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The seminar program for Independent Hotel Show Miami 2026 features two education areas on the show floor – Innovation Stage and Business Center. The location is noted under each session title. All sessions over the two-day event are included with attendee registration.
Please note that the program is sorted by day. Select the day(s) of interest below to see all programming available for that day.
Check back regularly for updates and additions.
10:30 AM
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Enjoy an entertaining conversation with creative Power Couple Mark & Melissa Durliat of Grace Bay Resorts, Turks & Caicos. In the early 2000s, Mark Durliat formed a partnership to acquire a 20-room ho …
11:00 AM
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In an industry flooded with fragmented software, independent hotels and resorts face a critical choice: how to modernize operations without sacrificing the unique guest experience. Join us as we disse …Presented by:
11:30 AM
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How the tables have turned. F&B used to be the amenity that came with the room — now it's often the reason guests book, locals show up, and a hotel earns its place in the neighborhood. Amber Asher, wh …
12:00 PM
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What if your guests are worth more than the room they book? With 70%+ of hotel revenue still coming from room sales, occupancy and RevPAR remain the primary measures of hotel performance. But today’s …Presented by:
12:30 PM
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In many hotel operations, “hospitality” is still unconsciously associated with food and beverage. Service culture, guest connection, and emotional engagement are often expected from restaurants and ba …
1:00 PM
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Market opportunities now appear in minutes, yet even the hoteliers who spot them can take days to act. This session examines the distribution response gap facing independent hotels, drawing on researc …Presented by:
1:30 PM
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Guests can't always articulate why a hotel feels right. The best boutique operators design to capture that feeling. This session will unpack how thoughtful design, layered with a sharp brand identity, …
2:00 PM
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Travelers are increasingly turning to AI to decide where to stay — and if your property isn't showing up in those recommendations, someone else's property is. This data story reveals how AI-driven dis …Presented by:
2:30 PM
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Where is the hotel industry when it comes to AI and where are we heading? Forbes Travel Guide’s Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Stuart Greif, separates the hype, fiction and science fiction from …
3:00 PM
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The Hotel Payment Cost Playbook: 10 Ways Hotels Can Reduce Merchant Fees Without Changing ProcessorsA highly practical session featuring real-world hotel case studies and actionable strategies for lowering payment acceptance costs. Attendees will leave with a checklist they can immediately apply to …Presented by:
3:30 PM
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Wellness is no longer limited to the spa. For independent hotels and hospitality properties, it is becoming a broader commercial strategy that can influence positioning, direct bookings, guest spend, …
10:30 AM
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Do not disturb - session in development. More details coming soon.
11:00 AM
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Hotels miss a significant share of inbound calls during check-in rushes, after hours, and peak season, and every abandoned call is lost booking revenue. In this session, Jonathan Lei, CEO of withQ, sh …Presented by:
11:30 AM
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Do not disturb - session in development. More details coming soon.
12:00 PM
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Go beyond the headlines with a brief South Florida hotel market update covering performance trends, forecast data, and future supply. Then step behind the curtain for a live demonstration of CoStar, s …Presented by:
12:30 PM
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What we used to call the “micro hotel” has already outgrown its label. The most compelling hospitality concepts today are no longer defined by smaller rooms or spatial efficiency, but by their ability …
1:00 PM
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Do not disturb - session in development. More details coming soon.
1:30 PM
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Have a question about the independent hotel business? This is the session to ask it. Ask the Experts is an audience-driven conversation featuring Steve Carran and David Millili of The Modern Hotelier, …
2:00 PM
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Do not disturb - session in development. More details coming soon.Speaker(s)
2:30 PM
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Sustainability isn't a cost center, it's a competitive edge. This panel brings together hospitality leaders who are proving that healthier buildings, cleaner operations, and wellness-forward guest exp …Panelist(s)
