The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) successfully concluded its second Commercial Strategy Conference, which took place June 16–18, 2025, at the Indianapolis Convention Center. The event welcomed a record-breaking 950 commercial professionals from across the hospitality industry, underscoring the growing momentum behind the integration of sales, marketing, distribution, and revenue optimization.

Held in conjunction with the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC) put on by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), the 2025 event expanded on its sold-out debut with enhanced programming and a broader mix of participants. Over the course of three days, attendees engaged in pre- and post-conference workshops, certification review courses, invitation-only roundtables, a robust partner showcase, and mainstage sessions featuring influential voices from within and beyond the hospitality sector.

“The 10% growth of the Commercial Strategy Conference in just its second year is a powerful reflection of the industry’s hunger for collaboration, innovation, and unified commercial leadership,” said Brian Hicks, President & CEO of HSMAI. “It’s clear that the convergence of sales, marketing, revenue, and distribution isn’t just a concept, it’s the future. We’re proud to provide a platform where hospitality leaders can come together to learn, share, and shape what’s next.”

This year’s conference emphasized aligning strategies across disciplines to drive profitability throughout the customer journey, from acquisition to loyalty. Programming was designed to help commercial teams better leverage data, adapt to shifting consumer behavior, and embrace innovation across every function.

Artificial intelligence (AI) emerged as one of the most prominent themes featured across both general sessions and breakouts. Attendees gained strategic and tactical insights from how AI is transforming the guest journey, to hands-on demonstrations of prompt engineering and workflow optimization. Speaker Benu Aggarwal, President & Founder of Milestone, Inc., spoke on AI's Impact on Hospitality Commercial Strategy, revealing the critical AI-driven insights commercial leaders need to know to drive revenue. Additional speakers showcased AI’s ability to enhance collaboration, surface new revenue opportunities, and break down internal silos, offering a glimpse into how the technology is already reshaping the industry.

"From the moment a traveler dreams of their next getaway to the final booking confirmation—and even beyond—AI is revolutionizing every touchpoint of the consumer journey," said Dr. Kelly McGuire, Principal, McRevenue and HSMAI Americas Board Member. "Guests and meeting planners are using AI to discover brands, compare hotels, and design smarter, more personalized experiences for themselves. Whether it's planning a leisure trip or organizing a complex event, AI is reshaping the way decisions are made and how preferences are matched."

One of the most dynamic sessions was the return of Thunderclaps, a high-energy segment where industry leaders delivered rapid-fire, seven-minute presentations. Topics ranged from automation and SEO to revenue strategy, persuasive communication, and platform innovation—offering attendees fast, focused ideas they could immediately apply.

The strength of the Commercial Strategy Conference lies in its leadership. Crafted by hoteliers, for hoteliers, the 2025 program was shaped by a dedicated planning committee of 38 professionals from HSMAI’s Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization Advisory Boards, representing 44 industry-leading organizations. HSMAI gratefully acknowledges their contributions, along with the generous support of our 2025 conference partners:

• Preferred: IDeaS Revenue Solutions
• Platinum: Cendyn, Flexpay, FLYR Hospitality, Lighthouse, SiteMinder, Tambourine
• Gold: Amadeus, GCommerce x Metadesk, Kalibri Labs, Plusgrade, Revenue Analytics, Sojern, Venuelocity
• Silver: Curacirt, Directful, Flip.to, LodgIQ, The MODIV Group, Lotus Marketing, RageGain, Sabre, Visiting Media, Wunderkind
• Bronze: Canary Technologies, Cvent, DerbySoft, Duetto, Expedia Group, The Guestbook, HFTP, Ideas Collide, Laasie, Milestone, Nuitee,  Priceline Agoda, PricingService.ai, RoomPriceGenie, SHR (Access Hospitality), SOARR Services, STR CoStar, Triptease, Upstream Works, Women in Travel THRIVE
• Media: Hospitality Upgrade
  

The 2026 HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference will take place June 16-18, in San Antonio, Texas. Additional information on HSMAI’s Commercial Strategy Conference can be found at commercial.hsmai.org.

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