As international anti-Israel groups clamor for a boycott of Israel, 45 top general managers of InterContinental Hotels and Resorts from Europe convened this week at the David InterContinental Hotel in Tel Aviv for an annual event.
This is the first time Israel has been chosen for the event and comes on the heels of the global luxury brand’s selection of the David InterContinental as only one of three hotels that represent the “futurist look of the brand,” as determined by the managers themselves.
The three-day conference plays host to the brand’s entire senior leadership team and some general managers running IHG’s flagship InterContinental hotels across Europe.
Conventioneers will, of course, be staying at the hotel, and will visit sites around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Discussion sessions will focus on everything from brand strategy to tech innovation in the hospitality sector, and much more.
“The hotel is truly the heartbeat of the city. I’m honored and delighted to be hosting my colleagues and friends in Tel Aviv, so they can discover the senses of the city, a city which I believe is one of the best kept secrets of the world,” said David InterContinental Tel Aviv General Manager David Cohen. “It is truly a testament to the city’s rise to prominence that the IHG group would chose to have its annual conference here.”
Often referred to as the “Start Up Nation,” Israel continues year after year to dominate the charts in the metrics of productivity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. The hospitality tech sessions will highlight the conference and be in collaboration with a host of start-ups showing off Israel’s technology capabilities.
“This conference is set to challenge us and secure a successful future for our iconic luxury InterContinental brand. Having our entire team in one location is a rare occasion and I’m absolutely thrilled to be bringing our conference to Tel Aviv, a fantastic city full of life and of great importance to IHG,” said Didier Boidin, vice president of luxury and boutique hotels division for Europe. “We look forward to exploring opportunities to expand our portfolio of well-known brands here in the very near future.”
