Group items tagged

If guests have RFID-enabled keycard that contain payment information or room-charge information, guests can simply pay with their keycard

Besides granting entry to guestrooms, hoteliers can also use RFID technology to control access to amenities, parking, event spaces, and more

RFID tags on minibar items can alert hotel staff to low stock rather than tasking housekeeping staff with monitoring stock levels.

Most hoteliers have a line item in their budget to account for replacement of stolen items like pillows, hair dryers, and dishes. RFID chips on these frequent “souvenirs” can tell hotel staff when an item has left the building and give them the opportunity to recover the stolen item.

An RFID system is simply a cost- effective technology that uses radio waves to send a signal from a chip to a receiver.  RFID stands for radio-frequency identification, and this type of wireless technology involves two parts: a tag and a receiver.

Hoteliers have to consider investing in the latest advancements in identification technology to ensure the safety of their guests, business and reputation.

One of the latest innovations to be launched in the customer security market within the hospitality industry is non-contact Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology

Radio Frequency Identification is currently at the forefront of hotel security throughout the world

By using an online-based security access platform, guests can be re-assigned to a different guestroom or have their stay extended without ever having to visit the front desk.

Properties equipped with Visionline can also provide guests with the ability to use the same keycard for different areas of the hotel, enhancing the guest experience, while reducing costs. With RFID technology, hoteliers also gain the opportunity to provide guests with an array of key format options, such as wristbands, keychain fobs or stickers in order to better cater to individualized needs.

"I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."

Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well.

Yet more card-free security systems are on the way.

Many industry watchers are keeping an eye on Houston's largest hotel, the vast 1,200-room Hilton Americas–Houston. The hotel has a facial recognition system that can identify and track guests, employees, and even suitcases. With 700 employees and an annual $16 million payroll, the system offers benefits such as employee time-theft monitoring and prevention for the hotel. But travelers aren't that concerned about employees taking an extra cigarette break. What it means for you is that the system includes alerts if unwanted people are on the property and a response time of mere seconds if there's an incident. Customer service is heightened as well: Returning guests will be recognized and greeted by name. And with 1,200 rooms worth of luggage in transit, the system makes it a lot easier to find lost or misdirected bags.

not everyone wants to be on-camera, all the time. With concerns about "snooping" and a Truman Show-like lack of privacy, might guests feel that systems such as this are too intrusive in our hotels? "

Technology is opening new doors to hotel safety, and the way we navigate hotels is set to change in the blink of an eye. Or the swipe of a cellphone. Or the print of a finger. With futuristic systems like scent and iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, hotel security is being taken to the next level. #plain_module { width: 590px; height:170px; border: none; float:left; margin:0px; font-size:12px;} #plain_module img {border:none; width: 13px; height:14; border: 0px; margin:0px; } #plain_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:585px; height:220px; repeat scroll 0 0} #plain_module .mini_item_header {padding:10px 0px; margin: 0px 0px; font-size:16px; color: #555555; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #plain_module .mini_item {padding:5px 0px; margin: 0px 0px;} #plain_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #plain_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;} span.gray {color:#949494;} .mini_main li{list-style-type: none;background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bullet);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 0 1px;padding-left: 10px;} Those plastic key cards that once seemed so innovative will soon go the way of the actual key. The new thing is contact-less Smartcards and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards that need just be waved to allow room access. Much like the cruise world's one card system, these cards may soon make hotel stays easier by allowing guests to pay for services, as well as to check-in and check-out, through a single device. Travelers may even be able to save preferences on the cards, from pillow type to floor choice. RFID cards are already in use at New York's Plaza Hotel, and Starwood Hotels are considering introducing them into their hip Aloft and Element properties. But travelers worried they will constantly have to traipse back to reception every time they lose their card need not despair. Security systems in some hotels do away with cards altogether. "In addition to Radio Frequency Identification, there are also systems that use a smartphone, such as an iPhone," says Frank Wolfe, CEO of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals. "When a guest checks into a hotel and provides their phone number, they get an encrypted sound code via text message." You can then play back the code to unlock your room door.

Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well. Movement-activated video-capture systems were showcased in New Zealand in September 2010. Researchers are at work on devices capable of recognizing an individual's gait or walk and even their DNA. Frank Wolfe says, "If you want to go 'way out there', there are some systems being explored that can allegedly sniff someone, and also systems that can recognize the pattern of blood veins on a human being which are apparently unique to the individual," says Wolfe. Quite common in Japan, vascular-recognition systems such as this are still "several years off," according to Wolfe. "I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."

The Elsafe Infinity II RFID safes are likewise a leading product in their category. The safes are fully compatible with Signature RFID locks, meaning a guest need only use a single card for both.

The presence of VingCard locks and Elsafe electronic safes throughout the hotel ensures that each area is fully secure while allowing those authorized to seamlessly gain access with minimal effort.

with mobile access-ready abilities so that guests and their belongings can be protected using the latest in encryption technology while future proofing operations to meet evolving guest needs.

With guests increasingly expecting the instant convenience of digital key functionality, Essence's mobile access-ready design further equips property leadership with the ability to provide the feature without the need for additional hardware or installation.

With Classic RFID, the property's staff-only locations can likewise benefit from the latest in encryption protocols to ensure that only those with authorization can gain access. 

With Classic RFID, the property's staff-only locations can likewise benefit from the latest in encryption protocols to ensure that only those with authorization can gain access

Menu options, travel directions, appointment updates, facial recognition software and contact information are just the beginning of the very real ways that event planners will soon be able to use wearable tech.

Event technology trends aside, the number one thing for any event professional to remember, is to let your tools work for you, rather than the other way around. The purpose of implementing advanced technology is to make your life, and the life of those whom you plan events for, as easy as possible.

5G will also make it more feasible to incorporate the cutting-edge into event experiences.

Projection mapping is the act of creating an augmented reality experience with the help of projectors.

this visual technology proves to be an efficient and cost effective way to create optical illusions in nearly every location.

event technology adoption can increase attendance by 20%, increase productivity by 27%, and decrease costs by as much as 30%.

branded apps provide limitless opportunities to interact with consumers right on their own phones

Apps can be customized to appear as if they were created specifically for events or stays, while offering functionality that serves to enhance and personalize the attendee experience.

Planners can utilize branded multi-use apps to connect with attendees and engage them on a variety of levels before, during, and after the occasion.

Event spaces can create customized apps to enhance experiences and share things like helpful facts, historical tidbits, and even the personalities of their unique employees,

Because they’re often cloud-based, these programs also provide accurate, customizable, and collaborative project planning that’s accessible by all managing parties

With event diagramming software, both event planners and venues are able to map everything out visually

provides helpful tools like drag-and-drop diagramming, 3D walkthroughs, and seating software on a single platform.

Hotels especially can use apps in this way, allowing guests to control their rooms from their phones and even communicate with chatbots to find nearby attractions.

Projection mapping5GBranded multi-use appsEvent diagramming

It also opens up new possibilities for app developers to push the boundaries of current event tech trends

Knowing event technology trends—and adopting the most valuable ones—gives planners and venues the competitive advantage

Studies show that using event technology can increase attendance by 20 percent and increase productivity by 27 percent. 

Each match automates personalized actions, such as printing a badge with the attendees name, sending an email with a scannable lunch voucher, and finalizing a swag bag for their ticket-tier (no sense creating swag bags for no-shows).

The technology speeds event check-ins, improves security, and helps businesses at tradeshows collect more valuable leads by tracking attendee visits to booths.

can also use facial recognition to watch for crowd flow bottlenecks and collect session attendance data so you know what worked—and what didn’t.

The ability to support advanced tech like facial recognition makes venues more attractive to corporate planners. The technology also allows automation at certain access points, which means lower manpower requirements and lower costs. 

Properly integrated apps add value to events, providing attendees with more opportunities for networking, interaction, and engagement with peers, speakers, and exhibitors.

Offering tech to support projection mapping provides bang for the buck. There’s no need to physically construct or deconstruct any part of your exhibit hall to add this fun, popular technology to your toolbox and draw more events. 

This visual technology is an efficient, cost-effective way to create optical illusions on anything—from cars to landmarks to stages.

With tradeshow or conference maps, speaker bios, and schedules in the event app, there’s no need for bulky information packets. Push notifications in the apps help keep attendees informed and on schedule. Planners can also use apps to personalize the event agenda through live polling and attract event sponsors with the option of targeted attendee surveys.  

Event spaces can create customized apps to share helpful info like maps, historical tidbits, and even the personalities of their unique employees

Easy-to-use 3D event diagramming software provides accurate, customizable, collaborative project planning regardless of venue design or size.

Give clients peace of mind and leave nothing to chance on the big dayUpload a floor plan to work with, so you know the diagram is to scaleTake clients and stakeholders on 3D ‘fly throughs’ to clarify your visionPlan seating charts and manage attendees’ meal choices or other preferencesHelp staff easily identify and accommodate VIPs and guests with special requests

Sales reps can collaborate with planners in real time, share variations on the event proposal, and visually portray upsells.

Attendees can use this tech to follow slide presentations, participate with quizzes and polls, take notes, and engage in text-based Q&A. They can also view graphs, tables, videos, and other content; and follow website and social media links. 

Any speaker can keep an audience attentive and engaged with this technology, leading to good reviews and a successful event.

Supporting second screen tech for presentations is much less expensive than making physical upgrades that aren’t in the budget. 

This data underscores the importance of social media sentiment analysis in monitoring your brand and messaging, keeping an eye on competitors, and making improvements to services during and after events.

Tracking attendee activity on social media during an event provides actionable data to help you make adjustments in real-time

Replenishing food and beveragesEasing show floor bottlenecksDriving session attendanceAddressing technology issues (mobile apps, Wi-Fi, or audio/visual)

Venues can social media sentiment to promote popular services and learn where there’s room for improvement:

Wristbands and smart badges using near-field communication (NFC) chips keep disruptions and lines to a minimum, thereby increasing attendee productivity and engagement.

Access different event areasExchange information with peersReceive exhibitor marketing materialMake cashless purchases

Wearable tech helps you speed-up check-in, control access, and monitor attendee behavior with less staffing. It also improves ROI for exhibitors, who can drive attendees wearing the tech to visit a booth of interest based on an individual’s profile.

On-site staff can use real-time data to learn when they need to offer overflow rooms or investigate security breaches, such as non-VIP guests in restricted areas. 

Indoor wayfinding helps attendees navigate exhibit halls with ease,

gather useful attendee behavioral data, send leads to sales team members in real-time, and build attendee profiles to send targeted messaging

You can also incorporate proximity advertising options as a value-add for exhibitors and sponsor

Post-event, you can utilize IPS data to see where attendees spent their time visiting booths and attending presentations.

Adding hotel bars, restaurants, spas, gift shops, and other amenities to the location map can help drive additional revenue during events while improving the attendee experience

store attendee admission information on their person, helping to detect fraud and streamline access

Attendees can review their travels throughout a tradeshow and see who they interacted with, while exhibitors are notified in real-time when sought-after prospects come into their booth.

Planners can generate pop-up directions for attendees based on their location at an event instead of investing in producing/shipping/replacing physical signage

validates your event and highlights improvement opportunities by tracking session popularity, length of attendee visits to exhibitor booths, and strong tradeshow traffic.  

RFID and beacon technology helps security and general event staff do their job better in real-time, which is essential for building trust and streamlining crowded events

event planners are turning to venue sourcing platforms to connect with the perfect site for their particular event.

discover detailed venue layouts, capacity ranges, and on-site services

Venue platforms offer exceptional ROI and generate more leads through improved discoverability.

Convey elements that make your venue uniqueShowcase your event spaces visually with accurate floor plans, 3D diagrams, quality photos, and videosLeverage the success of past events with testimonials and social media accolades

artificial intelligence (AI) tech is using badge scans, social media info, and other behavioral data to match attendees with people they should meet or seminars they may want to attend. 

Instead of taking-up significant time pre-event and on-site manually recommending seminars, exhibitors, and sponsors to attendees, AI can do it for you—even in real-time—based on their profiles and preferences captured during registration. 

it requires transparency and advance notice about how you may use data submitted by attendees. 

Attendees entering the geofenced area triggers predetermined actions, such as event check-in, push notifications, or advertising related to the event. 

Planners can sell geofencing to exhibitors and sponsors to reach attendees at events, or even promote their event on attendee devices at a competing event under a separate geofence. You can also provide attendees with a better experience via seamless registration and check-in, along with automatic app downloads as soon as they walk on-site.

provides analytics, both post-event and in real-time to help you better understand things like the duration of an attendee’s time at an event and overall peak attendance. 

Hotels can serve ads promoting their brand, facility, and services to attendees at events

once a prospect visits an event website, ads for that event will appear on any subsequent websites the prospect visits, in the form of website banner ads, search engine results, and pop-up or push ads on mobile apps. 

Event marketing teams should develop relevant and creative ads with clearly visible event dates to convince prospects who have visited an event website, but haven’t yet registered

venues can use it to generate return visits from event planners

retarget attendees during events with offers for in-house services like food and beverage, spa, and discounts on extending their stay.

Gameplay creates an immersive attendee experience, while generating leads and booth visits for exhibitors via quizzes, scavenger hunts, and trivia on mobile apps.

Gameplay fosters a sense of common purpose; creates an environment of collaboration and trust; facilitates easier communication; and boosts attendee confidence. You can also gather information about attendee engagement and interests via game choices.

Promoting the use of gameplay on-site showcases a venue to organizations looking for facilities supporting team building exercises as well as immersive attendee experiences.

Event technology is a term used to describe all of the digital tools and software used in the events industry. Everything from check in & registration, to diagramming, to social media tools, and more can be considered event technology.

However, Landman notes, the time spent scanning bar codes, as well as the difficulty in ensuring a strong Bluetooth connection, can often make data collection during these visits time-consuming. The bar codes themselves could be difficult to scan as well—in many cases, a bar code is printed on a crinkled wrapper that can be difficult to scan. What's more, he says, pushing the workstation-on-wheels from one room to another is cumbersome.

Landman's team built a prototype system, using a Nexus 7 tablet, which comes with a built-in NFC RFID reader. They loaded the tablet with the app, and then attached NFC RFID tags to some pharmaceuticals, staff badges and patient wristbands.

VingCard Elsafe provides comprehensive training on the technology for the hotel staff and encourages everyone who will have interaction with the locks to participate

, preventing

As hotel locks become increasingly automated, preventing them from becoming vulnerable to security concerns has become a top priority for hoteliers

As hotel locks become increasingly automated, preventing them from becoming vulnerable to security

“  Our Classic magstripe locks do not store critical security information within individual locks, such as master key information, and any service device must authenticate itself through diversified encryption methods to gain access to the lock software ,” Shea said. “  When VingCard Elsafe moved the industry towards RFID technology, security was one key driver, and our primary focus was to add additional security to the RFID card to prevent cloning. To that end, VingCard Elsafe hotel locking systems do not work with cards that have no anti-cloning capability.”

VingCard Elsafe’s locks can also detect tampering and work to alert hotel security staff using the company’s VISIONLINE system. “[The VISIONLINE system] incudes alarms to alert the hotel front desk if someone attempts to tamper with a door lock as well as providing real time alerts to the hotel’s security staff

VingCard Elsafe’s locks can also detect tampering and work to alert hotel security staff using the company’s VISIONLINE system. “[The VISIONLINE system] incudes alarms to alert the hotel front desk if someone attempts to tamper with a door lock as well as providing real time alerts to the hotel’s security staff when activity is detected that a card is being misused,”

For instance, a ‘wandering intruder alert’ warns hotel security personnel when a card is presented to a number of different doors.  Other alarms include detecting that a door is forced open, left open, or ‘mule tool’ intrusions when a door is opened from the inside handle without an occupant in the room.”

After installation, hotels must work to keep their staff trained and their system upgraded to keep pace with the latest security issues.  

VingCard Elsafe provides comprehensive training on the technology for the hotel staff and encourages everyone who will have interaction with the locks to participate ,”

As with any hotel upgrade, hoteliers understand that renovation and upgrades are a regular part of running their business

Looking past RFID solutions for instance, VingCard Elsafe has made our RFID locks compatible with next generation technologies, like Near Field Communications (NFC), providing our customers with an easy upgrade path at reasonable cost.”  

RFID-enabled locking technology

The system was implemented in December 2009, and has resulted in balanced inventory

When inventory is received, chips are either pre-installed or sewn into them and inventory is entered into InvoTech’s GIMS system

The new system allows the facility to monitor and audit a lock to determine when the room was entered and by whom.

security cameras provide “eyes in many places

merging technology takes these measures to a higher level, using intelligent software for example in security cameras, to provide detailed surveillance information.

Good technology in the hands of skilled administrators and managers who have put well-developed and well-communicated processes in place is what really makes the difference in terms of loss prevention for hotels.