Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & CEO of The Bench
BTN Interviews Jonathan Worsley, Chairman & CEO of The Bench, attributes his nearly 30 years of success in hospitality events to trust, credibility, and a focus on turning conversations into real investments. Reflecting on milestones like the first Arabian Hotel Investment Conference in 2005 and its evolution into FHS World, he highlights Dubai’s strategic location and leadership vision as catalysts for growth. Celebrating the 20th anniversary at Madinat Jumeirah, FHS World 2025 will feature over 200 speakers, new initiatives like PitchPoint and the World Branded Residences Awards, and themes centered on AI, branded residences, sustainability, and empowering next-generation talent. The event aims to continue connecting global visionaries and investors driving hospitality’s future.
BTN – You have been running hospitality events for almost 30 years. What do you see as the key(s) to their success?
Our edge is simply trust – over the past two decades, we’ve built an environment where people in the industry know real opportunities will be put on the table. That credibility, coupled with our strong focus on market insight and deal-making, is what keeps our events relevant and successful year after year.
I am proud to say that I have an excellent team at The Bench, focused on delivering quality. We’ve always believed that events should be more than a talking shop – they should be a platform where visions translate into investment, and we are laser-focussed on these outcomes, not just the conversations. We don’t just convene panels, we curate ecosystems where government leaders, investors, developers, operators, and innovators all meet. That’s why over the past two decades, so many landmark projects – from resort launches in Ras Al Khaimah to large-scale branded residence signings in Dubai – have started life at our events.
FHS World 2025 is a milestone event for us as we celebrate our 20th anniversary in the UAE this year. We’re very excited to be back at Madinat Jumeirah where it all began in 2005, and we’re thrilled to have Jumeirah as our Host Sponsor again to mark this special occasion.
BTN – What is your fondest memory from the first Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) in 2005 at Madinat Jumeirah?
Quite a few memories spring to mind. Firstly, the excitement of launching a new event and being one of the first conferences to take place at the majestic Madinat Jumeirah, as it had just officially opened.
We were also very proud that His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Chairman, Dubai Airports; Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, and Chairman, Dubai Holding, agreed to become our Patron and a supporter of AHIC, which is a landmark memory, and to this day, he is still the patron.
I also remember taking 500 delegates to Greenland, one of the World’s islands, which was logistically very challenging, and on the way back, the moving sands challenged the captains, and we had to be rescued by the coastal guard.
Finally, HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, Chairman and Founder of Kingdom Holding Company, received the Lifetime Achievement Award and he flew in for the ceremony in his Boeing 747.
BTN – What made you choose Dubai 20 years ago?
Gerald Lawless, then CEO of Jumeirah, had seen how I had brought the industry together for IHIF in Berlin and he encouraged me to do the same in Dubai.
With a third of the world’s population being within a four-hour flight from Dubai, and Emirates Airlines becoming an established airline through the visionary leadership of His Higness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Executive Vice Chairman Sir Maurice Flanagan, Dubai was on the cusp of a hospitality and tourism boom. Tourism investment was beginning to be a focus for the UAE, but there was no single dedicated platform that brought together investors and operators. AHIC filled that gap and very quickly became the meeting point for deal-making in the region.
Over the years AHIC has evolved into FHS World, reflecting the increasingly global nature of capital and development. What has stayed constant is our DNA: we’re about investment first. From our beginnings at AHIC, to the addition of FHS Saudi Arabia, FHS Africa (formerly AHIF), and now the evolution of FHS World, the common thread has always been connecting vision with investment. Today, it is the region’s most influential hospitality investment platform – a place where the past two decades of growth are celebrated and the foundations for the next two decades are being laid.
BTN – Do you have any special anniversary celebrations planned for FHS World 2025?
FHS World 2025 will be a grand celebration with friends, industry peers, and my amazing team. Making the most of Dubai’s beautiful October weather, we will have receptions at Shimmers, Mina Al Salam, at Taj Exotica, The Palm, and at Mama Shelter.
We will have exciting activations on-site including the F1 racing simulator and prizes for delegates, as well as plenty of giveaways to keep the energy high and the atmosphere vibrant. The event will be a celebration of the hospitality industry and the incredible people who make it all happen
BTN – This year promises to be even bigger than last year’s record-breaking event. What can attendees expect over the 3 days?
Every year, we’re seeing significant increase in FHS World’s impact on global hospitality investment. This year, we have over 200 speakers on the agenda across the three days many of those will be joining us for the first time. We’re building on the momentum of 2024, which saw record attendance which delegate connections generating USD 1.7 billion in deal volume.
This year’s event theme is ‘Where Vision Leads, Investment Follows.’ We will continue to focus on the global transformation of the hospitality industry in a changing world, and the programme will zoom in on global hospitality investment, highlighting projects, financing models and hotel performance, and will cover everything from investment to innovation, sustainability to staffing and technology to tourism trends.
Some of the key new features at FHS World 2025 include PitchPoint. This brilliant new matchmaking feature is an enhancement of our traditional start-up competition that, over the years, has recognised and rewarded countless entrepreneurs of today that are shaping the hospitality sector of tomorrow and beyond. With PitchPoint, start-ups are even more under the spotlight, with their very own platform that brings greater focus, more opportunities, connects them with the right investors and experts, and creates a real impact.
Also, new this year are the World Branded Residences Awards, which will recognise excellence and outstanding achievement among brokerages and individual brokers operating in the global branded residences market.
BTN – From your perspective, what are the biggest trends in hospitality investments in 2026 and beyond?
The big topic in technology is AI and how it will transform the hospitality landscape. We are all learning from each other and showcasing as much as we can to understand AI’s potential role in hospitality investment. We will be exploring how AI and data-driven solutions are transforming investment strategies and unlocking new opportunities in hospitality.
Branded residences are another major trend to watch closely. Following the successful launch of Branded Residences Forum in Dubai last year and the Branded Residences Forum Asia held in Thailand earlier this year, the response has been incredible. This topic is gaining even more momentum as we continue to see a surge in interest. At FHS World, we will explore how the branded residences sector is evolving and what the future holds, with insights from global experts.
Another key focus for us is the NextGen. A central theme this year is understanding how the next generation is reshaping the hospitality industry and how we can support them. We’ll be diving into discussions on empowering younger talent and exploring how investing in people is the pathway to sustainable growth.
Finally, sustainability has always been a critical topic, but it is now non-negotiable. Our panels this year will address how sustainability is rewriting the rules of hotel investment, focusing on tangible actions and real-world strategies that are making an impact in the hospitality sector.
