Over the years, HOPE has emerged as one of the region’s most influential hospitality summits, reflecting the rapid evolution of Indian hospitality. Now, HVS ANAROCK HOPE 2026 is set to be more than a conference; it aims to be a defining platform that brings together capital, leadership, innovation, and global voices to shape the industry’s next chapter. In an exclusive interaction with Asmita Mukherjee Mandeep S. Lamba, President & CEO (South Asia), HVS ANAROCK, shares how HOPE 2026 is designed to elevate ambition, sharpen strategy, and position India at the center of the global hospitality conversation.
What is the vision for the upcoming HVS ANAROCK HOPE 2026? How is HVS ANAROCK curating the agenda?
Over the past few years, HOPE has evolved into one of the most influential hospitality summits in the region and a must-attend platform for industry leaders. It brings together global CEOs, hotel owners, investors, policymakers, innovators, and visionaries for candid, high-quality conversations that go beyond the usual conference format. The vision for HOPE 2026 is to build on this momentum and create an even more relevant, forward-looking platform – one that brings the full spectrum of hospitality, capital, technology, allied industries, and policy leadership into a single, shared conversation about the sector’s next phase of growth. This year, the agenda has also been consciously expanded to include themes that help the industry understand the broader economic, policy, and consumer forces shaping travel demand and investment decisions.
Agenda curation is therefore guided less by traditional topic buckets and more by the real decisions and inflection points facing the sector today, from capital alignment and development strategy to leadership, innovation, and long-term value creation. The structure of HOPE also includes layered, invitation-led environments such as ECHO, designed for hotel owners and investors, and EDGE, a leadership masterclass delivered in collaboration with New York University, enabling deeper, outcome-oriented dialogue alongside the main summit sessions.
The continued presence of the world’s leading hospitality CEOs and global industry voices reinforces HOPE’s larger ambition to bring the world together around Indian hospitality, while positioning India with greater confidence at the center of the global industry narrative.
How will HOPE 2026 differ in content and format compared to previous editions of the conference?
HOPE 2026 represents a natural progression in scale, depth, and confidence, shaped by the ambition to place India firmly at the center stage of the global hospitality conversation and reflect the spirit of an Unstoppable India. The content continues to expand beyond operator-led discussions into a more integrated exploration of investment, development, distribution, design, experience, and long-term value creation. From a format perspective, HOPE 2026 will have more curated and leadership-driven sessions, encouraging richer exchange and more meaningful engagement across industries and international peers. Overall, the 2026 edition is broader in participation, sharper in content, and more global in outlook, while staying true to the core idea that has made HOPE one of the most influential gatherings in the region, a platform for purposeful dialogue, industry alignment, and conversations that shape what comes next for hospitality. For example, our session on Tech, Trends & Transformation: The Next Gen Vision For Indian Hospitality brings together the next generation either taking over the family business or founding a new one to bring about how they are looking or relooking at the sector.
How will HOPE 2026 address the evolving market realities of Indian hospitality, from capital markets and portfolio strategy to emerging segments and operational complexities, while aligning industry leaders on the next phase of growth?
HOPE 2026 is designed around the real decisions shaping the next phase of growth for hospitality and travel in India. The agenda reflects a market that is no longer defined only by operators and occupancy trends, but increasingly by capital flows, ownership strategies, new formats, evolving consumer expectations, and next-generation growth engines. The content and format are designed for richer exchange across leadership dialogues, deep-dive panels, and purpose-driven sessions that bring together CEOs, global leaders, hotel owners, investors, travel tech innovators, and industry disruptors.
A strong focus this year is on capital markets, deal structuring, and portfolio strategy. As hotel companies pursue listings, asset-light growth, and consolidation, owners and investors are being forced to think more strategically about capital allocation, partnerships, and long-term value creation. Sessions such as “From Asset Owners to Capital Strategists: Building Hotel Portfolios in a New India” and “Listed, Liquid and Restless: The Race for Growth” are built around these themes. Bringing together leaders who are actively shaping this shift. Also, Capital, Consumption & Confidence: India’s Hospitality Playbook Ahead
Alongside this, HOPE 2026 will also explore emerging segments and demand drivers reshaping the industry’s future, from evolving luxury expectations to innovation in distribution, AI-led transformation, and the future of hotel design, signaling a move well beyond traditional operating models toward new formats and experiences. Together, these conversations blend leadership insight, economic perspective, technology trends, and segment evolution. The goal is not just to discuss trends, but to create a forum where the industry’s key decision-makers can align on the strategies that will define India’s next chapter in hospitality.
What role will data, research, and market intelligence play in shaping discussions at the 2026 event?
Data, research, and credible market intelligence continue to form the intellectual foundation of HOPE’s dialogue. As the industry grows more complex and interconnected, evidence-based insight becomes essential for interpreting risk, identifying opportunity, and guiding long-term decision-making. The 2026 edition is expected to further integrate research into conversation, ensuring that optimism is supported by clarity and that ambition is grounded in measurable reality, strengthening confidence across the ecosystem. To this effect we have presentations from Hotstats, a global leader in hospitality intelligence, Gleeds, global leaders in project cost consulting & HVS Anarock on India’s hospitality growth all leveraging data, research and intelligence to shape discussions.
How do you see HOPE evolving as a platform within the global hospitality investment ecosystem?
The trajectory for HOPE points toward a future that is grander in scale, broader in participation, and deeper in global influence. With each edition, the platform draws in more allied industries, international peers, and diverse voices, gradually positioning itself as a meaningful crossroads for hospitality thought, investment, and collaboration. As Indian hospitality continues to mature, HOPE has the potential to bring the world together in conversation around India, while simultaneously carrying India’s voice more strongly into the global hospitality narrative.
