HSMAI Europe Expands to Greece, Holds Hospitality Event in Athens

Acropolis, Athens.

HSMAI Europe recently announced its expansion initiatives and plans for the Greek market during a press conference held at the InterContinental Athenaeum in Athens.

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is a global organization founded in the US in 1927. HSMAI Europe is the European arm of the organization and is considered one of the most influential sources in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industry for decades, with the sole aim of professional development for its members.

The event held in Athens was its first following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in late March between HSMAI and the Swiss Alpine Center (SAC), a renowned hospitality education institution, to establish a collaborative partnership. The MoU marked the association’s Greek market debut, extending HSMAI’s membership and industry leading certification opportunities to SAC’s highly regarded alumni network of more than 6,000 hospitality professionals and all industry executives in Greece.

The event in Athens was attended by 75 prominent executives from Greek hotels, technology companies, hotel services, industry organizations, tourism education entities, and distinguished members of the Greek press and media.

Greek tourism professionals and media during HSMAI Europe’s event in Athens.

During the event, HSMAI Europe President and CEO Ingunn Hofseth gave a speech and outlined the initiatives and future plans of HSMAI Europe in Greece. Hofseth emphasized the mission and benefits of collaborating with HSMAI. “We come to Greece to learn from you and to share the knowledge of all our members worldwide,” she added.

Following Hofseth, Frederic Toitot, founder and CEO of Hotel Games and a current member and former chair of the HSMAI Europe Revenue Optimization Advisory Board, presented the various global certification and training opportunities offered by HSMAI.

The highlight of the evening was an interactive discussion with the audience, moderated by Frederic Toitot, featuring a distinguished panel of experts.

The panel of experts that participated in an interactive discussion during HSMAI Europe’s event.

Panelists included Dimitris Manikis, President EMEA at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and member of the HSMAI Europe Board of Directors; Kostas Ioannidis, Sales Director, Global Sales Europe at IHG Hotels & Resorts and Chair of the HSMAI Europe Sales Advisory Board; Sybil Hofmann, President of International Programs at the Swiss Alpine Center; and Nikos Giokas, Business Development Director EMEA at Plusgrade.

The speakers engaged in a lively dialogue with the audience, sharing their views on current trends, challenges, and opportunities in the hospitality sector. The discussion provided a platform for participants to ask questions and exchange ideas with industry leaders.

The event concluded with a networking session, accompanied by a variety of food and drinks, allowing attendees to connect and build relationships in a relaxed environment.