Susan Graves

Sue Graves is the founder of Experience Alive, LLC d/b/a SG Consulting (https://www.ExperienceAlive.com), a hospitality technology consultancy that helps hotel owners and management companies modernize operations, boost NOI, and directly increase EBITDA with practical, affordable solutions.  Hotels and portfolios she advises have seen outcomes such as 30%+ revenue growth, 50%+ gains in sales and event-management workflow efficiency, and average technology savings of $10–$15 USD per room per month, while just one sustainability initiative implemented has reduced chemical costs by 30%+.

A 25+ year hotel and convention center executive turned entrepreneur, Sue has vetted more than 600 technology solutions for the industry, from AI, labor and revenue tools to autonomous robots, energy-management platforms and sustainability solutions that cut operating costs without degrading guest experience.  She speaks the language of owners and operators and focuses on investments that show up clearly in the P&L and the asset valuation.

Sue is a brand ambassador for the annual Independent Hotel Show Miami and has been invited to join the executive advisory board for Hospitality Nexus.  She has most recently been a speaker at the International Hotel Technology Forum (IHTF) and a frequent guest on industry podcasts, including The LightsOn Podcast:  The Lights On Podcast | Real Conversations With Hotel Leaders , The Hotel Investor Playbook- Hotel Technology You Can Insta… - The Hotel Investor Playbook - Apple Podcasts , Destination AI webinarRobotics in Hospitality: ROI, Adoption & Operational Reality and No Vacancy- Bing Videos, as well as co-hosting a hotel technology podcast- The Hospitality Tech Show- Bing Videos.

Previously, Sue spent 5 years helping lead the $140 million expansion, renovation, and transition of the Greater Columbus Convention Center toward 5-star hotel standards, and more than 25 years with Marriott International, finishing as Area General Manager for Marriott hotels in Southwest Ohio.  She has served on multiple industry boards, founded the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association’s Innovation & Technology Committee, and earned recognition including the J. Willard Marriott Award of Excellence and a YWCA Woman of Achievement honor.

Owners and management companies work with Sue when they want an operator-minded partner who can quickly separate “shiny objects” from technology that reliably improves profit, guest satisfaction, and team productivity across a portfolio.