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This article describes the importance of managing sound during an event. It is much easier for a speaker to connect with their audience when they are able to comfortably and clearly speak their message. One of the mains draws for the event industry is it provides the opportunity for business leaders to network and commutate. The acoustic property of a venue space should be taken into account when planning an event but is unfortunately something that a number of managers overlook.  A space that is too loud or too echoed could significantly decrease guest's perception of an event.  Optimally performing sound systems and technicians are essential to creating a pleasurable experience for both guests and managers alike. 

This article talks about what the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA is doing regarding green computing on campus and how their students can also get involved.

It is an impressive article that a security system could be literally so sound and impregnable. It can monitor and assure all the checkpoints; especially it can scan the contractor IDs while access to the property. As we know the hospitality industry is a meeting ground, labor-orinted and customers diversified, easy to be liable for negligence.  There is news I read in the newspaper years ago, the front desk person accidentally assigned the room key to a guest that has been given to another guest in advance. And that leads to the second guest lost his $5000 in his suitcase. The court decision was the hotel was liable and compensated for the loss of the second guests. The hotel is not only has loss in money but also in the reputation. If the hotel could have the InvoTech's system, it would check all the keys, this situation would never happened. And for the system can automatic scan contractor IDs, all I can say is amazing, it not a easy thing from my eyes. Especially for some luxury hotels, there will have some VIPs, or VVIPs, their security is the top one task for the hotel

I'm not quite sure what the website will look like or how it will communicate with micros (PMS) but it sounds like its a step in the direction of web  based PMS system. I thinking in the near future we will be seeing front desk agents checking in customers with iPads and not standing behind big front desk.Micros Ecommerce sounds like the platform that will provide this move to mobile front desk agents with web based PMS systems.

Securing Your Return on Investment, with the conference sessions focused on how tourism and meeting industry professionals can apply sound safety and security practices to protect, and even improve, their business ventures' bottom line in the current economic landscape.

Hybrid meetings - meetings where some part of the event is broadcast to attendees tuning in remotely become more and more popular right now! There are few technical requirements for Skype conferences, video calls and so on which need to be done. First rule - try to communicate before the actual event, check up the sound, try to make a plan, what if smth fails. Second rule - less music and live video. People are using different devices to connect with you, so you cannot be sure everyone can get all the audial part of the presentation clearly. Third rule - speaker issues. We should remember speakers are not necessarily bringing the sound up to the listener just as you say it. There might be some glitches, the sound may delay, sometimes you need to check if the audience have heard everything clearly, or you need to repeat several things.

This article talks about the future trend of the hospitality security, which is technology is opening new doors to hotel safety.  The author introduces some different technologies such as Contact-less Smartcards and RFID that hotels like New York's Plaza Hotel are currently using. Finger print or cellphone wipe technology is also used instead of card, which should be more safe. Some hotels even use video-capture systems to make sure the security is perfect. After introducing these technologies, the author also talks about the privacy issues. Because some customers are not willing to be on cameras. However, though some of them are concerning about this issue, an expert predicts that new security measures will eventually become such a part of everyone's everyday lives that he or she will become the norm. All in all, this article gives us the trend that more and more technologies will be used for hotel security in the future.

this article talks about new technology that is being implemented throughout out US and the world. Old key cards are now going to be replaced with even older standard keys or the radio frequency identification card that can be waived in front of the door to gain access. Also, there is a technology that will sent an encrypted sound text to guest;s cell phone, which when played back will open the door.  It talks about technology that tracks all employees, guests and their luggage.  There are several concerned that travelers have about their privacy, but article stated that it all depends on the type of the traveler.  Also, the face recognition technology used in Houston's largest hotel remembers guests names and when they return, guests are greeted by name.  Article concludes that even with all this technology, the best security is provided through interdependence of travelers and employees.  

Technology in the hotel travel and tourism industry will be changing drastically in the near future, from the swipe of a cell phone, print of a finger, facial recognition, iris scanners, security is going to be taken to the next level. the plastic key cards will soon no longer exist. Radio frequency I'd cards are the new thing, where guest will use this for preferences for everything, from charging things to your room, preference of floor type to pillow choice, chick in and out etc. systems that track the other qualities of a person instead of using a key or card are in development as well. There are research going on how to open the door and. Lose wi just the persons walk and movements. Some people think these new security technologies are awesome, while some think they are not, people dont want to be watched 24/7while on vacation they just want to enjoy there stay. But in today's society all travelers are becoming interdependent on each other for safety and security.

Security is obviously very important in hospitality and technological advancements are helping to make hotel stays easier and more secure. The hotel industry is exploring options to that replaces the standard plastic keycards with new entry methods. One example is using smartcards or RFIDs, which stands for radio frequency identification. Smartcards and RFIDs work like a fast-pass at a gas station when quickly paying at the pump. The guest simply waves the card/key in front of a sensor granting entry. The guest doesn't have to worry about the card being deactivated by his or her cell phone and the hotel doesn't have to constantly spend on replacements. Another example is technology that allows us to enter our hotel rooms using our using our phones. Guests would download an app, receive a text message with an encrypted sound code and play it by the door to be granted entry. Using biometrics for entry is likely the ultimate level of technological security. Like in the movies, guests would have their physical attributes scanned including eyes, and/or thumbprint to identify a guest. Video cameras will always be a great form of security. Now that they're getting smaller and more vivid, surveillance makes the phrase "Big Brother is watching" all the more relevant by being a huge crime and incident deterrent. Technology is advancing rapidly and I can see some of these methods hitting mass markets sooner than we think.

This article talks about the new technologies applied in the hotel to keep safety. The first one is Smart cards/RFID that helps to open the door via sensor receiving. The next one is smartphone, personal belongings that help to open the door with encrypted sound code. Biometrics also can help by identifying personal physical traits. For hotels, security cameras is necessity. 

Being in the food and beverage side of hospitality I tend to post mostly restaurant technology, this one specifically caught my eye as the restaurant I just recently left in New Orleans would always get complaints about how loud it was. With the new app iHEARu, users can measure the decibels in a restaurant as well as track how it changes at different times throughout the day. The app could help users find places to have business meetings, take someone who is hearing impaired, or even help families find a welcoming restaurant if they have younger kids or just patrons in their party who tend to be a bit louder. With the overgrowing effects of social media reviews on restaurants I found this rating system to be mostly beneficial. This would only lower the number of things a guest has to potentially complain about or upset other guests. Often diners don't realize how important noise level is to their experience until is it something that upsets them. Personally if I was going out with just my mom or sister, I might want something quieter so we could catch up, but if we are going out with my entire family we better pick a loud restaurant so we don't get dirty looks when we are inevitably yelling across the table. This app essentially helps all kinds of diners find the right fit for them.

The following article reviews a few eco-friendly trends that are helping transform the foodservice industry. As green technology becomes mainstream it is important for companies in the hospitality industry to understand the potential impacts they could have on the environment by adopting some of these trends. Streamline reporting is one way that green technology shows to be beneficial. By streamlining and consolidating reporting vs. hard-coding, etc. offers users greater visibility over workload performance. Another popular green technology is virtual cloud systems. These cloud systems can help eliminate resource waste and reduce operational costs. The article mentions how Subway and BurgerFi are taking major steps in leveraging the latest technology to minimize their carbon footprint. A few things they focus on is cutting down their paper waste, conserve power, and improve overall efficiencies so the restaurants are environmentally "sound".

Week 4 Article Summary 15 Benefits of Having Digital Menu Boards in Your Restaurant. This article discusses the positive ways in having a digital menus and explains the benefit it has on the restaurant. The focus of the restaurant should be more on the quality of food being served. Even though there are a lot of restaurant that give you an experience like no other but if the food is not top quality it will be hard to bring customers back. Having this type of digital menus could enhance the guest experience while helping the restaurant increase revenues. Here are ten of the top fifteen positives reasons of having a digital menu boards. 1) Digital menu displays will make communication easier. This starts form the customer directly to the kitchen. It will also allow the establishment to display videos and animations that will catch the eyes of the customers and could highlight specific menu items. 2) Saves time by easy updates on display. The software will allow the restaurant to update the menu very easy. You could add and take away dishes without having to print all new menus. It will also allow you 86 items that are sold out at any time during the shift. 3) Sound Investment of saving money. With the system allowing you to change menus, it will save money because you won't have to pay to print new menus every time you want revise it. 4) Digital displays create a more memorable experience. With having a digital screen, it will allow the customer to stay entertained by having a right mix of graphic videos and allowing them to keep them occupied during down times. 5) Better Visibility of menu. The display on the tablet will allow the guest to see a nice HD screen with colors that will make it easy to see and read. 6) 24/7 support. No matter what time of day, there will be support for mangers to trouble shoot any issues that might be happing at time. 7) Boost sales up to 21-23%. It has been said that having an emenu will increase revenues by allowing the establ

Virtual Reality is enhancing the way travelers can decide if they want to book their hotels, by allowing them to take virtual tours of the hotel or experience local attractions via virtual trials, some of these examples include checking out local beaches, even simulated scuba diving. Some of these 36o videos are truly remarkable and I can see how this can encourage guests into booking their trips because it certainly makes me want to try all of these activities.

Virtual reality is a computer technology, which utilizes images, sounds, and physical sensations to make users feel as though they are physically present in a virtual world. For those in the hospitality industry, virtual reality has particular appeal because it can transport potential customers to a hotel or travel destination. The full potential of virtual reality within the hotel industry is only just being recognized.

This article goes over how VR/AR is currently impacting the hospitality and tourism world. The main reasons for its big impact on the industry and how the technology is being applied. It mentions examples and touches a little bit on the metaverse topic. It also has a separate article that explains further on AR & AI in the hospitality industry.

Earlier his week I learned about Proximity Marketing and I am not certain if I like the idea.  According to this article written by Romanov, Proximity Marketing "combines the digital and physical worlds in a new way, offers many advantages to both consumers and retailers. It's an agile ad strategy that allows merchants to make changes on the fly to improve message effectiveness and reach sales targets on specific items. It provides amazing consumer insights." Sounds like a great concept; it uses mobile devices, which most people have, to send an alert once shoppers are within range advising that bargains are available.  The consumer then has the choice to accept (or not) the message, which could be a simple discount or even an interactive game.  The consumer's privacy is protected as it is at no cost to them.  This can potentially increase retailer sales, at a lower costs, and produces data on consumer buying habits.  Win-Win. The issue I have with this is the overall multitude of alerts received from various retails.  I am not concerned about privacy issues; it is more of an annoyance issue. 

I actually like this idea because I shop aimlessly. When I'm in the radius of a sale I get excited!!. It makes it easy to choose which store I will go into. It will be great if you can turn the alert on and off. On days I'm not shopping I don't want the alerts to go off. That can be distracting and annoying.

The article highlights the dramatic change that Disney will effect to increase customer service at the theme park using the Near- Field Communication technology (NFC). This technology which is presently been use by hospitality firms and other industries will allow Disney to eliminate the need for room keys, credit cards, and paper tickets. Customers will be given a wrist band which will be tied to the Disney websites and all accounts numbers and IDs created on the website will be embedded in a chip that is also embedded in that wrist band. All you will need to do is just give it a tap and boom! You are given access to rides, movies, restaurants, kiosks and other attractions within the park. According to the report this saves customers and Disney tremendous amount of time but the real deal behind this is to gather more personal data about customers, and track all the activities you engaged in plus the things you bought. Personal information could be encoded in the wrist band so that an employee or even mickey mouse could greet you by name. All this technology sounds very good but what if I lost my wrist band and it gets in the hands of someone else. The article states that the wrist band can be remotely deactivated if lost or stolen. You and I know that when you having fun at Disney no one will be looking at their wrist every five minutes to see if a wrist band is still in place. If someone found my lost wristband and I notice two or three hours later who will be responsible for all these charges racked up by someone else? I really like this technology because I hate having to wait in long lines; anything that would make my life easier I will pay for it. Having said that I do believe that there are facets of this amazing technology that still needs to be tweaked.

This article talked about Jamaican hotels are going  to upgrade their facilities' service with new technology which allowing visitors to access various hospitality options throught applciations on their smart phone.  Nowadays a lot of hotels they public their products based on this technology. Local mobile service provider Digicel on collaboration with New jersey based telecommunications company Avaya and Pennsylvania based mobile technology company Movitas, revealed the new technology to hotel industry representative during a recent hospitality breakfast at the Haif Moon resort. it sounds really convenient , I mean based on several platforms like that for example Black Berry Android and on IOS any smart phone or tablet. it could be used widely not just for hotels also other business.

With so much emphasis this week on the negative environmental impact of computers, I found an article that points hoteliers in a direction on how being green can improve your bottom line. The idea is quite simple; you implement energy or resource saving methods, you pay less utilities. Customers recognize that you are being eco-friendly and are more loyal to your brand. Over time your revenue goes up, there are less expenses and thus impacting your net profits in a positive manner. Then you get to repeat the whole process with newer technology again with the increased profits. Sounds easy right...? So what things should you implement? One idea was Portfolio Manager web tool that tracks all of your hotels energy consumption all while taking in consideration of operational and local weather factors. This is one piece of the solution of on going concerns of environmental destruction taking place industry wide. If everyone contributed in some small way, hopefully we can see a large impact.

Hotels going green! Why not care about the environment? This article discusses the benefits as well as the common sense to go green in our industry hotels. Not only does going green help to save hotels money, it also helps to make a more environmentally sound universe.

This article emphasizes the importance of HVAC for hotel properties. Hotels have to work diligently on replacing the climate controls in HVAC systems and to make sure HVAC systems work properly in order to be more efficient and provide hotel guests with comfortable environment, resulting in guests' overall satisfaction. Large and modern commercial HVACs can save a large amount of money on unnecessary power costs and constant maintenance with proper controls. However, there are many hotels that cannot afford the large machinery of an HVAC, so this article introduces PTAC, Packaged terminal air conditioner, which is a type of self-contained heating and air conditioning system, for small-sized hotel properties. Generally, PTAC generates negative sound and visual impact on a room. Randy Dawes, corporate director of facilities at Select Hotels, advices hotels with PTACs to use transcendental wheel technology over fan blades, which reduces noise. This article also urges hotels to upgrade or replace their old HVACs for state of the art HVACs now. Since there are state and local rebates available for upgrading to modern HVAC technology, it is a good time to do so.

A security researcher discovered that he could unlock certain electronic key card entry devices used at millions of hotels by inserting a plug into the small port in the bottom of the key card device and unlocking the door. When he inserts the plug and turns on his device it triggers the mechanism inside that key card device and opens the door in seconds. Granted when he tested this at a conference he was only able to open 1 of 3 doors but it was still enough to show the flaw in the system. It doesn't sound likely after reading the article that there is an easy or cost effective fix to this problem because so many hotels across the world use these devices supplied by Onity. I think the lesson here is to always be vigilant in securing your valuables in any hotel room. Any time new technology is installed there is going to be someone right behind trying to hack it or find the security breaches.

Nelson, I went back and read your article, very interesting to see the follow up but I am surprised that it has taken this long to come out. I wonder if this would have been more publicised if it would have put more pressure on Onnity to fix the problem without putting financial burden on the hotel owners? I am curious now to see if my own company has been effected by this issue.

That is scary that you can think you are secure and anyone can hack the system and open your hotel room door. Now paranoid people that think they may be robbed by hotel staff, also have to think of outsiders, not even staying at the hotel. Anyone can enter hotels now a days and start opening doors like a lottery system, until they strike gold. The moral, be vigilant while on vacation, because there may also be someone eyeing your stuff. Also, if you have an in room safe use it.

The article I read was called, 'Why the Future of Online Hotel Marketing is Cloud-Based Utility Computing.' In the article, it says that technology is moving super fast these days and companies are trying everything they can to keep up, for example building websites and starting blogs, but they feel that it's not enough. Up until now companies could not manage all of their marketing efforts from one place but now they can and it's called utility computing in-the-cloud. "Utility computing is a broad concept that encapsulates cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS)."Some hotel owners feel intimidated because a website does not seem as permanent as owning something. One example that I really liked that they gave in the article was, "When I rent a movie from Blockbuster, I have a limited selection (whatever fits in the store) and when I'm done with the video, I have to return it and rent it again to watch it again." Compared this to Netflix, where you have access to hundreds of thousands of videos and you can watch them as many times as you want and for any long as you want for no additional cost. When you embrace SaaS, you gain million dollar technology that never grows outdated, compare this to a website that is only built on thousand-dollar technology and can get outdated, and it sounds like a great investment!