In the green room at Phocuswright Europe with... Nadim El Manawy

Nadim El Manawy, co-founder and CEO

Launched in early 2018, Arise uses distributed ledger technology to help hotels control the distribution of their rates and inventory and to improve the commission reconciliation process. At Phocuswright Europe 2019, Arise co-founder and CEO Nadim El Manawy will share more details on how the Arise solution can alter the framework of trust in hospitality distribution.

In a series of interviews with executives participating at the event in Amsterdam in May, PhocusWire finds out what makes them tick...

What do you do to alleviate stress?

One of my passions is electronic music. I have a DJ controller at home, so whenever I want to really disconnect from work or anything that's on my mind, I'll start mixing music.

If you weren't in travel industry, what company would you like to be part of and why?

I'm a big sports fan, and if I wasn't in travel, I'd like to be part of either a large soccer or NBA organization. Being able to combine my passion for sports with my professional management and sales skills would be very interesting.

Why isn't the travel startup survival rate higher than it is?

Everybody loves to travel, which leads many people to come up with ideas all the time on how to improve certain aspects of the travel industry. But too often people don't validate enough that there’s a clear need for their solution in the space. And too many startups don't have a very good understanding of all the current players, how they work together and all the moving pieces that shape today’s hotel tech space.

Finally, for B2C travel startups, too many overlook the huge marketing budget they'll need to significantly grow their business.

What are you like outside of work?

I'm a very relaxed and social person, so I'll try to spend as much time as possible with friends. I enjoy traveling and will always plan a few trips a year. And I'll very often watch major NBA and soccer games.

What was your childhood aspiration?

When I was very young, it was to become a professional soccer player, which I quickly realized wasn't going to happen. Then I aspired to work either in sports or in travel, the two things I enjoyed the most while growing up and still today.

Who is the person you most admire within the industry?

I personally don't know him, but I've always enjoyed seeing interviews of Steve Hafner. He obviously knows the industry very well, is smart and is one of the rare top executives who's not afraid to speak his mind.

What travel industry development or brand do you wish you'd thought of first?

Uber or Airbnb - sharing economy concepts that make perfect sense.

What's your morning routine?

I wake up around 7 a.m. and typically check my emails straight away and reply to the most urgent ones as I try to be as responsive as possible. I then need my morning coffee and breakfast, which is when I usually catch up on the news before going back to work.

What would you tell your 20-year-old self?

Always be curious and keep learning and discovering new things. This is what makes life exciting.

What one mistake do you witness others making more than anything else?

Staying at a job that makes them unhappy for way too long.