Three members of our management staff 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 economic technique by knowledge 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, information, and Cogwheel’s evolving strategy to every.
Let’s deal with the elephant within the convention corridor: in case you didn’t hear the time period “AI” no less than 15 instances per session, have been you even paying consideration? The HSMAI occasion made it clear that synthetic intelligence is prime of thoughts throughout all industrial capabilities, however significantly in advertising and gross sales. That mentioned, the chatter usually masked a extra balanced actuality—AI is right here, however website positioning is way from out of date…and AI is NOT destroying advertising.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 at all times 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 finest. And whereas AI is nice at binary questions (“Does the Marriott Chicago provide parking?”), it’s almost ineffective at context-heavy, customized journey planning. For instance, strive asking ChatGPT, “what’s the perfect pet-friendly resort in Chicago?” At finest, you’ll get a generic checklist that you can have gotten by an everyday Google search. AI doesn’t—and received’t for a while—know what’s “finest” 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 now have all seen. It offers AI-generated solutions into search outcomes, and early knowledge 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 now have at all times 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 payment at Lodge X?” These queries don’t contribute meaningfully to driving new enterprise. With our personal Cogwheel Analytics knowledge of the previous two years throughout a whole lot and a whole lot 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 making certain hyper-accurate content material, however NOT panicking a few significant lack of publicity and consciousness. Not less than not in case you prep your property accurately.
At Cogwheel, we’ve been guiding our purchasers 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 finest practices. Meaning structured knowledge, schema markup, DEEPLY informative touchdown pages, and extra human-readable content material that solutions each AI and person intent. Our enhanced website positioning packages are future-proofing visibility in each search engine outcomes and AI-fed experiences.
One of the crucial 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 now’s industrial leaders are anticipated to guide a holistic technique, and storytelling is their handiest software.
The message was clear: KPIs like ROAS (Return on Advert Spend), as soon as thought of the top metric of efficiency, at the moment are only one (small!) a part of a broader dashboard. Audio system Derek Brewster from Lotte Motels & Resorts and Dan Fernandez from Harmony Hospitality emphasised extra multidimensional metrics like model.com reserving elevate, 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 below 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 exhibits that U.S. vacationers go to a median of 277 pages of journey content material over a 70+ day reserving journey…after which take an extra 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 knowledge by personalized analytics dashboards. We assist purchasers visualize multi-channel efficiency over time, not simply week-to-week or month-to-month. And by integrating marketing campaign knowledge 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 crucial 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 classes careworn 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 big and often ignored. The bottom line is shifting from assumption-based or opinion-based personas to data-defined segments. Meaning pulling insights from reserving traits, person behaviors, geographic origin knowledge, 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 now’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 shopper.
Multi-channel engagement is crucial right here. Efficient segmentation doesn’t cease at figuring out who your viewers is—it’s about delivering customized content material throughout platforms the place they spend time. Paid media, particularly focused paid social, performs a rising position on this. Easy inventive—when it’s particular and audience-informed—usually 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 electronic mail, at all times 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.
Remaining Ideas
And, our very personal CEO, Stephanie Smith, spoke concerning the tried and true creation of resort advertising budgets, which nonetheless has a methods to go to actually be completed to resolve industrial 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 knowledge.
AI is reworking 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 shopper wants to listen to.
At Cogwheel, we’re dedicated to serving to our purchasers navigate all of this modification with readability, creativity, and measurable influence. As a result of whereas the instruments might evolve, the mission stays the identical: reaching the precise visitor, on the proper time, with the precise story.
