AI, data and customer experience lead the charge in hospitality’s tech transformation
A new survey of senior hospitality decision makers, conducted by CGA by NIQ and commissioned by Hospitality Tech360, has highlighted how AI, data and customer experience will define the industry’s next phase of technology transformation.
The research, based on responses from 56 C-suite executives and tech implementation leaders, shows that 68% of respondents want to know more about AI and automation, while 50% are seeking deeper understanding of data analytics and business intelligence.
These findings mirror broader sector trends: operators are prioritising digital tools that streamline operations, deliver real-time insights, and personalise the guest journey.
The survey also found high confidence among tech leaders when it came to understanding different technologies being used in the sector, with 91% of respondents confident in their personal hospitality tech knowledge, compared to 61% when it came to colleagues in specific branches.
Customer experience drives growth priorities
57% of leaders surveyed selected customer experience as their top growth focus for the next 12 months, above any other category.
69% rated technology as very important to delivering better customer experiences, with another 22% rating it somewhat important.
64% said tech is key to improving operational efficiency, and 61% highlighted its role in staff training and engagement.
Event engagement and professional growth
The survey also found strong appetite for industry events that align with these priorities:
87% of respondents said they would be likely to attend an event addressing their tech and business needs.
95% agreed that events are valuable for personal development, and 80% said they are beneficial for their business.
82% encourage event attendance within their teams, signalling that C-suite leaders see events as critical for organisational learning.
CGA by NIQ’s analysis also shows that nearly nine in ten C-suite professionals have attended an industry event in the past year, with networking and trend insight (66%) ranking as their top motivations.
“Two of the biggest takeaways from our research were that events need to be far more responsive to the themes that matter most to people based on their job function,” says Hospitality Tech360 Project Director Matt Hodgins. “A CMO faces very different challenges, inspirations and opportunities to a COO or CTO, and that insight is directly shaping how we’re curating the content and format of Hospitality Tech360.
“We’re designing the programme so that every attendee finds relevant conversations and actionable takeaways. We also heard clearly that senior leaders want to be active participants – contributing to roundtable discussions and thought leadership sessions- rather than passively attending without a clear agenda.”
Hospitality Tech360 has welcomed leading figures in hospitality tech as ambassadors for its 2026 edition including Comptoir Group’s Nicole Goodwin, Lore Group’s Gavin Allison, Matt Bell of Mollie’s, Brendan Kelly of JKS Restaurants, Jo Lynch of KAM, Tom James of Bill’s Restaurants and Ceri Gott, a culture & leadership coach formally of Hawksmoor.
Hospitality Tech360 takes place alongside HRC, The Pub Show, International Salon Culinaire, IFE Manufacturing and IFE as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week from 30 March to 01 April 2026. Find out more about everything happening at the event by visiting hospitalitytech360.co.uk. View the findings of the survey here.
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