As India’s hospitality industry adapts to changing guest expectations, emerging technologies, and sustainability goals, industry forums are increasingly becoming platforms for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
The HOTREMAI Experium Knowledge Summit 2026, organised in collaboration with the Association of Hospitality Professionals (AHP), reflected this shift by bringing together hospitality leaders, educators, technology providers, manufacturers, and solution partners to discuss the sector’s evolving priorities.
Held at The Suryaa, New Delhi, the day-long event concluded with the 9th AHP Hospitality Excellence Awards 2026, recognising organisations and professionals for their contributions across hotels, restaurants, hospitality education, and leadership.
More than 300 delegates representing over 110 hotel brands, hospitality organisations, educational institutions, equipment manufacturers, and solution providers attended the summit. The programme featured over 40 speakers and moderators who explored topics ranging from procurement and food and beverage innovation to sustainable hotel design and the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence and robotics.
The opening session examined how innovation in FMCG supplies is reshaping hospitality procurement, with panellists highlighting strategic sourcing, product quality, and supplier partnerships as critical to improving operational efficiency and guest experiences.
A separate discussion on beverage innovation explored how premiumisation, sustainability, and evolving consumer preferences are creating new revenue opportunities for hotels and restaurants. Speakers emphasised the importance of differentiated beverage programmes in strengthening brand positioning and enhancing the overall guest experience.
Sustainability remained a key theme throughout the summit. A panel on hotel design focused on the integration of energy-efficient infrastructure, responsible material selection, and operational efficiencies across both front-of-house and back-of-house spaces, reflecting the industry’s growing commitment to environmentally responsible development.
The final session addressed the role of robotics and Artificial Intelligence in hospitality operations. While panellists acknowledged the increasing adoption of automation to improve efficiency and support decision-making, they agreed that technology should complement rather than replace the personalised service that remains central to the guest experience.
Collectively, the discussions pointed towards a hospitality landscape driven by stronger collaboration between hotel operators and solution providers, wider adoption of digital technologies, sustainable infrastructure, innovation-led procurement, and continued investment in workforce development.
The summit concluded with the 9th AHP Hospitality Excellence Awards, recognising achievements across four categories: hotel, food, hospitality achievers, and education. Param Kannampilly, Founder of Concept Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., received the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Hall of Fame honours were presented to Parmeet Singh Nayar, Farhat Jamal, Veer Vijay Singh, Chef Manjeet Singh Gill, Rohit Khosla, and Sunil Ghadiok.
Among the hotel winners, Roseate House Aerocity received the award in the 5-Star Deluxe category, Crowne Plaza New Delhi Today Okhla was recognised in the 5-Star category, ibis New Delhi Aerocity won the Budget Hotel award, Mastiff Select Mandavya was recognised as Resort of the Year, Holiday Inn Gurgaon NH8 received the Green Initiative award, and The Grand Vasant Kunj was honoured in the Wedding Destination category.
The food awards recognised Sevilla at IHCL Claridges for Fine Dining, DEL at Roseate House for Multi-Cuisine, The Flying Trunk at Novotel New Delhi City Centre for Bar, The Great Kebab Factory at Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport for Casual Dining, Punnu Biryani for Indian Cuisine, and French Crust at The Suryaa for Bakery and Confectionery.
The Hospitality Achievers Awards honoured professionals across operational functions, including general management, culinary, food and beverage, housekeeping, procurement, human resources, learning and development, and front office, while the education awards recognised institutions and individuals contributing to hospitality education and talent development.
The summit and awards reinforced the industry’s focus on collaboration, innovation, and leadership development, highlighting the importance of cross-sector partnerships in shaping the next phase of growth for India’s hospitality sector.
