Choice Hotels Hosts 11th Mastery Tech Summit Focused on AI Innovation
Choice Hotels International has opened its 11th annual “Mastery” technology and innovation summit, bringing together more than 800 associates for a week of collaborative workshops, competitions and knowledge-sharing sessions centred on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
The summit places teams in hands-on build mode, encouraging participants to test and apply AI solutions to real business challenges. The initiative is designed to support franchisees in driving revenue, improving operational efficiency and managing costs through practical technology applications.
This year’s programme explores advancements in artificial intelligence, cloud platforms, data and analytics, cybersecurity, and related tools. Associates from across the organisation are participating in sessions aimed at strengthening business intelligence, enhancing security and supporting on-property operations, while continuing to develop the company’s proprietary systems.
“At its core, Mastery is about designing technical capabilities that will shape the next chapter of hospitality,” said Brian Kirkland, Chief Information Officer, Choice Hotels International. “By engaging associates across the organization—not just engineers—we’re unlocking new opportunities to apply AI and emerging technologies to real business challenges. That collective investment in talent and expertise is accelerating innovation across the Choice Hotels system and translating into dependable, practical tools that help franchisees operate more efficiently, make smarter decisions, and grow their businesses with confidence.”
Interactive challenges include “Capture the Flag,” a cybersecurity-based competition, and the AWS AI League, where teams build AI solutions using Amazon Web Services tools. The event also features Make-a-Thon competitions, during which engineers develop and present software concepts intended to improve hotel operations and guest-facing systems. Selected projects may be considered for wider implementation across the company’s network.
A project highlighted from the 2025 edition of Mastery involved the modernisation of Hotel Suite, a legacy web-based platform used across the company’s properties. A cross-functional team applied generative AI tools and an AI-assisted development approach to redesign the system. According to the company, the initiative accelerated the delivery timeline, modernised the user interface and reduced projected investment costs by more than $750,000.
The Mastery summit forms part of Choice Hotels’ ongoing efforts to integrate technology into its operations and franchise support systems.
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