The Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA) today announced two significant additions to the programming of its 2026 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference, taking place June 3, 2026, at Convene 237 Park in Midtown Manhattan.
This year, BLLA is introducing a high-impact, AI-focused Main Stage panel that tackles the most urgent question facing our industry. The conversation around AI in hospitality has been loud. What it has lacked is clarity and a room built for the right people. BLLA’s approach is different.
Additionally, the Innovation Hub, a curated technology space in the main hall that is purpose-built for the boutique hospitality operator, has been added. From AI-powered solutions to next-generation tech platforms, this is where innovation meets opportunity. Companies exhibiting include RBS and their latest acquisitions.
And lastly, the conference will continue with Part 2 at NeueHouse Madison Square, featuring a discussion of Convene Hospitality Group’s investment in and purchase of NeueHouse (Reference: CHG Secures $230 Million) as well as the previously announced BLLA Reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
These additions reflect the conference’s broader theme, The Third Space Renaissance, and BLLA’s conviction that the boutique operators and investors who will lead the next cycle are those who make the right decisions about technology, not just the fastest ones. The conference, presented in partnership with Convene Hospitality Group and Blank Rome LLP, with the final sessions held in an evening program at NeueHouse Madison Square, is where that conviction becomes a conversation.
“The pace of change in hospitality technology, especially AI, is accelerating rapidly. This year, we’ve intentionally created a platform where owners, investors, and innovators can not only understand what’s coming, but connect directly with the companies, investors, and ideas driving it.” — Frances Kiradjian, Founder & CEO, BLLA
The AI Panel: A Conversation Built for This Community
The main stage AI panel is designed for the independent hotelier, the boutique developer, and the investor who makes AI decisions personally, without a Chief Technology Officer on staff and without a global brand’s safety net. The conversation begins where that community actually is, and goes where it genuinely needs to go.
Central to the programming is a focus on AI literacy: the understanding that knowing which tool to use is only the beginning. Understanding how it works, where data goes, what the risks are, and how to lead a team through the change is what separates confident adoption from costly mistakes. BLLA has partnered with Rohit Khanna, whose AI literacy platform is offered to members via BLLA’s BoutiqueHotels.AI, built specifically for the independent hotel community, to ensure that literacy is woven into the fabric of the June 3 programming.
“Most leaders I speak with are not short on awareness. They are short on clarity. Learning how to use AI is only half the job. The other half is knowing where your data goes once you hit enter, and how your brand gets protected along the way.” — Rohit Khanna, Moderator, Founder of BodhiMinds.ai
Meet the Panelists
Rohit Khanna, Moderator, Founder, BodhiMinds.ai and AICrashCourse.Info
Dr. Seth Dobrin, CEO, Arya Labs | Former Chief AI Officer, IBM | Responsible AI Pioneer
Mike Wilkes, Field CISO, Aikido Security | Cybersecurity and AI Risk Specialist
Felix Jorge, Field CTO, Hitachi Vantara | Enterprise AI, Data Security, Responsible AI
Harry Laplanche, Head of Global AI Strategy and Transformation, Panasonic | Enterprise AI Transformation
The Human Edge: AI, Clarity, & the Boutique Advantage
Registration
The 2026 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference is made possible with the support of Blank Rome LLP, CHG (Convene Hospitality Group), Greenberg Traurig, RBS, Gecko Hospitality, Escoffier, Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, Airbnb, Order.co, Arch RoamRight, Coast to Coast Custom Furniture, CityStreet Commercial, and Boutique Money Group.
For event inquiries, email [email protected], and for extra info, go to blla.org/occasions
