Learn how AI is transforming the STR space at Host Planet Roadshow – London
- Mar 18
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 13

The third leg of the Host Planet Roadshow will take place at the Royal Over-Seas League in London on Thursday, 23 April. Only a limited number of tickets for the event are still available, priced just £40 each: click here to get yours.
Major industry brands and experts to be part of Host Planet Roadshow's London event
Regulation and lobbying will dominate the opening panel featuring Andy Fenner, Chief Executive of the Short Term Accommodation Association, and Carl Thomson, Public Policy Manager (UK) at Airbnb. The panel will be hosted by Mitch Price from Short Term Rentals Asia.
Punit Vadgama from PriceLabs will give an overview of the UK market before three enterprise-level property managers – James Cornwell from Curated Property, Jamie Miles from Anglesey Holiday Lettings, and Freddie Blunt from Red Kite – discuss the 2026 market, direct bookings, running a business from overseas, and the advantages of paying your cleaners £25 per hour.
Humphrey Bowles from Truvi will discuss OTA dependency in what promises to be a highlight of the morning, before James Varley and Zak Ali unveil a major new opportunity for short-term rental professionals. Lisa Roads from the Women in Short Term Rentals Community will then lead an all-female panel featuring Daniela Derin, Johanne Hedges, and Rebecca Ward, before the first batch of five-minute knowledge bursts featuring our partners and exhibitors, with each briefed to share something helpful and actionable with the audience.
Afternoon focus on AI will provide game-changing insights
After some post-lunch breath work led by Emma Cole, attendees will dive into AI and the dramatic impact it is having on the STR sector in 2026. We will hear from some of the earliest adopters of game-changing tech, starting with Siddhi Mittal from private chef booking platform, yhangry, who will demonstrate how to build an AI upselling agent in just 30 minutes. Make sure you have your phone handy so you can take part!
Graham Donoghue will discuss how AI is revolutionising day-to-day operations across Forge Holiday Group, before Richard Vaughton and Mark Simpson go head-to-head and debate whether AI has flattened the cost of direct bookings for STR hosts and property managers.
The afternoon session will end with another burst of five-minute educational presentations from our sponsors and partners.
Major industry brands are supporting the Host Planet Roadshow
The seven-stop Host Planet Roadshow is being delivered in collaboration with the STAA, PriceLabs, and the Women in Short Term Rentals Community. Present for every step of the Roadshow will be Hostaway, Beyond, SuperControl, and Zeal Tax. In London, these brands will be joined by Guesty, Turno, SuiteOp, Hostfully, and Convert Your Stay.
Agenda for Host Planet Roadshow – London
Time | Title | Participants |
9am | Registration and meet the exhibitors | |
9:30am | Statutory registration is coming (this is why it's good news) | Mitch Price, Short Term Rentals Asia Andy Fenner, STAA Carl Thomson, Airbnb |
9:50am | The UK STR market in focus | Punit Vadgama, PriceLabs |
10:10am | Direct bookings, remote hosting, and paying cleaners £25 per hour | James Varley, Host Planet James Cornwell, Curated Property Jamie Miles, Anglesey Holiday Lettings Freddie Blunt, Red Kite |
10:30am | Platform pimp vs. platform partner: which one are you? | Humphrey Bowles, Truvi |
11am | Networking break | |
11:40am | Your new hires don't understand short-term rentals... yet | James Varley & Zak Ali, Launchbase by Host Planet |
12 noon | She built this stay – the women running the rentals | Lisa Roads, Women in Short Term Rentals Daniela Derin, Skol Marbella Apartments Johanne Hedges, LiBi Becky Ward, Simply Owners |
12:20pm | How to scale while using AI to supercharge operations | Patryk Swietek, The Cohost Company |
12:40pm | Five-minute focus – essential property management tips from our partners | PriceLabs Zeal Hostaway SuiteOp Guesty |
1:10pm | Networking lunch | |
2:10pm | Breath break – experience the wellness perk guests are asking for in 2026 | Emma Cole, Daily Breath |
2:20pm | Your AI upsell agent – build it in 30 minutes | Siddhi Mittal, Jordan Brierley, Rosie Willis, yhangry |
2:50pm | AI operating model – from test and learning to value creation | James Varley, Host Planet Graham Donoghue, Forge Holidays Group |
3:10pm | The Great Debate: Has AI flattened the cost of direct bookings? | Richard Vaughton, Yes Consulting vs Mark Simpson, Boostly |
3:50pm | Five-minute focus – essential property management tips from our partners | SuperControl Beyond Hostfully Turno Convert Your Stay |
4:15pm | Event wrap-up and networking | |
5pm | Event ends |
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