Three members of our management crew from Cogwheel attended The HSMAI Industrial Technique Convention in Indianapolis in June 2025. The convention was dominated by three main themes: synthetic intelligence’s influence on advertising, the realignment of business technique by means of information storytelling, and the rising want for authenticity in viewers segmentation. Every perception displays not solely the place the hospitality business is headed but in addition what resort entrepreneurs and income groups should do now to stay aggressive.
Listed here are our three prime takeaways, with context, info, and Cogwheel’s evolving strategy to every.
Let’s tackle the elephant within the convention corridor: if you happen to didn’t hear the time period “AI” at the least 15 occasions per session, have been you even paying consideration? The HSMAI occasion made it clear that synthetic intelligence is prime of thoughts throughout all business capabilities, however notably in advertising and gross sales. That stated, the chatter typically masked a extra balanced actuality—AI is right here, however website positioning is way from out of date…and AI is NOT destroying advertising.
For starters, what AI giveth, it doesn’t all the time giveth precisely. Research by Stanford in 2024 present AI language fashions can ship factual correctness solely round 52%–60% of the time when requested direct queries—a coin toss at greatest. And whereas AI is nice at binary questions (“Does the Marriott Chicago provide parking?”), it’s practically ineffective at context-heavy, personalised journey planning. For instance, attempt asking ChatGPT, “what’s the very best pet-friendly resort in Chicago?” At greatest, you’ll get a generic listing that you possibly can have gotten by means of a daily Google search. AI doesn’t—and received’t for a while—know what’s “greatest” for you or what you imply by “nearest” or “luxurious”. Make no mistake…AI HAS and WILL get higher.
However then there’s Google’s rollout of Search Generative Expertise (SGE) that we have now all seen. It provides AI-generated solutions into search outcomes, and early information suggests this has triggered site visitors declines for resort model websites. Some accommodations have been quoted they’re experiencing a 19% drop in natural search site visitors. However we have now all the time identified that a part of our natural website positioning site visitors was attributed to easy, black-and-white reply queries like: “Is the spa open previous 9pm?” or “What’s the valet price at Lodge X?” These queries don’t contribute meaningfully to driving new enterprise. With our personal Cogwheel Analytics information of the previous two years throughout a whole bunch and a whole bunch of branded properties, we’re seeing an natural drop…BUT…we’re additionally seeing an INCREASE in “direct” site visitors. That is site visitors that involves a property web page with no different hyperlink or search help. This all combines to level in direction of the necessity to give attention to guaranteeing hyper-accurate content material, however NOT panicking a couple of significant lack of publicity and consciousness. At the very least not if you happen to prep your property appropriately.
At Cogwheel, we’ve been guiding our shoppers towards GEO With website positioning: Generative Expertise Optimization with Search Engine Optimization. We’re adjusting content material methods to be AI-friendly whereas nonetheless rooted in conventional website positioning greatest practices. Meaning structured information, schema markup, DEEPLY informative touchdown pages, and extra human-readable content material that solutions each AI and consumer intent. Our enhanced website positioning packages are future-proofing visibility in each search engine outcomes and AI-fed experiences.
One of the refreshing shifts at this 12 months’s convention was the give attention to true cross-functional integration. Not can gross sales, advertising, income, and distribution function as remoted departments with overlapping agendas. Right this moment’s business leaders are anticipated to guide a holistic technique, and storytelling is their best software.
The message was clear: KPIs like ROAS (Return on Advert Spend), as soon as thought-about the head metric of efficiency, at the moment are only one (small!) a part of a broader dashboard. Audio system Derek Brewster from Lotte Lodges & Resorts and Dan Fernandez from Harmony Hospitality emphasised extra multidimensional metrics like model.com reserving carry, channel combine, and marketing campaign site visitors high quality as prime indicators of success. These are higher aligned with long-term profitability and proprietor worth creation, which is more and more beneath scrutiny.
One other recurring theme was the misused (however actual) idea of the funnel. Whereas a few of you roll your eyes at this cliché, the info helps its continued SIGNIFICANT relevance. Expedia’s 2023 Path to Buy report reveals that U.S. vacationers go to a mean of 277 pages of journey content material over a 70+ day reserving journey…after which take a further 60 days earlier than their check-in date. The convention shows backed this up! And whereas last-minute bookings exist, they’re the exception, not the rule. Advertising and marketing technique should mirror this longer research-to-booking cycle.
Possession of outcomes additionally stood out as a management precept. A number of panelists shared each wins and failures, emphasizing the significance of studying from each. Marketing campaign didn’t meet its objectives? Nice—what perception did we achieve? Marketing campaign exceeded expectations? Excellent—how can we replicate that efficiency subsequent quarter or subsequent 12 months?
At Cogwheel, we’re merging storytelling with information by means of personalized analytics dashboards. We assist shoppers visualize multi-channel efficiency over time, not simply week-to-week or month-to-month. And by integrating marketing campaign information with operational outcomes, we’re telling tales that resonate with asset managers, possession teams, and stakeholders—not simply advertising groups.
The third key takeaway—one nonetheless evolving right into a broader theme—was the vital significance of segmentation and authenticity. The times of making advertising for “everybody” or assuming inside stakeholders know “our visitor” higher than the info are over. Let me say that once more…they…are…OVER.
At HSMAI, a number of periods confused that manufacturers should reassess their true viewers. Are your campaigns designed to your loyal prospects, or are they reaching potential new ones? The distinction is large and normally ignored. The hot button is shifting from assumption-based or opinion-based personas to data-defined segments. Meaning pulling insights from reserving developments, consumer behaviors, geographic origin information, and marketing campaign engagement, not simply intestine intuition or what your brand-book desires you to be. It additionally means tailoring tone and content material accordingly. Right this moment’s traveler is allergic to something inauthentic. Your messaging can’t sound like a brochure for a unicorn petting zoo. It must be actual, grounded, and aligned with the motivations of the client.
Multi-channel engagement is vital right here. Efficient segmentation doesn’t cease at figuring out who your viewers is—it’s about delivering personalised content material throughout platforms the place they spend time. Paid media, particularly focused paid social, performs a rising function on this. Easy inventive—when it’s particular and audience-informed—typically outperforms elaborate campaigns. And naturally, none of this works if natural and paid channels aren’t aligned.
At Cogwheel, we’re refining our viewers segmentation fashions utilizing each first-party analytics and third-party insights. We’re combining that with tailor-made inventive methods throughout show, search, paid social, and e mail, all the time anchored in genuine messaging. Whether or not it’s a easy story about why a boutique resort issues to a sure neighborhood or a short-form video on Instagram, the voice should be actual.
Last Ideas
And, our very personal CEO, Stephanie Smith, spoke in regards to the tried and true creation of resort advertising budgets, which nonetheless has a methods to go to really be performed to unravel business technique points.
The HSMAI Industrial Technique Convention bolstered that whereas expertise is altering the panorama, the basics of hospitality advertising stay fixed: know your viewers, align your technique, and inform the reality, backed by information.
AI is remodeling how vacationers entry data, however it isn’t changing the necessity for a deep search technique. Industrial leaders are being requested to attach the dots throughout departments and timeframes. And advertising content material, greater than ever, should mirror not simply what the model desires to say, however what the client wants to listen to.
At Cogwheel, we’re dedicated to serving to our shoppers navigate all of this modification with readability, creativity, and measurable influence. As a result of whereas the instruments could evolve, the mission stays the identical: reaching the fitting visitor, on the proper time, with the fitting story.
