Lausanne, Switzerland – April 24, 2025 – EHL is excited to announce the inaugural EHL Open Innovation Summit, taking place on the 20th and 21st of May 2025 on EHL Campus Lausanne. This two-day immersive experience is designed to inspire action through innovation and collaboration, featuring expert panels, thought-provoking keynotes, hands-on workshops, curated networking, and actionable challenge-solving sessions for the hospitality sector and beyond.
In an era where consumers’ expectations are evolving at an unprecedented pace, where digitalization is reshaping guest interactions and is challenging traditional norms, the hospitality industry stands at a critical inflection point. As a leading hospitality and business education group, EHL is creating a collaborative approach, through its first edition of the EHL Open Innovation Summit, that encourages the sharing of ideas and resources from different sectors to drive creative solutions. "The hospitality industry is facing an urgent need for innovation in this dynamic landscape. The EHL Open Innovation Summit is a crucial platform for exploring how the sector can merge with cutting-edge technology to create a more resilient, inclusive, and forward-thinking future. At EHL, we see it as a responsibility to better leverage our talents, our global network and our resources to make a tangible change in our industry and contribute to the world, being Open Innovation the proper catalyst for progress, purpose and impact," said Andrea Monti, CEO of EHL NEXT – EHL Innovation Hub.
Inspiring sessions, engaging workshops and actionable solutions
As innovators, industry leaders and academia come together to unlock bold ideas, the EHL Open Innovation Summit aims to be both inspiring and practical, offering actionable solutions on 3 major tracks:
This track, thanks to our EHL expert Dr. Carlos Martin-Rios, Associate Professor of Management and our content partners SWISS FOOD NUTRITION VALLEY and GIGA, will explore how technological and ecological innovation is reshaping the food system. From AI-driven solutions that enhance transparency and personalize experiences, to vertical farming linking hospitality with resilient sourcing, sustainable proteins offering diverse and delicious alternatives, and circular economy models that turn waste into new value. Together, these innovations promise a food future that is smarter and more sustainable than ever before.
It is an invitation, from our EHL expert Dr. Alessandro Inversini, Full Professor of Marketing and our content partner REGENOPOLIS, to go beyond sustainability toward a mindset of restoration and renewal, where hospitality actively contributes to thriving ecosystems and communities. By embracing regenerative practices, fostering transformative guest experiences, mobilizing stakeholders through an ecosystem approach, and leveraging emerging tech for good, the industry can redefine its role—not as an extractive force, but as a catalyst for healing and long-term impact.
This track, supported by our EHL experts – Dr. Florent Girardin, Associate Professor of Marketing, and our content partner Dr. Matthias Fuchs, Assistant Professor & Director of the Institute of Customer Experience Management - reimagines luxury as a blend of authenticity, connection, and purpose. It examines how brands can uphold elegance and prestige while embracing sustainability, from nature-inspired design and conscious materials to ethical collaborations with artisans that preserve cultural heritage. True luxury now lies in experiences that not only delight but also give back—creating beauty with meaning and legacy.
Industry stakeholders, entrepreneurs and students will benefit from case studies presentations, inspiring discussion, engaging workshops, curated matchmaking and networking, with groundbreaking speakers from all over the world:
EHL extends its heartfelt gratitude to its co-creation partner, the Canton of Vaud, its partners such as AceUp, NVH Studios and Tuscany Region, its supporters including Solskin, Circular Economy Switzerland, Hack Summit, and Laurent Perrier, and its media partner Hospitality Net for their trust and support in the first edition of the EHL Open Innovation Summit.
Learn more about the EHL Open Innovation Summit agenda and the full list of speakers here.