Hospitality Experience is a disruptive event born from the vision of the University San Francisco de Quito to bring together the brightest minds and most passionate hearts in the hospitality industry. It is an event where conversations generate new ideas and stories that remind us why we chose this path.
Hospitality Experience is an invitation to build community across all sectors that make up the broad and diverse hospitality industry, igniting encounters that open doors to new collaborations.
Accommodation | Food and Beverage | Event Planning | Live Entertainment | MICE | Sports | Weddings | Adventure Tourism | Sustainable Tourism
Investment
USFQ COMMUNITY
1 DAY
$25 2 DAYS
General PUBLIC
1 DAY
$70 2 DAYS
HQM & AHOTEC MEMBERS
1 DÍA
$60 2 Days
Diners partners
1 DÍA
$60 2 Days
Schedule
Thursday 09/04/2026
9h00 – 16h00
Friday 10/04/2026
9h00 – 17h00
Networking Area
9h00 – 16h00
(Both Days)
The world’s most influential hospitality leaders gather in
QUITO - ECUADOR
SPEAKERS
National / International
Hilton
JD Barnes
Global Vice President of Human Resources Technology and Innovation at Hilton, leading technology strategy and management for more than 500,000 employees worldwide.
Marriott International
Gamal El Fakih
Vice President of Operations for Luxury and Premium Hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America at Marriott International.
FORMULA 1 Gran Premio CDMX
Sandra Castañeda
Deputy Director of Advocacy, Customer Experience, and Sustainability for the FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX.
Grupo Xcaret
Iliana Rodriguez
Corporate Director of Sustainability and Institutional Dialogue at Grupo Xcaret, an expert in corporate social responsibility and sustainable tourism.
The Walt Disney Company
Jim Real
High-stakes creative leader with over 25 years of experience across elite global agencies and a 15-year executive tenure at The Walt Disney Company.
Grupo Futuro
Roque Sevilla
A leading figure in Ecuador in the fields of sustainability and business leadership. Co-founder of Fundación Natura and founder of Grupo Futuro.
SixStar Hotels
Andrés Pachano
Chief Executive Officer of SixStar Hotels, overseeing key hotel developments such as Wyndham and Courtyard by Marriott in Ecuador.
ZIGO
José Javier Jaramillo
CEO and founder of Zigo, a travel-tech platform that connects hotels with companies to streamline the management of corporate stays.
Cayetano & Mónica
Mónica Sevilla
Co-founder of Cayetano y Mónica, an expert in designing and producing memorable events and large-scale conventions.
Cayetano & Mónica
Cayetano Uribe
Co-founder and General Manager with 40 years of experience. A leading figure in event design and production in the region.
Metropolitan Touring
Dominic Hamilton
Director of Communications at Metropolitan Touring. A professional in strategic communications with expertise in public relations, corporate communications, and creative direction.
Expoflores
Alejandro Martínez
Executive President of Expoflores, promoting the sector’s internationalization, enhancing its competitiveness, and establishing Ecuadorian flowers as a global benchmark for quality.
PCMA
Lucio Vaquero
With more than 15 years of experience in the meetings and events industry, he stands out as a leader in the management of association, corporate, and incentive events. He has contributed strategic insight focused on excellence and innovation through his role as Regional Director for Latin America at one of the industry’s leading global associations. Throughout his career, he has led high-impact projects and events while working with major organizations such as MCI Group, NSJ Group S.A., and CCM Worldwide Medical Congresses.
ASOMICE EC
Francisca Tobar
With over 20 years of experience in the events industry, Francisca is currently General Manager of ZEFYXA S.A. and President of ASOMICE EC, the association representing meeting planners in Ecuador. She holds a degree in International Business and has completed two postgraduate programs in Strategic Management at the University of Belgrano, Argentina.
Relais & Châteaux
Guillermo F. Savino
Member of the Board and Latin America Delegate for Relais & Châteaux. Based in Argentina, he is also part of the Executive Committee of Destino Argentina, contributing to the development and international positioning of the region’s hospitality sector.
USFQ
Edison Loza
Full Professor at USFQ and Coordinator of the Data Analytics Minor. Senior consultant in data governance, business analytics, decision support systems, and strategic intelligence. He holds a PhD in Information Systems Management from UGA, France, and a postdoctoral degree in Organizational Information Systems from IAE Grenoble. He also has two master’s degrees: one in Information Systems Management Research and another in ICT Management. He has contributed to academic program design and conducts research in digital transformation.
USFQ
Damián Ramia
After leading and implementing successful projects as Dean of the College of Hospitality, Culinary Arts, and Tourism, where he taught Revenue Management and Hotel Marketing, he currently serves as Vice President of Student Journey. He has consulted for companies such as Marriott International, Hotel Quito, Asesoría Profesional Hotelera, and Intercontinental Hotels, and was a certified Internet Marketing consultant in Toronto. He also served as Vice President for Latin America at M3-Social Mindz, specializing in web solutions, social marketing, conversion, and custom applications.
USFQ
Juan Felipe Nájera
Master in Big Data and Data Science from the Universidad Internacional de Valencia and Industrial Engineer from USFQ, with over eight years of experience in data analysis, business intelligence, and process automation across technology, manufacturing, and education sectors. He has served as Senior Data Analyst at ICESA, Director of Studies at CACES, and Business Intelligence Analyst at Alegra. He is currently an Assistant Professor at USFQ, specializing in Python and data visualization for decision-making.
Mentinno / USFQ
Juan Pablo del Alcazar
PhD© in Educational Innovation and MBA from Universidad de Palermo, Argentina, postgraduate (MBA) and CADE instructor at USFQ. He currently serves as General Manager of Mentinno Ecuador, leading projects in governance, technology adoption, analytics, and business strategy. He holds consulting certifications from Harvard Business School and in Generative Artificial Intelligence from global leaders such as IBM, Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, and Section. His expertise combines education, technology, and strategic innovation.
Preferred by Nature
Esvín Chacón
Sustainable Travel Specialist at Preferred by Nature, where he supports client acquisition and provides technical and customer support for the Sustainable Travel Programme. His responsibilities include developing policies, tools, and training, managing audits, and expanding the client portfolio. With over 20 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry, Esvin is a certified sustainable tourism professional and auditor, actively participating in events and initiatives that promote responsible practices and sustainable growth in the tourism sector.
Hotel Patio Andaluz
Pilar Soto
Tourism business administrator, gastronome, and specialist in Ecuadorian cuisine, with extensive experience in hotel nutrition and international food safety standards such as HACCP, BPM, ISO 22000, and FSC 22000 V.6. Expert in sustainable and responsible tourism, with strong knowledge of GSTC criteria. She has managed hotels recognized for excellence in product, infrastructure, and customer service, including Hotel Patio Andaluz, the first and only hotel in Ecuador certified by Preferred by Nature for sustainable and responsible tourism practices.
Community Tourism
Jascivan Carvalho
Social entrepreneur and leader in sustainable tourism in Ecuador, a pioneer in community-based tourism with indigenous communities in the Amazon and the Galápagos Islands.
USFQ
Rafael Villota-Jetzer
Dean and Director of Graduate Programs at the College of Hospitality, Culinary Arts, and Tourism at USFQ. He holds a PhD in Social Sciences and Geography from the University of Lyon II and an MSc in International Hospitality and Restaurant Management.
USFQ
Paola Torres
USFQ faculty member and Academic Coordinator of Hospitality. She has more than 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry, holding leadership roles in management, operations, sales, and consulting in Ecuador, Spain, and Mexico.
USFQ
Juan Carlos Valdivieso
USFQ faculty member and Director of the Institute of Heritage and Sustainable Tourism. His work focuses on research in sustainable tourism, with several books and scientific articles published. He is also a member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.
USFQ
Carmella Tello
USFQ faculty member and Wedding Planner with more than 130 events organized across the country. Focused on the creative process to bring each couple’s vision for their special day to life.
USFQ
Verónica Salgado
USFQ faculty member and coordinator of the Adventure Tourism Minor. She bridges academia and industry through the design of gastronomic experiences, educational innovation projects, and collaboration with the tourism sector, promoting hospitality and storytelling.
USFQ
Irene Guijarro
USFQ faculty member and Regional MICE Coordinator for Pure!Travel Group. She is a member of the MPI LATAM Regional Council 2026 and has more than 15 years of professional experience in the industry.
USFQ
Juan Pablo Hidalgo
USFQ faculty member, Commercial Manager at Prostatus S.A., and General Manager of We Agency SAS. He has several years of experience creating and managing experiences.
Thursday, April 9
Friday, April 10
Schedule subject to change
Parallel Activities April 9 and 10
Workshops - Friday, April 10
Schedule subject to change
MORE INFORMATION
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