With ten days to go, Hospitality Tech360 opens at ExCeL London on 30 March for a three-day run through to 1 April — and this year's event carries a specific moment of significance for the sector: the trial phase launch of the Hospitality Innovation Lab.
The Lab is a joint initiative between the Hospitality Sector Council and venture builder L Marks, designed to identify and accelerate practical technology solutions that address real operational challenges across the sector. The trial phase brings together a cohort of newly selected technology providers who will present their solutions to hospitality operators, investors and sector bodies throughout the event.
What the Innovation Lab Does
The model is a familiar one from other industries — a structured programme that moves beyond the typical trade show dynamic of vendors pitching products, and instead creates a framework for operators to evaluate technology against specific challenges they have already identified. Pilot arrangements can be initiated at the event, with L Marks providing structured support for the relationship between operator and technology provider through the trial period.
The Hospitality Sector Council has been running a programme of industry engagement to identify the most pressing productivity and operational challenges currently facing the sector — covering areas including labour scheduling, energy management, guest communication and back-of-house efficiency. The selected Innovation Lab cohort has been built around those findings.
The Wider Event
Hospitality Tech360 runs a content programme across the three days focused on three broad themes: AI and automation in hospitality operations; the relationship between technology adoption and team culture; and sustainable operations underpinned by data.
Confirmed speakers span operators, group-level technology leads, and external specialists from adjacent industries. The event is positioned as complementary to the HRC trade show that ran at ExCeL earlier in March — where HRC covers the breadth of the sector, Hospitality Tech360 goes deep on digital infrastructure, systems integration and the human side of technology adoption.
What to Expect on the Show Floor
The exhibitor floor will include property management systems, point-of-sale and payments infrastructure, booking and reservation platforms, energy monitoring and building management technology, and workforce management software. The Innovation Lab zone will be separately marked within the show, giving attendees a focused area to engage with the trial-phase providers.
For operators considering attendance, the most practical argument is the concentrated opportunity to compare competing systems in a single day, with the ability to speak directly to implementation teams rather than account managers. Hospitality Tech360 is free to attend for qualifying hospitality operators.
Hospitality Tech360, ExCeL London, 30 March — 1 April 2026. Registration at hospitalitytech360.co.uk