Human-Centered AI into Experience
Embedding intelligence into the guest experience without losing the human warmth that makes an asset worth returning to.
Chaired by Johnny LamFounder, Dreamland Beach Club & Advisor of Blackbird.ai
Learn MoreThe 2026 to 2027 Cohort
Fifteen months of curated dialogue, insight, and partnership.
The themes shaping the future of hospitality investment, explored through closed-door roundtables and a handful of in-person gatherings worth travelling for.
Next in the room
Soft ROI: Beyond the Spreadsheet
The honest truth about returns in hospitality investment, then the strategies that shorten the timeline.
Chaired by Jonathan LawVice President — Mainland China & Overseas Projects, Liu Chong Hing Investment
Hospitality Leadership
From passive capital allocator to visionary industry leader.
Chaired by Wuthivet VetchabutsakornExecutive Educator of Hospitality Leadership & Founding & Managing Director, The Hotel CFO Next Door
Legacy of the Family Business
How hospitality investment extends and endures a family’s original enterprise.
Chaired by Bernardo RetanaChief Investment Officer & Private Advisor to the Chairman, Aruya Ventures
Corporate Investment as Hospitality’s Tech Catalyst and Industry Interoperability
Where strategic capital meets the platforms and standards reshaping how hospitality investment operates.
Chaired by Baybars AltuntasChairman — affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), World Business Angels Forum
The Irreplaceable Hotel: Building Owner Resilience Through Hyperlocal Identity
Hyperlocal identity as the owner’s moat. How do owners build assets that guests — and, increasingly, algorithms — cannot easily substitute?
Chaired by Devkaran DoowaManaging Director, third-generation hotel owner, hospitality alchemist, and entrepreneur, Lohas Hospitality
Insight brief — in preparation
Wellness & Longevity
A candid roundtable for senior LPs and operators on the fastest-growing frontier in hospitality investment, where medicine, lifestyle, and returns now meet.
Chaired by Chester JieManaging Director, DDA Private Capital
The themes
Each theme chosen to challenge assumptions and reveal opportunity.
01
Wellness & Longevity
Chaired by Chester Jie, Managing Director, DDA Private Capital
Repositioning where medicine meets hospitality investment, and the fastest-growing frontier in the sector.
02
Human-Centered AI
Chaired by Johnny Lam, Founder, Dreamland Beach Club & Advisor of Blackbird.ai
Embedding intelligence into the guest experience without losing the human warmth.
03
Soft ROI: Beyond the Spreadsheet
Chaired by Jonathan Law, Vice President — Mainland China and Overseas Projects, Liu Chong Hing Investment
The honest truth about returns, then the strategies that shorten the timeline.
04
Hospitality Leadership
Chaired by Wuthivet Vetchabutsakorn, Executive Educator of Hospitality Leadership & Founding & Managing Director of The Hotel CFO Next Door
From passive capital allocator to visionary industry leader.
05
Legacy of the Family Business
Chaired by Bernardo Retana, Chief Investment Officer & Private Advisor to the Chairman, Aruya Ventures
How hospitality investment extends and endures a family’s original enterprise.
06
Corporate Investment as Hospitality’s Tech Catalyst and Industry Interoperability
Chaired by Baybars Altuntas, Chairman, World Business Angels Forum
Where strategic capital meets the platforms and standards reshaping how hospitality investment operates.
07
Strategic Gastronomy
Programming food and beverage from a loss centre into a profit engine.
08
Identity
The soul of an asset as its most potent competitive advantage.
09
What’s Next for Sustainability
From marketing differentiator to fundamental investment requirement.
10
Regeneration
Net-positive impact, and leaving destinations better than found.
11
When Silver is the New Gold
Where healthcare, hospitality investment, and residential real estate converge.
12
Inclusive Hospitality
The sophisticated evolution of halal tourism, and multi-billion-dollar demand.
The calendar
Monthly through the year, punctuated by three gatherings.
25 Sep 2026Wellness & LongevityVirtualChaired by Chester Jie, Managing Director, DDA Private Capital
15 Oct 2026Human-Centered AI into ExperienceVirtualChaired by Johnny Lam, Founder, Dreamland Beach Club & Advisor of Blackbird.ai
19 Nov 2026Soft ROI: Beyond the SpreadsheetVirtualChaired by Jonathan Law, Vice President — Mainland China and Overseas Projects, Liu Chong Hing Investment
10 Dec 2026Hospitality LeadershipVirtualChaired by Wuthivet Vetchabutsakorn, Executive Educator of Hospitality Leadership & Founding & Managing Director of The Hotel CFO Next Door
22 Jan 2027Legacy of the Family BusinessVirtualChaired by Bernardo Retana, Chief Investment Officer & Private Advisor to the Chairman, Aruya Ventures
18 Feb 2027Corporate Investment as Hospitality’s Tech Catalyst and Industry InteroperabilityVirtualChaired by Baybars Altuntas, Chairman, World Business Angels Forum (affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI))
14–16 Apr 2027Inaugural Connect · Bali, IndonesiaIn person
9–11 Jun 2027Mid-Year Connect · ThailandIn person
3–5 Nov 2027Annual Connect · Abu Dhabi, UAEIn person
Selected dates shown. The full monthly calendar is shared with members.
How we meet
Conversations over presentations, in every format.
Leadership Roundtable
A closed-door, small-group discussion where senior leaders share candid insight under clear confidentiality.
Founder Power Dinner
A curated, seated meal that builds trust quickly, through structured introductions among principals.
Exclusive Open House
A rare look behind the scenes of a property or project, with the owner team.
Investor Roadshow
Focused deal dialogue across key cities, convening local and visiting LPs.
Philanthropic Salons
Purpose-driven gatherings that connect giving, impact, and hospitality investment.
Member-Hosted Evenings
Evenings hosted by a member, to deepen the ties within the circle.