The roomangel Foundation, a pioneering nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing transparency and fairness in the hospitality industry, today announces the appointment of William A. Gibbs as Senior Advisor - Strategy & Growth. Gibbs joins the Foundation to spearhead the global expansion of hive, the organization’s flagship AI platform. Functioning as a connected intelligence layer, hive enables hotels to leverage complex data to optimize yield, reduce reliance on intermediaries, and prepare for the next era of Agentic AI in travel. In this pivotal role, Gibbs will oversee strategy, commercial growth, and operational excellence, shaping hive’s product-market fit and accelerating adoption among hotel groups, asset managers, and owners worldwide.

Turkish Airlines, the airline flying to more countries than any other, has entered into a partnership with Samsung, marking yet another milestone towards its digital transformation efforts aimed at enhancing the travel comfort of its guests. Beginning on December 1, passengers will be able to seamlessly track their baggage using Smart Tagged Baggage Service, powered by SmartThings Find, which enables faster and more efficient tracking of misplaced or delayed baggage that is equipped with Galaxy SmartTag.

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Middle East and Africa (MEA) has successfully wrapped up its 8th annual Commercial Strategy Conference in Dubai. 400+ delegates, 83 speakers, 55 different discussions across 9 formats, 39 ROCKSTAR award submissions and a 15 percent increase in attendance compared to last year

RelocateU, the corporate housing provider redefining sustainability in global relocation, has been honoured with the Sustainability Initiative of the Year award at the Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM) Awards 2025, winning across all three regions: EMEA, APAC and the Americas. This rare triple recognition underscores RelocateU’s leadership in aligning profit with purpose and delivering measurable environmental and social impact worldwide.

GO7, the growth platform for airlines, has today announced that Sell-more-seats© (SMS), its IATA-compliant passenger service system (PSS), has re-entered the market. This follows a strategic pause in new airline onboardings while SMS was integrated into GO7’s refracted architecture. The system, which holds the IATA two-letter code “W1,” is designed to streamline inventory management, reservation, and ticketing processes while facilitating codeshare with full-service carriers. Since re-entering the market, SMS has supported the launch of Swedish virtual airline Brommaflyg, a carrier focused on restoring essential air connectivity between Visby (the Isle of Gotland) and Stockholm Bromma Airport for Gotland’s residents and businesses.

San Diego set the stage for a lively opening to The Phocuswright Conference 2025, where more than 600 travel leaders debated the industry’s next chapter. Across sessions, one theme rang clear: AI is no longer a future disruptor, it’s a present reality – but loyalty, trust, and human connection remain the anchors. From OTAs morphing into financial institutions, to TikTok and Reddit defending the value of authentic recommendations, to hoteliers wrestling with fragmented systems, the conference spotlighted both the promise and the pitfalls of technology in travel.