AI revolutionising hospitality sector

Last year, Bernd Aufderheide, former CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress, and one of his successors, Uwe Fischer, came up with the idea of a dedicated AI space for Internorga. “We wanted to offer a point of contact on AI to give an overview of the technology and with emphasis on Hamburg," says Aufderheide. "The approach is truly visionary and has positioned Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH as a 'thought leader' of AI solutions in Germany," said Vorsteher. However, organisers had not counted on Chat GPT, which went live in November 2022, when planning the trade fair. "Chat GPT turned everything upside down in just days. Visitors and delegates showed staggering interest in the AI Centre. And it's still going strong." Given the uncertainty surrounding the technology, the ongoing enthusiasm is great. "The start-ups show that AI has clever answers to many of the challenges facing the industry - from the lack of skilled labour to sustainability efforts." And that is by no means limited to the hotel and catering industry, Vorsteher stressed. "AI Centres will also be set up at the SMM, Windenergy Hamburg, Photopia and Hamburg GET Nord trade fairs in 2024."

Many of the AI solutions presented during Internorga 2024 are based on algorithms. The Cologne-based start-up Foodforecast, for instance, promises bakeries up to 30 per cent less food waste and up to 10 per cent more turnover thanks to AI-based sales predictions. "Our AI takes into account both internal company data and external factors, such as public holidays, weather data or the next railway strike," said Justus Lauten, CEO of Foodforecast. The data can be used to predict sales and to automate the ordering process. Among its customers are the Kamps, Dat Backhus and Bäckerei Zimmer bakeries, which have shops all over Germany. "But Foodforecast AI is also suitable for supermarkets, restaurants and petrol station shops," said Lauten. The founder now has high hopes of cutting the value of food waste by EUR 10 billion over the next ten years.

The Mealtime vending machine is among other AI innovations showcased during Internorga. "Around 30 per cent of food in canteens is thrown away," said Oliver Suhren, who founded the Bremen-based food tech start-up with Niclas Heepmann just last year. "In our one-square-metre canteen, employees simply reserve their favourite meal in advance per app." Only then is the canteen topped up with the ordered food. Food allergies can be filtered out and a list of ingredients or a nutritional table can be provided on request. "This type of 24/7 employee catering is particularly suitable in commercial and industrial areas where catering is scarce," said Heepmann.

Many catering outlets and hotels lack skilled labourers across the board. To counteract the shortage, the Hamburg-based start-up Jobmatch.me has come up with its version of the “Tinder app” for job searches. "We ask our users about their wishes, talents and experience. Then, the AI shows vacancies based on more than 12,000 job announcements and generates a cover letter and CV," said Raven-Len Hakelberg, Success Manager at Jobmatch.me. The service is already popular. "We have around 500,000 users and 10,000 to 15,000 more join every month."

The Hamburg-based Apprisify has come up with a. new way of approaching customers with its mix of augmented reality (AR) and holograms. "Every window becomes a gateway to the future thanks to augmented reality.” Founded in 2023 by the Fehrmann Tech Group, Apprisify now  aims to turn the maritime sector digital with its smart window, which can project weather data or additional navigation details onto ships’ windows. The start-up is also using Digital Out of Home (Dooh-Ads.de) advertising to turn windows of restaurants, bakeries and food retailers into smart screens. "We can project menus onto the outside window pane of a café, while the guest inside still has an unrestricted view of the outdoors," said Moritz Rath, CTO of Apprisify. "The first screens have been set up on the windows of the Cruise Gate terminal in the Port of Hamburg as well as some bakeries and cafés in HafenCity," he added. An algorithm decides when and what is shown. The content can be adapted in real time to external factors such as weather. "We can also integrate interactive elements such as touchscreens or QR codes," said Rath. Customers can order food easily and no longer have to queue.
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