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anonymous

Technology's Role in Event Planning - By Kate Vasiloff, GBTA Foundation - 1 views

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    This article examines the trend of growing technology usage in event planning . Most of the technology is used for informational purposes such as sourcing and rfp's. The article says that the trend will continue to be more used and grow in the coming years
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    Technology is everything in our today's society and it is growing at a rapid pace. This article is very interesting because it talks about how technology is replacing the event planner role and human interaction. When we think about event planning, you think about an interaction that happens between the event planner and the customer face to face but technology is taking over and it is something that we should keep an eye on. All though technology is on the rise, event planners are slowly adapting to it by using a software or apps that help make their lives easier.. Planners also like that they can use technology to learn about products in the marketplace that they did not know about. I learned that 96 percent of planners who uses events or meeting management technology have found value in using the technology to help manage their events.
anonymous

7 Essential Hotel Management Software Features Defined - 0 views

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    These 7 features really help put into practice what a hotel needs to run successfully. It takes what we learned in class and puts it in a hotel perspective. Each of these features are needed in any and all hotels. The 7 features listed are all parts of the different software types we learned about. To summarize it first starts with the type of software you will have cloud or on-premise. The second feature is the guest experience management which helps keep guest profiles. Things like what they like or don't like if they are returning guests. The third is housekeeping and maintenance which is very important for a hotel to keep track of. Number 4 is OTA integration. Being able to connect to OTA's easily and seamlessly. The fifth is payment processing. Very important as you need to have a way to ring up a guests credit card. Number 6 is review management. Reviews are very important these days you need to have a system to keep track and reply. And the last one is wearable integration. Wearables are integration tech that helps add other features to your system.
lavendersheshe

Hotel Maintenance Management | What is Hotel Maintenance? - 0 views

  • Hotel maintenance is the upkeep of the various systems and components used in the hospitality industry. These systems include general building operations such as HVAC, electrical, and plumbing, but also many needs specific to hotels and their customers. These specific needs are widely varied and their scope depends on the size of the hotel and the services they offer.
  • On average, a hotel charges a little under $130 per night. If there is a significant problem in any of the rooms it rents, it means a loss of $130 each night that the room needs repairs. If the repair work requires multiple rooms to be shut down for a few days during a busy season, that amount quickly escalates
    • lavendersheshe
       
      Hotel maintenance is important because when issues arise then hotel guests won't be able to occupy the room which is affected and it will lead to loss of business.
  • AHLEI Maintenance Employee Certification: The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) offers a certification for hotel maintenance employees as well as others involved in the hospitality industry.Certified Chief Engineer training: CCE training is offered by the National Association of Hotel & Lodging Engineers (NAHLE). The program is designed for hotel engineers and maintenance workers, and it trains candidates in management, operations, grounds, and building systems.
    • lavendersheshe
       
      When hiring a maintenance professionals e.g. Facility manager for your hospitality business you must make sure they have the right certification for the job. AHLEI & CCE training are examples of qualifications.
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  • Maintenance technicians handle a wide range of responsibilities so they tend to be “jack-of-all-trades” type workers. Their tasks include regular scheduled maintenance as well as corrective maintenance performed on a hotel’s numerous systems.
  • Maintenance supervisors oversee the actions of maintenance technicians and may also help with regular maintenance tasks themselves.
  • Directors of maintenance handle high-level planning and hotel maintenance tasks, including working with supervisors, reporting to the hotel manager, and creating policies for their workers to follow.
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    This article defines hotel maintenance management and why it is important to it in place to maintain the physical hotel facility in order to achieve desired outcomes. Hotel maintenance management certifications and training that can help you put together an effective team for your properties preventive maintenance.
jspivak001

How Will Your Hotel Property Use Machine Learning in 2020 and Beyond? | - 2 views

  • The LightStay program at Hilton predicts energy, water, and waste usage and costs
  • Further, some hotel brands can link in-room energy to the PMS so that when a room is empty, the air conditioner automatically turns off
  • To create brand personas and algorithms, IHG assessed its top customer-facing senior managers across brands using cognitive, emotional, and personality assessments.
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  • Accor Hotels offers guests personalized upgrades based on previous guest behavior at a price that the guest has shown a demonstrated “willingness to pay” at booking and during the pre-arrival period, up to 24 hours before check-in.
  • The algorithms are used to create assessments to test candidates for hire against the personas using gamification-based tools, according to The People Space.
  • ML technology can create offers at any point during the guest pathway, including the front desk. Rather than replacing agents as some hotels fear, it helps them make better, quicker decisions about what to offer guests.
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    The machine learning for hotel properties is dynamic and constantly evolving. Beyond the common uses of Artificial Intelligence such as robotic housekeepers and facial recognition, hotels can deploy machine plearning in different areas such as systems that optimize the use of energy, water and other resources; human resource management such as the one used by IHG; and customer service.
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    This article discusses different ways that Machine Learning (ML) is affecting the Hospitality industry. Hiltons Energy Efficiency IHGs HR Screenings Accors Personalized Upgrades
tjcamino

Physical Structure of Management Information System - 4 views

  • combination of people, hardware, communication networks and data sources that collects, transforms and distributes information in an organization.
  • Hardware
  • Important components include the central processing unit, input/output devices, storage units and communication devices.
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  • Software
  • Software can be divided into two generic types: system software and applications.
  • Applications are developed to accomplish a specific task.
  • Database
  • A database is a centrally controlled collection of organized data
  • Procedures
  • Three types of procedures
  • user instructions, instructions for input preparation and operating instructions for MIS
  • Personnel
  • The personnel in the MIS function include computer operators, programmers, systems analysts and managers.
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    When learning about the role of a MIS manager, I feel it's very important to learn the Physical Structure of the MIS. This article explains that the MIS is combined of hardware, software, database, procedures and personnel. When using MIS, it will help with decision making with accurate information then send to managers. These systems are vital to the day to day operation of a hotel.
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    This is a great article that explains the basic physical structure of management information systems. Like other computer systems, the hardware and software components of MIS must work together for its use. While the hardware comprises of physical components such as the CPU and storage units, software provides a GUI. the article also discusses the personnel, procedures, and databases in MIS.
kesca010

Why AI is the Future of the Food Industry | Nasdaq - 1 views

  • several developments that have recently become mainstream: phrases like ‘farm-to-fork’ and ‘buy local,’ organic sections in almost every supermarket, and alternative meats in fast food restaurants are all indicative of rising awareness that food is about more than taste.
  • These changes in food consciousness are important in that they are pushing the conversation towards sustainability.
  • we need to also start looking at the optimization of agriculture as a data management problem. It is precisely here that AI can make a big contribution.
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  • AI is a natural ally in this environment, as all forms of machine learning require robust data inputs to be truly effective.
  • Consumer environments play the largest role in lowering food waste, and AI can also help here in some surprising ways.
  • At the top of the list, inventory control systems could make huge improvements if they were enhanced by data tools that were as wide as possible in scope.
  • AI will also be utilized on the manufacturing side to develop products more targeted to consumer demand.
  • AI can provide better monitoring and analysis of how food gets from farms to people, offering predictive metrics for retailers and money-saving incentives for consumers.
  • AI will have a big role to play as people incorporate more of their personal health data into shopping lists that will factor in purchasing history with the global movements described above.
  • Recent developments in machine learning and data management are offering some very promising solutions toward optimizing our food system.
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    This article covers the how AI has played a big role in helping the food industry especially with food waste. This is through inventory control systems, monitoring and providing analysis on how the food gets to farms, predictive metrics, personal health data, and developments in machine learning.
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    This article captures the current and future issues we are having concerning farming, agriculture, supply and demand and so forth. AI can become a valuable asset in helping professionals in these fields work in a more efficient manner regarding to producing more from less. For instance, a drone can be a useful tool in helping farmers understand their crop's condition by taking preventive measures. Furthermore, AI can help forecast the weather and help understand environment related patterns such as floods and atmospheric conditions.
lhick022

LEED rating system | U.S. Green Building Council - 0 views

  • LEED is for all building types and all building phases including new construction, interior fit outs, operations and maintenance and core and shell
  • For existing buildings that are undergoing improvement work or little to no construction. Includes: Existing Buildings O+M also includes applications for Schools, Retail, Hospitality, Data Centers, and Warehouses & Distribution Centers.
  • For single family homes, low-rise multi-family (one to three stories) or mid-rise multi-family (four to six stories). Includes: Homes Multifamily Lowrise Multifamily Midrise
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  • LEED recertification is an important step in protecting your building asset. Recertification helps you maintain and improve your building while keeping your sustainability investment in place
  • Platinum 80+ points earned Gold 60-79 points earned Silver 50-59 points earned Certified 40-49 points earned
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    This article is about what can be LEED certified and how to go about getting certified. I just learned about this topic in my Hosp. Fac. Enviro. Sys. class, when I learned about it, I didn't realize that you have to be reevaluate.
mandalysha

The Restaurant of the Future: 12 tech predicitons - 1 views

  • The Restaurant of the Future: 12 tech predictions
  • New developments in machine learning and artificial intelligence, twinned with more efficient and effective data capture, look likely to have a significant impact on the restaurant world in the coming years
  • Companies such as tech giant Acrelec, for example, are harnessing artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide menu recommendations based on other factors. In Acrelec’s case, its technology learns what menu items are typically purchased together to give customer more intelligent recommendations
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  • Developers are also already working on digital menus that change depending on the user. So, for example, a customer who has shared data about their allergies or diet choices, such as being vegan or vegetarian, will only see menu items that meet this criteria
  • Restaurant groups including SSP, Big Table, Boparan Restaurant Group and Din Tai Fung are among those trialling robotic waiters designed to support staff members with tasks such as delivering food and clearing tables
  • As recruitment challenges continue to bite, more restaurant groups are likely to look to automation for help
  • Could machine learning stop restaurant operators avoid opening the wrong venue in the wrong place? That’s the pitch from US company Borne, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse a wide range of data points to help predict the viability of a concept in a particular location
  • The company says that through ‘superior analysis and pattern identification’ its The Borne Report service can reduce restaurant failures by eliminating what most would agree is the root cause of closures - the wrong site in the wrong place
  • intuitive technology that automatically adjusts aspects such as lighting, volume and music tempo in a restaurant based on a number of important factors, such as that offered by tech company Startle
  • Tech start-up Karakuri has developed an ‘automated frying solution’ that can integrate with existing systems to drop fries and other items when required. As well as labour savings, the company says food waste is reduced thanks to portion control technology that ensures fry baskets are filled with the right amount of product to match demand
  • The company even considers the likely mood impact of music using a model of neuro-typical responses to individual tracks
  • Startle also provides digital signage and can set rules that change what’s on the screens depending on the weather or footfall, such as ice cream promotions during heat waves, or hot drinks during cold spells.
  • Chris Sanderson, founder of shiftworking marketplace limber, believes that apps such as his will give rise to the ‘portfolio career’.
  • employers embracing tech to pull from a larger pool of staff and lower the barrier to entry for new joiners
  • The pitch of apps such as limber is that they can help hospitality businesses connect with a growing generation of talent who are looking to work more flexibly and help them hire
  • As the global hospitality industry looks to combat crippling staff shortages, robotic fry cooks are now being deployed back-of-house
  • The US is leading the way, with burger brands including Jack in the Box and White Castle experimenting with burger flipping robots and Panda Express having rolled out a robotic wok
  • According to Startle, increasing the bass of music has been proven to make listeners feel more confident and increase levels of dopamine
  • Acrelec’s QTimer 2.0 which, during busy periods, can automatically switch to a simplified menu and recommend items that are quicker to prepare and guide customers to make a decision more quickly to avoid a back-up of traffic
  • Biometrics looks set to further shake up how payments are made, with fingerprints more likely to become the norm than facial recognition, which is generally considered less reliable
  • Yet many brands, particularly those with a global reach, are already seeing the metaverse as the next big thing in both marketing and customer experience, including in the hospitality sector
  • For the restaurant of the future, sustainability will be more than just a buzzword related to the procurement of ingredients. Instead, it will refer to much-wider remit of considerations to help operators reduce the pressure on their bottom line
  • Energy control devices that can communicate with different kitchen units and regulate their power supply are likely to be key in helping restaurants reduce their energy costs. “Such technology will be able to cut down on peak demands,” explains Threlfall. “These devices could help restaurants reduce their total electrical costs by between 5% and 25% and decrease peak power consumption by 20% to 40%
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    In this article, BigHospitality describes 12 tech predictions that will take place in the restaurant sector. With advances in AI, robotics, and payment technology, the impact will effect the restaurant space to shift towards adopting these technologies for everyday use. Such technologies are: harnessing AI to provide menu recommendations depending on user, robotic waiters and kitchen equipment, intuitive dining rooms, and using biometrics for payments.
jordanskj

A GDS Primer: What is the GDS and Which Travel Agents Need It? - 0 views

  • The advantage to travel agents is that the GDS not only can show you many fares from multiple airlines, but it also offers a great depth of information about each flight in one place. The carrier, the times, the costs, the class of the seat, aircraft type and so much more. It’s a smorgasbord of options. So if you’re booking a high volume of tickets, it’s great to have access to every minutiae of information from multiple carriers in one go.
  • In today’s world, the GDSs have a bit of a split personality. There is the old school, traditional GDS commonly called “the green screen.” Then there’s the hip side of the GDSs, which people will call “point and click” or “GUI” (Graphical User Interface). Essentially, it’s a more intuitive and prettier looking version of the GDS.
  • To learn the GDS green screen takes intense training, and to become proficient takes tons of practice and constant use. That means daily use with a mentor (for at least 6 months to a year), not just booking a ticket for a client every few weeks.
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  • While new agents can partially navigate the GDS with the GUI interface, the code that comes back still has important information like fare types and rules that the agents really needs to understand. So many agents, in the end, need to learn the green screen (and find it faster) regardless.
  • One of the reasons that most leisure agents don’t need the GDS is because the air will be included in a vacation package by the tour operator, or you can book it with the cruise line and you don’t need to use the GDS.
  • Global Distribution System (GDS) is a travel agent’s motherboard for booking airline tickets and other sorts of travel goodies (like hotel and car)
  • It can be easy to confuse the GDS with a Central Reservation System or Computerized Reservation System (CRS). CRSs are automated inventory-tracking systems that were (originally) owned and run by individual vendors (like airlines, car companies and hotels).
  • GDSs function as an umbrella for many many CRS systems. It’s like a CRS motherboard. (In fact, many vendors outsource their CRS systems to a GDS.)
  • an show you many fares from multiple airlines, but it also offers a great depth of information about each flight in one place. The carrier, the times, the costs, the class of the seat, aircraft type and so much more. It’s a smorgasbord of options. So if you’re bookin
  • If you are a leisure travel agent, there’s a huge whopping huge chance that you don’t need to use a GDS
  • American Airlines created the first CRS system in 1946. And while this helped automate inventory for vendors, travel agents did not have direct access to that inventory. Travel agents would need to call the airline’s booking center, who would then contact one of their CRS operators, then relay the results to the travel agent over the phone (literally, like playing telephone). It took a lot of people power to book a single airline ticket. Travelers booking their own ticket? Forget about it! 
  • There are many GDS options, and each GDS system will has access to their own pool of carriers. The four largest GDSs are: Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport (which is the parent company of Apollo/Galileo and Worldspan).
  • Let me be blunt: unless you’re some kind of prodigy, the GDS green screens are not user friendly. Be afraid, be very afraid.
  • he GUI is the point-and-click version of the GDS. You may have heard of options such as Sabre Red Workspace and TravelPort Smartpoint. So why doesn’t everyone use it? Here’s the problem: At its current stage of development, even GUI users need to understand the language of the green screen.
  • Essentially, the GUI interface isn’t quite there yet . . . and developing this technology is reeeeeally expensive and comes with a lot of growing pain
  • To book in the GDS, you must have an IATA/IATAN accreditation number, in addition to an ARC accreditation number if you’re located in the United States.
  • As a new agent, you can’t get these accreditation numbers because they require a lot of experience. So you come into the industry under a host agency (more on what a host agency is) and use their accreditation number instead.
  • Corporate travel agents book a whole lot of air, so the GDS is pretty much a must for them.
  • If your specialty is around the world tickets or you have a steady stream of clients with multi-stop itineraries, the GDS will be a necessity. 
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    This article looks at GDS and GUI systems and gives a holistic viewpoint of performance, positives and negatives, and what type of agencies can utilize each system. I felt that the more complicated system and its requirements for agency users to have and understanding of coding, made the GUI system more likely to have a higher utilization in the future.
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    The article delves into the importance of GDSs and travel agents along with the controversy surrounding their evolution as airlines are trying to encourage more direct bookings to make more profits and avoid paying commission to travel agents.
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    This article goes into detail about GDS's, the history of GDS's, and if travel agents actually need to use them. The article first explains what a GDS system is, a brief description stating "Global Distribution System (GDS) is a travel agent's motherboard for booking airline tickets and other sorts of travel goodies (like hotel and car)". The article then quickly goes into a brief history of the GDS. GDS was created by America Airlines in 1946, making it easier to check inventory for vendors, though it would still take some time for this technology to reach the travel agents. "Travel agents would need to call the airline's booking center, who would then contact one of their CRS operators, then relay the results to the travel agent over the phone (literally, like playing telephone). It took a lot of people power to book a single airline ticket". We then take a turn, and learn about the usability of a GDS, and that it's quite low. GDS's are not user-friendly, but sadly sometimes a necessity for certain types of travel agents. These types mostly being the ones who book lots of corporate travel arrangements. Lastly, the article discusses if a GDS is right for your business, and if you decide it's not, how to go about booking things without it.
mmart802

Contactless Check-in for Hotels: Here's What You Need to Know - 0 views

  •  Recent surveys have found that contactless check-in and a touchless journey can help guests feel more comfortable staying in a hotel, with 26% of consumers indicating they want digital room keys and 35% asking for contactless payment options. 
  •  For check-in to be truly contactless, your hotel needs to factor in each step of a guest’s arrival and anticipate the points at which human contact can be prevented or replaced with technology.
  • Mobile check-in solutions help hotels gather customer insights about their guests: learn what their preferences are with a pre-arrival questionnaire, and see which offers and amenities a guest chooses to learn about before their stay.
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    The lodging industry has been implementing contact-free check-in way before the pandemic started. Hotel companies saw that as a solution for the long lines at the front desk and the time wasted signing required documents before receiving your key. Contactless check-in has been proven to be more effective and favorable by many travelers. Guests can now check-in through their phones and even have a digital key to unlock their room. Check-in applications will allow you to learn about the guests' interests in your amenities/ outside attractions which can help companies better the experience for the next time that guests books with them. As these contactless check-in apps are implemented into more hotels, it is best to inform the guests of the process atleast a day before their arrival. Since some might not be familiar with the idea, the companies should guide them on how to check-in through their phone and how to access their key. The more that guests will adapt to doing this, the more that they (and your employees) will be happy.
tvill22

Future of Hospitality with Artificial Intelligence. - Artificial Intelligence + - 0 views

  • hospitality industry has been among the industry’s hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic over the past two years
  • AI is the future of hospitality
  • The researchers foresee a 10% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the course of their forecast period from 2021 to 2026. 
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  • As customers prefer limited human interaction to minimize transmission of the coronavirus, AI is the best alternative.
  • Personalization  Occupancy and Room Optimization  Booking and Staff Interaction  Updates and Maintenance  Reputation Management
  • But as the concierge retired or moved on to another job, the information required to deliver this personal touch would often be lost. 
  • No matter how friendly the staff is, waiting is annoying.
  • AI-driven check-in counters that use facial recognition to greet you by name and take you through the check-in process faster. 
  • It may not seem obvious, but according to UCLA housekeeping staff has one of the highest injury rates not only in the hospitality industry but in the entire private sector.
  • AI-driven software not only produces numbers but also shows trends.
  • That means, as a manager you receive an accurate prediction of when occupancy is likely to drop.
  • Chatbots are the ideal tool to deliver a personalized answer in a timely manner.
  • Combine that with AI’s language translation capability, and you will also avoid misunderstandings which t
  • hen lead to awkward situations later on
  • Hotels dealing with international guests no longer need to struggle with translations. Instead,
  • , but AI can also analyze the tone of the conversation. As a result, it can function as a type of early warning system, letting you know when there are critical comments you need to address.
  • At the same time, when your bots find positive comments, they can reply by thanking the customer for those comments whilst at the same time referencing those in your database
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    This article addresses the future of AI in hospitality. It starts by addressing COVID 19 and how this affected AI in the hotel industry. They then go on to talk about all the benefits that AI can bring. One thing I learned form this article that i didn't know was that housekeeping has the highest rate of injury in the hospitality industry. I was shocked to learn this.
smend120

How AR, VR, and robotics can work together | Artificial Intelligence | - 0 views

  • How AR, VR, and robotics can work together
  • With the help of robots, businesses not only achieve higher efficiency but ensure the safety of their staff in hazardous areas
  • With the help of AR and VR, people can experience surreal atmospheres indoors as well as outdoors
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  • Yes! Together, augmented reality, robotics, and virtual reality can be the ‘Three Amigos.’ VR and AR can offer an immersive medium to operate robots
  • With the help of low-latency networks, people can utilize robots remotely using intuitive AR and VR controls
  • Robot training
  • Virtual reality and augmented reality can be utilized to train robots for different tasks
  • With the help of dual neural networks, robots can learn new tasks by observing and breaking down several actions
  • he first network, known as the visual network, captures an image using the robot’s camera to understand the current state of an object. The other network, imitation network, tries to understand a demonstration and analyze how an action is being performed.
  • Motion sensors in AR and VR gaming can be deployed to train robots. Developers can use a pressure-sensitive trigger on a joystick to teach robots how to control grasping and articulation speed for picking up objects
  • Object recognition
  • Using this approach, robots can learn how to group similar objects together, differentiate between various objects, and identify new items that look similar to those it has already seen
  • Generally, AI-powered robots are exposed to a wide range of data.
  • By using VR, a trainer only requires a 3D VR model of several objects. With this approach, trainers and developers can minimize costs and effort required for collecting data and real-world objects. Using 3D models, robots can also be trained to recognize biological structures in the human body in detail.
  • Operations
  • Virtual reality can be used to develop teleoperating robots that can function with the help of multiple sensor displays.
  • obots replicate a user’s hand movements by using hand controllers
  • In a direct model, a user will be directly coupled to a robots current state
  • With a cyber-physical model, a user is separated from the robot.
  • Using controllers, users can guide hand grippers to move, pick up, and retrieve objects.
  • How AR, VR, and robotics can work together Augmented reality, robotics, and virtual reality can team up to develop innovative applications for various organizations.
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    They can work together. Based on this article, this can be beneficial for all industries.
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    Robotics, virtual reality, and augmented reality can work together to create cutting-edge solutions for diverse businesses. Businesses use robots to increase efficiency while also ensuring employee safety in potentially dangerous situations. Virtual reality and augmented reality, two contemporary technologies, have provided an immersive platform for media and gaming. People can explore strange environments both indoors and outdoors with the aid of AR and VR. The "Three Amigos" can be augmented reality, robotics, and virtual reality when they work together. Robot control using immersive technologies like VR and AR is possible. Business executives need to be aware of the potential benefits of combining virtual reality, robots, and augmented reality. Robots can be programmed to do a variety of jobs using virtual reality and augmented reality. There are two different kinds of neural networks: imitation networks, which attempt to comprehend demonstrations and examine how actions are executed, and visual networks, which use images taken by the robot's camera to understand the current state of an object. Dual neural networks can be used by organizations to enable robots to learn new tasks by monitoring and dissecting several behaviors. Robots that use artificial intelligence (AI) are exposed to a wide variety of data, which helps them learn how to distinguish between distinct objects, group related objects together, and recognize new objects that resemble what they have already seen. The expense and effort needed to gather data and real-world items can be reduced by trainers and developers. Robots can also be taught to recognize certain biological structures in the human body using 3D models. Virtual reality can be utilized to construct teleoperating robots that can function with the help of many sensor displays by employing hand controllers. The homunculus concept of the human brain, which postulates that there is a miniature human inside the brain that controls movement
sosor012

Japan's Henn na Hotel fires half its robot workforce | Hotel Management - 0 views

  • guests complained that robots at the front desk could not answer basic questions
  • cut its robotic workforce after the experience failed to reduce costs or workload for its employees. 
  • return to more traditional human-provided services for guests
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  • Its change of direction can offer lessons for companies that are pursuing robotic solutions for customer-service roles, reports the Business Insider. 
  • complaints from both staff and customers.
  • robots were more adept at creating work for their human counterparts than they were at reducing it. 
  • robots annoyed the guests and would often break down.
  • Human staff ended up working overtime to repair robots that stopped working.
  • robot at the front desk could not answer basic questions.
  • The robot problem extended to the luggage-carrying bots, whose only job turned out to be more than they could handle.
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    The article "Japan's Henn na Hotel fires half its robot workforce" discusses the lessons learned from a hotel who opened its doors using a staff of robots believing it would lessen the workload and move things quickly and efficiently. However, they soon learned the robots did the exact opposite of what they were hoping it would. The hotel has had to cut its robotic workforce in half becuase of multiple guest complaints, robots malfunctioning, and robots creating work for their human counterparts rather than reducing. Not to mention the amount of money spent as well.
Sasha Bravo

High-Tech Teambuilding: Using Social Media to Help Corporate Bonding | BizBash - 0 views

shared by Sasha Bravo on 18 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Everyone loves gadgets, and they want to be a part of what’s new and cutting-edge,”
  • now people are adding a technology layer, which allows for more of a learning takeaway on top of the physical bonding.”
  • Wizard’s teambuilding games deliver missions and track scores via a custom app, but also integrate physical challenges and real-world interactions.
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  • sing smartphones and tablets has logistical advantages, too, particularly with large groups.
  • The latest element in high-tech co-worker bonding is all-virtual teambuilding game platforms.
  • online software, which costs $100 a month for as many as 100 players, involves dividing employees into teams that get new mini missions every week, like sharing your favorite lunch spot, or posting your most awkward childhood photo for points.
  • It’s about connecting with people.”
  • hoping to increase engagement and productivity among employees by adding gaming elements to intranet platforms.
  • Jive Gamification module. The software incorporates role-based missions, challenges, status levels, and badges into digital education and training experiences.
  • Experts emphasize, however, that these new virtual teambuilding platforms are meant to augment face-to-face bonding, not replace it
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    This is a very interesting article related to how employees interact with one another. Industry leaders such as Russell Brumfield, CEO of Wizard Studios Global Events, are using gadgets and apps to improve team building with employees on a constant basis, even when the individuals can not be in the same place at the same time. By using this technology, they believe that the process of bonding and learning becomes more interactive and therefore more fun. The article mentions that the addition of these technologies are especially beneficial in motivating "jaded employees." As Ian Fraser mentions, the game element of these apps is attractive to modern day employees; it just makes sense to integrate a technology that everyone is already craving in their daily lives. It is also mentioned the advantages of being able to connect massive amounts of people simultaneously. Lastly, the article touches upon the fact that these technologies are not meant to replace face to face interactions; instead, this is meant to improve upon this by extending the ability to interact and therefore continuously develop teambuilding.
Dongyun Oh

Red Robin CIO Drives Change Through IT Management - 0 views

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    Statistically speaking, CIOs don't become CEOs. But it's not because they don't want it. Research shows that nearly half of CIOs aspire to become chief executive, but only four percent actually get there. Much more frequently, CEOs for the world's top companies - about half in fact - come up through C-level financial or operating roles (Vanson Bourne, 2012). Chris Laping, CIO of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (www.redrobin.com), strongly believes this is because technology executives are too often focused on engineering and IT solutions to embrace their most valuable leadership quality: the ability to manage change. Technology leaders, he believes, possess powerful project management skills that can and should be leveraged across the business for even the most non-IT initiatives, with the particular role of being agents for change. Laping's official role at Red Robin is indicative of that practice: he's the company's senior vice president of business transformation and CIO. In that role, he oversees the company's technology, learning and development, enterprise project management and operations services teams. In this exclusive interview with Hospitality Technology, Laping shares how the technology team has taken on a business transformation role at Red Robin, and describes his overall vision for IT leaders. But it's not something CIOs are handed; they have to drive it, says Laping. Driving this change, perhaps, will also help more CIOs chase down their chief-executive dreams. HT: Let's start with some definitions: "business transformation" and "change agents" are pretty heady buzzwords that get tossed around executive boardrooms. What does business transformation really mean? LAPING: If you look at a classic Wikipedia definition of business transformation, it talks about people, process and technology. So when you push change through people, you usually do that through training. If you want to change business performan
Ashley Mullins

Travel trends and predictions. Debate on the future of sustainable tourism; a vision fo... - 0 views

  • If I walked into a high street travel agent today, the first question I would be asked is 'Where do you want to go?' I've always thought that this was the wrong question: it isn't the 'where' that's important, it's the 'why' and the 'how'. I want to go on holiday to re-charge my batteries or to reconnect with myself. Sometimes I want to meet new people or to discover and learn about another place and another culture. When deciding what my next holiday will be, I try to place the focus more on what I need from the holiday and what I can give back to destinations and local people.
  • This new way of travelling could be described as 'deep' travel.
  • Tourism will no longer be dominated by Westerners either. We'll see residents of India and China becoming more mobile than ever before from a leisure perspective.
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  • By 2020, we'll also see the majority of hotels getting their produce, employees, materials, services and the like from sources within their immediate vicinity. I refer to this as 'hyper-local' sourcing.
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    This article is based on the new trend of traveling & what the travel agents need to stay aware of. Climate change and global warming is on the rise and the majority of the people are starting to make a change. Yes, people are switching vehicles to fuel efficient but are starting to recycle a lot more but people are also changing their traveling motives. Instead of spending a week in the sun at a luxury resort, travelers are wanting more of a cultural experience and yearning to learn about other ways of life. There is a shift in activities which people are starting to take up. A more personal and low key tour of a family or small village is the ideal excursion now. Travelers are also taking into account the carbon emissions they are producing while traveling to their destination. Traveling by train or boat is making a come back instead of flying or driving.
Jiabao Han

Technology: The Newest Weapon in Event Planning | Emergency Management content from EHS... - 2 views

  • Technology, if used correctly, can assist in the automation of business processes (thus freeing precious resources), provide situational awareness for all agencies involved and provide real-time information to users. This article reviews the uses and benefits of one such technology solution, E-Sponder, at two major events (The 2004 Presidential Debates held at Washington University in St. Louis and the 2005 Super Bowl held in Jacksonville, Fla.) as well as provides guidelines when choosing a technology solution.
  • Gragnani and Smiley immediately saw that E-Sponder – a collaboration and information-sharing portal developed by Convergence Communications based upon Microsoft Office Professional Enterprise Edition 2003 technologies – offered the potential for real-time collaboration because it delivers collaboration functions such as e-mail, forums, calendars, shared documents, task lists and messaging that allow stakeholders to efficiently work together remotely. Gragnani and Smiley knew that Convergence would be willing to work with them to customize the solution to accommodate their changing needs.
  • Technology, if used correctly, can assist in the automation of business processes (thus freeing precious resources), provide situational awareness for all agencies involved and provide real-time information to users.
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  • Out of this need for heightened security stems a dichotomy between necessity and reality. The necessity of an organization to provide heightened security is oftentimes at odds with the reality of the entity's ability to furnish the needed man-power and absorb the costs associated with hosting a large-scale event. All too often, a city or county is given the designation as a lead agency to provide security for an event, but is given little-to-no financial assistance to make certain that the event takes place without a serious threat to the public.
  • If the decision is made to work with a technology solution to assist in securing your event, it is important to remember a few key points: n Do your homework: investigate, prepare and implement. Take time to assess your exact deliverables and what you are going to be held accountable for. Assessing your deliverables and requirements goes beyond the obvious: How are you going to manage and archive e-mails, meetings, conversations, images and plans? Implementation of the correct technology solution will assist you in this process and keep your staff free from much of the administrative burdens found in planning large-scale events. n Don't just choose technology, choose a technology partner. Planning an event is a dynamic task. Make certain that the company you choose is willing to understand your business processes and work with you to marry technology with your most challenging issues. n Don't learn your technology during a crisis. Pick a technology solution that is extremely user friendly. As the dynamics of an event change, you may need to collaborate with a community of users you did not anticipate in your initial planning. These new users will need to quickly learn and adapt to your communication solution. When securing an event, everyone is working toward the same goal: An event where the public does not think twice about security. The right technology solution can quickly put more accurate information in the hands of those who need it, and allow people to focus on their mission, not on paperwork.
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    This article talks about how events have changed throughout the years and especially because of 9/11. before this day the event planners and safety personel were focus on traffic control but now it is more safety concerns and the prevention of terrorist attacks. It discusses how and why technology can help them and shows many different examples that were real life like the super bowl an the presidential debates. it also stresses how important it is to know the technology and not to learn it in a crisis. Also it helps in choosing what technology to use. There are so many options out there and there is definitely a way to do all this without technology but technology can help and make it a lot safer and more effective.
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    Events can be successfully planned, executed and reviewed without the use of technology. However, there are affordable technology solutions that can ease the burden and provide enhanced situational awareness during an event. And the new high tech, E-Sponder, really assist in the automation of business processes, expecially the event planning. E-Sponder was used to automate many critical business processes during the debate and consequently provided real-time information sharing and reduced resolution time for unplanned events. In addition, it gave complete situational awareness both inside and outside the command center to all of those involved in securing the debate activities.
ning sun

The Effect of Yield Management on Hotel Chains - 0 views

  • The basic concept of yield management is based in the economic principle of supply and demand: when supplies are short, prices go up; when supply is high, prices go down.
  • way to rate a hotel's performance is by determining its REVPAR, or Revenue Per Available Room.
  • The yield manager's job is to maximize the revenue per available room by selling rooms to the right customers, at the right price, at the right time.
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  • For example, a hotel that makes $6,000 one night with a total number of 100 rooms has a REVPAR of $60.
  • City hotel managers must take it upon themselves to learn about the corporations in their area and make personal connections with these corporate executives, learning their business cycles.
  • to stay competitive in today's market, any hotel that wishes to be successful must learn how to apply yield management techniques to their particular situation
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    this article summarizing the importance of the revenue management. it explains that to maximize the revenue, hotel have to see the rooms at the "right price to the right people at the right time". it also explains the difference in price based on the seasons, or business cycle. it encourages managers to recognize when the demand will go up and adjust the price accordingly. 
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    Yield management is a process by selling limited quantity of goods to create maximum profits. Successful yield management requires a manager to sell, such as hotel room, at the right time, right price, to right customer. To achieve this goal, manager should understand what the purpose of hotel, what the category of hotel, and why customer choose their hotel rather than others. And also should know the market principal about price fluctuate during off season and busy season. So it is necessary to know well about yield management in order to survive in the fierce competitive environment.
Donald Wojciechowski

Employee-Tracking Data Making Case for Working Face to Face - 0 views

  • In 2008, Bank of America became one of the first organizations to test electronic badges that tracked and analyzed employee behavior. The experiment, in which call-center workers agreed to be followed electronically for a month, found that groups of employees who spent time together were more productive.
  • The tracking-badge technology used in the Bank of America tests, developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab
  • “Human social interaction is rapidly becoming more measurable at a large scale, thanks to always-on sensors like cellphones. The next challenge is to use what we learn from this behavioral data to influence or enhance how people work with each other,”
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  • Based on Sociometric Solutions’ finding that people who ate in larger lunch groups were more productive,
  • Human resources consultant and writer Susan Heathfield of Williamston, Mich., agreed that creativity and productivity are better when employees work together on site.
  • “We have found that when we put together teams of seven to 12 people and give them an assignment,” they do phenomenally and socialize more than people sitting in cubicles,
  • Michael Arena, a former Bank of America executive, believes that more companies will adopt sensor technology to assess and improve performance.
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    This article discusses the use of electronic badges to analyze employee behavior. Over all it found that employees that spent time together were more productive. Other options to track and analyze employee behavior are with cell phones. The use of technology in badges to track and analyze employees was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. The article discusses the next challenge is to learn from the data collected and then influence how people work together. The badges do not collect actual voice discussions of the employee. The data collected is limited to employee movement, the tone of their voice and with whom they are talking. Office design is one area that the data is being used. For example, a water cooler may be placed is a specific location to make sure certain employees come in contact with each other. Other studies have shown that employees, such as programmers, who work in groups, are 8% more efficient when collaboration on a project is needed then working remotely. Overall the general consensus of the article is that creativity and productivity are better when people work together on site.
bnort002

Hotel Industry Embraces Green Revolution - Green Hotels - Entrepreneur.com - 1 views

  • The hotel's motto is "Environmental consciousness in action." The hotel environment is free of toxic chemicals, has the largest hotel solar system in the continental U.S., and the property's organic fruit and vegetable garden is used for hotel food services and contributes to local food banks.
  • This program could potentially increase repeat business and attract frequent travelers who make last-minute decisions based on a search for unique experiences.
  • Food grown in the hotel's native garden provides hotel guests with a healthy dining experience. In fact, the hotel's adoption of native gardening also gives guests a compelling reason to eat at the hotel and accounts for 15 percent of hotel guests' revenue stream.
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  • In fact,
  • "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records."
  • "The eco-tourist understands that you can go to Disneyland or Las Vegas where things are done for you; but when an eco-tourist comes to a place like Hawaii he gets to do activities that benefit the environment, native culture and the human spirit." The value in experiential learning is a major marketing theme and competitive advantage green hotels are using to maintain and expand their revenues.
  • Three lessons from the green revolution's impact on the hotel industry
  • Cost-competitive advantage
  • Green revenue growth
  • Green entrepreneurship
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    The hotel and hospitality industry has become aware of the green revolution. Hotel guests are now leaning towards hotels that are environmentally friendly. This has lead to hotels establishing environmental programs, growing their our fruits and vegetables for use in the hotel restaurant, non- daily towl and sheet cycling, etc. There has also been an increase in eco-tourism. If the hospitality industry wishes to capitalize on the green revolution they should follow the trend closely.
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    This article discusses the advantages of having a "green" hotel and how much it impacts the guest experience, in a positive way. From not using chemicals and growing food on site, they have capitalized on a new type of traveler and will find these guests to most likely refer business and be a repeat guest. These travelers know they are participating in "experiential learning" that benefit the environment and provide a more local experience. They are also generating revenue as guests are staying on site and enjoying the local fare, such as food grown on site.
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