17 May 2021
Look into the future of hospitality: how different will it be?
[Bron: Misset Horeca]
Trend watcher hospitality Vincent van Dijk predicts it: the world of meetings is more relevant than ever, but in a different way than before corona. From global and large-scale, we are switching to more quality, spread, flexibility and customisation. What are the trends and what does that mean for the hotel and office sector?
If Corona has made one thing clear, it is that many aspects of our work and lives have been accelerated,' says Vincent van Dijk, trend watcher specialising in hospitality trends. During the EW Facility Services inspiration session on 29 April, Van Dijk gave a glimpse of the future. The big question is: Has the world changed after Corona? Yes, I can say that wholeheartedly. Many things we used to talk about but did far too little of, such as working from home and online meetings, now turn out to be perfectly feasible. The corona crisis has also made us more aware of opportunities, and that is a good thing. The hospitality industry and how they responded to the lockdowns is a good example. We see a lot of creativity, flexibility and resilience. The ability to respond quickly to opportunities and changes is more important than ever.
Responding creatively to change
Erik-Jan Ginjaar, CEO of Postillon Hotels, is one person who knows all about flexibility and creativity. The opening of a new hotel in Rotterdam was planned for April 2020. But then Corona came along and the world suddenly looked different,' says Ginjaar. It happened, we stepped in and carried on. The question for us then was 'How can we get more attention with less money and create more impact with more attention?' A grand opening was totally impossible. And so Postillon Hotels created virtual human and online influencer Esther Olofsson. With 45.9K followers, the virtual promotion of the opening proved a great success. The hotel chain also organised its first one-and-a-half-metre conference. We have 30,000 square metres of meeting space, which cannot remain empty. So we came up with the one and a half metre congress'. How does Ginjaar and his Postillon Hotels look to the future? The world of meetings is more relevant than ever. Online meetings are a nice addition, but live has more content and impact. At Kato Kantoorinrichting & Projecten they also see that meeting each other is and will remain important. CEO/Founder Thijs Verdriet: 'Meeting each other live gives a certain dynamic. In the office, you can switch faster and it stimulates creativity. The office will have a different function. It will become much more of a meeting place for brainstorming and sparring.
Trends: from cleaning rituals to scent perception
These changes in practice are exactly what trend watcher Vincent van Dijk predicts for the coming years. The layout of offices is changing, as is the experience of hotels. A dispenser at the entrance and splash screens are not enough. We will have more spaces geared towards small-scale meetings.
Cleaning is becoming a luxury phenomenon. Whereas cleaning used to be invisible, now organisations want to show that they are doing everything possible to keep it clean and safe. We will see this in more cleaning rituals, robotisation and 'no touch' technology such as doors that open automatically and toilets that flush automatically. There is also much more attention for the experience of smell, light, space and air quality. Corona is and will remain among us, in whatever form. That means that facility management and hospitality will become even more important in the coming years.
Also want to attend the EW Facility Services inspiration sessions online? Go to ew.dove.ef2.builders/inspiratie. The next event is Thursday 27 May at 11.30 a.m. with SMART building, data & cleaning as its theme.
