David Lamelas

This program has been designed for hospitality and tourism professionals who want to understand AI and, above all, apply it in a practical, creative, and effective way within their business. With a focus on hands-on practice, through real industry cases and tools that deliver tangible results, participants are able to overcome implementation barriers and avoid lengthy trial-and-error processes, achieving immediate impact in their daily professional activities.
Each course corresponds to a distinct dimension of knowledge or role in tourism: foundational, more operational, and more strategic (for leaders).

The program consists of three courses:

- Introduction to AI for Hospitality and Tourism: https://execed.fct.unl.pt/en/intensive_skills_lab/introduction-to-ai-for-hospitality-and-tourism/

- Applied AI and Automation in Hospitality: https://execed.fct.unl.pt/en/intensive_skills_lab/applied-ai-and-automation-in-hospitality/

- AI for Leadership (C-Level) in Hospitality and Tourism: https://execed.fct.unl.pt/intensive_skills_lab/ia-para-lideranca-c-level-em-hotelaria-e-turismo/

Founder and CEO of a company with the potential to transform the tourism industry.

We develop innovative software powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), including Machine Learning (ML), Generative AI, and autonomous AI agents. Many of our products are part of the emerging field of agent-based AI systems (Agentic AI), combining multiple AI paradigms to deliver impactful and tailored solutions for the tourism sector.

Founder and CEO of a company that is transforming how independent hotels access technology, making it more affordable through collective purchasing.

He created Hotel Tech Market (www.hoteltechmarket.com), the world’s first group-buying marketplace for hotel technology. The mission is to make innovation accessible to hotels that previously could not afford high-quality technology, helping them compete on a level playing field.

Build a one-person company powered by AI. Handles everything alone and with partnerships. Leverage autonomous AI agents to handle sales, marketing, contract management, and other key business operations, streamlining processes and increasing efficiency.

• Offering a range of solutions and services for the tourism industry in Project Management, business intelligence & reporting, business analysis, revenue management, sales management, digital marketing, accountability and finance
• Improved customer satisfaction ratings by consistently delivering high-quality products and services.

• Biovilla received 6 awards for excellence and sustainability. Notably, Biovilla was recognized as the 'Rising Star' in the Business and Biodiversity category of the European Business Awards for the Environment, a European Commission initiative aligned with the Green Deal.
• Created, implemented and managed the tourism part of an entrepreneurial and innovative project called Biovilla.
• Website: http://www.biovilla.org/biovilla/

• Some results: Entered in 2022, when the company was on the brink of bankruptcy, in just twelve months, the team orchestrated a remarkable recovery, rescuing the startup from bankruptcy and turning it into a highly profitable venture. The retention went from 50% to 70% after 8 months. The APP went from an NPS of 60% to 85%.
• Oversees software development and product portfolio management, defining product vision and strategy to align with company goals.
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams to prioritize features and maximize product value, closely managing product requirements and development direction.
• Managing and prioritizing the product backlog.
• Translating product managers’ strategies to tasks for development.

Revenue Management Instructor (Level 1 and 2)
Responsible for teaching advanced Revenue Management concepts to senior professionals and experienced practitioners. The courses are designed to enhance their expertise and provide in-depth knowledge of Revenue Management strategies and techniques.

• Implemented a revenue and budget system. Revenue increased by 30%.
• Developed strategic plans in line with the organization''s vision, goals, and objectives to guide daily operational decision-making effectively.
• Mentored and coached team members to enhance their skills further, leading to increased levels of responsibility within the organization over time.
• Managed cross-functional teams to successfully execute complex projects on time and within budget constraints.

• Created some of the department's technological tools with APIs and code. Increased the revenue in all the regions (22% on some of them).
• Responsible for the revenue management of a hotel cluster in Lisbon, Cascais, Sintra, and the Azores regions.
• Also had other functions in the group, like BI developer and reporting.
• Identified opportunities to increase revenue.

• Identified opportunities to increase revenue.
• Created customized reporting tools for senior management, providing crucial insights into the company's financial health.

• The objective was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of each department, learning firsthand about their challenges and exploring potential solutions. This objective was surpassed, and invaluable lessons were learned through practical experience.

• In credit risk, operational and technological risk, and financial risk, in a multifunctional work environment with a strong component of analysis, reporting, constant learning, responsibility, and decision making.
• Important projects participation: supported the implementation of an alert IT system to automate risk analyses, called AIS.

• Analyzing companies and businesses, rating them, and deciding on credit limits in a period when the signals of the financial crisis were arriving in Portugal.
• Gained analytical skills about business, risk, and finance.
• Enhanced risk management processes by implementing advanced statistical analysis and data modeling techniques.

• Company Overview: An NGO for education and development support.
• Project management and coordination.
• "Bairro Criativo": A program designed to develop the creativity of children from low-income neighborhoods, through interactive, pragmatic, and aesthetic workshops.
• Co-coordinator of PUMAP Program.
• Mentored volunteers.
• Teacher of the module in "Organizational Behaviour" at the University Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique.
• Private lessons to 7-16 year-old kids in voluntary regime to the poor population in “Bairro da Boavista”, Alfragide (integrated in a NGO which he has helped to found called: AHEAD - Humanitarian Association for Education and Development support).