INVITE - INDEPENDENT HOTELIERS World Panel

Hospitality Net (HN) and EHL Hospitality Business School are inviting INDEPENDENT HOTELIERS (both GMs and owners) to participate in a unique opportunity to share their insights and opinions on a virtual, global thought-leadership platform, called 'World Panel'

Being an independent hotelier means wearing every hat - strategist, host, marketer, and financial guardian - often all in one day. This forum is dedicated to those who build hospitality from the ground up, shaping businesses that reflect both purpose and place. Through real stories and practical insights, we explore how independence becomes and stays a true source of competitive advantage, fostering agility, authenticity, and guest connection that large brands can rarely replicate. By sharing expert views, opinions, challenges, and successes, independent GMs and owners share and reveal what it really takes to turn autonomy into performance and purpose into profit.

Starting in Q1 2026, leading academics from EHL Hospitality Business School will poll participating GMs and independent hotel owners for their opinions on the most pressing issues facing independent hotel operations today. We aim to run the panel for an initial period of one year, during which we hope to submit a total of 12 panel viewpoints (one per month). Click here to see a sample World Panel.

On a monthly basis, you will receive an email inviting you to submit your personal take/opinion based on a viewpoint/question that is formulated by a participating academic. As a panelist, we ask you to submit a short and concise opinion/answer which should not be longer than 3 paragraphs. This should not take you any longer than 15 minutes to redact.

The panel will consist of at least 30 independent hotel-GMs and owners, spread over all continents, mainly active in the luxury, upper upscale, upscale, and upper midscale segments. We are looking to form a panel consisting of an equal number of men and women. It is important to us to ensure gender balance and diversity in our panel, and we believe that having an equal number of male and female panelists will provide a more well-rounded and inclusive opinion platform.

As a participating panelist, your contributions and opinions will gain premium exposure on Hospitality Net, the #1 B2B portal for hoteliers (see sample viewpoint).

As a respected leader in the hospitality industry, your input is invaluable, and we believe that your participation in this virtual panel will be of great benefit to all involved. We anticipate a lively discussion and the sharing of knowledge and ideas that will help shape the future of the industry.

Please join us in this exciting initiative by registering your interest to participate.

Ines BLAL, PHD, Associate Professor & Co-Director of EHL Institute of Nutrition R&D, https://www.ehl.edu/en/faculty-research/our-faculty/blal-ines

Henri Roelings (EHL 86), Founder of Hospitality Net. You can reach me at [email protected] or +31 6 3195 6358, or connect with me via LinkedIn on https://www.linkedin.com/in/henriroelings