Savinien Caracostea introduced the META Foundation, emphasizing its mission to address human crises through a holistic approach to hospitality and technology. He underscored the need for reimagining hospitality as a planetary system rooted in care and inclusivity. Savinien highlighted the Foundation’s initiatives, including education programs, pilot projects, an upcoming editorial platform, and consulting services, aimed at promoting Hospitality 3.0 principles.

Hospitality and technology share parallel trajectories, originating from the primal concept of fire. As technology advances, so must hospitality, to avoid environmental crises, social isolation, and cultural homogenization. This interdependence underscores the urgency of embracing Hospitality 3.0, which embodies four transformative principles at its core.

Universal: Embracing every life form within a guest-host continuum.

Integrated: Integrating hospitality into natural, social, and cultural systems.

Fluid: Adapting hospitality practices to evolving technologies and societal dynamics.

Kinetic: Embracing friction and discovery in hospitality experiences.

The introduction highlighted transformations in human relationships with physical spaces, storytelling mechanisms, and political-economic systems, anchoring Hospitality 3.0’s versatile approaches across sectors like travel, entertainment, education, wellness, workplace, and retail. From virtual travel to workplace wellness, these applications reshape experiences, fostering inclusivity and vibrancy in the digital era.

Savinien then presented the agenda for the day, and thanked the META Foundation team, including Markus Schreyer, Pascal Frey, Matt Heidkamp, Sandy Despres Stevens, Myriam Chandna Khan, Kelly Hrechdakian, Ruoqiao Zhou, David Alf, and Pablo Andrés Gonzalez, as well as the sponsors for the event, including NYU SPS, Index, Amélie Maison d’Art, Tastings NYC, Cuis’in, NON, and the New York Cocktail Co.