3rd Annual Summit
The AI + Innovation
Conference for Hoteliers
Practical insights, real examples, and open conversations on AI’s business impact across hospitality.
500+
Attendees
80%
Senior leadership
280+
Companies
Admit One · DAI 2026
DESTINATION AI · HOSPITALITY SUMMIT
NO. 00482
Sep 29–30, 2026
Washington, D.C. · Le Méridien
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Full Access
Format
1.5 Days
Attendee
You
Scan to enter
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The Companies Moving Hospitality Forward
01The Leaders Shaping Hospitality’s Future
In The Room
From global hotel executives to cutting-edge AI founders, DAI convenes the people driving innovation, investment, and impact across the hospitality ecosystem.
01
Hotel Brands & Chains
Global flags setting AI strategy from the top down.
02
Management & Ownership Groups
Operators and owners turning AI pilots into portfolio-wide returns.
03
Hospitality Tech & AI Providers
The platforms helping hospitality teams operate, grow, and innovate.
04
Investors & Capital Partners
The capital backing the next generation of hospitality innovation.
05
Media & Industry Associations
The voices and institutions guiding the conversations that move hospitality forward.
Destination AI 2025 · Washington, D.C.
022026 Speakers
Leaders Who Inspire the DAI Community
Leslie Adler
Hilton
Vice President, Business Development & Innovation
Anil Aggarwal
Milestone Inc.
Founder & CEO
Chris Anderson
Cornell University
Professor
Andrew Arthurs
Actabl
President & Chief Operating Officer
Nazpari Aydin
Destination AI
CEO & Co-Founder
Mike Baldinger
Evention
Co-Founder & CSO
Mercedes Blanco
Lighthouse
Vice President, Enterprise Growth
Floor Bleeker
Accor
Former Group Chief Technology Officer
Andrew Boch
Mobi.AI
CEO
Ana Brant
Cain International
Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Customer Experience
Sarah Burnick
Hall Booth Smith, P.C.
Associate Attorney
Jeff Bzdawka
Hapi
CEO
Alex Cabañas
Pyramid Global Hospitality
Executive Chairman
Laura Calin
Oracle
Senior Vice President, Consumer Industries
Steve Carran
The Modern Hotelier
Co-Host
Peter Chambers
Montage International
EVP & CIO
Sloan Dean
Not Done Podcast
Host & Executive Advisor
Zach Demuth
Eight Form
Head of Strategic Growth & Asset Management
Greg Duff
Foster Garvey
Principal and Chair of Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Practice
Brittany Dunn
Safe House Project
Co-Founder & COO
Diane E Estner
D A N N I Enterprises
President
Ried Floco
Techforce Robotics
President
Will Gilbert
Bodhi
Co-Founder
Stuart Greif
Forbes Travel Guide
Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer
Jim Harding
Otonoma
CEO
Adam Harris
Cloudbeds
CEO
Esther Hertzfeld
Questex
Hospitality Executive Editor
Carlos Jose Rodriguez
Driftwood Capital
Chief Executive Officer
Ronen Kadosh
Eleven Labs
GTM - Travel & Hospitality
Klaus Kohlmayr
IDeaS
Chief Evangelist & Development Officer
Dan Kornick
Loews Hotels
Chief Information Officer
Jessica Kramer
Techne Infiniti Ventures
Operating Partner & GTM Scaler Lead
Greg Land
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Global Industry Leader – Hospitality
Michael Leidinger
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Armen Martirosyan
BLUIP
Co-Founder & CEO
Raymond Martz
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
Co-President & CFO
Kelly McGuire
Kasa
Chief Commercial Officer
Josiah McKenzie
Hospitality Daily
Host & Producer
Keryn McNamara
Aimbridge Hospitality
Chief Information Officer
Jacob Messina
Stayntouch
CEO
Tyrone Millard
OpenAI
GTM – Large Enterprise
David Millili
The Modern Hotelier
Co-Host
Branigan Mulcahy
Virdee
Founder & CEO
Monika Nerger
Global & Luxury Brands Technology Advisor
Pat Nestor
Hyatt
SVP, Head of Data and AI
Shane O'Flaherty
Microsoft
Global Director, Travel, Transportation and Hospitality
Jaeyanthi Padmanab
Wyndaham Hotels & Resorts
Digital Architecture and Delivery
David Peller
If Not You
Founder & CEO
Page Petry
Page Petry Consulting
Principal
Frank Pitsikalis
Agilysys
SVP & Chief Marketing Officer
Matt Schwartz
Sage Hospitality
Chief Technology Officer
Chinmai Sharma
Sabre Corporation
SVP & Global Head
Gaurav Sharma
Mosaic Hospitality
Founder & CEO
Michael Shiwdin
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
GVP, Integrated Brand Marketing, Loyalty & Digital
Harman Singh Narula
Canary Technologies
CEO & Co-Founder
Nick Slavin
Curacity
Co-Founder & CEO
Kim Smith
IHG Hotels & Resorts
SVP, Direct & Digital Channels
Noel Thomas
Darkwatch
Founder & CEO
Richard Valtr
Mews
Founder
Lorenza Velez
Ponte Labor
Co-Founder
Nancy Wolff
Columbia Hospitality
SVP, Technology
Todd Wood
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
VP, Global Applications & Transformation
03Agenda Overview
A Day and a Half, Built for Depth
12:45 PM
Registration
Check-In & Registration Opens
1:30 PM
Main Stage
Conference Opens: Opening Remarks, Panels & Keynotes
›
Inside AI Deployments: Lessons from the Field
›
Fireside Chat: Hilton CIO View on AI and Enterprise Innovation
›
Leading Change: Operational Efficiency Through AI
★
1st Annual Hospitality AI Start-Up Competition
›
Keynote: When Software Stops Waiting
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Welcome Reception
Welcome Reception
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Breakfast
Morning Breakfast & Networking
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Main Stage + Breakouts
Full Day of Sessions, Panels & Breakouts
›
What It Takes to Scale AI Across a Hotel Company
›
When AI Agents Start Transacting: Is Travel Ready?
★
The AI Showcase: Applied AI Pilots Across Major Hotel Brands & Management Companies
›
Owner Perspective: Which AI Investments Actually Pay Off?
›
The Role of AI in Hotel Safety & Trafficking Prevention
›
Keynote: How Innovation at Big Brands Impacts Owners & the Bottom Line
›
From Invisible to Recommended: A Working Playbook for the AI Guest Journey
›
Can AI Deliver Hospitality? Global Perspectives on the Guest Experience
›
AI Usage by Customer Segment: What the Data Shows
Midday
Lunch
Networking Lunch
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Closing Reception
Closing Reception: Off-Site Venue
A high-level look. Full session times, stages and speakers live on the agenda page.
Explore the Full Agenda →
04Sponsors & Partners
Powered by the Hospitality-Tech Ecosystem
See All Sponsors & Partners →Platinum
Gold
Silver
Lead the Conversation on AI in Hospitality.
Position your brand at the center of hospitality's AI transformation.
The National Housing Center
1201 15th St NW
38.9057° N · 77.0341° W
Washington, D.C.
[ Where it happens ]
The Conference
Venue
DAI 2026 convenes at The National Housing Center in downtown Washington, D.C., a modern conference venue steps from the White House and the National Mall, with our host hotel directly across the street.
Sep 29–30
two days, downtown D.C.
1-min
walk to the host hotel
Host Hotel
Le Méridien Madison
1177 15th St NW · across the street
Arrive
Evening Sep 28 or morning Sep 29
Check-In Opens
12:30 PM Sep 29 · first session 12:45 PM
Depart
Evening Sep 30 or morning Oct 1
05From The Community
Three Years In, One Room That Keeps Showing Up
Scenes from past DAI summits: candid sessions, hallway debates, and the people building hospitality's AI future.
What They're Saying.
“Destination AI brings together the only conversation that really matters right now — where data meets humanity.”
Adam Harris
“
This was an amazing one-day event, with a fantastic audience of thought leaders from across the hospitality space and sessions from so many top speakers.
This was only its second year, but from a thought-leadership point of view, there is absolutely no better event anywhere in the world today for hotel technologists and operators.
Douglas Rice
Founder & CEO Emeritus, HTNG (Hospitality Technology Next Generation)
“Destination AI has quickly established itself as a go-to event for hospitality leaders who are shaping artificial intelligence strategies within our industry.”
Ray Boyle
September 29–30, 2026 · Washington, D.C.
Reserve Your Seat
Passes from $550. Early-bird rates run through July 31. Join 450+ leaders for the 3rd annual DAI Hospitality Summit.
06Contact
Let's Get You
in the Room
Questions about attending, sponsoring, or speaking? Reach Nazpari Aydin and the DAI team directly. We'd love to hear from you.
Sponsorship · DAI 2026
Become a Sponsor
Tell us a little about your company and we'll get back to you with options.
Thank you.
Your inquiry is on its way to the DAI team. We'll follow up shortly with sponsorship options.