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Creativity, Care and Connection: What Stayed With Me at MEWS UNFOLD 2026
- Emily Goldfischer
- May 30
- 6 min read
Updated: May 31
What surprised me most about MEWS Unfold last year was that it didn't feel like a typical hotel tech conference. That's why I wanted to come back. Well, this year, that feeling only got stronger.
The day opened with a high-energy musical performance, this time with a Lenny Kravitz look-alike grinding hard on an electric guitar. That quickly shook off any lingering jet lag and woke up the crowd.
MEWS Founder Richard Valtr and CEO Matt Welle followed with a look at where hospitality is headed. Their message was that technology should help move travel from mechanical to magical and hospitality professionals from administrators to memory makers. They touched on everything from set-jetting and social media's growing influence on travel decisions to the role AI will play in helping hotels create more personalized experiences.
Then came Duncan Wardle.
Creativity Is a Skill, Not a Talent
Having spent 25 years at Disney, most recently as Head of Innovation and Creativity, Wardle is now on a mission to help organizations think differently. He is one of the highest-energy keynote speakers I've ever seen. Within minutes he had the audience on its feet role-playing with complete strangers, drawing pictures (pads and pens provided at entry) and challenging some of the assumptions that often get in the way of innovation.
He opened with a relatable fact: most people don't feel they have time to be creative at work. Between meetings, emails, deadlines and endless to-do lists, creativity gets pushed aside in favor of getting through the day.
Wardle's belief is that creativity isn't a talent reserved for artists, designers or a lucky few. It's a skill. And like any skill, it requires practice and space.
One of the simplest exercises involved replacing "No, because..." with "Yes, and..."
The difference was remarkable. "No, because..." shuts down ideas before they have a chance to develop. "Yes, and..." builds on them. It's a technique borrowed from improv comedy, and now that I've tried it, I can see how it is equally useful for business meetings and brainstorming sessions.
Wardle also made a compelling case for diversity of thought. Diversity isn't just about representation, it drives innovation because people with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives see opportunities others miss.
"If somebody doesn't look like you, they don't think like you."
My favorite takeaway was his challenge to become more curious. Innovation often starts when someone notices something and asks the simple question: What if?
Don't Forget Human Intelligence
Charlie MacGregor, Founder and CEO of The Social Hub, opened with a quote from Conrad Hilton that I'd never heard before: that Hilton's mission was to create world peace through international trade and travel. He even showed an early Hilton advertisement from 1959 that captured this ambition.
Hilton's words inspired MacGregor's own mission with The Social Hub: bringing people together to build a better society. He built the company around an idea many people said would never work. Instead of separating students, business travellers, leisure guests and local communities, he brought them together under one roof. The result is a blend of student and traveler accommodation, co-working spaces and community events designed around connection rather than segmentation.
Far from failing, the concept has been a massive success. Today, The Social Hub operates 21 hubs across Europe, with another 11 in development. The model delivers strong commercial results alongside its social mission, with properties generating eight times the economic impact for their cities compared to traditional hotels.
Yet his point wasn't really about the numbers. MacGregor kept coming back to something much simpler: human connection. From the power of saying hello to creating spaces where people from different backgrounds can meet, learn and belong, his message was that we miss countless opportunities every day because we don't engage with the people around us.
At a time when everyone seems obsessed with AI, MacGregor challenged us to focus on HI instead: Human Intelligence, and yes, actually saying "Hi" to people as a way to connect.
Such a refreshing and optimistic reminder that business can be a force for good, something we don't hear nearly enough!
Business Can Be a Force for Good
That theme continued in one of the most unexpected sessions of the day. Jan van Hövell, a former lawyer and founder of KLABU, shared how volunteering in refugee camps inspired him to create sports clubhouses for displaced communities. What began as a simple observation, that sport creates connection, belonging and joy, has grown into a nonprofit operating clubhouses across Africa, Jordan, Bangladesh and Brazil, with more communities waiting to participate.
I loved that MEWS chose to give KLABU a platform. At a conference filled with discussions about AI, automation and operating systems, it would have been easy to focus exclusively on technology. Instead, we spent time learning about refugees, community and the role business can play in making a positive difference. Hang on, tech bros can be a force for good?! Yes, apparently, they CAN!
The Big News: MEWS New Singular Operating System for Hospitality
Of course, this was still a tech conference, and the biggest news of the day was the launch of the MEWS Operating System. The premise is straightforward: the average hotel runs on eight to ten different software vendors, from PMS and RMS to channel manager, guest messaging, POS, check-in, payments and receivables. Each tool may solve one problem, but together they often create a much bigger one.
MEWS wants to solve that by bringing the major layers of hotel technology into one AI-native operating system. The platform includes MEWS RMS for dynamic pricing, MEWS Channel Manager powered by SiteMinder, Guest Messaging across channels including WhatsApp, SMS, OTA messages and email, Automations that can turn guest insights into action, and Accounts Receivable to bring the B2B invoice-to-cash workflow into the platform.
In plain English? One system that connects everything. More time focused on the guest.
That idea surfaced repeatedly throughout the day. During a session on AI and the future of hospitality, Julie Linn Teigland of EY shared that she prefers the term "augmented intelligence" to artificial intelligence. The goal isn't replacing people. It's helping people perform at a higher level.
Experiences, Access and Making Your Own Table
Some of the most interesting conversations explored what guests will value most in an increasingly automated world. Amber Asher, former CEO of The Standard Hotels and a MEWS board member, made the point that experiences are becoming more important than ever. Guests may forget the room number, but they'll remember the rooftop party, the birthday celebration, the restaurant, the people they met and how the experience made them feel.
Meanwhile, Halima Aziz, Head of Hotels at Criterion Hospitality, offered a compelling counterpoint. Not every traveler is looking for luxury. Not every traveler can afford it. Her argument was that hospitality also has a responsibility to think about accessibility and value. As she put it: "We're not selling indulgence. We're selling access." Her concept, Zedwell, is doing just that in London.
One of the most inspiring leadership conversations came from a panel moderated by Danica Smith on what it takes to build something new in hospitality. The panel featured Eljesa Saciri, General Manager of The Mandrake; Niko Karstikko, Co-Founder and CEO of Bob W; and Jim Deters, Founder and CEO of Gravity Haus. Each is challenging a different part of the traditional hotel model, from tech-enabled autonomous hospitality to community-driven outdoor experiences.
Eljesa, however, gave the line I kept thinking about. Speaking openly about not fitting the industry's traditional image of a hotel leader, she acknowledged that she is not welcome in every room. Rather than trying to squeeze herself into someone else’s version of leadership, she said: "I make my own table."
Her comments reflected a broader theme that ran through the discussion: the future of hospitality will be shaped by leaders willing to challenge convention, create their own opportunities and build concepts that do not fit neatly into traditional industry categories.
The Conversations Were the Conference
One of my favorite moments of the day was sitting down with Jessica Snavely, Director of Marketing at MEWS. Our conversation jumped from career growth and self-advocacy to using AI to manage kids' sports schedules and tackle elaborate baking projects. One minute we were discussing leadership, the next we were talking buttercream. A full interview is coming soon.
The day ended with awards, then the KalentuRa drum band led the crowd of 700 out to a sunny reception deck for hotelier-themed cocktails and dancing. Hard to argue with that as a conference close.
The technology was impressive, but the conversations I found myself thinking about on the flight home were about creativity, curiosity, community and connection.
Needless to say, I hope to be back in 2027.
