Career Fest 2026 will return across October as Radisson Hotel Group’s global career festival puts career mobility, leadership, learning and artificial intelligence at the centre of its programme for hospitality professionals and aspiring talent.
The month-long hybrid event is expected to connect thousands of employees and prospective hospitality workers across more than 100 countries, with activities ranging from leadership discussions and workshops to regional sessions, hotel-based activations and learning opportunities.
This year’s programme comes as hospitality careers are becoming less defined by traditional routes through the industry. Radisson Hotel Group says the festival will highlight the range of career paths available across its operations, from hotel and leadership roles to emerging positions shaped by technology and changing guest expectations.
For people entering the sector, that can mean moving between functions, countries or areas of expertise rather than following a single career track. Career Fest 2026 is designed to explore how professionals can use learning and new skills to adapt as the industry changes, while also looking at opportunities for those considering a career shift within hospitality.
Artificial intelligence will have a particularly prominent place in this year’s programme. Radisson Hotel Group plans to examine how AI is changing the way hospitality businesses operate and how employees can develop skills that remain relevant as technology becomes more closely integrated into the sector.
“Hospitality has always been an industry built on opportunity, where careers can evolve in many directions,” said Inigo Capell, Global Chief People & Resources Officer at Radisson Hotel Group. “At Radisson Hotel Group, careers are not defined by traditional paths or geographical borders.”
Capell said the group wants to support people at different points in their professional lives, whether they are entering hospitality for the first time, moving into a new function, taking on leadership responsibilities or developing expertise in areas such as AI.
The programme will cover a broad range of career-related subjects, including international mobility, professional reinvention, emerging hospitality roles, leadership development, AI and future skills, personal branding, interview preparation and wider trends affecting the industry’s workforce.
Career Fest 2026 is also intended to reflect Radisson Hotel Group’s wider approach to employee development. The company says continuous learning, internal mobility and leadership development remain central to its people strategy, with the development of internal talent continuing to be a strategic priority.
The scale of the organisation gives employees opportunities to explore different markets and areas of work. Radisson Hotel Group has more than 75,000 employees and a portfolio of more than 1,660 hotels either operating or under development across more than 100 countries.
That international footprint will also feature in the festival’s focus on career movement. The company plans to share stories from employees and leaders whose careers have taken less conventional routes, including professional changes, moves between countries and progression into leadership.
Technology will remain closely connected to those discussions. Rather than presenting AI solely as a workplace disruption, Career Fest 2026 will examine how the technology can support employees, improve efficiency, contribute to more personalised guest experiences and open up new areas of expertise within hospitality.
For Radisson Hotel Group, the festival is therefore positioned not simply as an internal career event but as a broader look at how the hospitality workforce is changing. As technology, guest expectations and working practices continue to evolve, the programme will focus on helping employees understand where new opportunities may emerge and what skills could help them move into them.
Across October, the combination of career stories, practical learning and discussions around technology is intended to give participants a closer look at the different ways a career in hospitality can develop. For a sector often associated with traditional hotel roles, the festival will put greater attention on mobility, reinvention and the expanding relationship between people and technology.
