

‘The Butterfly Effect: Transformation’, the linchpin of FITURTECHY 2020
FITUR and the Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero (ITH) are organising a specialist section for tourism sector technology and innovation - FITURTECHY - to be held from 22 to 24 January in Hall 10 at FITUR
FITURTECHY, the specialist section at FITUR for technology and innovation in the tourism sector, has been inspired for its next show by the old Chinese proverb that says ‘The slight flutter of the wings of a butterfly can be felt on the other side of the world’ - a holistic vision in which all events are related to each other, alluding to the idea that everything is connected. Any infinitesimal event, like the flutter of a butterfly’s wing, at a certain point in time can lead to a chain of events resulting in long-term changes of considerable magnitude.
Based on this concept of cause and effect, FITURTECHY, organised by Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero (the Hotel Industry Technology Institute), will occupy an exhibition space of 2,000 m2 in Hall 10 at FITUR. It will focus on how innovation and the application of the right technology in the tourism industry can offer major changes - ranging from vast differences in the service provided to customers to greater resource efficiency - which can lead to improvements in the conservation of the environment and, ultimately, the preservation of our planet’s future.
The Cajamar Cooperative Bank will also be showing their support for the tourism sector - one of Spain’s strategic industries - at FITURTECHY, as part of its endorsement of innovation, sustainability and quality, as well as its commitment to helping travel agencies, groups and companies from the hotel and services sectors in the development of their business and their international expansion projects.
A step forward for #techYhotel
As usual, the hotel of the future will be the focus of much of the content at FITURTECHY in the #techYhotel area, where attendees can see and experience the use and implementation of new technologies and innovative tools in a hotel environment.
#TechYhotel, will again bring together the most innovative products and services. For the first time, Morph will bring its expertise and unique architectural vision to ensure that #TechYhotel has a standout design which conveys the sense of innovation developed by ITH and the brands involved in putting this hotel together.
Other cutting-edge solutions will include those from companies such as Chapp Solutions, who will bring the very latest method for validating guests’ identities in online check-in processes, using facial recognition from their own devices (tablets, smartphones, etc.). The process is completed at the hotel’s Point of Kiosk auto check-in, which is integrated with HP. The company will also present its ‘Checkin on the go’ check-in support, which enables hotels to offer assistance to guests at all times.
Alongside this, administration will be optimised with a modern and intuitive hotel management system designed for the hotels of the future. Mews Commander PMS is a cloud-based solution designed to meet the needs of hotels, hostels and apartment rentals. Its automation of multiple processes reduces the time spent on tasks provide no added value. Mews improves staff efficiency and customer experiences.
At the hotel entrance, attendees can get an Easygoband wristband with NFC technology, which offers both hotels and guests a series of advantages based on user identification, access control and business intelligence.
Thanks to the ADD Group, attendees will be able to see how Tokyo the Robot can greatly improve user experience. As well as speeding up the check-in process and printing invoices at check-out, it can also escort guests to key points. Other hotel-specific solutions which will be on show include its ability to issue greetings based on the time of day, call regular guests by name, congratulate guests on their birthdays, ask about room preferences, inform the manager when it recognises a VIP customer and notify security in the case of a blacklisted customer. It can also ask guests about their level of satisfaction and in the case of a negative response, send a notification to the manager. A holographic assistant will also be present to look after attendees.
#TechYhotel will also showcase instant access for thousands of newspapers and magazines from all over the world, right in the palms of their hands, thanks to PressReader.
Another big technological innovation will be presented by Resuinsa, enabling textile customisation for the hotel and catering industry down to the last detail, with no minimum manufacturing quantities and compatible with industrial laundering.
Pikolin, in its latest developments in artificial intelligence, will present its new version of the SMARTP!K smart mattress, which can measure and analyse sleep quality and help users get better rest through its sensor system. SMARTP!k provides independent reports for its users with customised plans to improve sleep - because good days depend on good nights. The company will also present its new bed adjustment device with a linear electric motor. The mechanism ensures completely safe control of lifting and adjustment with automatic, uninterrupted movement, thanks to its RFID reader. The new electric adjustment system is compatible with both box spring and divanlín bases, improving the usability of both.
In the area of room technology, Cerium Technologies will showcase its innovative IPTV platform designed especially for the hotel sector. The digital transformation of TV within the sector brings a new and revolutionary way for guests to enjoy content at any time, allowing hoteliers to incorporate a digital data platform that can be integrated with their systems (PMS/CRM/ERP), providing a powerful tool to better understand their guests and customise their services.
#TechYhotel will again rely on the lighting products supplied by Signify, alongside the IoT platform Interact Hospitality, which allows users, by means of highly intuitive software, to streamline operations, improve service and enhance guests’ experiences, integrating lighting management and control with other hotel systems (curtains, air conditioning, booking systems, etc.).
All visitors to this exhibition space will be able to enjoy regulated lighting, means of access, audio-video (linking their smartphones to the system via Bluetooth) and air conditioning control (any heating or air conditioning system), using touchscreen thermostats and buttons and even using their smartphones and tablets. They can even control doors and windows. The system uses an advanced algorithm to monitor the presence of guests. It enables foolproof management policies, allowing room-specific measurement of consumption of electricity, air conditioning and water consumption, and will notify maintenance if consumption is detected when the room is unoccupied. All these products will be provided by Zennio Spain.
The benchmark for hotel room sustainability, efficiency and profitability can be seen in the new range offered by Veltia. This includes their new product VFUSION, the first high-speed, low-decibel dual-purpose hand and hair dryer.
Roca will present its Surfex washbasin. Products made of SURFEX® stand out for their aesthetic beauty due to the extraordinary plasticity of this material. The ability to create seamless products with novel, completely uniform designs and generate tailor-made solutions allows for previously unimaginable creative freedom in the bathroom. Thanks to its composition and manufacturing - using a mixture of minerals and resins - products made with SURFEX® have a smooth, delicate, matte texture, which is warm and particularly pleasant to the touch. Its mineral composition also gives it non-slip properties and resistance to impacts and abrasive products.
There will also be a Senceramic® shower tray on display, with an innovative non-slip texture, never before possible in the design of products made of vitrified porcelain. Its stylish, super slim design allows installation at ground level to facilitate seamless integration with no obstacles to impede access. In addition, it can be cut to the exact measurement of the shower, making it adaptable to all kinds of spaces.
In the technology section, Roca has merged two of its most innovative solutions: the In-Wash® smart toilet and the In-Tank integrated cistern design. The result is a smart toilet that eliminates the need for a traditional cistern by incorporating it into the bowl itself, making for easy installation. With an intuitive design allowing usage either by a side panel or remote control, this toilet has customisable functions for washing and drying to achieve optimal cleanliness, comfort and well-being as simply as possible.
HP will showcase its latest virtual reality solutions, with the latest advances in user experiences, showing developments and entertaining users in a choice of virtual locations. It will also present sustainable and adaptable forms of decoration for the hotel industry.
Vodafone will provide a 5G network throughout the Feria de Madrid facilities, which will be reinforced in the FiturtechY area.
FiturtechY will also encompass four forums within its exhibition area:
#techYnegocio
The #techYnegocio forum is the largest space at FITURTECHY, and its coverage of diverse topics, embracing both tourism and technology, attracts many attendees. During the three days of seminars and discussion forums, leading players from the sector in the field of technological innovation will present informative and inspirational content which is directly applicable to the tourism industry.
#techYdestino
This forum, devoted to technology and destinations, is the number one place to hear about the best experiences in innovative transformation of destinations, focused on three key aspects: smart products, land management, and marketing and promotion.
In the opinion of Christian Boutin, Managing Director of Amadeus in Spain and Portugal and Vice-President of the Retail Agencies segment in Western Europe, ‘Being at FITUR for another year and being involved in FITURTECHY, one of its most active and dynamic sections, is always a special occasion for Amadeus, for several reasons. The first is because it allows us to present our brand at one of the benchmark international trade fairs for tourism and travel, which attracts an increasing number of visitors every year. The second is because it allows us to showcase our new projects so our clients can get a look at the future possibilities on the road to full digital transformation. And the third is because it shows Amadeus’ commitment to innovation, an area in which more than two million euros is invested every day. Fitur also allows us to forge closer bonds with our clients and friends and strengthen our brand’s reach, which is something equally fundamental to Amadeus.’
#techYfuturo
For the second year running, Mastercard will sponsor #techYfuturo, a space for discussing challenges and trends in innovation and the technology that impacts on tourism, focused on artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, transport development and business digitisation.
#techYsostenibilidad
This forum is devoted to incorporating the concept of sustainable tourism on the basis of its three main standpoints: environment, economy and society. This year’s approach will revolve around how small pro-sustainability movements in various places around the world are giving rise to a worldwide transformation in people’s global thinking, and how this translates, in turn and with increasing strength, to the various components of the tourism sector - accommodation, destinations, transport, etc. - in the form of new guidelines for incorporating the concepts of sustainability and the circular economy into the tourism industry.
About ITH
ITH is the hotel sector’s response to the entrepreneurial challenges in the tourism industry posed by technological advances. With 15 years’ experience behind it, this centre for innovation, attached to the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT), aims to promote the use of new technologies and management systems that help to improve competitiveness, profitability, quality, efficiency and sustainability in companies associated with the hotel and tourism industry.
Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero:
Carla Méndez
Head of Publicity and Marketing
Tel: 91 417 12 46