Award & Mentorship

Investing in
what comes next.

Two new ways HOW is investing in what comes next. Less ceremony, more consequence.

New for 2026

Young Leader Award

A real shot — and real funding — behind one rising hospitality talent. The Young Leader Award puts the next generation of hoteliers exactly where they belong: at the front.

  • Open to emerging hoteliers across the region
  • Judged by the HOW Advisory Board
  • Funding and a platform behind the winner
  • Presented live during the Gala Night
New for 2026

Mentorship Programme

It pairs that talent with people who’ve already done it — turning three days at HOW into a year of very real, structured growth, long after the festival lights go down.

  • Year-long, structured pairings
  • Guidance from senior industry leaders
  • Engagement that extends well beyond the event

Know someone who should be in the room?

Nominations for the Young Leader Award and the Mentorship Programme open alongside the 2026 agenda. Register your interest and we’ll be in touch.

Register your interest

The Pulse · Doors open in

Lead. Innovate. Repeat.

October 28 – 30, 2026 Mövenpick Kvarner Bay, Novi Vinodolski, Croatia
Get Tickets