Skip to main content

Thursday, March 19, 2026

ThinkGrowth Day 1: Keynote

Ariel Frias Ducoudray

Keynote -Technology Trends Fueling Growth


In this opening ThinkGrowth session, Founder and CEO Richard Aday welcomes independent hoteliers to ThinkReservations’ first-ever conference and emphasizes that real progress happens when the industry learns and innovates together as a community. Richard outlines three core commitments that guide the platform: delivering an exceptional booking and guest experience, using technology to simplify daily operations, and providing unmatched customer support. He then walks through how ThinkReservations has evolved from a PMS and booking engine into a comprehensive property management platform that now includes channel management, powerful guest messaging with ThinkMessenger, and high-converting websites through ThinkWeb. This session sets the tone for the conference by highlighting how the ThinkReservations ecosystem is designed to help independent properties grow revenue, streamline workflows, and compete confidently in today’s digital marketplace.

Related

ThinkReservations and PriceLabs logo
Webinar · June 17, 2026
It's time to put manual pricing behind you! We are thrilled to introduce ThinkReservations' new revenue management integration partner, PriceLabs! Register for the upcoming webinar. More details inside
Scott Hall Marketing specialist presented this session at ThinkGrowth
Webinar · March 19, 2026
In this ThinkGrowth session, ThinkMarketing specialist and former innkeeper Scott Hall breaks down what actually drives bookings for independent properties in today’s AI-shaped discovery landscape. Drawing on data from more than 100 properties, he shows how guest behavior has shifted from linear search to multi-touch discovery across mobile, social, OTAs, and Google, and why focus beats sheer activity
AHLA Senior Director Gizem Kilic drives this session
Webinar · March 19, 2026
In this ThinkGrowth session, AHLA Senior Director Gizem Kilic gives independent hoteliers a concise, data-driven outlook on the U.S. hotel industry, covering 2025–2026 performance, muted RevPAR growth, and a still-recovering international inbound segment.