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Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers?

Investment in Hotel Technology Pays Off with Increased Group Revenue Tuesday, July 10, 2012 by Sarah Vining Hotels, conference centers and other meeting venues are increasing group business with new technology, and it isn’t just a hotel app. To invest in the property’s overall capital, hoteliers are creating cool technology tools that market venues, increase group business and enhance the guest experience. Technology is just another way hotels are winning group business and marketing a hotel or conference center. What are some of these new hot tools for leisure and business travelers? Virtual concierge service on guest room TVs At Hyatt Hotels with in-room HD TVs by Roomlinx Inc., guests are able make service requests, check email/weather, use the Business Center, print documents, and receive customized messages from meeting planners. Service requests like housekeeping and in-room dining are instantly sent through the system, improving the venue’s departmental efficiency. All of these virtual functions are hoped to appeal to new markets and drive group business. More efficient billing In the article, “Insert IACC blog post title URL” we learn that in 2012, meeting and group planners are prioritizing finance as very important during in their planning process (which made the top 10 list for the first time). Hotels making large investments in revenue management systems are taking advantage of new features that automate and process data to improve efficiency and increase revenue for properties. Virtual business centers Socialization through technology and food and beverage outlets is increasing revenue for TRYP by Wyndham in the NYC Times Square South property. Google TVs and access to Google Chrome laptops near the Gastro Bar in the hotel’s lobby offers guests an opportunity to enjoy a dining experience with the comfort of complimentary technology use. On-staff IT team When planners were surveyed, reliability was listed as a top concern of IT services in the white paper “What Do Planners and Trainers Really Want in Their Meeting Service?” All IACC-certified conference centers are required to have an on-site IT team to ensure technology functions properly. Now, the need for a knowledgeable IT team that really understands technology and can cater to individuals and group business is spreading to other hotel markets.   These impressive technology tools improve the guest experience and lead to a quick return on investment, especially in F&B. As we move beyond the discussion of required hotel Wi-Fi services, there will be a focus on technology amenities that provide the same comforts of home or the office. To increase group business, hoteliers are comfortable with this investment knowing there’s a return on investment with generated buzz/venue marketing and satisfied guests. Want to learn about other ways hotels are using technology to build relationships? Check out Enhancing Your Social Networking Site with a Social Concierge! to maximize social media and connect with guests, attendees and planners!

E Business Strategy can be summarized as the strategies governing E Businesses through calculated information dissemination.

E-business diverges from the traditional sphere of business by speeding up the business activities and giving a totally new dimension and definition to businesses worldwide be it whether partnerships, joint ventures or large corporations.

Much has changed in the business world since the birth of technology and the subsequent discovery of the world wide web (www) in 1989.

Much has changed in the business world since the birth of technology and the subsequent discovery of the world wide web (www) in 1989.

allowing customers to order ahead

consumers today value personalized, contextual mobile engagement, built around their current location, interests and buying preferences.

80% of consumers prefer receiving personalized, context-aware branded content through their mobile app.

Wristbands, which open doors, come for an additional price but are free for children.

The app will also have facial recognition to allow crew to identify passengers. Other features include way-finding navigation — like Google Maps for ships, — the ability to make purchases, request services, book excursions and plan daily activities in-app. The MSC for Me app will also offer suggestions based on guest preferences.

The Miami-based cruise line announced earlier this month a new Cruise Norwegian app that will allow passengers to check in ahead of their vacation, book excursions, make dinner and show reservations, and purchase drink packages or other amenities. Unlike the Carnival or Royal Caribbean versions, the app doesn’t change the physical embarkation process, but it does offer the option to go paperless with the documentation needed to go aboard.

From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.

From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.

From reservation to checkout, technology aids communication and streamlines the entire guest experience. It not only expands revenue options but also helps maintain operational efficiencies for the industry.

One of the top strategies for hotel e-business is evolving from selling to engaging the customer

To succeed, hoteliers need to fulfill the experience expected by customers, not just think of them as heads in a bed

Another strategy is engaging the customer through social computing, which Harteveldt calls the fifth generation of electronic distribution.

former World Bank executive

trustee of the James Beard Foundation and co-founded the JBF Women’s Leadership and the Women’s Entrepreneurship Leadership programs

The culinary “gastro ceiling” is especially appalling with less than 7% leading women executive chefs

A survey sponsored by SAP suggests businesses are looking to make investments in IT and their workforce but struggle to find lenders

Effective use of technology was seen as a key priority in achieving growth, and according to respondents, the three main internal obstacles to growth were finding and keeping new customers (79 percent), hiring and retaining people with the right skills (78 percent) and operating the business efficiently (76 percent).

Effective use of technology was seen as a key priority in achieving growth

E-commerce has been defined as "the buying and selling of products and services by businesses and consumers over the Internet."

Accelerating Internet usage worldwide The Internet is the lowest cost hotel-booking channel Most travelers research hotel reservations on the Internet Social media and online hotel reviews are an increasingly important decision factor The web is the preferred media source for travel information, favored 17:1 over television and 6:1 over newspapers and magazines.

Adding real time search functionality to your site, capability to generate user reviews, launching contests helps to build fresh content and quality links

Small Business Owners (SBOs) especially should take note of any vulnerabilities that could leave a trail of irrevocable damage and potentially sink their business.

The average total cost of a data breach in the United States has increased from $7.01 million to $7.35 million, according to the Ponemon Institute. The severe financial loss and potential reputational harm caused by a breach is overwhelming for any sized organization, but especially for small businesses that may not have the resources to recover.

Hard Drive Destruction

The data breach hitting Marriott Hotels Group was huge. The joint-second largest to have ever taken place, in fact, after Yahoo’s disastrous 2013 breach (and on par with Yahoo’s 2014 breach). While the amount of data that was taken from Starwood Hotels’ reservation systems (a company acquired by Marriott in 2016) was vast, what’s most staggering is the fact the breach went undetected for four years, and an acquisition also took place but the alarm still wasn’t raised. Since news originally broke of the release, it’s also been revealed that the hotel group’s own security team was hit by an attack in June 2017. Clearly something has gone amiss.

The issue is compounded by the fact that security is still not high enough up the list of priorities for business leaders. Despite well-known organizations frequently hitting the headlines for data breaches (in 2018 alone we’ve had Ticketmaster, Quora, British Airways, Under Armour and plenty more) and a ‘when not if’ warning  being peddled by the security industry for years, many businesses still haven't got to grips with just how critical proper security is. The fact that reviewing security may not have been part of the acquisition process of Starwood by Marriott – and if it was, not well enough – is further evidence of this apparent blindness to the impact of poor security. So, what’s going wrong? A research report from security company Bromium earlier this year suggested that the average large enterprise spends $16.7 million per annum on security, with the vast majority found to be on ‘the human cost of maintaining cyber security systems’. While most firms clearly aren’t 2,000 people sized enterprises, the research provides a good indication that spending on security isn’t the issue. Instead, it’s people.

We need to look at different approaches to skills development and, in many ways, imitate cyber criminals themselves who are continually iterating ideas to solve problems, rewarding perseverance and curiosity as well as encouraging further development. The ‘white hats’ need to approach their roles the same way – not rely on what they heard in a classroom six months previously.

One of the major reasons why restaurants go out of business is badly-managed accounts.

So it's wise to think about restaurant accounting software before you open your restaurant.

Get a POS system that ties in with your accounting software

A point-of-sale (POS) transaction is what takes place between a merchant and a customer when a product or service is purchased, commonly using a point of sale system to complete the transaction.

In its most basic definition, a POS system is a combination of POS hardware and POS software to create a POS machine for processing a transaction and payment.

a POS terminal is the electronic equipment performing the sales transaction and processing the credit card payments. Used in most storefront businesses, a computer terminal combined with the POS software helps to manage everyday sales transactions and operations.

The personalisation is a key. Exploit solutions, smart applications to build individualized rooms that adapt to the needs of the customers. Thanks to artificial intelligence technology plus databases, you can do that easily. Not only can you create guests’ profiles to remember their likes/dislikes and preferences, but also you can improve your service by providing a better experience

Digital keys ensure hassle-free and more secure entry and exit for your guests – every digital key generated is unique and completely non-reusable

Using the special hotel applications, AR/VR technologies, your guests can discover their options before even booking.