospitality sector’s recovery.

These experts highlighted how the region had seized its unique position post-pandemic while exploring every aspect of hospitality – from sales, marketing to commercial and revenue management.

A major change at this year’s conference was the presence of top speakers and experts from outside the hospitality industry who contributed with a fresh perspective, bringing in valuable insights and ideas to attendees, said the organisers.

During the day, the conference witnessed a fireside chat with Issam Kazim, CEO DET discussing the outlook of tourism to Dubai and what the destination needs to do to remain an attractive city for international markets, while Scott Livermore, Chief Economist & Managing Director Oxford Economics ME delved into the impact of inflation and the looming fear of recession on the tourism industry.

Also there was a panel discussion on the role F&B played today and how it formed critical revenue share for hospitality brands, stated the organisers.

A significant addition this year to ROC Middle East was the ROC Global tradition – ROC(ing) The Lightening Round where senior revenue and marketing executives from global hospitality brands shared their best practices, strategic insights, and big ideas for driving revenue and profit, they added.