The second edition of “Talent & Hospitality Connect”, a recruitment fair in Morocco, dedicated to the experiential industry, was held on September 26 in Casablanca. Organized by the recruitment firm dedicated to the Talent Advisor sector, the event aimed to create a bridge between young school graduates or those looking for work in the field and recruiters from the various establishments present.
Nearly 1,500 candidates responded to the call and 16 brands (Hilton Group, The Oberoi Marrakech, the Royal Mansour Collection, Le Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, Sofitel Rabat Jardin des Roses, etc.) to unearth existing opportunities in a booming sector. Alongside the stands where recruiters will have the opportunity to choose their new recruits, a scientific program has also been put together by the organizers to highlight the different areas of development in the tourist world and the challenges it poses. 25 experts came to enlighten young winners or those who are recently employed and are seeking to improve their situation on current issues linked to talent management, skills development and employer branding in the luxury industry. experiential.
Upstream, the introductory remarks of the tandem, bearers of the concept, Sofia Mounib and Kamil Sefrioui, preceded a first panel represented by Hamid Bentahar, president of the National Tourism Confederation and president of Accor Gestion Maroc, Jamal Belahrach, CEO of Déo Conseil International, and Imane Rmili, president of the Federation of Restaurants in Morocco, to set the scene and set the tone for this second edition (read interview with Sophie Mounib). For his part, Mr. Bentahar, in his capacity as honorary president of this second edition, will immediately recall the interest in connecting supply to demand. Because for him, it is the key to success. President of the National Tourism Confederation, he even played on words by assimilating the first letters of each of the words making up his title to the expression “connect our talents, connect our territories”. As a passionate man, he will affirm that “his greatest fear is no longer being in time”.
The professional knows what he is talking about having brilliantly climbed the ranks and developed his leadership skills over the years… And working there is a godsend. The hotelier is convinced of this: “The pandemic has underlined this. Working in the luxury experience sector represents an opportunity in the sense that States have closed hotel establishments for health reasons but have realized the importance of this sector. Its growth has, in fact, been estimated globally at 6% while the overall global economic growth forecast is only 3%. And it is with this in mind that tourism decision-makers today wish to attract talent. As a spokesperson, the expert will point out that “it is the only sector which guarantees social advancement provided you are passionate about your job and love people”. The opportunities are real and the professional will emphasize this fact in the sense that it is the candidate who chooses his employer and not the other way around. It will also encourage openings to the world because globalization is here. “As we are in a world of luxury, we will work on quality, on excellence and this we must be able to sell at a high price,” he concluded. For his part, Jamal Belahrach will enlighten the young people present at the event on the employee experience at the heart of talent management. He too will emphasize the qualities that the recruit must have, namely passion for the profession and love for others who represent clients. “It’s the only industry where you don’t have to have a Bac+95 to succeed in your career,” he will have fun saying… “Talent is what you are and not what you are.” we do,” he will continue.
The development of this industry requires the promotion of professions. The die is cast. The ministry’s roadmap will have integrated it into the overall strategy to succeed in the various major events that await Morocco by 2030.
Finally, Imane Rimli will look back on her own journey in catering, inspiring in more than one way. Manager with her sisters of Dar Diafa, the restaurant which was created by the grandfather was passed from hand to hand. The young woman, along with the rest of the siblings, has indeed taken up the torch to preserve the employer brand which, for her, is today essential to attracting customers. The lady will explain with humility and finesse to the young students that “conveying values, traditions, principles represent the fundamentals of success in one of the most difficult areas of tourism that is catering”. In short, the young people had a day to better understand their career direction. Better equipped and informed, their chance will be greater to better deliver a speech in front of a human resources director whose mission is not only to recruit technical profiles but also thinking and well-made heads who will welcome customers as they should. . The loop will be closed.
Interview with Sophia Mounib, founder of Talent & Hospitality Connect
Talent & Hospitality Connect, a successful networking operation
ALM : You are in the second edition of the Show. Tell us how the idea of such a concept came about…
Sophia Mounib : After several years of experience within various international hotel groups, I have made two key observations. Firstly, the professions of hospitality and experiential luxury, and more particularly “Made in Morocco” hospitality, deserve to be sufficiently highlighted and valued to strengthen the attractiveness of these professions. Furthermore, faced with a tense recruitment market, Talent & Hospitality Connect aims to highlight the beauty and nobility of these professions by sharing inspiring success stories during workshops and round tables. This approach creates opportunities for professionals to connect and makes it easier to connect recruiters with potential candidates.
What is your assessment of this second edition which was held on September 26 in Casablanca?
This second edition in Casablanca was a real success, attracting a diverse and engaged audience, which demonstrates the growing interest in the experiential luxury sector. The initial feedback from participants is encouraging, highlighting the quality of the opportunities presented. This reinforces our ambition to establish Talent & Hospitality Connect as the flagship recruitment event in this sector. We are also delighted to have been able to create a space conducive to enriching exchanges. This positive outcome encourages us to continue developing Talent & Hospitality Connect, strategically responding to the needs of the sector and refining our approach for future editions, supporting the current momentum and favorable dynamics of the sector. The support of our academic and institutional partners, whom we thank, was fundamental in strengthening the relevance of the event and offering unique opportunities to candidates.
Do you have the means to measure the impact of the Show on recruiters on a quantitative and qualitative level?
Satisfaction forms have been developed for partners and candidates present at the event in order to collect their feedback on the progress of the show and to analyze the extent of the hotel/candidate matching achieved thanks to this second edition. Through this feedback, the Talent Advisor team aims to highlight the key points appreciated by the participants but also the areas of adjustment that will need to be taken into account as part of our ongoing quest for excellence and the experience of our partners and our candidates for the future third edition to come.
Do you foresee any developments for future editions, in particular by duplicating the model in other cities to attract more young people who are already in work and cannot travel even if they would like to?
Absolutely, we are planning to expand our reach by organizing editions in other strategic cities. The idea is to make the event more accessible for professionals, by creating formats adapted to the specificities of each market.
We firmly believe that this approach will allow us to attract an even greater diversity of talent, thereby enriching the experiential luxury sector.
The final word perhaps…
Connecting Talents, Passion and Dreams is our motto and we are grateful to be able to help inspire more talents to join this high-potential sector. We have several new features in store for the third edition of Talent & Hospitality Connect, which will be held in the fourth quarter of 2025. The objective is to continue to enrich the exchanges and experience of participants.
