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On this occasion we were able to speak with Laura Martínez Celada, co-founder and head of Customers and Growth at The Hotels Network, a technology company for hotels focused on the growth of the direct channel through predictive personalization to offer each guest an experience unique In addition, Laura has a long and successful professional career in the international online ecosystem and a solid background in these areas (Oxford University, for example).

The Hotels Network is one of over 80 members of the Tech Tourism Cluster, could you please tell us briefly about the main elements of your organisation?

The Hotels Network is an innovative technology company that works for more than 20,000 hotels worldwide in more than 100 countries. With an international team of specialists with deep experience in hospitality, product design and consumer marketing, we offer our clients a growth platform to empower their direct channel. By leveraging integrated tools and data analytics, hotel brands can attract, engage and convert their website visitors throughout the purchase funnel.

In addition to price comparison, rating summary and a comprehensive offering of personalization options, THN seamlessly integrates artificial intelligence and machine learning into solutions to optimize the direct channel for hoteliers.

Predictive Personalization leverages advanced artificial intelligence techniques to anticipate user behavior, dynamically adapting messages and offers to each individual user, improving engagement and conversion rates.

In addition, THN has BenchDirect, the benchmark product for competitive analysis of the direct channel, which provides data depth to more than 30 metrics and is the key tool for identifying improvement opportunities for the direct channel .

THN is proud to have been recognized for its product innovations, rapid growth and unique work culture for the second consecutive year, recently being named the Best Direct Booking Tool for 2024 at the prestigious HotelTechAwards.

How is your participation in this tourism technology cluster contributing to the improvement of innovation and development of your company or organization?

We are aware of the importance of staying at the forefront in a constantly evolving sector. Being part of an organization with like-minded companies is fundamental to our path to innovation. The collaborative environment of the Cluster allows us to stay up to date with industry trends, emerging technologies and market demands.

In addition, by exchanging views and experiences with our counterparts, we gain valuable knowledge that we can seamlessly integrate into our products and services. Interacting with this community gives us a broad understanding of our customers' needs and wants, and allows us to tailor our solutions more effectively.

Being part of the Cluster in part accelerates our growth, and drives us to create products and work with our customers around the world, ensuring that we continue to innovate to meet the dynamic demands of the hospitality industry.

In the context of this Cluster, what collaboration and networking opportunities have already presented themselves for your organization in terms of new projects or strategic alliances?

Our participation in the Tech Tourism Cluster has been instrumental in fostering collaborative initiatives within the technology field of tourism, allowing us to connect with both established industry players and promising startups. Through these engagements, we have not only expanded our professional network, but also gained opportunities to exchange ideas and explore potential partnerships that drive innovation and growth.

Fitur has been one of the times of the year where the Cluster has been able to work together and then share synergies during the fair, collaborating between the different stands of the attendees and finally holding a joint event with Women in Travel THRIVE at the stand of THN where members of the Cluster had the opportunity to attend strengthening mutual commitment to diversity and inclusion.

We were also able to participate in the Mobile Congress where the Cluster held a session to discover startups in the industry, listen to their proposals and debate where the sector is evolving.

Finally, regular monthly meetings with the board of directors serve as invaluable touchpoints for knowledge sharing, enhancing our collective ability to navigate the evolving travel technology landscape.

How has the exchange of knowledge and experiences between member companies influenced the creation and adoption of more advanced technological solutions in the tourism industry or initial proposals in this area?

Currently in the Cluster there are several working groups aimed at the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the field of Talent, Data Space, BlockChain and more recently the Use of AI in our companies.

These groups are a first meeting point to identify needs, discover more advanced technological solutions and, finally, walk towards their adoption.

We also work together to discover solutions that are already being used in other countries with discovery trips to Scotland or Denmark where we were able to meet companies and startups that are developing solutions that could be complementary to ours.

Finally, the Tech Tourism Cluster offers a continuous meeting point for the exchange of knowledge between member companies. Fostering an environment that attracts talent and fosters collaboration, the cluster lays the seed for each of us to move forward in the adoption of new technological solutions.

From the Cluster's perspective, what main contribution does your organization make to the tourism technological ecosystem and the promotion of the growth of other member companies and of the cluster itself?

THN brings a novel point of view to the Cluster's technological ecosystem since our Scale Up situation as a high-growth company offers the rest of the Cluster members a complementary perspective on the speed of decision-making, product development and implementation, and on what it is possible and how to get it for your own companies. 

In addition, THN has contributed to the selection of the new Project Manager of the Cluster, Silvia García, by offering our internal personnel selection team for the first analysis of CVs and the first phase of interviews with candidates. 

Finally, with our extensive experience in machine learning algorithms and AI, we are well equipped to support others in the industry, offering guidance and collaborative opportunities to advance collective knowledge and capabilities. 

A recent testament to our dedication to innovation is the introduction of our personalization product without cookies, a cutting-edge solution designed to navigate the imminent changes that are reshaping the landscape of our industry. We are aware of the importance of these imminent changes and we aspire to lead the establishment of standards for solutions prepared for the future that protect companies against the changing dynamics of the sector. By developing pioneering solutions, we aspire to elevate the entire tourism technology ecosystem towards sustainable growth and success.