INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
Powerful storytelling, inspiring presentations and pragmatic plans for change and growth
Powerful storytelling, inspiring presentations and pragmatic plans for change and growth
WITH CYRUS SCHULTZ
WITH CYRUS SCHULTZ
Founder of HOTEL AND TRAVEL INSIGHT | Hospitality Consultant | TEDx Speaker | Member of → PREMIUM SPEAKERS
Hi, I’m Cyrus Schultz
Hi, I’m Cyrus Schultz
Finding just the right speaker for a planned event can be a tricky task. I’ve been in your shoes before. In my professional career as a managing director, marketing director or sales manager, I was responsible for many events, ranging from small workshops to corporate events to large conferences with hundreds of participants. In the process, I realized that the success of an event depended largely on the quality of the keynote speakers: if they were able to inspire the audience with humor, excitement and the necessary expertise, we had a great event. If the speaker wasn’t so good… well, the event wasn’t so great either.
To make sure we had just the right speaker to make our event a memorable one, I had spent hours – just like you – talking to agencies and searching for a reliable expert. Hence, I know pretty well what information is necessary to make the right choice. I hope that you will find on this page exactly the information you need and I look forward to hearing from you. Please bear in mind, that all of the topics mentioned above can be adapted to your needs and each speech is tailored to fit the audience and the event.
You have come to the right place
You have come to the right place
. . . if you are planning a keynote about
► The future of hotels (strategy, service & technology)
► Global hospitality trends (the hotel of the future is not what you think it is)
► Food Trends you cannot ignore
► The Art of Welcoming (why first impressions are crucial)
► Social Media for upscale resorts and hotels
► Luxury travel for all
► The evolving expectations of guests
► How you drive loyalty and keep customers loyal
► New rules: Coffee in the hospitality industry
► If you can’t beat them… (the impact of AirBnB, Uber, Tripadvisor etc.)
and if your are looking for a speaker with a strong stage presence, authenticity and sound expertise. I have been talking passionately about travel and hospitality for many years. In front of large audiences or even in front of small leadership circles.
Every conference is a unique experiment. An attempt to enter into a relationship with the audience that allows for new ways of seeing. From my point of view, nothing is more boring than a PowerPoint presenter who reads out what is written on the slides. I therefore use complex presentations with many images and short film sequences. This creates a creative tension between the world of images and the world of words, imagination and facts. I never speak unprepared, but always free and without a manuscript. Allow me a little time to build up my suspense and mix of information, feeling and meaning – the three pillars of Aristotelian rhetoric “logos, pathos and ethos”. Between 45 and 50 minutes is ideal for a keynote, but I also offer shorter impulse speeches between 20 or 30 minutes followed by a panel discussion.
Keynote Examples
Keynote Examples
What to expect / Benefits
What to expect / Benefits
Benefits and takeaways for your audience:
- A dynamic multimedia presentation with the content you want and in the time frame you specify, followed by a Q&A session
- Participants will have a clear understanding of the topic of the day
- They will discover amazing new trends that will transform the travel and hospitality industry
- They will learn about the correlation between old school service, expectations of today’s elite travellers and requirements for the future
- Latest industry content and knowledge to inform, inspire and support all participants in their daily work
- They will leave the conference with a renewed confidence, an ability to create value and understand the ‘why’ behind the buy
- Multi-language keynote for an international audience in English, Spanish, German and French
Here is a list of what you can expect from me and my team:
- Prompt responses and professional handling of all your inquiries and emails.
- Fine tuning in the run up to your event
- Technical briefing and a data sheet for your stage technicians
- Promotion and event announcement on our website, blogs and social media channels (optional)
- Hi-Res photos and information so you can best promote the talk
- Handout of the presentation with all graphics and statistics (PDF format)
- Brief feedback and follow-up communication after the event to ensure we have met your expectations
Here are 5 reasons why Cyrus Schultz is a great choice to speak at your next event:
1. I work in English, German, Spanish and French. My content is powerful and useful. I inspire and motivate. And I’ve got years of on-stage experience with audiences of many different sizes. I promise not only a perfect audio-visual presentation, but also 110% performance and fun for your audience.
2. What sets me apart from many other keynote speakers, is that I bring industry experience to the stage. Instead of just talking ‘about your industry’, I know and understand ‘our industry’ as an insider.
3. I am a TEDx speaker. TED is an abbreviation which combines the terms Technology, Entertainment and Design. TEDx speakers are adept in the art of conveying knowledge in an engaging and vivid manner.
4. I am a breeze to work with. I know you’re busy as hell and the last thing you need is a speaker who’s a pain in the proverbial. So, I make your life easy with clear and responsive communication, once you’ve booked me to speak at your event.
5. I’ve got an impressive food, beverage and hospitality pedigree, but absolutely no ‘celebrity attitude’. I’m down to earth, polite and efficient. I turn up early to hang out with the audience to get to know them, and I’m more than happy to handle questions from your audience after the talk.
“no doubt, he is one of the best in his field and provides for discussions and food for thought
– G. Schicke
Board of directors Slow Food
“Cyrus’ presentation was so well received that we have booked him again this year.
– B. Brux
Steigenberger Hotels
“Cy is an inspirational speaker who possesses emotional and dramatic strength. His presentation was exciting and highly informative until the last minute
– M. Minotti
Motel One
“Thank you for your extremely successful presentation. Your explanations ensured exciting and lively discussions for a long time to come
– B. Billmaier
Lions Club
“Your keynote can be recommended without reservation – authentic, fresh and inspiring…
– U. Bröscher
LSG Sky Chefs
“Your talk has been truly entertaining, interesting, lively, likeable, and many of our suppliers have already asked if we can make this presentation available to them.
– P.Schubert
Pier 7 Food Group
“Thank you for your talk about the “future of hospitality”. Your presentation is amazingly rich and educative.
– B. Diallo-Strobl
Austrian Hotelier Association ÖHV
“Cyrus’ presentation and his visions about the technical possibilities for coffee service in the hotel industry were a highlight of the day and a strong impulse, not only for baristas. .
– G. Wuttke
Equiphotel Salon Paris
“Thank you for providing us with the most thorough insight we have received in over 70 years.
– Lisa T
Cheeca Lodge & Spa, Florida
We will deliver a powerful engaging keynote
to your airline, hotel, resort, cruise ship,
association or travel company.
Future-Focused Tactical Content
What does the future hold? For you, your company, your guests? The questions are the same for everyone, but the answers are different. It is our responsibility and privilege to serve, to anticipate wishes, to respond to the needs of our guests, to exceed their expectations and to work the magic. For this reason, we offer a range of different keynote topics. They are a supplement to our → regular consulting portfolio and can be customized at any time.
Cyrus Schultz, a leading consultant to the hospitality and F&B industry, delivers in-depth knowledge and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to a variety of topics at conferences and other events around the world. He has worked in more than 30 countries on six continents. He travels extensively from his base in Germany and is available to work worldwide.
Click on any of the topics below to open the full program and schedule.
What does the future hold? For you, your company, your guests? The questions are the same for everyone, but the answers are different. It is our responsibility and privilege to serve, to anticipate wishes, to respond to the needs of our guests, to exceed their expectations and to work the magic. For this reason, we offer a range of different keynote topics. They are a supplement to our → regular consulting portfolio and can be customized at any time.
Cyrus Schultz, a leading consultant to the hospitality and F&B industry, delivers in-depth knowledge and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to a variety of topics at conferences and other events around the world. He has worked in more than 30 countries on six continents. He travels extensively from his base in Germany and is available to work worldwide.
Click on any of the topics below to open the full program and schedule.
Description
The hospitality industry is going through a period of unprecedented, irreversible change and will look very different in 10 years than it does today. Travellers are armed with up to date information, they are able to check on hotel reviews, do easy price comparisons and are increasingly reaching out to the digital world to handle or confirm their booking. They are also more aware of what they want out of a holiday, and with modern society’s frenetic pace they need to unwind, escape reality and seek authentic, meaningful experiences.
Social Media too has been a major game changer for the industry – not only as a powerful medium to strengthen the brand but also to compel people to travel, to share, getting away from the daily grind and unearthing the finest resorts and most unique locations the world has to offer.
There is no doubt that the hotel industry is likely facing more disruption now than it has at any other time in its long history. Many face being marginalised, just as flat-footed rivals in other sectors have found. But, at HOTEL AND TRAVEL INSIGHT, we believe that the opportunities are immense for those hoteliers prepared to change. In this keynote we shed light on some of the biggest questions facing the sector: how can hotels attract the worlds elite travellers of tomorrow? How can they compete in a digital world? And what will future business models look like?
Topics and takeaways
- How consumer expectations have changed (updated 2021 with reference to the pandemic)
- Creating a roadmap for travel offerings that are not only indulging, rejuvenating and recharging, but also clima conscious, sustainable
social responsible and value driven - How to invest in sustainable travel solutions
- Becoming a favorite brand
- How to drive sales with flexible booking options
- Good service costs money – no service costs customers
- Does your communication strategy work?
- Recognizing customer needs by embracing personalization
- Designing a new image, new procedures and new pricing
- The Sharing Economy: Rethinking the business model
- Mystery shopping: What we can learn from a four-star facility and three-star service at a five-star price.
Whats Included?
✔︎ A dynamic multimedia presentation
✔︎ Prompt responses and professional handling of all your inquiries
✔︎ Fine tuning in the run up to your event
✔︎ Technical briefing and a data sheet for your stage technicians
✔︎ Promotion and event announcement on our website, blogs and social media channels
✔︎ PDF Handout with all graphics and statistics included
✔︎ 15% discount on list price for your subsequent booking
Description
No matter where on earth, no matter wether across skies, roads, rails or oceans and no matter which event: Most likely a posh presentation and the usual fine dining ingredients will find their way on to the guests plate: Salmon, Beef Tenderloin, Foie Gras, Truffles, Lobster or Caviar. We believe that this choice is not only unexceptional, uncreative and rather limited, but also outdated and critical in terms of sustainability, climate change and factory farming. But there are alternatives! With seasonal and local products we can support regional economic cycles and strengthen our communities.
In this lecture we will show you alternatives, culinary concepts, food trends and how the best products, gentle preparation and refinement lead to a beautiful quality that will not only delight your guests but turn your F&B offerings into a success story plus increase your profits.
Topics and takeaways
- Re-Think Food: More than just a trend
- Why our food choices are a political act
- Global change in our food culture and new expectations
- Understanding tomorrow’s traveller
- Room Service and butler service: higher quality, more regional and healthier
- A new generation of travellers: Vegans, hedonists, epicureans, flexitarians and fitness lovers
- Flexible menu formats that allow customers to build their own dining experiences
- The edible hotel garden or edible rooftop
- Health is a highly personal matter
- Washoku and other food trends: Harmony in food
- On the brink of profitability: the real success factors for restaurants, hotels and catering
- Kitchen robots and automation vs. artisanal cooking
- The vicious circle of malnutrition
- Are food labs and genetic engineering too good to refuse?
- Bugs for breakfast? Insects for a hungry planet
Whats Included?
✔︎ A dynamic multimedia presentation
✔︎ Prompt responses and professional handling of all your inquiries
✔︎ Fine tuning in the run up to your event
✔︎ Technical briefing and a data sheet for your stage technicians
✔︎ Promotion and event announcement on our website, blogs and social media channels
✔︎ PDF Handout with all graphics and statistics included
✔︎ 15% discount on list price for your subsequent booking
Description
Whether airline, cruise ship, train or hotel, the question remains always the same: Why do some guest choose you… while others decide to go elsewhere? Traditionally, our industry had taken measures to cater to their every whim: Carrying a customer’s luggage to their room, fresh flowers and small baskets with fruit, fluffy towels and other amenities, providing personal wake-up calls and numerous other in-house services make patrons feel valued and enhance their overall experience.
Even though some old-school services still remain and are gratefully received, guests’ expectations have dramatically changed and broadened. Finding a balance between traditional hospitality and a contemporary attitude is one of the most difficult and sensitive tasks and orchestrating escapism, privacy and consummate and intuitive service has never been more important.
Luxury hotels and resorts are becoming more and more alike, and products are like two peas in a pod. As a result, customers can no longer be inspired by the traditional means. Even the best product and the most beautiful design are no longer enough since offerings and USP have become random or exchangeable. The secret of customer delight no longer lies at the product level, but at the human level. The strategy for this form of customer delight is called „hyper-personalized service excellence“.
Today’s connected and social-media-empowered travel market is diverse, encompassing everything from baby boomers to socially-minded millennials to wealthy leisure travellers. The more you understand your target market and the emotional experiences they seek, the better you can tailor your products and offerings to serve them. Travellers want the freedom to discover and purchase products (e.g. spa bookings, room service, reservations, excursions, cultural events) whenever, wherever and however they want. Which means that if service offerings are not visible in an accessible manner online (be it via social media or on digital platforms), they are not properly perceived by the guests. Understanding what your customers are actually thinking and feeling is a critical part of your sales process and if you want to thrive – and not just survive – you need to react super flexible and pinpoint exactly why your customers do what they do.
This keynote will enable the audience to get a deep understanding of the upscale traveller’s point of view (which is the only view), to recognize the potential of personalized interactions and how to turn every customer encounter into a delightful moment of service excellence.
Topics and takeaways
- Changing demands of top-end customers
- A holistic understanding of your guest’s expectations
- Empathy as a factor for change: What does your guest get out of it?
- Be prepared to adapt quickly
- Enhance the perception of your brand and property
- Technology that makes your guest’s life easier and personalizes their experience
- Know your customer base
- Cultural differences and dimensions of service experiences
- Personalized interactions – the key to loyalty and guest engagement
- The right balance of tech integration and human touch in service interactions
- Capturing observed and unobserved preferences
- The art of bricolage
- The ideal staff to guest ratio
- Reducing service means losing customers
- Self-service in luxury hotels?
Whats Included?
✔︎ A dynamic multimedia presentation
✔︎ Prompt responses and professional handling of all your inquiries
✔︎ Fine tuning in the run up to your event
✔︎ Technical briefing and a data sheet for your stage technicians
✔︎ Promotion and event announcement on our website, blogs and social media channels
✔︎ PDF Handout with all graphics and statistics included
✔︎ 15% discount on list price for your subsequent booking
Description
Everyone knows deep down that this is a rapidly changing world — so much so, that many concepts we once knew have evaporated. What is true for lifestyles, travel, communication, fashion, food and everything else, is also true for ‘luxury’, a word that is often overused today.
Just 20 years ago, affluent upscale travelers still could be impressed with a friendly welcome cocktail, flat TV screens, DVD or MP3 players, a modem to connect with the internet, well-stocked minibars and luxury-branded in-room toiletries (loaded with chemicals). How benchmarks have evolved! Today’s well-traveled guests are keen to create memories and will make a more conscious selection towards authentic, culturally relevant and meaningful experiences. Because their working lives are frantic and busy and they need time to rest, relax and recharge themselves, travelers want everything to be easily accessible, with excellent quality. They want to satiate the desire of wanderlust, they expect to be entertained and to share their experiences and precious time with their friends and loved ones.
Today’s hoteliers need to understand that luxury manifests at a quieter form as its perception there of is changing. Abundance will disappear, as people have de-cluttered their minds and consume luxury for different reasons. Nevertheless, luxury will always be quality to our senses and there is nothing wrong in being picked up at the airport or hotel, receiving amenities with a lovely packaging, enjoying a gracious butler service and savoring locally sourced delicacies. Additionally, activities around connecting with local communities, cooking classes, wine tastings and chefs tables, learning new skills, soul-uplifting and transformational travel are the new normal.
This said, chances are that transport, rooms or fine dining are not the only things travelers need to book. Offering emotionalized product experiences, high-value guest events and personalized travel experiences will foster profitable long-term relationships with your guests.
This keynote is the key and the well kept secret to luxury hospitality: The attention to detail, generosity, style, ultra-personalization and emotional connection with people, the product and the brand. It will give the audience in-depth knowledge of today’s guests expectations beyond a superlative service, sumptuous comfort, fine cuisine and lushly landscaped gardens.
Topics and takeaways
- The need to redefine ‘luxury hospitality’
- 7 defining trends in the global luxury segment
- Understanding the changing demands of top-end customers
- Making the world a better place: Millenials and Gen-Z
- How to target experience-hungry younger Millennials
- Reinforcing the exclusiveness of the destination in the destination
- Building very detailed guest profiles in your CRM
- Escaping to a home away from home
- Keeping your guests safe: Health, safety and security
- Cultivating social connections while guests are on premise
- Luxury beyond a superlative service, sumptuous comfort, fine cuisine and lushly landscaped gardens
- Outlook: Where is luxury behaviour heading in the next few years?
Whats Included?
✔︎ A dynamic multimedia presentation
✔︎ Prompt responses and professional handling of all your inquiries
✔︎ Fine tuning in the run up to your event
✔︎ Technical briefing and a data sheet for your stage technicians
✔︎ Promotion and event announcement on our website, blogs and social media channels
✔︎ PDF Handout with all graphics and statistics included
✔︎ 15% discount on list price for your subsequent booking
Description
The hospitality business is not for the faint-hearted, as every service worker knows. The turnover rate in the industry is on average 20% higher than in the private sector as a whole. There are several reasons for this, such as long hours, shifts, often giving up weekends, evenings and holidays plus the high proportion of seasonal jobs. Not to mention the lack of appreciation, tension, stress and dealing with complaining customers.
Your guests talk about your brand and employees are the front line ambassadors of your brand. As such, they need to be empowered to deliver on customer service promises at every level and in every department. Every travel business will fail in realizing its goals, if it is unable to stimulate employee initiative to deliver high levels of guest satisfaction across geographic, religious, and cultural boundaries. Improving employee relations and fostering a culture of positive communication and trust are key. As Sir Alex Ferguson said, the two most important words in leadership are “Well Done!“
In a nutshell: If we get the employee experience right then the guest experience will follow almost automatically – it’s that easy.
In this talk or workshop your audience will be encouraged to help employees deliver on service with empathy and genuine interest – especially in times that are increasingly hectic and tightly scheduled. Remember: Good service costs money – no service costs customers.