Photographs & Memories - Simone Puorto - Setting fire to hospitality

With an ambition to become a philosophy teacher, our next Memory Maker entered hospitality at 19 and didn’t look back. Simone Puorto carved out a career from being at front desk to general manager of a chain of boutique hotels now one of the foreleaders on metaverse, ai and automation. Bringing an edge of science fiction to his consultancy, Simone’s photographs and memories most certainly depict his character. A self-confessed music freak, he shares his love for Joy Division as a failed punk musician and his pilgrimage to visit the iconic spots of the band. Simone explains his disappointment at how advertising can override poignant issues in society.Simone also delves into his passion for robots on the trip of a lifetime to Japan where his two worlds of technology and buddhism collide. “We were visiting toy shops and buddhist temples. It was a bizarre experience, especially meeting a cyborg monk - imagine an android pope?!’ Here, Simone learnt firsthand the importance of the role of robots in society and the opportunities for hospitality. We travel to Barcelona for Simone’s souvenir - listen in to find out the significance of his hotel experience and the TV series LOST. In his Fawlty Towers moment, Simone explains how a photoshoot went up in flames the day before opening ‘We wanted more fire….[in the end]...everything was black, [we had to] black-spray paint everything’.Simone is a journalist, keynote speaker, published author, lecturer and consultant specialising in travel technology. During his 25-year career he has been a general manager at a boutique hotel and VP of global accounts for WHIP, a French-American web agency. In 2017 he founded Travel Singularity consultancy firm where he has advised many hotel groups and travel start-ups. He describes himself as a Metaverse Ambassador and Crypto Evangelist. He lives and works between Rome and Paris.Each episode we invite an industry professional to share 2 photographs and a treasured souvenir from their travels representing moments particularly important to them. Join us as we go on a journey through time to explore the significance of each.A Travel Market Life series, a Haynes MarComs production. Hosted and sponsored by Atomize. For more episodes and details of the series Photographs & Memories, visit https://www.haynesmarcoms.agency/travel-market-lifeListen to more episodes of the hospitality industry podcast Travel Market Life and subscribe for the latest news at http://travelmarket.life/ Follow us on LinkedIn for more thought-provoking content: https://www.linkedin.com/company/travel-market-life/ Do you have a story to share about technology, digitalisation or culture changes within the hospitality and travel industry? We'd love to hear what your company is doing and the impact it is having. Please contact us through http://travelmarket.life/