Maximum Occupancy Australia returns to Melbourne on 17 November
Maximum Occupancy Australia holds its 2026 one-day conference on Tuesday 17 November at Pullman East Melbourne. The organiser runs the event for hoteliers and accommodation providers.
Registration costs $599 plus GST for hoteliers, accommodation and travel businesses. Industry suppliers pay $799 plus GST. Tickets sell through the organiser's Ticket Tailor page, which lists the event as 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on 17 November.
The outlook session and the official opening
Registration opens at 08:00. Adrian Caruso, group managing director of Fastrack Digital, welcomes the room at 09:00 as MC and organiser.
Jacqueline Choo of STR takes the first session at 09:05. The agenda titles it The Australian Accommodation Outlook: What Will Drive Demand in 2027? and describes the state of the Australian and broader accommodation market with predictions for 2027 and beyond.
Nicholas Reece, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, gives the official conference opening at 09:30.
Owners, managers and technology
The Owner's Table runs at 09:45 under the title Where Would You Put Your Money in 2027?
Revenue is Vanity. Profit is Sanity follows at 10:05 and covers pricing, distribution costs, labour and the cost of each booking.
What Keeps Hotel Managers Up Late at Night starts at 11:00. The AI Reality Check runs at 11:25. The Productivity Problem follows at 11:50 and asks how better hospitality arrives with rising labour costs.
Caruso returns at 12:15 for Staying Visible in a Changing Digital Landscape, on AI, search behaviour and the guest journey. Zach Sevelle of RMS covers acquisition technology at 12:45 in Buying Diversification, Inheriting Tech Debt.
Demand sources, corporate travel and food and beverage
The afternoon opens at 14:00 with Where will your next guest come from? Lisa Patroni, chief executive of the Victoria Tourism Industry Council, facilitates the session on cruise, events, sports, corporate travel and leisure demand. Adam Schwab, co-founder and chief executive of Luxury Escapes, joins the panel on the changing sources of hotel demand.
Winning the Corporate Traveller in 2027 runs at 14:25 and Can Hotel F&B Actually Make Money? at 14:50.
The Big Hotel Debate starts at 15:45 under Dougall Hollis, general manager of Accommodation Australia (Vic).
Paul Constantinou AM, co-founder and non-executive chairman of extended STAY Australasia, gives a one-on-one conversation at 16:15 titled Building an Australian Accommodation Empire. The agenda says he covers growing Quest Apartment Hotels past 170 properties and the decision to sell to The Ascott Limited.
A keynote remains to be announced at 16:30. The closing session at 16:50 hands panellists an underperforming hotel and $100,000, and asks where they would invest first. The agenda lists conference close at 17:30 and networking drinks from 17:45.
Venue
Pullman East Melbourne sits at 192 Wellington Parade, Melbourne VIC 3002. The hotel's own page gives 419 rooms and suites and 11 meeting and conference spaces.