Last Friday, the 2nd, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) promoted the 7th TMMs Summit, an exclusive event for buyers focused on corporate events and travel, at the Royal Palm Hall, in Campinas, in the interior of São Paulo. With the theme “R'evolution”, 200 travel and event directors and C-level executive secretaries met to discuss projections for the coming years in the sector.
It was possible to understand how AI has the potential to transform the way we plan, execute and evaluate travel and events. From personalizing traveler experiences to optimizing complex processes, the applications of AI are broad and promising.
But, in addition to technology, another crucial point addressed was the importance of interaction between generations. The experience and knowledge of the most experienced professionals, combined with the innovation and adaptability of the new generations, are essential for professionals in the sector to make the most of the opportunities offered by AI.
“We believe that HSMAI Brazil aims to connect professionals, promote debate and encourage 'strategic thinking' in the travel and events sector. It is an event of joint efforts, always in an impartial and relaxed atmosphere. We are confident that, together, we will build an even more promising future for our market,” said Gabriela Otto, president of HSMAI Brazil and Latam.
At the opening of the meeting, Gabriela explained the impact and importance of HSMAI in the country and in the world, which this year celebrates 10 years in Brazil. “We are very happy to celebrate the seventh year of the event here, contributing to the Brazilian travel and events industry and fostering strategic thinking,” she added.
All content was designed and created by the company's corporate board, made up exclusively of travel managers. "For them, it's their event," he concluded.
The event also received a carbon neutral certificate, with 2000 kg of CO₂.
Connecting generations and generating connections
Alexandre Correa, TEDx speaker, CEO of Mind Pesquisas, professor at FGV and writer, was invited to the stage for the talk “Connecting generations and generating connections.” Highlighting that we have never had so many generations coexisting at the same time in Brazil, the professional explained the characteristics of each generation: Silent Generations, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z.
With clear differences in historical context and ambitions, different generations have gone through and are going through different challenges, causing strangeness in the coexistence of each one of them. “Despite this, the nonconformity of each one caused revolutions in humanity,” he emphasized.
The expert also highlighted the differences in perceptions of travel between generations:
Traditionalist silent generation: traveling was a burden.
Baby boomers: a late bloomer.
Millennials: a necessity;
Generation Z: a priority. In other words, a very strong audience to explore, always focusing on personalization.
Generational conflicts in corporate travel and events
To discuss aspects related to the management of multigenerational teams and the promotion of inclusive policies, Luana Nogueira, executive director of ALAGEV; Rafaella Haak, senior travel analyst at China Three Gorges Brasil Energia - CT; Tatjana Previatti, coordinator of EMS Events; and Fernando Cavalheiro, general director of CEP Transportes, took the stage.
Luana raised the issue of generational conflicts in companies. Fernando Cavalheiro stressed the importance of working with efficient people. “In the company we have a director who is 24 years old and another who is 58. The important thing is the delivery at the end and the exchange we can get from each other.” Tatjana emphasized the importance of talking and presenting practical examples to improve processes and Rafaella spoke of the need to understand the expectations of different generations and create a mix of solutions to serve everyone and adhere to company policies.
Luana stressed the importance of balancing cost and traveler satisfaction, especially with such a diverse audience. “How do you ensure traveler satisfaction with such a diverse audience?” she asks. Tatiana noted that travel policies are in transition and while it is difficult to deviate from traditional rules, it is possible to justify and adapt them. Working with data, transparent communication, commitment to diversity and inclusion, and technological tools to facilitate management are examples of possibilities on how to improve the traveler experience.
Luana stressed the need to be proactive on inclusion issues, rather than reacting to problems. Tatiana commented that it is easier to make exceptions for senior management, but it is the responsibility of managers to strive for inclusion at all levels.
Fernando concluded that it is up to leadership to identify and promote the disruption necessary to move forward on these issues. Luana highlighted the importance of personalization, not only in external services, but also in the treatment of the company's internal public.
The coexistence of these different generations in the business environment can make a big difference. The combination of experience, innovation and adaptability can lead to more creative and efficient solutions.
Events as a marketing tool
To discuss the importance of events as allies of marketing strategies, Leandro Souza Ferreira, Marketing Supervisor at DSM-Firmenich invited Juliana Patti, Regional Head of Event & Disclosure Management at Bayer; Vivian Nesti, National Trade Marketing Manager at Ypê and Raffaele Ceccere, Partner Owner of R1 Group on stage.
ROI (Return on Investment) is a key metric for evaluating the effectiveness of an event. Ultimately, investments need to be justified, resources optimized and decision-making improved. The future belongs to increasingly strategic events.
Leandro highlighted that marketing is no longer operational and becomes more strategic, moving from supplier to partner. Juliana mentioned that the events area changed its positioning to sell agility and added value, being an important marketing tool to activate the product offer. “It is important that we are able to act strategically and have well-trained suppliers as partners to ensure assertiveness in the proposals and better results,” she added.
Vivian said that events need to generate business for the company and stressed the importance of connecting the company's strategy with the events and measuring results, such as new clients and sales, to verify the success of the company's participation and return. "There are no arguments against facts. In order to know if your event had results, it is important to have data that prove it," she concluded.
To top it off, Ceccere mentioned that we are going through a revolution and that the way we serve customers and deliver new experiences is fundamental. “Everyone has the space, but the difference is in the experience that is offered.”
Artificial Intelligence and corporate travel and events
Edney 'Interney' Souza, speaker and professor, presented the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on business, travel and everyday life. Edney explained that AI is a technology that has been in development for a long time and that its time to explode has come. "There are many areas of application that we can already see, such as medicine, pharmaceuticals, finance, retail, telecommunications and logistics." He highlighted the importance of prompts in AI and explained that simple commands do not generate complex responses and that it is necessary to develop a library of commands to maximize the usefulness of AI. Edney concluded by giving practical and interesting examples of how ChatGPT or Gemini can help in the day-to-day life of a travel manager.
Rogério Miranda, CEO of Integragra, mediated the talk and brought AI solutions to the events, such as promoting connections between participants and using heat maps to identify specific interests. He also spoke about AI avatars, which are not only practically close to humanization, but are also capable of giving intelligent responses aligned with the characteristics of each company. "We should use it not as a threat, but as something that can make our daily lives easier."
After the panel, Karla Fidelis, Event Intelligence at Lett; Luiz Silva, Executive Director Upscale Live Marketing; Décio Sampaio, Director of Flex Interativa; and Julia Brito, Head of Latam Marketing & Communications Sourcing at Cargill were invited to the stage.
Karla highlighted that 72% of companies worldwide use AI in their procedures, highlighting how this technology facilitates the execution of activities. Sampaio mentioned that many companies already use chatbots and facial recognition to personalize the participant's route at events, speeding up check-in and increasing security. "AI can also be used to suggest alternative routes and preventive solutions to avoid problems," she added.
Julia acknowledged the potential of AI to assist in operations, but highlighted the challenge of integrating this technology into procurement and communicating its value to stakeholders. “It is a great opportunity for partner agencies to show us solutions used by AI that solve our problem,” she added.
Karla raised the issue of data security when using AI and questioned how companies ensure the protection of information. Décio responded that when the service is provided by a proprietary platform, data control is greater, as the company knows its applications, servers and security systems. “The priority is customer security and transparency is the key point of this relationship,” he concludes.
Luiz, who had spoken about the importance of increasing team productivity by using AI to create itineraries, reducing the possibility of errors and facilitating quick adjustments, added by highlighting the importance of transmitting only the necessary information, without publishing unnecessary content, to ensure safety and efficiency.
Source: HSMAI