ACCUEIL
Laurent Delporte
A man of engagement and experience, Laurent was one of the founders of the European Youth Parliament France (PEJ-France). After graduating from HEC Paris in 2001, he became the Head of development and communication of HEC Entrepreneurs, before going on to join Accor in 2004 to work on the strategic repositioning of the Sofitel brand. At the age of 43, he has accumulated close to 20 years of experience in the world of hotels.
A hands-on personality, Laurent has come to know all the ins and outs of a hotel. In 2005, Laurent took over as Assistant Director in charge of accommodations and reception at the Sofitel Paris Porte de Sèvres, placing him at the head of a team of 120 people and overseeing 20 head service staff. His mission: restructure the management of the hotel and improve the service offerings delivered to the client (quality certification, …). He thus acquired a rich knowledge of the operational functioning and management of the hotel world.
In 2007, Laurent joined the strategic marketing team at Accor, contributing to the luxury repositioning of Sofitel hotels around the world. In his role, he oversaw the new standards of service and created, among others, the InspiredMeetings service offering that would go on to be implemented in over 100 hotels. He participated in the renovation of the most prestigious Sofitels, such as : The Grand Amsterdam, the Grand Ducal Le Luxembourg, the Sofitel Vienne, the Sofitel El Gezirah au Caire.
The meaning of values
On the theme of sustainable development,, Laurent has been passionate about the issue since his student days, when he would participate in the Nature Summit (“Sommet de la nature”) in Fontainebleau, organized by the UICN. In this context, he contributed as a writer of a guide on good practices to implement within hotels that care about the environment.
Biodiversity: My hotel in action
At Accor, he lay out and ensured the coordination of the sustainable development program for the Sofitel brand.
The importance of sharing and passing on tradition
In 2011, Laurent decided to launch a website (www.laurentdelporte.com) devoted to hotels on which he shares his visions and feedback based on his experience in hotel visits across the world. Since then, Laurent has developed an active presence at conferences and a role in consulting in strategy & Innovation. He advises decision-makers in the sector on the development of their projects or on the enrichment of their strategic vision.
Laurent was also Scientific Director at SKEMA Business School in the MSC, International Hospitality Management program and he has lunched the new MSC luxury hotel & innovation.. He regularly lectures at HEC, Sup de luxe…
An international vision in the industry’s service
Finally, Laurent has conducted over 400 hotel visits around the world, in order to assist in the quality control of the services offered and help hoteliers become aware of the coming challenges in the future.
Today, Laurent brings together and leads an international community of over 75,000 followers. He regularly encourages synergies between the different agents of the hotel universe: Chambre du Futur/ EquipHotel – inaugural conference of Salon Foodtech 2018… Moreover, Laurent is regularly called upon for his expertise in the French art of welcoming, in the space of luxury hotels.
Laurent is a member of the Board of Directors of the HEC Alumni Association.
Laurent Delporte, éditorialiste et conférencier est un expert stratège du secteur de l’hôtellerie. Visionnaire, il apporte un nouveau regard sur l’hôtellerie au service des décideurs du secteur que cela soit au profit du développement de nouveaux projets ou de l’enrichissement de vision stratégique. Laurent a visité et audité plus de 400 hôtels à travers le monde et participé également à des enquêtes mystères pour contrôler la qualité des plus grands hôtels.
