By Gabriela Otto, President of HSMAI Brazil and Latam, direct from Indianapolis, US, at HSMAI Commercial Strategy Week 2025

Brazilians at the event:
– Lígia Centurion – Sr. Director of Distribution (Caribbean and Latin America) and Co-President HSMAI South Florida https://www.linkedin.com/in/ligiacenturion/
– Gabriela Otto – CEO GO Consultoria and President HSMAI Brazil and Latin America
– Leandro Carvalho – Managing Director of the HSMAI Florida Gulf Coast Chapter – https://www.linkedin.com/in/leandroocarvalho/

Kelly McGuire – Managing Principal of ZS Hospitality, former VP of Whyndam Worldwide and Host of the 2025 Edition.

Brian Hicks – President and CEO of HSMAI, former VP of Commercial and Revenue Management for the Americas at IHG.

Tribute to Bob Gilbert, who was CEO and President of HSMAI for over 30 years and passed away suddenly in 2024, leaving behind a beautiful legacy.

If there's one event capable of anticipating trends and shaping the strategic thinking of the global hospitality industry, it's the HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference.
Held annually in a North American city, in conjunction with Hitec (the world's largest hospitality technology trade show), and in this 2025 edition in Indianapolis, the event brings together leading Revenue Management, Marketing, Distribution, Sales, and E-commerce executives from the international hospitality industry. It's no exaggeration to say that the future of the profession is being built here.
The story that cemented relevance.
Created by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), the conference was born with the purpose of breaking the paradigm of events based on superficial content and empty networking.
Over the years, it evolved to become:
- The main global stage for strategic discussion of the hotel industry;
- The most relevant source of professional development for RM, Marketing and Sales leaders;
- A forum where academia, technology, and the market come together to discuss the transformation of hospitality.
Who participates?
The profile of the participants reinforces the strength of the event:
• Revenue Directors, CCOs and Commercial VPs of global and regional groups;
• GMs of independent brands and premium networks;
• CEOs of technology and data analytics companies;
• Professors and researchers from leading universities such as Cornell and NYU;
Of the more than 900 participants, more than 70% hold leadership positions, making each room a high-level learning space.
The 2025 edition
The 2025 scenario presented a challenging backdrop, including inflation, shifting demand patterns, and the rapid evolution of AI.
And it was against this backdrop that the Indianapolis edition shined. In addition to the record number of participants, this year's highlights include:
- Practical Integration of AI in Revenue and Marketing
- Agentic AI's advancement in business automation
- The new consumer journey, impacted by Generative Engine Optimization
- Using AI for personalization at scale and direct impact on conversion
- Breaking down historical silos between RM, Sales, and Marketing—with unified data at the heart of the operation.
While in many Latin American markets (including Brazil) AI use is still superficial and silos between departments remain strong, HSMAI shows that:
- The game is now integrated commercial: RM, Marketing, Sales and BI working together
- AI is already the competitive differential, and whoever moves faster will have an advantage.
- The guest journey is being redesigned, and anyone who doesn't embrace it will become obsolete.
Why is HSMAI the leading source of strategic knowledge for the hospitality industry?
Because it doesn't just deliver an "event," but an ecosystem:
• Annual global conference;
• Regional events (Europe, Asia, Americas);
• World-class publications and reports;
• Recognized certifications and training programs;
• Active community of top executives.
The HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference is not a “find-what-is” event.
It's the space to truly prepare for what's coming in hospitality.
Participating and connecting with this global community is no longer a differentiator. It's a competitive necessity.