HOSPA, the Hospitality Professionals Association, has announced the programme for HOSPACE 2026, which will bring together senior hospitality professionals to examine business performance and changing guest and workforce expectations.
The annual conference will take place at Royal Lancaster London on Thursday 12 November, combining industry discussions with practical workshops covering HOSPA’s core disciplines of finance, technology and revenue management, alongside ESG and commercial leadership.
Following a welcome from conference host Peter Hancock and HOSPA’s leadership team, HotStats CEO Michael Grove will provide an overview of UK hospitality performance.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Allen Simpson will examine policy and taxation, before a panel moderated by The Caterer Editor James Stagg considers balancing growth opportunities with risk.
Apaleo Founder and CEO Uli Pillau and Otherwander CEO Fredrik Korallus will also discuss approaches to operating hospitality businesses.
The afternoon programme will examine how connected technology can support hotel operations and commercial decision-making, with contributions from Jon Davis, Chief Technology Officer at Village Hotels, and Valerie Cook, Revenue Strategy Director at Rudding Park.
A guest experience panel moderated by HMA Chairman Harry Fielder will consider how digital tools can simplify the guest journey while supporting personal service.
Commercial performance will also be examined in a discussion featuring HOSPA Head of Professional Development Janel Clark, Journey Founder and CEO Simon Bullingham and The Mandrake Managing Director Eljesa Saciri, looking at how decisions made across hotel operations contribute to financial performance.
A separate session focused on ESG will consider how operators can demonstrate progress and strengthen the credibility of their sustainability communications.
Sally Beck, Deputy Managing Director of The Landmark Collection, and workplace happiness specialist Richard Clarke will discuss leadership, employee engagement and staff retention.
Practical workshops will run alongside the main conference programme, giving delegates an opportunity to examine individual topics in greater detail.
Five-minute ‘HOSPA 300’ presentations will introduce further ideas during the afternoon, before a closing leadership panel brings together additional operator perspectives.
The conference will conclude with networking drinks and canapés ahead of the Gala Awards Dinner, where the winners of the 2026 Inspirational Leader Awards will be announced.
Jane Pendlebury, CEO of HOSPA, commented: “Decisions about commercial strategy, people and technology are closely connected. An investment in new systems needs to make sense for the team, the guest and the business. This year’s programme creates space to examine those relationships and learn from people approaching them from different perspectives.
“We want delegates to leave with ideas they can question, adapt and put into practice within their own businesses. Bringing operators and specialists together is central to that, as is the opportunity to continue those conversations between sessions. We also look forward to celebrating the people making a difference across hospitality through our Inspirational Leader Awards.”