6th Hospitality Innovation Summit - Morocco Brings Together Hospitality Leaders and Project Decision-Makers

The 6th Hospitality Innovation Summit – Morocco brought two days of sharp dialogue, high-value meetings, and industry collaboration to the Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr, and the conversations it sparked will shape Morocco's hospitality landscape long after the summit itself.

Held from 10 - 11 June 2026, the summit welcomed 600+ attendees from 300+ companies, including 150+ summit partners, 78 solution providers, 23 speakers, and 25 media and supporting partners.

The event facilitated 1,574+ successful pre-scheduled meetings alongside 1,115+ minutes of networking, creating valuable opportunities for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and business engagement.

Morocco is one of the continent’s most exciting hospitality markets right now, and this summit was built to match that momentum. Developers, owners, hotel operators, architects, consultants, interior designers, manufacturers, distributors, and global solution providers came together not just to exchange perspectives, but to explore real project opportunities and build the relationships that move them forward.

Setting the Tone for Morocco’s Hospitality Future

The summit opened at the Royal Ballroom with a welcome address by Ravi Kumar Chandran, Founder & Managing Director – GBB, framing the two days ahead as an opportunity for meaningful engagement, focused discussions, and high-value business interactions.

The opening session immediately tackled one of the most important questions facing Morocco's hospitality landscape: how to grow while protecting identity, context, and architectural sensitivity. Chakib Benabdellah, President - National Council of the Order of Architects of Morocco (CNOA), delivered "The Importance, Sensitivity and Contribution of the Moroccan Architect in Tourism Investment," making the case for why Moroccan architects are not just contributors to tourism projects, they are central to their success.

From Design Impact to Storytelling in Hospitality

Justin Wells, CEO - Wells International, presented "Crafted Impact," exploring how purposeful design and strategic execution can elevate hospitality projects beyond function, creating environments that are memorable, meaningful, and commercially strong.

Osan Ghaddaf, Founder and Creative Director – Artevo Consulting, followed with "Hosting the Future: How Art and Narrative Define Next-Generation Hospitality," making a compelling argument for why art, storytelling, and narrative-led experiences are no longer differentiators, they are expectations.

Morocco’s Hotel Industry Outlook and FIFA 2030 Influence

Simon Ardonceau, CEO – AIRE, delivered "Morocco's Hotel Industry Outlook: Stats, Geopolitical Shifts & FIFA 2030 Influence," cutting through the noise with a sharp, data-led perspective on the forces shaping demand, investment, and opportunity as Morocco counts down to FIFA World Cup 2030.

Energy, Movement, and a Reset Before Meetings

Ahead of the summit's signature meeting format, delegates took part in a Stretch Session by Technogym, led by Yassine Atrouch, Personal Trainer – Technogym, a moment to reset, recharge, and step into the day's most important conversations ready to engage.

Where Conversations Became Opportunities

At the heart of HIS - Morocco were its signature Pre-Scheduled Face-to-Face Meetings, with 1,574+ successful pre-arranged meetings connecting hospitality project decision-makers with solution providers through focused discussions around active projects, procurement requirements, partnerships, and business opportunities. These were not chance encounters. They were purposeful conversations designed to produce real outcomes.

What Morocco Needs to Deliver the Next Phase of Hospitality Growth

"What Morocco Needs to Deliver Speed, Efficiency, Sustainability, Technology and Authenticity?" was one of the summit's most important discussions, examining the project priorities that will determine how Morocco delivers its next wave of hospitality development.

Moderated by Alessandro Tedesco, Chief Operating Officer – FEBC, the panel featured:

• Leila Haddaoui, Deputy Chief Executive Officer – O TOWER and Director of the Tourism Division & Member of Executive Committee – O CAPITAL GROUP

• Nawale Saoud, President – Morocco Green Building Council and Chief Development Officer – Saemog

• Paco Briceno, Managing Partner – MAGESPRO

• Nour El Houda El Hamoumi, Director of Sustainable Development – Société d'Aménagement Zenata

The discussion resonated strongly with delegates, particularly around Morocco's ambition to deliver globally competitive hospitality projects. Reflecting on the session, Leila Haddaoui shared:

"This summit was really interesting. We were able to share our experiences as developers, owners, operators, designers, and other industry professionals. It was also a pleasure to share the story of the Mohammed VI Tower during the panel discussion and highlight the ambition behind this Moroccan project."

HIS ICON: Honouring a Legacy in Moroccan Hospitality

A defining moment of the summit was the HIS ICON – Journey to Zenith session.

Abdellatif Kabbaj, Chairman, CEO and Founder – Kenzi Hotels Group, was recognised as the HIS Icon, an acknowledgement of decades spent building one of Morocco's most respected hospitality brands and helping shape an entire industry in the process.

Moderated by Ravi Kumar Chandran, Founder & Managing Director – GBB, the session offered delegates something rarely found on a summit agenda: genuine insight into the journey, values, and decisions behind lasting success. It was a tribute, and a masterclass.

Looking Towards 2030 and Beyond

"Recipe for Thriving Hotels for 2030 and Beyond" brought together some of the industry's sharpest minds to examine what it actually takes to build and operate hotels that will succeed in a rapidly evolving market.

Moderated by David Desta, Vice President, Hotels & Hospitality – JLL, the panel featured:

• Omar Chaabi, Executive Vice President – YNNA Holding

• Fatima-Zahrae Berrada, General Manager – Taghazout Development and Promotion Company (SAPST) – Taghazout Bay

• Réda Faceh, VP Development – Northern, Western & Central Africa – Accor Group

From investment strategy and brand positioning to guest expectations and long-term asset performance, the discussion was a frank look at what the market will demand, and what developers must deliver.

Designing Hotels That Win in Morocco

"Designing Hotels That Win in Morocco" explored how architecture, interiors, and guest experience come together to create hospitality destinations that are both commercially successful and authentically Moroccan.

Moderated by Isabel Pintado, Founder – 13cobijos, the panel featured:

• Rahul Shankhwalker, Partner & Design Principal – HBA MENA

• John Wix, Regional Sector Director, EMEA Principal – HKS

• Hicham Lahlou, International Designer and Moroccan Interior Architect

• Lotfi Sidi Rahal, Founder – Atelier POD

GBB Connect and Closing Reflections

GBB Connect introduced delegates to the summit's exclusive AI-powered chatbot, enabling participants to discover and meet more people of interest, and keep building connections beyond their scheduled meetings.

Strengthening the Hospitality Supply Chain

The GBB Xclusive: Distributor-Manufacturer Conclave brought together 15+ international manufacturers and 20 Moroccan distributors for focused business discussions and partnership opportunities.

Designed to help global brands establish a stronger presence in Morocco, the conclave created a platform for manufacturers and local channel partners to explore distribution agreements, strengthen market access, and build long-term commercial relationships across the hospitality, real estate, and construction sectors.

GBB Future Minds Morocco: Bringing the Next Generation Into the Conversation

GBB Future Minds Morocco welcomed 60 students from four academic partners, ENA Rabat, UM6P – School of Architecture, Planning & Design, École d'Architecture et de Paysage de Casablanca (EAC), and ENA Agadir, into an exclusive workshop designed to bridge the gap between education and industry.

The programme featured insights from Dr. Hassan Radoine, Architect Professor & Managing Director, UM6P-CITINN; Ron Bakker, Founding Partner, PLP Architecture; Kerem Cengiz, Managing Director, LWK + Partners; Christos Passa, Design Director at Zaha Hadid Architects; Khalid Abisourour, Founding Design Partner, Studios DARC; Charles Constantin, Chief Development Officer, Gutmann Capital, offering students direct exposure to global perspectives in architecture, design, and hospitality development.

More than a workshop, it served as a platform for learning, inspiration, and meaningful engagement between future talent and industry leaders.

Conversations Beyond the Ballroom

Networking breaks, the luncheon, and the cocktail dinner gave delegates space to continue what the sessions started, building relationships in a setting where conversations flow more freely and connections run deeper. It is one of the defining strengths of GBB events: structured business engagement that doesn't stop when the panels do.

A Summit Built Around People, Projects, and Possibility

The 6th Hospitality Innovation Summit – Morocco was never just about two days in Rabat. It was about the projects that will move forward, the partnerships that will be built, and the ideas that will define Morocco's next generation of hospitality.

The decision-makers who gathered here, across development, operations, design, architecture, consulting, manufacturing, and supply, represent the driving force behind what comes next, and the conversations they started are only just beginning.

Reflecting on the significance of the summit, Ravi Kumar Chandran, Founder & Managing Director of GBB, said:

"The 6th Hospitality Innovation Summit showed Morocco at an inflection point: the scale of a World Cup pipeline matched by the conviction to grow without losing its identity. What made these two days in Rabat matter was not the calibre of the room alone, it was what the room set in motion. Capital, design, development and supply stopped working in sequence and started building together, around real projects with real momentum. That is the work GBB exists to do, and Morocco proved it is ready to build, and ready to build well."

As Morocco accelerates towards FIFA World Cup 2030 and a new era of global visibility, HIS – Morocco proved that the industry is not waiting. It is already building.

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