Event Spotlight: MarketHub Americas by HBX Group 2026

Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_03 (00:05):
Hello everyone and welcome to a very special event
spotlight of Travel Trends livehere in Punta Cana, Dominican
Republic.
This is your host, as always,Dan Christian.
And our special event spotlighttoday is live from the Market
Hub Americas 2026, hosted by theHBX Group.

(00:25):
This has been a phenomenal startto this conference already.
We had an amazing welcome lastnight, and I'm really looking
forward to bringing threeextraordinary executives into
this podcast conversation.
But for those of you who areless familiar with the HBX
group, they're actually one ofthe most important companies in
global travel distribution.
They are the B2B traveltechnology marketplace behind

(00:48):
hotel beds, beds online, and theluxurist.
Market Hub has become one of thetravel industry's essential
gatherings.
So we're thrilled to be here forthe very first time.
That is 16 years after the veryfirst edition in Brazil.
And this year's event has nearly600 participants and more than
350 key client partners fromabout 16 different source

(01:12):
markets across the Americas.
And the theme is The Market HubUnlocked.
And that was very fitting forthe introduction that I saw this
morning because all of theseconversations are about
unlocking travel's next chapter,the resilience of travel demand
in a very uncertain world, therise of AI across our industry,
the continued strength ofluxury, and the partnerships

(01:34):
that really make this entireecosystem work.
Over the course of this eventspotlight, we're going to have
three leaders joining us who arereally shaping the next chapter
for HBX and for this industry.
First, we're going to have thechief strategy and
transformation and AI officerfor HBX Group, Javier, join us

(01:55):
to talk about how they areputting AI at the center of
their strategy.
And then we're going to have Unajoin us, who is the vice
president of sales at theLuxurist, which is HBX's luxury
travel brand.
Now, Una and I know each other.
She happens to be from Toronto,where I am based.
She spent many years at Virtuosobefore joining the Luxurist.
So I'm really excited to see heragain.

(02:16):
And she's going to take usinside the trends that are
driving luxury travel'sperformance and what today's
high value travelers reallywant.
And then to close off, we'regoing to be joined by the vice
president of sales at HBX Group,Danielle, who is one of the key
leaders driving the company'sgrowth across the Americas.
And she is going to share whatpartners are looking for right
now from her presentation thatshe's doing later this morning

(02:38):
and where the biggestopportunities lie in travel
distribution.
So whether you're a hotelier, atravel advisor, a technology
provider, or someone justpassionate about where this
industry is heading, you'regoing to get tremendous benefit
from these conversations.
So welcome to Market Hub and ourevent Spotlight Live from here
from Punta Cana.
I'm thrilled to be here for thefirst time.

(02:59):
And let's bring in our firstguest, Javier.
Javier, wonderful to see you.
Thanks so much for joining us.

SPEAKER_00 (03:06):
Thank you so much, Dan, for having me.
And first of all,congratulations on my surname.
I know it's not an easy one.

SPEAKER_03 (03:11):
Yeah, no, it's a great name.
And obviously, we're here in theAmericas.
And of course, HBX is based inMallorca and is a Spanish
company traded publicly.
And it's really cool to be herein a Spanish-speaking country
like the Dominican Republic,especially being a Canadian and
I love Spanish culture, and Ihave been working on my language
skills.

(03:31):
So anyway, so thrilled to behere.
But let's start off, Javier.
Tell everyone a little bit aboutyour background and your role at
HBX.

SPEAKER_00 (03:38):
Yeah, so I started my career as a strategy
consultant.
I had nothing to do with travel,actually.
I used to work with in thefinancial services industry.
I used to work a lot with banks,insurance companies, asset
managers, spend there almost adecade.
And then I received theopportunity to come to a company
at that time called Hotelbets,which was not very well known.

(04:02):
It's a B2B company.
So for the public, unless youare not in the industry, it's
not so well known.
But it was a great opportunityto move into this fantastic,
exciting industry that we livein, so dynamic, nothing to do
with the financial marketindustry.

SPEAKER_03 (04:15):
Well, one of the things that stood out to me even
last night, uh, meeting theexecutive team and getting ready
for the conversations we'regoing to have today is truly how
impressive the executive team isat HBX.
And obviously, you're going tomeet over the course of these
conversations Uno O'Leary, thevice president of sales at The
Luxurist, and then Danielle aswell, who was on stage earlier
this morning talking about thefuture of distribution.

(04:37):
And so what really stood out tome is how impressive the
backgrounds are of each of theexecutives and how many people,
including your CEO, that camefrom outside of travel, they've
come from the payments industry,and even seeing Mark on stage.
And I'll mention some of his uhdetails that he shared.
But just to highlight yourbackground, you were Ernst and
Young for a number of years.
You obviously uh Marsh McClennanas an international consultant.

(04:59):
You worked at TUI, um, you'vebeen an investor, and you've
also now uh been an active uhinvestor and a part of the
Luxurist as well, as a boarddirector.
And now you but you've been withHBX Group for 12 years.
So it's an amazing like you knowwhat you've accomplished before
you even joined the group andhow that group has evolved.

(05:20):
So tell everyone a little bitmore about the role and how
that's evolved, especially giventhat you now have AI in your
title, which is exactly everyoneneeds to know who to go to for
AI, and you're the guy.

SPEAKER_00 (05:30):
Yeah, it's it's it's tough to describe my role.
No, everybody has a hard time insaying the title because every
year it gets a little bitlonger.
I started as chief strategyofficer, but it's a
significantly broader role thanthat.
Actually, I'm I'm responsiblefor defining the strategy, the
implementation throughtransformation, but also revenue
management and pricing and notthe implementation of AI.

(05:52):
And I would say that the changesthat we're seeing both in
pricing and in AI, leveragingthe similar level of
technologies, it's unbelievable.

SPEAKER_03 (06:00):
Yeah, and that's why we're definitely gonna want to
focus our conversation on that.
But before we do get there, Iwant to make sure that all of
our listeners actuallyunderstand more beyond what I
just shared in the introductionabout the HPX group itself and
really why you organize aconference like this uh
globally.
I know there's three mainconferences.
Uh, we're here for the Americas,of course.
But tell us a little bit moreabout the group itself and how

(06:23):
you guys are structured, how youoperate, that would be
interesting to our globalaudience.

SPEAKER_00 (06:27):
Yeah.
So we are a global company, asyou were saying, is uh is a
company that is the leading B2Bmarketplace in the world.
We started as a bed bank, mostlyfocusing in accommodation, but a
part of the journey has beentransforming into a full-range
ecosystem.
We've added different functionslike fintech, marketing as a
service, activities,experiences.

(06:49):
So we continue to add in anytype of product that will add
value to our existing partners,which are all of the suppliers
across travel, but also all ofthe distributors across travel.
So every company in every marketthat you can think of that are
doing travel is more likely thannot that it's a client of us.

SPEAKER_03 (07:05):
Well, and especially the name HPX, because hotel
beds, which I know you're knownas in Europe, but in the US,
you're also known as BedsOnline.

SPEAKER_00 (07:14):
Well, actually, Bets Online is a retail business.
So we have both.
Retail, um Bets Online is aretail brand.
Um we have it everywhere in theworld, not only in the US.
It's true that the US part ofour Bets Online business is very
significant, really important.
We have really goodrelationships with the networks,
with the consortials, reallyimportant in the market.
So we're really happy to havethat footprint in such an

(07:36):
important market for retail asis the US.
But Bets Online is presenteverywhere in the world, in
Europe, in Asia, everywhere.

SPEAKER_03 (07:43):
And the scale of the team, even though you're based
in Mallorca, one of the mostbeautiful places in the world.
And there's so many travel techcompanies that are based in
Mallorca.
I was just at the Focus Rightconference in Barcelona last
week, and the number of peoplethat just had a short trip
across from Mallorca to bethere.
And I've got a number of friendsthat live in Mallorca, and so
it's obviously a great place tobe based, but your company has
3,500 employees.

(08:04):
You guys are in 170 countries,you mean you're truly global.
Um, tell us a little bit aboutsome of the brands within the
group.

SPEAKER_00 (08:12):
So the first thing in terms of the setup of
Mallorca, just to give you a funanecdote, how we call it, is the
Silicon Valley of travel.
Actually, Mallorca has becomethat.
It's amazing.
It's true.
It's it's it's um it's a placewhere a lot of innovation around
the travel tech industry hashappened and many new models,
especially around the B2B, um,everything was created there, so

(08:32):
it's becoming an amazing placein order to transform the travel
industry and now it's ramifyingacross all of the world, no, so
it's pretty exciting to see.
In terms of the brands, no, as Iwas saying before, we have our
core business.
Um, we are evolving just fromthe accommodation space to
actually one of the things thatwe changed in our strategy was
let's stop focusing as anaccommodation provider, and the

(08:55):
value of us is not the productthat we're providing, it's the
relationship that we had withthe industry.
And that freed our minds toactually start incorporating new
products, right?
So, what we are trying to do is,as I was saying, we incorporated
uh hotel tech with Royback, it'sone of our brands that we have
that we support the hotels inthe direct distribution.
We have the fintech unit thathelped also the partners and the

(09:17):
hotels with virtual credit cardsolutions, with paying
solutions, with FX solutions.
So we try to collaborate indifferent spaces.
Now we're doing, we did actuallyan acquisition uh one roughly
one month ago.
It's called Bridgeify.
We're really excited with thisone.
It's an AI player.
Actually, the they operate inthe experience industry, but
it's just an excuse.

(09:37):
Actually, what they do is thatthey have an amazing AI native
platform.
They have more than one millionexperiences, live ticketing,
something that is really hard tograb for our industry.
They've done it marvelously.
So we're really excited what wealso can do on the MANE side.
We have additionally some of ourtransfer business.
We have a brand called HolidayTaxi that operates in the in the

(09:59):
transfer space.
And Car Rental, we have we haveCarnect that we are
consolidating as one singlebrand under the HBX umbrella.

SPEAKER_03 (10:05):
That's great.
And I appreciate you explainingthat because this is a I think
most people who are you knowlooking at HBXgroup.com as we're
having this conversation andwrapping in their head around
the size and scale of thebusiness.
If they're not already familiarwith you, many people are going
to be reaching out forpartnership opportunities,
travel advisors, realizing theconnectivity and the
opportunity.
A lot of travel advisors areobviously here, a lot of

(10:26):
hoteliers as well.
And I just wanted to clarifywith hotel beds, beds online.
The other one I'd love for youjust to give a brief overview is
the luxury the luxurist, becauseyou have an incredibly
impressive collection of morethan like 7,000 hotels.
And so tell us before we haveUna, and I know Una from her
time at Virtuoso, so it's greatto be here and to connect with

(10:46):
her again and bring her backonto the podcast here shortly.
But tell everyone a bit aboutthe luxurists and how important
that is to the collection.

SPEAKER_00 (10:52):
It's very exciting.
As you mentioned before, I'mbeside what I do on an HBX, I'm
a board member in severalnormally travel tech startups.
I do some other things and withsome VCs specifically around uh
tech.
So we were having somediscussions a few years ago, a
couple of years back, with DavidAnsalem, is actually our our
chief distribution officer.

(11:14):
And he was the one that ignitedthis idea.
We're having some discussions onhow to give some form to this.
We leveraged the background thathe had in the in the digital
concept space.
So it's something that from HBX,for many years, we wanted to
penetrate much moreintentionally the luxury space.
Because it's actually a marketthat is growing 50% more than

(11:36):
the average of the market.
So it's a really interestingmarket to be when there is
uncertainty, it's veryresilient, so it's an amazing,
amazing market.
One of the things that we'vedone is focus.
We did this joint venture aspart of the luxuryist.
So we put together all of ourexpertise in terms of the
connections with the industry,all of the our technology behind
it, all of the relationship thatwe have with the providers, with

(11:58):
the distributors, and also theluxury team, they came with
their expertise in terms ofconcierge.
Because what we found out isthat you cannot treat the luxury
in the same way as you treat therest.
So actually, what we found isthe best way to do that is that
curated, beautiful, tailor-madeexperience that is what our
digital concierge servicesprovide to the market.

(12:19):
And that's the keydifferentiator.

SPEAKER_03 (12:20):
And the reason I wanted to bring that up now is
because I know the concierge isa key part of the luxury
offering.
And now AI-driven itineraryplanning, uh, real-time booking
capabilities, and so all thethings that you are across.
So that's why I thought it wasinteresting to bring up that
you're a board member becauseyou have to look across the
entire group to recognizeopportunities with AI.
And we've seen that with AndreExner from the TUE group.

(12:43):
And I've seen him present andtalk about how Tui Strategy was
very focused on looking at allthese pain points across the
businesses and trying toidentify where AI could have the
biggest benefit and gettingeveryone to embrace it
internally.
Um, the one other thing I wantedto talk about is what brings us
here together for this amazingconference.
It's our first time here.
We're having an extraordinarytime already.

(13:04):
It was a great reception lastnight with live music, and
obviously the World Cup is on,and there's just an excitement,
and there's this morning.
What I wasn't prepared for, uh,Javier was just how much energy
the room had first thing thismorning.
It's very rare for a conferenceto kick off with that much music
and entertainment and gettingpeople up.

(13:25):
And so that usually happens overthe course, and you try to
finish a conference like that.
But you guys started incrediblystrong and had a performer who
did an amazing Shakiraimpression.
I mean, she was my colleaguewho's here really thought it was
Shakira for a little while.
And I was like, I mean, hervoice was absolutely perfect and
she put on a great performance.
Um, but tell everyone whatbrings everyone together.

(13:46):
Why do you do this conferencehere in the Americas?

SPEAKER_00 (13:48):
We do one conference in every of our regions.
We do it in Asia, we do it inEurope, and we do it in America.
As being a global company, it'sreally important to keep that
regional, being in contact withthe nuances of the different
markets.
Actually, I was I was in thethis morning having a coffee
with one of our clients.
It was funny, actually, in termsof the energy that you were
mentioning.
He was saying, like, for me, theKPII track is working with you

(14:12):
is I'm good if I get invited tothe next market hub.
The people love it here becauseat the end, it's that energy
that you're mentioning.
It's contagious.
At the end, you have a lot ofconversations, a lot of
opportunities, people are open.
This is not a traditionalconference that people come to
discuss the BAU.
This is about doing differentthings, doing strategic things,
and that's how we want to frameit.

SPEAKER_03 (14:32):
Yeah, the thing I loved was you entertained first
and you informed next.
And that was, I think, a reallyobviously strategic uh approach
because people who are excited,they're interested in engaged,
they're open to theconversation.
And even when I arrivedyesterday, there's a gentleman
named uh Maurizio from Colombiawho runs a wholesaler there, and
this is his sixth market hub.
And you could tell how excitedhe was to be back, and that to
me conveyed how excited I shouldbe to be here.

(14:55):
Uh, but given these events bringtogether, I mean, at this event
itself, you're gonna have nearly600 participants that'll be here
for the conference, uh, 350client partners, and you have
people from 16 different sourcemarkets.
Tell everyone, if you wouldn'tmind, the importance of running
these events, because obviouslythis is one of three.
What is the importance of markethub events for HBX Group?

(15:17):
Strategically, why do you bringthem together?
I can obviously think of a fewreasons right off the top of my
head, but I'd love to hear fromyour perspective why these uh
have become such an importantpart of your business.

SPEAKER_00 (15:27):
As I was saying, I think it's the perfect way to
step back and reflect on therelationships that we're having
with every single of ourpartners, actually combine many
discussions because this is anecosystem.
This is not about aone-direction uh relationship,
it's not even a bidirectionalrelationship, it's an ecosystem,
it's every mapping.
Actually, I'm having manymeetings with combined clients

(15:49):
so we can do partnershipstogether.
So, actually, for us,strategically is the best way to
drive the ecosystem for thetravel industry, but second, and
very importantly, to get thatlocal touch, that nuances of
what's happening in the marketso we can implement, we can get
the actions that we can elevateas part of our core strategy at
HBX.
That's how we use it.

(16:10):
We get insights of every singlemarket hub, we apply the monarch
strategy, and that's howinfluences the priorities that
we're gonna focus for for theremainder of the year.

SPEAKER_03 (16:17):
And when you put an event together like this,
clearly there are many peoplethat come back.
Um, one of the things that umstood out to me is just how much
enthusiasm there was uh whenpeople were asked who's from
Mexico, and I like Mexico, likeeveryone erupted from Mexico and
all the different countries thatare here, which is again what
makes it so special.
Um, there's a big Canadiancontingent as well, Americans,
but like this is what we loveabout travel is connecting with

(16:38):
people, getting together inperson.
How many people come back eachyear?
How many people do you try tobring in new?
How intentional you are aboutbringing because it's really an
invite-only event.

SPEAKER_00 (16:48):
It's only invite.
As I was saying, the KPI of manyof the invites is I'm gonna come
next year or not.
So that they value, you know,you can sense that it's
important.
We try to keep it balanced.
We try to obviously we have thegreat partners and many of
opportunities, but what weunderstand is where the market
is going, what are the type ofpartners that are gonna benefit
more by the type of sessions,the type of discussions that we

(17:10):
want to have, but we also needto have room for new things
because at the end, thisindustry is evolved so fast.
So a company that didn't didn'texist last year is probably an
amazing value proposition thisyear.
So we need to keep that room, weneed to force ourselves to have
those new discussions, thatinnovation discussion.
So we always try bring new newcompanies every every year.

SPEAKER_03 (17:31):
Well, let's talk a little bit about some of those
companies you've broughttogether and and from the
morning so far.
Let's share a few highlights.
I can obviously uh convey a fewmyself because there was some
terrific data that was alsoshared.
But your colleague Mark, who'sthe chief growth officer,
brought together three partners.
He actually brought Zayna fromTrevello in Canada, who formerly
ran Air Canada vacations.
Everyone in Canada knows Zayna.

(17:52):
She gave a great presentation.
Uh, you had Matthew Martinezfrom Group Locks that gave a
great overview of uh grouptravel and the future technology
for hotels.
Again, really interesting to seepartner ecosystem and you bring
and then uh queer destinationsas well, which I wasn't familiar
with.
And he gave an extraordinarypresentation and highlighted the
opportunity for uh the LGBTQmarket and just how significant.

(18:16):
And he made everyone laugh toowith his comment about the fact
that you know we travel so muchbecause we don't have kids.
So we're not locked into the uhthe normal school season for
travel.
So we spend more, we do moreactivities, and it was like hey,
it was refreshing, it wasinteresting.
And so there were three uh veryclear perspectives that were
shared on the future of travel.
Tell us a little bit about someof the highlights you had from

(18:36):
this morning's session,especially given your colleagues
shared so much data on the LatinAmerican market.
That's something I really wouldlike to highlight as well.
But what were some of thestandouts to you this morning,
Javier?

SPEAKER_00 (18:46):
When we started the year, the expectation from a
market perspective was thatMiddle East was gonna be the
fastest growing market.
We know everybody what hashappened, sadly, you know, in
the space.
It seems that it's gettingbetter every week.
So I think it's positive newsfor all of us.
But without Middle Eastperforming as it was expected,
the fastest growing region isbeing Latin America, obviously

(19:06):
working with similar to APAC,but Latin America is one of the
fastest regions.
We deported a lot of focus.
We have uh amazing partners inthe region.
We're working with all of thebig brands, consolidated brands,
but also some of the new playersthat are emerging really strong.
So for us, it's extremelyimportant.
In terms of my insights of thismorning beyond the market data,

(19:29):
I think that you can have asense of what market hub is by
the street presentation that youwere mentioning, because you see
the combination of the type ofprofiles.
No, we had we had the retailstory, no, from coming from
Canada that is amazing.
She's a lovely lady.
She's been with us.
I was with her also last year inPanama.
And you see every year how muchthe business progressed, how

(19:50):
much we are able to help them tocontinue progressing in such an
already big, established player.
But then the other the othertwo, as you were saying, the
group blocks is a reallyinnovative player that is coming
to solve one of the biggestchallenges through technology.
This is the group reservations,and it's something that is
critical, especially around theexperiential travel.

(20:11):
No, people they want to travel,they want to do more groups,
they want to travel with manypeople together, no, to a
concert, to a live event, tomany other things.
So solving that part is really,really important.
And then you have, as you weresaying, the queer destinations.
Again, it's a new type oftraveling, something really
innovative.
A lot of people don't even knowthem.
They're amazing.
Oriol did, as you said, anamazing job on stage.

(20:33):
And for me, the other quote Igot from him that that is
amazing is that the queereconomy, if it was a country, it
would be the biggest economy inthe world.

SPEAKER_03 (20:40):
You can see people react to that in front of me.
It was just like he conveyed hispoints very effectively in a way
that it would stay with you.
Yeah.
And so that was anotherexcellent presentation, a great
way to finish up the morning.
But I'll go back to where itstarted.
And Nicola Huss, who's the CEOof HBX Group, I had the
privilege to meet him for thefirst time last night.
He very um interestingly wasactually welcoming us as we got

(21:02):
to the bus.
I knew who he was.
I was delighted to meet him andthanked him obviously for
bringing us here.
He was then at our cocktailreception at the press event.
And literally, as uh momentsbefore you and I are sitting
down to record, and we were justin the press room, and he's
French, but he obviously speaksSpanish, he speaks English,
everything so fluently, and hewas, you know, fielding
questions from the press.
And he's just very engaging,very uh amicable, very a very

(21:24):
likable individual, funny,interesting, uh, and also very
accomplished.
And um, and so when we openedthe session this morning, uh,
one of the things that was thefocus is what is the biggest
challenge facing the travelindustry?
And the summary, and I tookpictures of all this because I
love sitting in the front row ata conference like this and
learning.
That's always my primary reasonfor being at a conference is to

(21:44):
gather as much information,obviously share it with our
listeners.
But one of the things that stoodout was the number one, there
was kind of uh technologyfragmentation across the
industry was 31% of people'sconcerns.
And even in that 13%specifically mentioned, the
acceleration of AI agents intravel.
So if you added those intogether, the other one, 31%
volatility and cost pressure.

(22:05):
We know what's happening thisyear of fuel prices doubling.
But I wanted to speak to youabout technology because if you
add those two together, it'snearly 50%.
And that's what people aregenuinely concerned about.
And that's what dominated theconversation this morning.
And you guys are a technologycompany.
You are a marketplace.
And so I'd love to get your viewand what you guys wanted to
share and convey this morningabout the state of technology in

(22:28):
travel.

SPEAKER_00 (22:29):
I think that in travel right now, I think it's a
spot-on, by the way, the firstthing I want to say, you know,
and it's something that isactually coming from all of the
services that we're doing isactually the travel industry
speaking.
And what we see is that there isa big level of fragmentation.
What we need to understand isthat we operate in a market that
there are literally millions ofplayers, all of them with their

(22:52):
tech stacks, with their locallanguages, with their
currencies, their ways ofworking.
So actually making theconnectivity happen across all
of them.
And that's what we do for aliving at HBX.
So we understand the complexitybehind this.
It's massive.
We are the industry with thebiggest rate of cross-border
payments.
So it's like so many differentlayers.
It's the technology one, butit's also the operational one

(23:14):
around the licenses requirementsthat you have.
It's also the payment ones, allof the FX, all of the different
currencies that you need tooperate.
It has so many degrees ofcomplexity that that's what we
are excited about.
Because complexity bringsopportunity at the end of the
day.
But that's what we want to makesure that a complex industry
that will remain complex on theback end, but is not perceived

(23:34):
the complexity to any of ourpartners in the industry.
That's what you see, the realvalue that you provide.
And that's exciting.

SPEAKER_03 (23:40):
For sure.
I know I totally agree.
And I think that's somethingthat uh you know, when people
are talking about, and yourcolleague shared that 75% of
travel advisors are using AI andbrought the question of what are
the other 25% doing?
Obviously, trying to figure itout and catch up quickly.
Um, but Danielle, one of yourother colleagues who will be
joining us third here on thepodcast, also gave a great uh
talk.
And she was talking aboutunlocking the opportunity and

(24:01):
connecting supply to meet thedemand, which is obviously
growing, and that this conceptof marketing as a service and AI
used together, not separately,strengthening partnerships.
And so obviously, the keymessages to get across to the
people in the room is thattechnology is your friend.
It's an enabler.
That was one of the othercomments as well, right?

(24:22):
Is that you know that AI is, andZayna made that point.
So I think everyone in the roomfeels from my perspective,
looking around at people noddingtheir heads.
Everyone is on the same pagewith we want to embrace
technology, we know AI is here.
Even in the press questions, oneof the uh reporters also asked
your CEO that AI is gonna changeeverything, but what does it
mean for the human and the guestexperience and you know the

(24:44):
emotional connection you stillhave to travel?
We'll come to that in a moment.
But what I'd love to know fromyour vantage point, especially
given that you're gonna begiving your keynote tomorrow.
So we actually get to a preview.
I'm fortunate enough to havethis conversation with you
before and get a preview of yourkeynote before I see you on
stage tomorrow.
And I'll include a fewhighlights for our listeners in
the closing of this episode.
But Javier, I would love for youto share your view.

(25:07):
Because actually, after seeingall the sessions this morning
and knowing your role and yourresponsibility of the business,
I can't wait for yourpresentation.
So tell us a little bit moreabout what you're gonna be
sharing tomorrow and how you seethe future of AI and travel.

SPEAKER_00 (25:19):
Yeah, so the first part of the presentation is is
is to explain something that weare seeing right now.
That I think in travel we'regonna start facing even more a
dichotomy because we will haveon the distribution side a fully
tech-driven, seamlessdistribution, everything
agentic, everything digital asmuch as possible.
But on the other side, humansthey want to connect.

(25:41):
So you want to have thattangible human connecting
experience at the destination.
So our job is to actually to beable to connect both worlds, and
that's one of the challenges.
So it's not about thetechnology, it's not about the
people.
If you only choose one, you'realready losing.
You need to work with both ends.
So and I think that it is one ofthe comments that I'll do
tomorrow.

(26:01):
But we we live in an AI era.
We need to embrace it, we needto run with it, with it's
bringing so much transformationthat every single business needs
to work with it.
But we cannot hide ouremployees.
Actually, the winners are theones that can combine that AI
with humans in the right place,with the right proposition,

(26:22):
combining both at their best.
That is the winning proposition,and that's what we believe at
HBX.

SPEAKER_03 (26:27):
So you mentioned a couple of things that are really
interesting there, and and inthe lead up to that, you were
also talking about theefficiency that AI offers and
the fact that from a consumerpoint of view, it should just be
more frictionless, moreseamless.
They don't need to understandhow AI is working, they just
need to have the best possibleguest experience.
So I'd love if you wouldn't mindsharing a few of the tangible
ways that you are integrating AIat HBX Group that would be

(26:52):
interesting for certainly ourlisteners, but specifically
travel advisors, to understandwhat is it you're doing to help
increase personalization or umand even if it is just knowing
more about the guest andanticipating some of their
needs, especially when peopleare staying at accommodation and
destinations.
So tell us a little bit aboutsome tangible examples of how
you guys are leveraging AI inthe background.

SPEAKER_00 (27:13):
Let me step back for one second, right?
Because I think that a lot ofeverybody talks about the use
cases on AI and it's good, butit's not enough.
It's better than just doingthings as they go, right?
The vibe coding kind ofapproach, no, that sometimes
happens.
Basically, what we want to makesure is that we have very clear
how we are gonna support theindustry in the transformation

(27:34):
and how we are gonna add value.
So for us, we see it in threelayers.
It's what we call the triple-Aframework.
So we have automate, as you'resaying, it's about removing
friction out of trouble from thebeginning till the end.
It needs to be seamless.
And some things that we're doingthere.
So we're plugging in a lot of AIin our customer service to make
sure that we attend in multiplelanguages, that we are always

(27:55):
there, that we are alwaysaccurate.
But also very interesting, weare changing some of the manual
processes in the industry andputting value-added ones in
place.
For example, it's something thatin the airline space is quite
common, the online check-in.
It's not so common on the hotelspace.
So actually, we acquired uh lastyear a company called Civit Fund
that has connectivity with thePMSs.

(28:17):
So we are leveraging this typeof AI connectivity with the PMSs
to start supporting therelationship of the customer
with the hotel before reachingthe hotel, right?
So from an experienceperspective, it's much better.
So that's the first layer in anutshell, and we can deep dive
in anything you want done.
The second, what we call isaccelerate.
This is about turning data intointelligence, and there are two

(28:39):
things that we're doing.
I'm crazy obsessed.
So the first one is we arecompletely changing how we do
pricing and revenue managementfor the industry.
So we're moving into algorithmicpricing.
At the end of the day, we havewe are an industry that operates
in an algorithmic environment.
So there's no human that canidentify, analyze, and execute

(29:00):
all of the billions data pointsto do the pricing in real time.
It's impossible.
Nobody can.
We need those algorithms.
But the beauty is when youconnect that with amazing data.
I don't know if you know that,but we receive six billion,
seven, sorry, seven billionsearches per day.
Wow.
And I don't know.
What I will ask everybody is tolook how many Google receives.

(29:21):
You're gonna be surprised.
And what this means, this is awindow into the future.
So we can actually see whichdemand is attracted to which
supply, and then we can findsimilar components as you are
saying.
That's the concept ofpersonalization.
You can get really granular,really deep, and when you
combine both, then we can offerthe right product at the right
time with the right price,always dynamically.

(29:43):
That's amazing.
And we are facing a world inwhich we can truly provide the
segment of one era that all ofus in trouble for some time
we've been dreaming about.
We have the technology ready todo that.
It's the first time ever.
So it's really exciting.
And the third is is um augment.
It's about unlocking newopportunities.
And it's one of the points wewere discussing.

(30:03):
It's around the MCP models, it'saround personalization.
We firmly believe at HBX that asan industry we need to evolve
from clicks and boxes intoconversations.
Because then you can grab thenuances of what the traveler
wants.
You can get that zero-party datathat it's giving to you to
actually put something that isunique for them, as we're
saying, is a segment of one era.

(30:25):
That's the future of ourindustry.
That's what we're heading.

SPEAKER_03 (30:27):
All right.
Well, there's another A I wantto ask you about, which is
agentic.
So I love that framework.
And I think that actually isthat's really good guidance uh
for your partners, even forinternal team members, to
understand how you'reapproaching AI as a business.
So that's actually uh incrediblyclear and beneficial.
So I appreciate you uhhighlighting that.
The specific thing I would liketo ask you is around agentic AI.

(30:48):
And of course, there's a fewreasons for that, and I'll try
and keep this question short,but just to segue is that many
travel advisors, since they werea primary focus of the a lot of
the uh presentations thismorning, they are somewhere
between beginner to lowintermediate, as far as my
perspective, speaking atvirtuoso conferences and uh you

(31:10):
know, my background, of course,is you know, technology and
marketing coming up throughCarlson Wagonly and
understanding how traveladvisors have worked for 20
years.
And I so I really understand thetravel advisor role and I very
much empathize with the traveladvisor and you know, going
through the dot-com era and nowthe AI era, and I see a lot of
parallels between those two.
I think for sure uh a lot oftravel advisors are now really
being empowered by AI, and theones that are savvy are usel

(31:33):
utilizing that technology tohelp them draft emails, put
itineraries together, and andleverage information coming from
partners to then have real-timeupdates for their guests.
There's so much uh thatpotential there.
But that's this is kind of thefirst wave of AI in that uh you
know, the generative AI erawhere we're able to create
content.
And but this agentic era whereall of a sudden AI can make

(31:54):
decisions on your behalf, thisis where now you have a personal
assistant.
And that's the next excitingthing that came up this morning
is that why wouldn't you want apersonal assistant to help with
your workflow so that you, as atravel advisor, can focus all
your time and energy on keepingthe trust?
I love that that came up likethree times this morning.
The most important and the keyword is trust.
If you can maintain trustbetween a client and a travel

(32:15):
advisor, in especially in theage of AI where they're using
these tools for planning andthey're getting even more
confused and turned around totry and figure out what they
should actually book, they'restill coming back to a human, as
we know now, more than ever, toactually handle the booking.
So, where I'm going with thisquestion, Javier, is when it
comes to agentic AI, I'd love tounderstand how you are seeing

(32:35):
that specific technologyimplemented in the business and
how you are using agentic AI towork with your partners when all
of a sudden you have, as youpointed out, billions of data
points.
You can do all personalization,but now you can take it a step
further.
You can actually make a decisionpotentially on the behalf of a
partner or a guest.
How are you embracing agentic AIsince it is the big topic of
2026?

SPEAKER_00 (32:56):
Actually, for us, we went straight to Agentic.
For us, it's so important.
As you were saying, it has somany, so many benefits.
We created something internallythat's called the AI office, no,
and as part of that, we have theAI factory.
And the starting point always isbefore showing it outside, it's
good to prove it with yourself,right?

(33:17):
Because if you are able todeploy the value for you, it's
easier than to have the pitch toactually deploy the value
outside.
So, actually, what we've done iswe reviewed every single task
that the company is doing, everysingle team, all of them, and
what we're creating issupporting every team, full
end-to-end, agentic.
And it's moving at a pace thatyou cannot imagine.
Actually, after eight weeks ofdevelopment, we've been saving

(33:39):
for the teams hundreds ofthousands of hours in every
single function.
It's in the commercial function,it's in the finance function,
it's in pricing, taking thedecisions around what is the
best price that we need we canput.
So there are so many things thatwe can do, and we're starting to
prove already in ourselves.
And now the next iteration ofthat is start having those same
discussions with our partners sowe can start plugging in their

(34:02):
agentic and even support them onthe journey of building their
own agency solutions so it canplug in with ours.
And it's not only an end-to-endagentic within one company, it's
end-to-end agentic across all ofthe value chain.
That's when it gets reallyinteresting.

SPEAKER_03 (34:16):
Very, very fascinating.
And this is where Javier has tocome back for our summit in
October.
We were speaking about itbefore.
And now, having had thisconversation with you, I know
how much our listeners aroundthe world would benefit from
your perspective.
So we'll have to make uh that uhcommitment and then we'll make
sure we'll uh provide some moredetails as we figure out the
session.
So, Javier, I've got two lastquestions for you.

(34:37):
Uh, the first one I wanted toquickly cover off is on the
future of technology andspecifically AI in the next six
to twelve months.
What should our listeners bepaying attention to?
What are some of thedevelopments you're planning at
HBX?
What would be the mostinteresting signals for the
travel industry to uh to reallyfocus on over the next end of

(34:57):
2026 going into 2027?

SPEAKER_00 (35:00):
Yeah, I think you made the comment, Agentic.
I think that everybody needs tostart moving into the agentic
world.
It's not anything around thegenerative AI.
Actually, you need to startmoving into the intelligence
part in terms of makingdecisions.
That's what I would suggesteverybody.
In terms of our side, no, we'veI comment some of them.
We're still in deployment.
What I would expect is that wedo further advances in the two

(35:21):
areas, that kind ofrecommendation engine,
personalization engine onasteroids, no, coming with AI,
plus all of the pricingelements.
So make sure that you offer theright product, the right time,
the right price, as we werediscussing before.
And and then I would sayeverybody that is starting in
the journey, start.
Don't wait for the perfect dataset, don't wait for the perfect

(35:44):
time.
Learn, start, start moving.
You will learn by doing, youwill fail, but you will
continue, you will get yourlesson.
So that's the best way of doingthat.
And for sure, if you have anyquestions, we're delighted to
help anybody in the industry.

SPEAKER_03 (35:56):
Yeah, that's fantastic.
That part has been clear.
And seeing uh the partner uhshowcase this morning and also
the exhibitor space, uh clearlyyou are welcoming to partners,
you are very forthcoming withthe information of what you can
share that will help theindustry.
And I'm gonna make sure that weshare some of those reports that
I found quite fascinating that Ididn't realize that we had
access to, and specifically uhsome of the trends in travel

(36:19):
that you've seen, includingregional travel, which I'm gonna
pick up on in our conversationsas this episode continues.
But just to close off Javierwith our conversation today, as
we sit here in Punta Cana at uhon day one of the conference,
there's a lot of things that arealready standing out to me that
I will take away.
For our listeners that don'thave the privilege of being
here, what would be some of thethings that you would tell them

(36:42):
about a conference like this?
And what are specifically you'rehoping for the attendees here to
be able to take away from beinghere at Market Hub America's?

SPEAKER_00 (36:52):
First of all, don't fear change, be part of the
change, and think of travelindustry as an ecosystem.
We are stronger together, nobodycan do it by themselves.
This is about creating acommunity, and community can be
as big as we want.
And we believe that the travelindustry, we need to create that
community, we need to help eachother to actually succeed and to

(37:13):
develop the best valueproposition to the travelers.
That's what you're expecting forus, that's what we want because
most people in travel they lovetraveling.
So that's how I think about likewhat I want to crack as a
consumer, as a traveler.
That's what I focus on.
So that's what we need to do ittogether.

SPEAKER_03 (37:27):
Wonderful.
Muchos gracias, Javier.
Good luck with your sessiontomorrow.
Wonderful to meet you, and we'llcertainly be keeping in touch.

SPEAKER_00 (37:33):
Thank you so much, Dan, for having me.

SPEAKER_03 (37:36):
I am now delighted to be joined by our second guest
here at Market Hub America's,Una O'Leary, who is the VP of
sales at HBX and Luxurist.
Una is from Toronto.
She's a fellow Canadian, andI've known her for many years at
Virtuoso.
So, Una, it's wonderful to seeyou again.
Thanks so much for joining usfor this conversation.

SPEAKER_01 (37:55):
Thanks so much for having me.
I'm excited to be here.

SPEAKER_03 (37:57):
And I know you've just come off stage, so you just
had a panel, and I appreciateyou making time for this
conversation.
Our listeners just heard fromJavier, who's going to be
speaking tomorrow.
Tell us a little bit about yourrole, first of all, because this
is an exciting conversation thatI'm keen to have with you about
luxury.
So we'll talk about theluxurist, but tell us a little
bit about your role at HBX.

SPEAKER_01 (38:16):
So as you say, I'm the vice president for sales for
the luxurist, and it is a luxuryplatform for sort of more
complicated itineraries.
It is actually, it's interestingbecause I come from it from a
human side.
Um, this is a tech company, soyou know, why a tech company?
Um, but I think, you know, withevery bit of technology,
technology makes things gofaster.

(38:36):
Technology uh is verytransactional, and the human
side, you know, brings the umbrings things that are
memorable.
It gives context as well to uhto the things that that are sped
up.
So um it humanizes it.
So in a sense, you know, why whyluxury, why technology?
Um but the luxurist itselfreally is um it's about uh
servicing a very interestingcommunity of people.

(38:59):
So the affluent traveler, uhpremium luxury traveler, um
providing them with choices.
And as we know, uh travelerslove choice.

SPEAKER_03 (39:06):
For sure.
And you know, one thing that Ican say this is that you know, I
love Virtuoso, but Virtuoso isnot a technology company.
I think Matthew would be the oneof the first people to say that.
Um but HBX very much is, andthat was very clear from our
conversation with Javier, youknow, being the chief of
innovation and data and AI andreally understanding the
technology side.
And it's been very impressive tosee the executive team on stage

(39:28):
today and the real focus ontechnology.
I did ask Javier to explain theluxurist, but now that I have
you here, you're perfectlypositioned as you're leading
that business.
Tell all of our listeners alittle bit about the luxurist,
where a bit of background andwhere you guys are focused,
especially as it comes to thisconference.

SPEAKER_01 (39:46):
Well, I think you know, luxury is something that
it's a bit of a buzzword.
Everybody wants to be in luxury,but luxury is about personal
experiences.
Um and affluent travelers, theyreally are interested in in
privacy, they're interested inin all sorts of things.
And the complicated uhitineraries.
So we saw we saw that there wasan opportunity in the market
from a how is this being serviceperspective?

(40:08):
A lot of tech, a lot of AI.
We've talked a lot about AI.
I actually tried to go throughthe entire uh panel without
actually using the words AI.
We use digital and technology.
We appreciate you.
Yes, thank you.
Thank you.
Um, but there is that human sidethat is uh was missing.
And so the luxurious platform isnot just about uh it's about
complicated itineraries, and soan advisor can log on and they

(40:29):
can um right out of the gate,they have access to a concierge.
And so that's that human side.
So it is about um hotels and itis about uh very more
complicated destinations, etc.
It doesn't have to be on ourplatform, they will help to
service uh the traveler.
Um, and the interesting thingabout it as well is that the
once everything is booked, thetraveler also has access to the

(40:50):
concierge on the trip.
So it kind of gives thatend-to-end human experience,
makes them feel better.
There's so much going on in theworld, not just in the industry.
Um, but it really does help themuh to have peace and feel that
they're supported.

SPEAKER_03 (41:03):
And to give our listeners a bit of context on
your background now that you'releading you know this important
part of HBX and the growthstrategy and luxury, and as
we're having this conversation,there's gonna be three
conversations, and you're thesecond guest.
And the reason we're having thisconversation is because of the
incredible growth opportunityaround luxury and working with
travel advisors.
But something that's interestingabout both of our backgrounds is

(41:24):
that we both worked worked withCarlson Wagonly.
We did.
So you started your career inthe same kind of uh company that
I did.
So, knowing working with traveladvisors, you worked at
Ensemble, a consortia, which youknow is one of the top three
North American consortias.
You were not only the generalmanager for Canada for Virtuoso,
but then you took over the roleas vice president of global
partnerships.
But your background has veryclearly been travel advisors and

(41:46):
luxury.
Tell us a little bit what drewyou into this industry in the
first place.

SPEAKER_01 (41:50):
Uh I always loved to travel.
I grew up, my family lived inthe Middle East, we lived in
Ireland, we lived all over theworld.
Um, I went to boarding school inEurope, which was fabulous.
So I had a lot of experienceswith culture, with community,
um, really the whole immersionof being in different cultures.
I do remember applying for a jobone time as a marketing
assistant and being told I wasoverqualified because I had a

(42:10):
degree.
It was in the travel industry.
So that was way back many, many,many years.
I also spent a little bit oftime in financial services.
So um I was also in insurance.
And so just think of this from atravel perspective.
Uh my accounts were umaccidental death and
dismemberment, criticalaccident, critical illness.
So imagine from a travelperspective, um, it's a
beautiful product.

(42:30):
What we do in travel is we builddreams and memories for people.
We take them on a journey, wetake them places that um they
can go with their family, theycan go um explore new cultures,
they can have adventure travel,um, they can go away with their
loved ones.
And so it's it's a very, verydifferent uh type of business.

SPEAKER_03 (42:48):
Yeah, and it's one of those things, once you've
stepped out of the travelindustry, if you've been in the
industry, you want to get backso badly because all of a sudden
you realize just how specialdeath and dismemberment exactly
does not sound exciting at all.
And I'm sure many of ourlisteners can relate to that,
and that's why many peoplelisten to the podcast.
They either want to get into theindustry, find their way to
advance in the industry.
And so to bring us back to whywe're here and specifically

(43:11):
luxury travel, there's been someamazing trends shared throughout
the day, and one of themobviously is the incredible
growth and luxury.
And I'd love for you, Una, toshare some of the most
meaningful stats and the datayou're paying attention to that
will highlight to our listenersjust how significant the
opportunity is for luxurytravel.

SPEAKER_01 (43:27):
Well, I think it's changing.
You know, uh one of the areasthat that uh we need to focus on
as well is millennials are thenumber one growing uh um
generational uh group that usestravel advisors.
And so it it is thatrelationship with travel about
um uh feeling uh feeling takencare of.
And so they're very, very busy.

(43:48):
So we're seeing we're seeing atrend back towards advisors.
We're also seeing morepersonalized trips.
So um not just going and tryingto hit every port, uh they're
spending more time indestination, they want to have
more immersive.
Experiences.
Adventure doesn't just meanadventure climbing mountains.
It means an adventure could begoing to a museum you've never
been to before and exploring acity.
So just doing it differently.

(44:10):
But lot a lot more immersivetypes of trips so that they're
more experiential.

SPEAKER_03 (44:15):
And one of the things that obviously everyone's
gathered here, there's 14different countries that have
come together for thisconference.
I'd love if you wouldn't mindsharing a little bit about how
luxury is being shapedthroughout the Americas.
And even if you can speak toCanada, for example.
Karen Hardy, who now is the GMfor Virtuoso in Canada, she
kindly invited me to do aspeaking series over Calgary and
Vancouver and Toronto.
And the reason I mentioned thatis because the focus was

(44:37):
highlighting the Canadian luxurymarket.
And there were some reallyfascinating details that I
wasn't privy to until I had thatopportunity, which was, you
know, the average spend is$2,000a night.
And so when you and youunderstand why when you're
spending that amount of money,you want a travel advisor that's
going to make really solidrecommendations for you.
When you look at the luxurymarket across the Americas, what
are sort of the markets that areseeing the most significant

(44:59):
growth?
Who has the offering?
And I'll give one more example.
Colombia is an emergingdestination, but they don't
quite yet have luxury hotels.
They're getting there.
Cartagena's building a fourseasons, but it's all about the
infrastructure.
So tell us a little bit moreabout who has the
infrastructure, certainly PuntaCanada, as we've seen that, that
the five-star hotels we havehere.
But yeah, where are the emergingopportunities for luxury in the
Americas?

SPEAKER_01 (45:19):
I I think it's I think it's a really great
question because you know, withso much geopolitical things
going on, one of the areas thatwe were actually looking at was
the Middle East.
So just as an example, SaudiArabia was building you know 11
five-star hotels that weresupposed to open in the next
year.
So just different areas likethat.
Um Japan is always so hot.
Italy for us is is you know oneof our number one destinations.

(45:41):
Um people are looking offseason, obviously.
Um, and particularly the luxuryspace, they want privacy, they
don't want crowds.
Um and so looking at places likeCartagena, um, but definitely,
you know, Japan never seems tofall off all off that precipice.
So it it it now is becoming oneof that sort of overpopulated
places.
Cool cations.
I mean, everybody talks aboutcooler climates.

(46:03):
Um, so with all everythingthat's happening in the
environment, there is a focusalso on going to almost those um
last chance locations.
So there's a lot of uh a lot oftrends back to um polar
expeditions and expeditioncruising.
Um but there is a shift as well.
So we uh we talk about hotels,hotels is a destination.
Um, that is a huge trend thatwe're seeing.
So people are actually going,and hotels are adapting um their

(46:26):
offering so that people can havethat as part of their
staycation.

SPEAKER_03 (46:30):
Yeah.
I appreciate you highlightingsome of the destinations.
One other thing that I also wantto uh keen to get your take on
is how the customer expectationsare changing.
You mentioned younger travelersthat are utilizing travel
advisors, young affluenttravelers in particular.
But you also have consumers thatare looking more for
experiences.
And I know one of the thingsthat's unique about the luxury's
offering is not only thetechnology, but this 24-7

(46:52):
concierge support and theexclusive privileges.
What and we we heard today thismorning that actually the most
important thing isn't access,it's trust.
And I thought that really stoodout to me.
It was a null multiple timesthat trust was mentioned.
Tell us a little bit about howluxury customers are evolving
and how the luxurious is meetingthose needs.

SPEAKER_01 (47:09):
Well, the number one thing about trust is that it's
earned.
So, and and I know that we'vetalked about that as well.
Um, that's where the the advisorcomes in, and um, you know, it
it is about that safety piecefor uh as so many things change.
It's that the ability to be ableto pick up um and call your
advisor.
It's not necessarily that youcan't get that through
technology, that is faster, butthe the empathy, we talk a lot

(47:30):
about AI, we need to look at EI.
So, what the advisor brings tothe table is the EI side of it.
They have the ability to be ableto interpret, they can um they
can help so they can react toquickly uh and respond.
So travelers now are looking forthat support when they travel.
Um, and interestingly, luxurytravel isn't just about
five-star hotels, it's about theexperience, it's about what you

(47:52):
want to bring home.
That might be a three-hard starhotel, but they might take a
helicopter to get there.
So it's just it just depends onon what they want to invest in.
Um, but the travel advisor isthere to help to advise them to
create and and bespokeopportunities for them and
curate their actual um theirtheir entire journey.

SPEAKER_03 (48:11):
Well, I do have to ask you one question on
technology.
We don't have to specificallyfocus on AI, but given that
technology is one of the mostimportant themes here at the
conference and you know,balancing innovative technology
and AI with personalizedservice, and that's certainly
what luxury travelers expect.
And Javiar did a really nice jobin our discussion of
highlighting that AI andtechnology is operates best when

(48:33):
it's in the background, it'sinvisible to the customer.
And sure enough, I walked backinto the main uh presentation
stage, and that was thesentiment throughout the next
series of conversations was howdoes AI just fade into the
background?
I'd love to hear from yourvantage point, especially given
that you came from anon-technology background, but
totally understand the guestexperience, now working in a

(48:53):
technology company, where do yousee the power of that technology
being utilized most effectivelyat HBX Group and the luxurist in
the background?

SPEAKER_01 (49:02):
Yeah, I think uh to make things go faster.
So even though we we are seeingalso trends towards shorter
booking periods, and so umtravelers want to travel
tomorrow, they want to travel intwo days.
And so uh AI and AI andtechnology helps them to get
there a little bit faster.
But again, the advisors stillpersonalize it.
You know, if you look at themillennials, for example,
there's kind of four things thatthey do.

(49:23):
They they um they seek, theysource, they book, and they
brag.
So that's all the technologypiece of that is Oh, and boy do
they brag.

SPEAKER_03 (49:32):
So boy do they brag.

SPEAKER_01 (49:33):
But the whole digital side is is a part of
their entire experience.
And so that almost that sitsmore with the traveler than it
does with us.
We create the opportunities forthem and advise us to create the
opportunities through throughobviously sourcing the right
product on the back end, so thetechnology.
So sourcing um the hotel theright hotels with the right
flights, with the right all ofthose those pieces.
The nice thing also about um theluxurist is that you can also we

(49:56):
you can use the concierge tosource um uh things that are not
necessarily on our platform.
So that's the special part ofit.
That's where the magic comes in,is when the technology and the
human side come together andthey make magic.

SPEAKER_03 (50:08):
Yeah, no, I agree.
That is, I mean, it's uh that'sthe chemistry that you're really
aiming for.
And I think one of the things ofeven being here in person is the
human connection.
And obviously, it's my firsttime at the conference, your
first conference as well.
Second conference, I can't.
Oh, sorry, okay, cool.
And then uh from yourperspective, coming to your
second conference and seeingeveryone that's here, what are

(50:30):
some of the things you're hopingpeople are gonna get out of
marketplace Americas, especiallyfrom a luxury and luxurist point
of view?

SPEAKER_01 (50:36):
I think this is a great place for ideation, you
know, um coming together andjust um asking the right
questions, meeting new people,creating those relationships,
and and how do you work togetherto create what's the new, the
next best big thing?
Um, I think we're here to listento our clients, we're here to
listen to other partners andunderstand what they are doing

(50:56):
and how do we work together umto create something beautiful
and magical in the in thetechnology space that is
seamless, reduces friction, um,and allows the traveler to have
a better experience.

SPEAKER_03 (51:07):
And tell us a little bit about what you shared in
that last panel as we wrapped upday one.

SPEAKER_01 (51:11):
Uh one of the things actually that I that I really
liked was um how does how doestechnology enhance the traveler
experience?
And so um technology is at thecrux of everything that we do.
So um how technology reallyhelps them is if a traveler is
going, you can get um immediate,you know, the language can
happen.
So um you can translate, there'stranslation, there's you can get
cultural experiences, they cansend you real-time updates on

(51:34):
weather and traffic, and you canalso figure out how to get from
A to B.
Um, that's all the stuff thathappens in destination.
But technology and AI are notalways perfect either.
That's where when you have thetechnology and the advisor
helping you, providing you alsowith updates from from a
different perspective, from ahuman perspective, there's
judgment, there's intuition, andthen there's that relationship

(51:55):
that they have with thetravelers.
So the two need to work togetheruh to create a symbiotic
relationship.

SPEAKER_03 (51:59):
Aaron Ross Powell, there were so many interesting
stats that were shared todaythat I think would be incredibly
valuable for travel advisorsaround the world, but
specifically here in theAmericas, to understand the
opportunity and the growth.
If they have a better idea ofthe destinations customers are
going to come in asking for, andthat was one of the things I
thought that was fantastic by uhAaron Ryan, the director at
Tourism Economics, an Oxfordeconomics company that shared

(52:20):
the tourism outlook for theAmericas.
And one of the things that hehighlighted that is exciting for
us as Canadians, NorthAmericans, and all of LATAM,
really, is that we're going tooutpace Europe over time that
actually in the next few years,just by 2030, we'll outpace
Europe and then significantly by2035.
And we, and you and I going backin this industry, we're always
so focused on European summertravel.

(52:42):
And that's one of the thingsthat's going to change.
And that's really exciting whenyou look at the numbers to
Argentina and to Peru and Canadaand the USA and to the Caribbean
destinations as well.
So the center of gravity isgoing to shift in our industry.
I would love, since you're soclose to working with travel
advisors, tell us some of thethings that they should be
paying attention to.
What are some of the trends thatour travel advisors could

(53:04):
benefit from your experience andexpertise?

SPEAKER_01 (53:07):
I think they should be looking at uh travelers are
not just doing the blockbustertrips, they're also doing the
local trips.
So cross-border and and the thegrowth for those two is quite
substantial.
They should also be looking atthe millennial market because
millennials really do focus onusing advisors, and they are the
strongest growing users of uhtravel advisors.

(53:29):
Um keeping ahead of trends, andthere's a lot, and and this is
where I think technology and AIcome in, is that they can
leverage technology and AI toget ahead of the trends.
So um luxury travelers are alsocoming to us and at and and
advisors and saying, where doyou where should I travel?
Give me some examples.
So getting ahead of the trendsby um seeing where people are

(53:50):
traveling, and most importantly,if they're luxury traveler,
where are they not traveling?

SPEAKER_03 (53:54):
Yeah.
Yeah, that's actually a reallygood point as well.
So the um the other thing I wantto, I've got two more questions
for you, Ina.
And I actually want to ask you aquestion that was similar to
what I asked Javier, and I'mgonna finish with something
completely different.
But with Javier, one of thethings that I asked him that I'm
always keen to ask executivesthat are putting on such an
important conference like this,is what is the hope that you for
the people that are attendingthat they're gonna take away,

(54:16):
that also that might beinteresting for our listeners
that don't have the privilege tobe here, but are gonna be
intrigued by virtue of listeningto this and the conversations
and meeting some of the HBXexecutives.
And I'm gonna share some linksto reports and things that could
be valuable for our globallisteners that are accessible
for everybody.
Um, but tell everyone what isyour hope coming into this
conference would be one of themain takeaways from this event.

SPEAKER_01 (54:37):
Uh I hope that they see that change is inevitable
and that um you can change ornot.
You know, it it's sort of one ofthese things with AI and all the
technology that's shifting, allthe things that are happening in
the world.
We can only do that if we dothat together.
So the relationships that arebuilt here are so substantial
and so important because youcan't do it alone.
And um banding together in acommunity for not just from a

(55:00):
technology perspective, but froma relationship, that's where you
learn and that's how you grow.
Um, and that's how we we're inthe process of creating a really
great tech community that has ahuman side to it that is going
to propel us forward.
I hope that they see um the newthings that we're working on and
developing is it's it's aboutthem and it's for improving
their business, their ROI at theend of the day, uh, from
improving the traveler'sexperience and also their own

(55:23):
personal experience.
So I hope they all go away withsome incredible takeaway that we
are going in the right directionand uh we want them to come with
us.

SPEAKER_03 (55:31):
Yeah, that's fantastic.
And one of the key reasons Ireally wanted you to be a part
of this and thrilled that youhave joined us for this
discussion is because if we lookat the future of travel advisors
and being powered by technology,the luxury segment is poised for
the most significant growth, asyou highlighted in the
introduction to thisconversation.
And so, in closing, one of thethings I'd like to ask you, a
little different than Javier,because if I ask Javier how best

(55:53):
to get in touch with him, he'sjust inbox is gonna get
absolutely overloaded.
And I'm not gonna suggest thesame for you, but I want to make
sure that our listeners, thatour travel advisors, they're
listening to this, if they wantto connect with the HBX group
and learn more about theluxurist and be a part of who
are the kind of guess target uhuh advisors and partners for you

(56:14):
and how best for them to reachout and interact with your team.

SPEAKER_01 (56:17):
Well, I think it's I think it's both.
It's it's people that are thatare already booking luxury
travel, but it's also if youwant to try, if you have clients
that are perhaps not in thepremium space, so we operate, we
sort of straddle between thepremium and the luxury space
right now.
Um if you're looking to you'rebecause that's another trend
we're seeing as well, thattravelers want to do more
premium and and luxury travel.
So they do smaller travel, butthey'll also do their bigger

(56:39):
trips.
So if you're if you'reinterested in that, I can
certainly be found throughLinkedIn.
Um and they can check out thewebsite as well and just reach
out.
We're happy to show demos of theplatform and to get give them
more information about uh thewhy you should use certain
platforms that we have and andengaging with HBX and Beds
Online.

SPEAKER_03 (56:58):
Fantastic.
And just so our world isHBXgroup.com, and then it's the
luxurist brand, which you canfind under the company tab as
well on the navigation.

SPEAKER_01 (57:05):
Correct.

SPEAKER_03 (57:06):
And Una O'Leary, which uh Una U-N-A, and then
O'Leary, as exactly you'd expectit to be spelled, um, that you
can find her on LinkedIn.
She's very active, engaged onLinkedIn.
And the one last thing, I gothere's a bonus question here,
since you're in luxury traveland we're always looking myself
and my wife for what is the nextdestination?
Where are you headed next, Una?

(57:27):
After and from uh for your nextpersonal trip, what's where's
the next luxury destination foryou?

SPEAKER_01 (57:32):
Um actually we are doing uh we're doing Asia, um,
spending a little bit of time inVietnam, doing a river cruise
through Cambodia.
And since it's just a littlehop, skip, and a jump, we're
going to uh spend a couple ofdays in Bangkok.
So not a part of the world thatI've been in before.
My excitement about it is thatit is um cultural, it is um
there's a lot to immerseyourself into the community and

(57:53):
a lot of learning.
So I'm super excited about it.

SPEAKER_03 (57:56):
That's amazing.
Well, and what when I when mywife and I went 20 years ago for
the first time, there wasn'tluxury, and now all of a sudden
there's luxury river cruises,there's five-star hotels, all of
a sudden Southeast Asia hasreally taken off for luxury.
So it's a whole other way toexperience that beautiful part
of the world.
I'm excited for you, andobviously it's great to see you
again, Una.
Good luck with the rest of theconference and have a great rest
of 2026.

SPEAKER_01 (58:15):
Thank you so much.
I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03 (58:17):
And I have the privilege and honor now to speak
to Danielle von Weihater, whogave an incredible keynote
yesterday.
She is the VP of Sales for NorthAmerica.
Danielle, welcome to TravelTrends.
Great to have you with us.

SPEAKER_02 (58:30):
Thank you so much, Dan.
It's great to have you here inFuntacana and hope you're
enjoying as much as I am.

SPEAKER_03 (58:34):
Yeah, it's been extraordinary.
I've absolutely loved the lastcouple of days and I almost
don't want it to come to an end.
I know today is the last day,um, but there's some
extraordinary keynotes.
Javier is going to be on stageshortly, who spoke to us to open
up this episode.
But let's start with your roleand a bit about your background.
So tell us how you got into thetravel industry first and tell
us a little bit more about yourrole at HBX.

SPEAKER_02 (58:55):
Absolutely.
So um I'm actually originallyBrazilian.
So I started my whole careerthere in Brazil.
Uh since then, I lived in aboutfour different countries.
Wow.
So uh Australia, one of them.
Uh Australia, Switzerland, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (59:07):
And well, Danielle mentions that, but she's based
based in Melbourne, Florida.
And I lived in Melbourne,Australia.
So I didn't realize you lived inAustralia as well.

SPEAKER_02 (59:14):
Yeah, Gold Coast.

SPEAKER_03 (59:16):
Oh, very cool.
Okay.

SPEAKER_02 (59:17):
But it was like high school, so a long time ago.
But it was uh great.
That was my first uh fullimmersion into English language,
uh, which is Aussie, which isvery fun.
But anyway, um I always wantedto work in the travel industry.
I was a big travel fan.
Um, my parents were divorced andthey live in different areas of
Brazil, so I always had totravel to visit them, and that

(59:38):
was amazing, and I loved it, andI definitely want to do more of
that.
Um, and I started traveling theworld and I realized that travel
can really change how how theworld can can work around,
right?
It's uh when you see othercultures, you see other people,
it's so beautiful.
Uh, and you open up your eyesand open up what are uh your

(59:58):
possibilities, and I feel likethe world needs more of that.
So that was always in my mind.

SPEAKER_03 (01:00:02):
Well, I know HBX is part of your core mission, is to
actually you uh travel as aforce for good in the world.

SPEAKER_02 (01:00:08):
Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 (01:00:08):
So obviously you're aligned to your omission and you
but you have an extensivebackground in the travel
industry uh with Toracoholidays, where you were for a
number of years, and then youwere at hotel beds, and then
you've been in this role now foruh a little over a year as the
vice president.
And so tell us a little bitabout your current role and what
you're focusing on.

SPEAKER_02 (01:00:28):
Absolutely.
So um, my current role, I am theVP of sales, like you said.
So I manage all the NorthAmerica team and all the clients
that are within it.
So um, as you know, HBX reallyis in the middle of uh
connecting supply and demand.
So my job is to make sure wehave the right demand and that
we are be able to support thedemand with the right supply.

SPEAKER_03 (01:00:47):
Fantastic.
And yesterday, in your openingsession, when we're going
through the regional updates,and I took a few pictures from
your session yesterday becausethere were some um great details
that you shared about unlockingthe right opportunity faster.
And you were highlighting aboutuh connectivity and um really
growing the opportunity withmarketing as a service,
increasing uh demand generation.

(01:01:08):
Tell us a little bit about yourpresentation yesterday, the kind
of big takeaways that you werehoping to uh convey to the
audience.

SPEAKER_02 (01:01:14):
Absolutely.
So I I think uh HBX is really inthe middle of everything, right?
So that creates a lot of bigpossibilities that we can
support the travel industry as awhole.
Because if you think about it, Ithink we have over 450,000
connections between supply anddemand side.
So what can we do to reallydrive more value for both sides
of that equation?
I think it's the main point,right?

(01:01:35):
Where and market as a service isjust one example of something
that we can perfectly connectthose two ends of the of the
conversation.

SPEAKER_03 (01:01:42):
And one of the themes that kept coming up
yesterday, and I'm sure we'll beon stage again today, is
transformation.
You know, of course, we talked alot about AI, and I'm gonna have
to ask you about that andtechnology.
But you know, when um we'respeaking about transformation, I
know it's part of Javier's titleas well.
So um, but everyone's clearlyinvolved in transforming a
business, especially like HBX.
Tell us a little bit from yourperspective how the travel
distribution landscape isevolving.

(01:02:04):
So, how is that area of thebusiness specifically
transforming?
And what are sort of the bigopportunities?

SPEAKER_02 (01:02:11):
I think we're seeing a lot of clients trying to
explore where to go.
And I think that's going to bekey in the next uh couple of
years, right?
I would say actually even lessthan that, probably the next
year, uh, in who is able to dothat fast and who is able to
really transform and who is justtrying to use AI to make it
slightly better than what wecurrently have today.
So you can clearly see thosedifferences when you're looking.

(01:02:32):
Um, of course, the startups havea little bit of an advantage
there because they're faster,more agile, they can put stuff
together and they can grow muchfaster on that, while we do see
major big companies and bigclients uh struggling a little
bit of being able to move alittle bit faster on that.

SPEAKER_03 (01:02:46):
And specifically about technology, because I have
to ask you about that, since youknow, not only technology and AI
specifically were centraltopics.
And you know, when you looked atthe stats that were highlighted
initially in the opening uhdiscussion with your uh CEO uh
Nicola, the technologychallenges was nearly half of
what people were concernedabout.
And one of the things that Ithink is really interesting

(01:03:08):
about HBX is you really are atechnology company, and you've
uh what stood out to me beingthe first time here at the
conference is how you simplifiedthat for your audience to make
uh people not afraid of it andand to really set the stage.
There's a big opportunity forhere for everyone to take
advantage of technology.
And I'd love to hear from yourvantage point how you are
leveraging technology to workwith these partners, since

(01:03:28):
clearly when you're in the salesfunction, it's very different
than Javier.
You're off you're often on thefront lines of all these
questions that people are tryingto understand about how they
should partner with you, howthey should utilize the latest
technology.
Um, so how are you doing that tohelp elevate traveler
experiences?

SPEAKER_02 (01:03:45):
That's a perfect question.
Um, I think there is uh a coupleof different things, right?
So I don't know if you saw theMark the presentation as well on
the product side, that one ofthe main goals for us for Tech
Roadmap this year is simplicity,right?
And that's what AI did reallydid.
It was pretty much making codeaccessible to everyone and make
it simple for everyone to use,right?
So it focusing on how we cansimply deliver frictionless the

(01:04:07):
connectivity and the thing andthe value that our clients
require, that is where we wecome from.
So, from my job is a lot ofunderstanding what the client's
needs are, where their strategyis going, and trying to see how
we can adapt that to ourtechnology to be able to give
what they need to be successfulin the future, right?
It's not about us, it's aboutthem and how we can support
their growth.

SPEAKER_03 (01:04:28):
Well, one of the things that stood out to me both
at the breaks, the lunches, andeven at the evening functions is
the number of people that havebeen talking about the content
and the conference itself, whichis always a really encouraging
sign because people are reallyengaging the subject matter and
the material because they'regetting real benefit from it.
And as I mentioned in ourdiscussions with both Una and
Javier, uh one of the thingsthat's really stood out to me is

(01:04:49):
the number of people that arecoming back to this conference
year after year and are gettingclearly great benefit from it.
I'd love to hear from yourvantage point because I'm sure
when you walk out of thesessions and you overhear
conversations, what sort ofchatter are you hearing this
year?
What are people talking about?
What are some of the subjectsthat are clearly resonating with
them from your vantage point?

SPEAKER_02 (01:05:08):
I I love that you made that comment because
actually I was just talking tosomeone inside that one of our
badges should have like if it'syour first year in Market Hub or
10th year in Market Hub, and wehad one of our clients saying,
Well, my goal was to be 10 yearsin Market Hub.
Like, we'll make it happen.

SPEAKER_03 (01:05:22):
What do you get for 10 years?
You get a watch?
I know, right?

SPEAKER_02 (01:05:25):
We should do something.
But I think we we're we're on tosomething here.
Uh I think we're hearing a lot,which I was uh my challenge on
the keynote yesterday, right?
Was uh use this time, use thekey people here in the industry
that are here to find ways toconnect together and to move the
industry forward, right?
Not only your businesses, butthe industry.

(01:05:46):
And we actually just uh heardfrom a client yesterday that
they connected to another clientof ours and they were able to
find synergies and ways thatthey can move forward uh
together and improve both oftheir businesses.
And that's what this is reallyabout, right?

SPEAKER_03 (01:06:00):
Well, and that's what's actually interesting.
I was going to ask you next isbecause clearly coming into this
conference, you're responding towhat a lot of customers are
already asking you.
So you're getting ready for youronstage presentation to address
a lot of these questions.
So even outside of thisconference, midway through 2026,
what are most of your customersasking you about?
And one of the things thatclearly came up too is

(01:06:20):
volatility in the marketplace,you know, fuel prices.
So clearly, I'm sure you'rehearing a lot of concerns about
costs.
But what are some of the thingsthat you're very conscientious
of that you hear from yourcustomers?

SPEAKER_02 (01:06:32):
I hear still a lot of questions on AI, right?
I feel like we talk so muchabout it, but in the end of the
day, bringing it from thatconceptual of AI is going to
change everything to actuallyhow is it going to change my
business and how can I make theinnovation that is going to
change everything?
That's where people are reallystruggling still to be able to
accomplish.

SPEAKER_03 (01:06:51):
And one of the things you mentioned startups
and startups being so nimble.
And I see HBX Group as some asan organization that uh clearly
has a very uh almost a startupethos in speaking to your team,
um, culture, the you know, thewillingness to embrace things
and try different things, andalso uh to move quickly.
Like there's a clearly thethere's an I know the conference

(01:07:11):
theme is unlocked, whichcoincidentally is the way that I
would describe um the way that Isee your team approaching
opportunities.
They feel like they're unlocked.
And you're speaking to Javier, Imean, our listeners just heard
from him and then Una as well.
And now, speaking to yourself,Danielle, there is um
enthusiasm, there's optimism,and there's like a desire to try
new things.
And and I think that that's partof the reason people love being

(01:07:34):
here, because you if you have agreat company culture, that
translates over to bringing allyour customers together for an
event like this.
But my specific question on thistopic is that one of the things
that startups do so well is theysolve pain points.
And I know it's one of thethings that when you're hearing
from clients, that you're thenfiguring out how do we address
these needs.
So I'd love if you wouldn't mindsharing some of the ways that
HBX is responding to what yourcustomers are asking for.

(01:07:57):
And obviously AI being one greatexample of that.
I'm sure you've got many toshare along those lines because
everyone spoke to it yesterdayon stage.
Uh, but yeah, what would be afew ways you'd say HBX Group is
responding to some of thesechallenges?

SPEAKER_02 (01:08:09):
Yeah, uh, and I I gave a perfect example
yesterday, I feel like, uh, oncontent, right?
Uh we literally content has beenan industry problem, and that's
because of fragmentation, whichis probably one of the biggest
challenges in the industry ingeneral, right?
So when we are able to take umsuch a big problem and be able
to invest in it and bring ourpartners and platforms together

(01:08:30):
to figure out a better way ofdoing it, that's when we move
the industry forward, right?
And that's a perfect example ofsomething we're doing based on
feedback with the feedback ofour clients and partners.

SPEAKER_03 (01:08:41):
Well, one of the things that's going to come up
today, of course, is where arewe headed?
And you guys have addressed alot of the progress across the
group over the last day and ahalf, but now obviously it
shifts to what's next.
Because that's once you'veupdated everybody, then everyone
wants to know what's next.
So along those lines, I'd loveto know.
I mean, given that we have seenthe travel industry show
remarkable resilience,especially even in the face of a

(01:09:03):
lot of geopolitical challengesthis year.
It was great to see some of thedata shared from Amadeus
yesterday that travel is up yearover year.
It was supposed to be up 7%.
It's still up globally 3%.
Middle East is down ninepercent, but globally, travel is
still up.
And I think that's actuallysomething that we should all be
leaving here optimistic about,especially as hopefully things

(01:09:24):
start to settle down and we getinto summer travel and then
people traveling for fall, atleast the people in the northern
hemisphere, right?
I'm always mindful because we'veboth lived in Australia.
We have to be mindful of when werefer to summer.
Um, but I'd love to know what'sahead for you and the team.

SPEAKER_02 (01:09:39):
I think uh the ecosystem and the connected trip
has been something we've beentalking about since the last
market happened maybe probablybefore that.
Um I feel like the companies areuh finally being able to really
onboard that that sense, right?
Because one thing is talk aboutconnected trip, but it's
actually a very complex thing toput together.
And I uh we have an amazingpipeline, for example, of

(01:10:00):
product adoption when our carsuh experiences and all of that
is so we can really see that thecompanies are taking from uh
that is a very nice to have, Ilike the connected trip idea, to
an actual action.
So I think that's gonna be atrend that we're gonna be seeing
more and more for the next year.

SPEAKER_03 (01:10:16):
And the other thing I'd love to ask you, Danielle,
is the segments where you'reseeing the most significant
growth.
Obviously, Una is very focuseduh with the luxurist on the
luxury segment.
That's her background, herexpertise.
And Javier has to solvechallenges across the entire
group, as do you, because youobviously your role is across
HBX group, and then you're onthe front line uh handling all
the customer requests andmanaging sales and partnerships.

(01:10:39):
What are some of the segmentsthat you expect to see the more
significant growth in over thenext year?

SPEAKER_02 (01:10:45):
Uh uh just to put a one thing that you mentioned
before.
So I I think North America aswell is in the AI center of
everything, right?
Of innovation.
Yeah.
So I think more of my job, notonly in being able to find
things across the board, isreally a lot of the new
technologies coming from hereand making sure we are able to
grab those to understand wherethey're going and push that

(01:11:06):
across the world.
So we are able to adapt beforethe rest of the world can uh can
get to the same place, right?
So I think that is key forspecifically this region and
trying to get that across theacross the the universe, right?
Uh where we're going.
But um sorry.

SPEAKER_03 (01:11:20):
Yeah, and you're absolutely right, because that's
that has been a recurring themeeven in the press conferences,
everyone asking about AI,because here in North America,
there is much more with uhSpaceX.
I know you're based in umMelbourne, Florida, near Cape
Canaveral, so you see uh thespace shuttles take off there.
Um but with the SpaceX launchand AI being top of mind,
obviously that is but tell us alittle bit more about some of

(01:11:42):
the other segments within HBXgroup beyond the luxurists that
are seeing the most growth.

SPEAKER_02 (01:11:48):
I think uh cars is something that has been
extremely important uh for usand we're expanding
significantly.
We have a very good base alreadyin Europe, and I think we're
expanding that quite a bit herein North America.
Um normally you are a carcompany or your accommodation
company, right, for our clientsas well.
Normally the clients that aredue to sell accommodation, they
don't sell cars, and now we'retrying to put it all together.

(01:12:10):
So I think that's an interestingone as well as experiences.
Uh our experience has been invery high demand, and we do have
a fantastic team that is able,and now we have the acquisition
of Bridgeify as well.
So we are definitely expandingon our supply uh and the
possibilities that uhexperiences can bring.

SPEAKER_03 (01:12:25):
Yeah, that's a very exciting development, and
clearly we know that travelersnow are looking for experiences
more than ever.
And we've talked a lot on thispodcast about transformational
travel and what people areseeking, and hearing some of the
presenters yesterday talkingabout people looking for
meaning, people looking foremotional connection.
And even Zaina yesterday, who Iknow very well from her time at
Air Canada, now Travello, andshe was talking about the human

(01:12:48):
element of travel and that youknow the emotional connection
that we have is something that'sgoing to be maintained even in
the face of you know AI changingeverything.
That seemed to be, you know,there was a the one side of AI
changes everything, but at theend of the day, we're still
humans and we like to travel,and the reasons we travel are to
have these wonderful sensoryexperiences, and ultimately,
experiences is the key word,right?

SPEAKER_02 (01:13:08):
Um no one wants to travel just to stay in an
airport, right?
The goal is to do somethinginteresting.

SPEAKER_03 (01:13:13):
So except for my son.
So my son's training to become apilot, and he's the only person
I know that loves the airportmore than any other part of
travel.
I know, and so we always teasehim when we're there because the
mission.
Yeah, it's he wants to takepictures of all the planes, he
wants to spend, he wants to goto the airport early.
So there's there are thosepeople out there uh that love
the airport experience, and Godbless them.
But I am with you that I meanthe main thing is that it's it's

(01:13:36):
the best way to get to a place,and then I want to get on and
enjoy the experience like wehave here in Punta Cana.
And that was actually onepleasant surprise.
I've not been to the Dominicanuh Republic before.
What an incredible destinationto host this conference, how
seamless the arrival was becauseyou guys actually had the
express line for all the markethub attendees, which was
incredible because we werequickly whisked through the

(01:13:56):
passport control.
We were picked up immediately,transferred to our hotels.
I mean, I understand why peoplecome back year after year
because this the productionlevel of this conference is
exceptional.
So thank you and a credit to youand the team for pulling this
conference off.

SPEAKER_02 (01:14:12):
Yeah, we have an amazing events, uh events team
that uh really work through tomake the whole experience
frictionless and exciting, andactually putting back on the
experience side uh that today wehave uh an amazing activity
selection for uh from ourexperiences for our guests to be
able to choose from and enjoy inPunta Cana.

SPEAKER_03 (01:14:30):
Yeah, and that's a nice thing you actually strike
that right balance of really uhentertainment, because obviously
it started with such highenergy.
The information that people areseeking will be beneficial to
their careers and to theircompanies, and then giving them
a travel experience whilethey're here as well.
So I know this has become muchmore than just a conference.
That's clear to me from my firstexperience, but a lot of people
are here for partnerships andyou know they're sharing ideas

(01:14:52):
and they're trying to getbusiness done at the same time.
And I would love to know fromyour vantage point how important
events like this are in helpingdrive collaboration and even
some of the innovation acrossthe industry.
Given you've been with thecompany for a number of years,
I'd love to hear your take onthe importance of an event like
this and what you think thisyear will mean to a lot of the
attendees.

SPEAKER_02 (01:15:13):
I I think one of the things that I love most about
Market Hub is that we have allthe people we need to make
successful business together inone place, right?
So, and that can mean justbringing a certain department
that needs to have aconversation with a client.
And that could mean introducinga client to another client that
can really boost their businessfarther, right?
So we have everything we needright here.

(01:15:35):
Uh so actually, we heard from afew clients yesterday that was
one of the most productive uhconferences they've been all
year, because exactly that,right?
We don't need to talk about itand then we'll follow up, we
send a follow-up email later orwhatever.
We'll connect on LinkedIn.
No, we're here.
Let's let's make it happen,right?
We have the right people, let'spull them together and make it
happen.

SPEAKER_03 (01:15:55):
And one of the recurring themes also that I
really enjoyed was trust and theimportance of trust, because and
I think we're gonna hear moreabout that over the next year,
and specifically with AgenticAI, is that right now, and your
team highlighted this and sharedsome of the important data of
how people are utilizinggenerative AI for trip planning,
but they're not using it forbooking.
And one of the main reasons isthey don't trust it yet.

(01:16:16):
And that will continue to be achallenge.
And it's one of the reasons whywe love dealing with other
humans, that we trust theirknowledge and their advice, and
they have access to the tools,which was the overarching point,
is that travel advisors uh thatare empowered with AI tools from
HBX Group to book theiraccommodation and be able to
help them with their travelbookings?
That's who you want, who youtrust, and then make sure they

(01:16:38):
have the right tools.
So, one of the things I'm keento ask you, partly as an outcome
of this conference, if we'resitting here next year at Market
Hub America's having a similarconversation, what would be some
of the achievements ormilestones that you think from
2026 that would have beensuccessful?
Because I'm sure you guys partof a measure is going to be when

(01:16:59):
you come back next year, howmuch of what you shared last
year has been implemented andhow beneficial it's been for the
group.
So are there any kind ofstandout elements that you think
will be carried over to nextyear that would be kind of a
yes, mission accomplished fromwhat we did last year?
And where the where does theconversation go from here?

SPEAKER_02 (01:17:16):
Uh oh, it's sort of a simple one.
I think our tech board map thatwe just presented yesterday, I
think that's one of the thingsI'm most excited about.
Uh, we've been working very hardin delivering great features for
our partners.
So I'm excited to see what thoseare gonna generate.
And I think it's gonna be a hugeimpact uh in our company, but as
well in the industry.
So that is one thing I'm veryexcited about.
Um, and I think I want to dosomething truly innovative,

(01:17:39):
transformational, and I thinkthe company is going that
direction.
You're probably gonna hear moreand more about it.
But I think it's uh at least onething that can really change,
change the ways we do things.

SPEAKER_03 (01:17:48):
Fantastic.
And two last questions for youbefore we wrap up.
One of them, given that thisbrings together some of the
brightest minds in travel, andI've been very impressed, not on
just terms of the onstage, butalso the attendees.
And I mentioned that in thecontext of the conversations
that I'm hearing and theengaging discussions.
And when I look at the caliberof attendees, that's also very
high.
And that's something that Ialways look for at a conference

(01:18:10):
because that's where often themagic happens is that you know
you're getting the informationon stage, but then you're
interacting with 500 otherpeople that have come together
from 14 different markets.
Um, I made a number of reallyinteresting connections, both in
the transfer and over the lastcouple of days, with other
people in the travel industrythat I haven't met before.
And so one of the things that'sbeen wonderful for me is to

(01:18:30):
actually meet so many newpeople.
Many conferences I go to, I seethe same wonderful group of
friends I look forward toseeing.
But Market Hub has been reallyspecial for me because I know a
few people here, but there's somany people I've just met for
the first time.
And so, whenever I'm askingpeople what is the uh big
takeaway for you from being hereat the conference, and uh,
Danielle, I'd love to ask youthat question.

(01:18:52):
So, um, what would be yourbiggest hope that attendees take
away from the conference whenthey head home?
And what action would you loveto see them take as a result of
the conversations happening herethis week?

SPEAKER_02 (01:19:02):
I hope it sparks uh them to be bolder.
Um I really think that the nextyear is not for optimization
anymore.
It's really to be bold and beingable to expand your partnerships
in a way that can drive valueacross the business and across
the industry and and strive forgreatness because I feel like
we're riding the time for that.

SPEAKER_03 (01:19:22):
Fantastic.
And I obviously we're in abeautiful part of the world.
You live in also a beautifulpart of the world.
Um I imagine you have othertravel plans yourself.
I'd love, would you mind sharingsome of the upcoming travels you
have to keep yourselfcontinually inspired about our
industry?
Where where are you headed next?

SPEAKER_02 (01:19:39):
I was actually ready to go to Brazil, but long sh
long story short, didn't allwork out.
Um so we're we're stilldiscussing for this year.
Well, we're last minutetravelers.
I know terrible for theindustry, sorry guys.
Uh but we are last minutetravelers.
We just look at what uh whatmakes sense for us at that time.
Uh we just did a trip to Moroccolast year and was fantastic.
It was one of my favorite onesever.
So really recommend it as muchas you know, they tied of Brazil

(01:20:04):
last week.

SPEAKER_03 (01:20:04):
But one of the exciting springs for you being
from Brazil is the Latam marketbecoming um the center of really
the global travel universeshifting away from Europe.
That the Americas is gonna takeover.
And I mentioned that um when Iwas speaking to Una.
And one of the things that's gotto be exciting for you being
from Brazil is just the aircapacity now across South
America with the ability to doregional travel and make it much

(01:20:28):
more accessible.
It's like an exciting next fiveyears ahead.
So if you're gonna go back toBrazil, you can also go to two
or three other places whileyou're there.

SPEAKER_02 (01:20:34):
Absolutely.
I think my parents would killme, but uh fair enough.

SPEAKER_03 (01:20:38):
When you go back to Brazil, you just have to be back
in Brazil, right?

SPEAKER_02 (01:20:41):
Yeah, I just need to convince them to come along.
That's all I need to do.
But yeah, so it's a beautiful, Imean, Latin America is
unbelievably beautiful.
If you haven't been yet, reallyrecommended.
Uh there's literally everythingyou can think of from mountains,
beaches, uh, the most beautifulbeaches, sorry, Caribbean, uh be
a little um uh pointier.
But I feel like there's so muchto be seen, so really

(01:21:01):
recommended.

SPEAKER_03 (01:21:02):
Fantastic.
And just as we close off, I wantto make sure that any of our
listeners that are not familiarwith HBX Group and don't uh
currently aren't at ActiveAccount can reach out to you and
the team.
What would be the best ways forour listeners to do that?

SPEAKER_02 (01:21:15):
Oh, well, we can just access our website, so um
uh HBXgroup.com.
I think that is an easy way toconnect with us as well.
You can reach me on LinkedIn, uhDanny Vaughn W.

SPEAKER_03 (01:21:25):
So Perfect.
Yeah.
Well, Danielle, it's been a realpleasure speaking to you and
fantastic hearing yourperspective on the future of
travel distribution, technology,and partnerships and all the
exciting developments that arehappening across the HBX group.
I really appreciate making thetime for this and wish you and
the team and HBX group everysuccess in the year ahead.
Thank you so much for joiningus.

SPEAKER_02 (01:21:43):
Of course.
Thank you so much, Dan.
It was a pleasure being here andgetting to know you and the
team.

SPEAKER_03 (01:21:47):
And that brings us to the end of this event
spotlight episode, live herefrom Punta Cano Dominican
Republic at Market Hub America's2026.
I just want to say a huge thankyou again to our three guests,
Javier, Una, Danielle.
It was really fascinatinghearing all of your different
vantage points across the HBXgroup.
You could definitely hear thecommon threads running through

(01:22:08):
every conversation that youshared and what I was able to
see on stage and all thedifferent partners I got a
chance to meet who are ravingabout this conference and
telling me it's their favorite.
It's the one they don't want tomiss every year.
It's the one they're mostexcited to be invited back to.
And now I totally understandwhy.
I can't wait to come back nextyear to HBX Market Hub Americas

(01:22:29):
and also be involved in futureevents as well.
So thank you to the team forbringing us in.
It's wonderful to see howremarkably resilient our
industry is.
It was also terrific just to seethe growing role of AI in travel
and technology distribution andthe way that it was spoken about
with trust and really thecustomer and the traveler first
and foremost.

(01:22:50):
I think that is also veryimportant in the luxury segment,
which was a big focus here, butultimately the power of
partnerships and people and whatbrings us together.
So that's really what stood outto me that Market Hub is clearly
all about.
It's not just a conference, it'swhere relationships are clearly
built, ideas are challenged, andbusiness actually gets done.
So thank you for me to theentire HBX group for welcoming

(01:23:11):
us to the Market Hub Americasand making these conversations
possible.
And if you enjoyed this episode,you can find more event
spotlights attraveltrendspodcast.com/slash
spotlights.
And make sure that you arefollowing Travel Trends on our
streaming platforms and leave usa review.
That would be greatlyappreciated.
Thanks again for joining us livehere from Punta Cana, the

(01:23:31):
Dominican Republic, a place thatI cannot wait to get back to.
It was my first time in theDominican, and it was not only
beautiful, it was extraordinary.
The people are lovely, and wewere so well taken care of at
the Hard Rock Hotel.
So thank you to all the teammembers.
Thanks to all of our listeners,and until next time, safe
travels.

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