Marias Platzl
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elevatr x talente festival: Innovation and generational exchange in the hotel & gastronomy industry

Together with elevatr, the experts for networking in the hospitality industry, Platzl Hotels organized a unique event that made the industry sit up and take notice. At the elevatr x talente festival, people from different career levels and generations came together to exchange innovative ideas, grow together and discuss the future of the hospitality industry. Heiko Buchta (Hotel Director & Authorized Signatory), Sophia Frei (Head of People & Culture) and elevatr founders Nina Fiolka and Laura Schmidt reviewed the event with us.

How did the idea for the talente festival come about and what is the vision behind it?

Sophia Frei: The idea for the talente festival developed step by step. Originally, we wanted to do something for our trainees and students with a focus on leadership and new work. While brainstorming, we came up with the idea of organizing the whole thing with elevatr as co-host. After some consideration, we also thought it would be better to expand the group of participants so that managers, leadership trainees and other employees could also take part alongside apprentices and students. In the process, the topic of “intergenerational exchange” also came up quite naturally. We are convinced that development should not only take place in traditional training courses, but in an environment that promotes communication, enthusiasm and innovation. Our vision is to promote talent, broaden perspectives, break new ground and shape the future of the hotel industry together.

You described how you came up with the idea of expanding the group of participants during the planning phase. What prompted you to deviate from the original concept?

Sophia Frei: Our working world is changing rapidly, and learning is not a question of age or position, but a question of attitude. By bringing trainees, students and managers together, we were able to facilitate knowledge transfer in both directions. Everyone now has the same level of knowledge about our current topics at Platzl, and we were also able to start a real dialog between the generations. We need this at Platzl Hotels in order to develop further, but actually the whole industry can benefit from concepts like this.

What makes the talente festival so special compared to conventional training formats?

Heiko Buchta: At Platzl Hotels, we are constantly trying to develop and try out new things. When we thought with Sophia about how we could create an event that would inspire and stimulate creative thinking, it quickly became clear that we would only achieve conventional results with a conventional conference. We have known Laura and Nina from elevatr for some time and are enthusiastic about their upnxt festival. We also wanted something comparably fresh, which is why we brought them on board to benefit from their expertise. I think we are the first individual company to take such a step. Seeing how the concept came about and how well it was received by everyone makes me very proud - and is a prime example of our corporate culture.

Why was this festival a perfect fit for elevatr?

Laura Schmidt: We at elevatr see ourselves as so-called “enablers” or promoters of the hospitality industry. As a hospitality network for the new generations, for young managers and industry movers and shakers, we want to promote innovation and inspiring knowledge transfer in the industry. That's why the talente festival was a perfect fit for us or we for it - depending on how you look at it.

Nina Fiolka: That's right, the festival was precisely a platform to develop together. We share exactly this mission: we connect hospitality personalities, promote knowledge exchange and personal growth. In both cases, aspiring talents and leaders come together, learn from each other and inspire each other. What has particularly inspired us in our collaboration with Platzl Hotels is the shared belief that the key to long-term success lies in cooperation, the courage to change and openness to new ideas.

What role do innovation and leadership play in the hotel industry, and how does the festival help with current industry challenges?

Heiko Buchta:The topics of innovation and leadership are central to the development of a company in our industry. That is why we have made these topics the focus of the festival alongside the topic of generations. Whether employer brand, digitalization or product innovation - change must be consciously shaped by managers. Precisely because the industry is facing challenges such as a shortage of skilled workers, I am proud that we do not have a shortage of skilled workers - on the contrary, we have never had so many employees in our companies. Last year, we launched a digitalization project, but realized that it takes more than just new IT systems - it also takes the courage to rethink things and let go of old things. We are trying to build trust and inspire new approaches - both among managers and among the next generation of our industry.

Laura Schmidt:An event like the talente festival can contribute to making the hospitality industry more sustainable, innovative and attractive for young talents by making it a stage for the entire hospitality industry and jointly putting its attractiveness in the spotlight. Together, we should convey the spirit of the festival and thus the entire diversity and passion of Hospitality World to the outside world!

 

Thank you very much for your time - we are already looking forward to the next time!