Mario the robot.
A special guest at the 2017 ITB Berlin Convention hospitality day – March 10 , will be Mario, a robot who works in a hotel. Visitors to the 11th hotel conference of the world’s leading travel trade show will also have the opportunity to meet and greet him throughout the five day convention. ITB Berlin is hailed as the global travel industry’s leading trade show. In 2015 a total of 10,096 companies and organisations from 186 countries exhibited their products and services to 175,000 visitors, who included 115,000 trade visitors.
Mario the robot is the youngest employee at the Ghent Marriott Hotel in Belgium. Standing 57 cm tall and weighing only six kilograms, he speaks 19 languages. At the ITB hospitality day, his inventor and hotel manager will be explain why he was made and his hotel duties. Mario will be listening when Stephan Demmerle, Director of the NH Hotel Group’s central Europe Business Unit explains why the hotel chain makes use of a technology that can create a life-size human with a 3D hologram of his heart and distribute it around the world.
On the subject of digitalization, the key topic at the convention, leading hotel experts will be discussing robots, hi-tech innovations and innovation labs. This is the first time a Chinese hotel group will be taking part. At Plateno Hotels, China’s largest hotel chain, “totally digital” has become part of everyday life. There will also be a meeting of two senior executives from Google and Booking.com. A futurist will be describing digital natives and three other experts will be discussing investment in hotel guests.
The ITB Hospitality Day will take place at the ITB Berlin Convention at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds in Hall 7.1b, the London Room, on Thursday, 10 March 2016 from 10.30 a.m. to 5.40 p.m. A live stream will also be available (www.itb-convention.com/livestream). It is part of a five day convention, with three trade only days .Full details about speakers and events at the show are available at www.itb-convention.com.
