HOSPA, the Hospitality Professionals Association, has announced the acquisition of the National Hotel Marketing Conference from Martin Evans of The Tourism Business, bringing the established industry event into its growing programme of support for hospitality’s marketing community.
The conference, which has been running for more than 20 years, has become a recognised fixture in the industry calendar, bringing together hotel marketers and commercial professionals to share insight and explore the issues shaping the sector.
Its acquisition by HOSPA will complement the association’s existing work with the Hotel Marketing Association (HMA), creating further opportunities to bring hotel marketing professionals together beyond the HMA’s annual awards and wider programme of activity.
Under HOSPA’s ownership, the National Hotel Marketing Conference will retain the foundations that have established its reputation over the past two decades, while providing scope to develop the event further as the needs of hotel marketers continue to evolve.
Future conferences will continue to focus on the changing hotel marketing landscape, including shifts in guest behaviour and digital innovation, as well as the increasingly important role marketing plays across the wider commercial operation.
Commenting on the acquisition, Jane Pendlebury, CEO of HOSPA, said: “The National Hotel Marketing Conference is a very natural fit for HOSPA and, in particular, the work we already do alongside the Hotel Marketing Association. It gives us another valuable platform through which we can bring marketing professionals together and strengthen the community around this important area of hospitality.
She added: “Martin has spent more than 20 years building the conference into a respected and well-established event, and we are very conscious of the legacy that comes with that. Our intention is to build on what already works, while listening carefully to members and delegates about what they want from the conference in the years ahead.”
Martin Evans, founder and former owner of the National Hotel Marketing Conference, added: “Building the National Hotel Marketing Conference over the past two decades has been an incredibly rewarding journey and I am proud of the community that has developed around it.
“Hotel marketing has changed enormously during that time and continues to evolve at pace, so this feels like the right moment for HOSPA to take the conference forward. Its network and industry knowledge, alongside its work with the HMA, make it very well placed to build on what we have created and ensure the conference continues to support hotel marketers for many years to come.”
The transition to HOSPA ownership will take effect immediately, with the core principles and established format of the conference remaining central to its future development.
The next National Hotel Marketing Conference will take place on 27th May 2027 at Hilton at St George’s Park, with HOSPA and the HMA using the months ahead to consult members and previous delegates on how the event can continue to develop to meet the needs of today’s hotel marketing professionals.
Further details on the 2027 conference and future programme will be announced in due course.
For more information about HOSPA – click here
