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Tech Confex 2025: Why introducing AI into service means going back to basics
Panellists at The Caterer’s Tech Confex discussed the role technology plays in the most human of interactions, with your guests
Hoteliers must only invest in tech where it enhances guest experience, but should forget the human-centric hospitality basics at their peril. This was the key message from a panel debate held at The Caterer’s Tech Confex 2025, sponsored by Ruckus Networks, held in central London on 25 June.
Danica Smith, guest experience consultant and founder of MorningStar GX, said: “It’s about bringing it back to the humans and looking at the emotional quotient. As much as we’re looking at AI, we have to bring it back to basics too.”
Smith advised hoteliers to think holistically about guest satisfaction, not just the guest experience. There’s no point focusing on implementing technology and digital touchpoints into the guest journey if, for example, the room they stayed in was unclean or the staff they met were unfriendly, she said.
The hospitality guru sat alongside a cross-industry panel, including John Magill, European head of store design at Sky, Muna Khan, chief technology officer with wide-ranging experience across the retail and fast-moving consumer goods space, and Shaon Talukder, chief executive of travel app Geotourist.
“If it’s too complex or doesn’t feel trustworthy, people shy away”
They discussed the digital evolution and its impact on hospitality, such as how consumers are becoming more specific in their online search terms, how a younger generation of guests are demanding more tech-enabled interactions than their parents, and tech’s broader role in the guest experience.
Reflecting on the thought process required when deploying digital elements, Magill said: “If you overcomplicate something, customers won’t engage. Your tech has to be the proverbial swan on the lake, with the thinking going on down under the service. If it’s too complex or doesn’t feel trustworthy, people shy away.”
He added that digitally-enabled success comes if the tech used speeds up service, the sales piece or the credit checks. Technology should help staff do their jobs better, he added.
Hidden helper
Khan advised the service industry to use tech to provide their businesses with the insights required to create a compelling and efficient experience or to allow people to book their own appointments, pre-order meals and order amenities. Looking at tech from this perspective gives an organisation the best chance of generating a compelling guest experience, she explained.
“Don’t be afraid of the data you have and make full use of it,” argued Khan, adding that advancements in AI will generate so many opportunities to improve insight gathering.
Talukder suggested using tech “for all the stuff that guests don’t see”, and that will allow service industry staff to “focus on how to wow the guests”.
Personalisation of the guest experience was a core topic for the panel, and Talukder said organisations should continue to harness the data to “meet customers where they are” – although he acknowledged there is some distance to travel to get this right, both from a privacy and experience perspective.
Indeed, Smith reflected on the legacy tech stacks of the hospitality industry as a whole – saying the sector is “miles away” from being able to deliver personalisation seamlessly. With that in mind, the basics become more crucial, and she called for better training and recruitment of staff based on their guest experience and ability to flex towards ever-changing guest demands.
She said: “What can hoteliers and hospitality do best? People. We need to focus on the people.”
SIgn up for next year’s Tech Confex
If you are interested in hearing more about next year’s event, sign up for The Caterer’s Tech Confex 2026
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