3 Takeaways From Our Time
At Nvidia GTC 2026

At Nvidia’s GTC conference in San Jose, it became clear that the conversation around technology has fundamentally shifted. This is no longer about what AI or advanced computing can do, it is about how these tools are actively being applied to solve real problems. Across every conversation, session, and interaction, there was a shared urgency: the remarkable capabilities exist, and now the question is how to use them.

We came away from the experience with three distinct takeaways that will shape how we move forward as a firm: inspiration, motivation, and validation.

Inspiration: A Real-Time View of How Technology Is Accelerating Across Industries

The conference itself was a powerful reflection of how quickly the world is changing. More than 30,000 people from across the globe gathered in San Jose, representing a full spectrum of industries, cultures, and perspectives. What stood out most was the mix of companies in attendance, which ranged from long-established global brands to an extraordinary number of companies formed within the last two years. That alone signals the speed at which knowledge is turning into value.

That speed is not incremental, but exponential. For years, Moore’s Law defined progress as a doubling of compute power and a halving of cost every two years. Today, that pace is being surpassed. In just one year, computing power has increased by as much as 35 times. The implication is clear: the rate of change is outpacing traditional ways of working, thinking, and solving problems.

What made the conference particularly compelling was not just the technology itself, but how it is being applied. Even in industries far removed from hospitality—healthcare, automotive, and robotics—the advancements were inspirational. Problems are being approached differently, with simulation, data, and iteration happening before anything is built in the real world.

Motivation: Applying New Tools and Thinking to Solve Industry Challenges

If inspiration came from seeing what is possible, motivation came from understanding how it can be applied to our industry.

It is hard to imagine that a robotic Olaf from Frozen could influence how we think about material durability, but that was exactly the case at GTC. A remarkably lifelike, fully interactive version of Olaf demonstrated just how far robotics has come. More importantly, it showed how it was developed: trained in a digital twin, where it could learn through millions of iterations in a simulated environment before ever being deployed physically. That same approach can be applied to hospitality: testing how materials wear over time, simulating how a room is serviced, or optimizing operational workflows before implementation. What initially feels unrelated quickly becomes directly applicable.

Equally important was Nvidia’s approach to innovation. Unlike many technology companies, their model is not centered solely on selling products. Instead, they are actively working to accelerate adoption across industries by making core tools widely accessible. Their goal is to create a flywheel of innovation that benefits everyone.

That mindset extends into how they partner. Nvidia is deeply collaborative, even working alongside competitors, and invests real time and resources into helping partners solve meaningful problems.

Gettys has been invited into this ecosystem and has been given direct access to Nvidia’s engineers, tools, and a network of companies working through similar challenges. Our weekly engagement with their team is focused on exploring possibilities, not driving transactions.

What this creates is not just access to technology, but access to possibility—a clearer understanding of what can be done, along with the resources to begin connecting those dots in a meaningful way. It reinforces our focus on applying innovation in ways that benefit all project stakeholders, rather than adopting technology for its own sake.

Validation: Affirming Our Role Within the Next Wave of Industry Innovation

Equally important was the sense of validation. Many of the ideas presented at the conference—particularly around visualization, image generation, and workflow optimization—are areas where Gettys is already actively working.

This is especially meaningful given that hospitality and design were not primary focus areas at GTC, which largely centered on industries like healthcare, automotive, and manufacturing. Despite that, the alignment between what is being presented as cutting-edge and what we are already doing reinforces our position within this evolving landscape.

Ultimately, the experience clarified something important: despite our size, Gettys is operating within a leading cohort of companies pushing what is possible. The combination of inspiration, motivation, and validation provides both direction and confidence as we continue to explore how these tools can shape the future of hospitality and design.