Evermore Hospitality’s Elizabeth Mullins and IHG’s Phil Keb to explore culture, purpose and relational wellness in luxury hospitality, as Nobu Hospitality, Microsoft and Honeywell lead a session on AI’s real return on investment

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The International Luxury Hotel Association (ILHA) today announced a new wave of confirmed sessions for INSPIRE 2026, its flagship luxury hospitality conference taking place December 15 to 17 at the JW Marriott Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa in Orlando.

Among the new additions, Elizabeth Mullins, President of Evermore Hospitality, will sit down with Phil Keb, Senior Advisor of Global Capital Investments and Transactions at IHG Hotels & Resorts, for a conversation on culture, purpose and relational wellness in luxury hospitality. The pair will explore how a growing sense of social disconnection, sometimes described as an age of loneliness, could open a golden era for travel, and how hospitality can respond to travelers’ deepening desire for genuine connection even as AI reshapes daily life.

“The greatest luxury may simply be time together. In a world that has never been more connected, people are craving real connection. Our opportunity in hospitality is to create the places, experiences and culture that make that connection possible.”  Elizabeth Mullins, President, Evermore Hospitality

“Guests today aren’t just booking a room, they’re searching for a sense of belonging. The brands that understand this, that build genuine human connection into every touchpoint, are the ones that will define luxury hospitality’s next chapter.”

Phil Keb, Senior Advisor, Global Capital Investments and Transactions, IHG Hotels & Resorts

INSPIRE 2026 will also tackle one of the industry’s most pressing questions directly: what is AI actually delivering for hospitality businesses today? In “AI at Scale: Building the Business Case for Hospitality,” Rodney Linville, Global Head of Information Technology at Nobu Hospitality, and Shane O’Flaherty, Global Director of Travel, Transportation and Hospitality at Microsoft, will join Neha Jaitpal, Global General Manager of Honeywell’s Hospitality Vertical, for a candid look at where AI is proving its ROI, where adoption is falling short, and what it takes to move from pilot to scale across teams and operations. Barak Hirschowitz, President of ILHA, will moderate.

Additional confirmed sessions include:

• The Science of Prevention, Performance and Longevity in Luxury Wellness, with Patrick Huey (Hyatt), Alena Stavnjak (Starwood Hotels) and Karlie Intlekofer, Global Research Scientist at Matrix, moderated by Kelleye Martin of Trellis Spa, The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa and ISPA
• Measure What Matters: Why Human Connection Is Your Greatest Amenity, with Robert Grosz, President and Chief Operating Officer of WorldVue
• Travelling for the Experience: How Luxury Hotels Are Making Guest Experience Central to Their Strategy, with Gamal Elfakih (Marriott International), Rémi Delpech (Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts) and Daniel Hostettler (The Boca Raton), moderated by Rebecca Ward of Agua Caliente

Encore, ILHA’s exclusive audiovisual partner for INSPIRE 2026 and provider of AV production across all three conference stages, will also take the stage. In “AI Raises the Stakes on Luxury Event Connectivity, Here’s How to Plan for It,” Alex Wedesky, Encore’s Vice President of Internet Services, will unpack what smarter connectivity means for high-stakes luxury events.

INSPIRE 2026 will also feature a fireside chat with Tina Edmundson, President of Luxury at Marriott International, and Carolyne Doyon, President and CEO of Club Med North America and Caribbean, both announced as part of the conference’s opening lineup.

Registration for INSPIRE 2026 is now open. Visit ilha.org/inspire to learn more, or go to ilha.org/inspire/register to secure a place.

About the International Luxury Hotel Association (ILHA)

The International Luxury Hotel Association (ILHA) is the leading trade association uniting the world of luxury hospitality across its three core pillars: real estate, hospitality, and travel. With a global community of more than 1 million professionals and a think tank of over 300 industry leaders, ILHA drives the conversations, partnerships, and innovations shaping the future of luxury experiences. Its ILHA INSPIRE flagship event brings together senior leaders from across the industry for high-level networking, insights, and collaboration, alongside a year-round content platform connecting owners, operators, developers, and brands. For more information, visit https://ilha.org/.

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SOURCE International Luxury Hotel Association