Group items tagged

The company Bartech is offering hotels and casinos in Las Vegas solutions regarding the coronavirus pandemic for guests.

The bartech e-bar is convenient as hotels can seamlessly control these functions, and now it makes more sense than ever due to reduced capacity at hotels bars, that implementing a bartech mini bar will enhance customer satisfaction. There is a downloadable application to control the functions of the e-bar. Since guests are spending more time in the room and less in the hotel bar, the e-bar is a convenient way for hotels to increase their profits during this difficult time. It can also monitor when and what the guest is taking, and store this data for reference. In another way, it can monitor its touching by guests usage which eliminates the need for hotel staff to enter the room and check the bar--which reduces the touching and entering of people into rooms.

Besides ensuring guests of new safety protocols, the electronic mini bar reduces touch and saves costs to hotels because hotels can remotely change settings on the bar, for example, by locking, unlocking, remotely shutting off or reducing temperatures during non-occupancy. The article then suggests that a "well-run mini-bar" is a profit center to any hotel and to implement an e-bar makes sense for guest satisfaction and also to save costs, especially during this time.

Interesting read about up and coming Lifehouse Hotels and how they are waiving management fees for this year and looking to expand their hotel management software to hotels that are not part of their brand. Lifehouse currently has five hotels in Miami.

Cruise industry must work together to address safety & sanitation measures re:Covid-19. Travel advisors will be key to selling cruises to passengers. Industry is creating an education program for travel agents/advisors hoping that they will be able to effectively instill confidence in wary travelers.

This article is about how technology or different practices can lead to cost benefits for hotels or resorts implementing new standards or eco-centric practices Not only are these great ideas from a public relations standpoint, as the public is more and more concerned with their "carbon footprint," and activities, these are great suggestions for how resorts and hotels can utilize technology to save money at the same time. It's a win-win, whereas, in former times we have been told to be "green," meant spending extra money and losing money in the end. Some of these ideas are about waste practices, some are about LED lightbulbs, some ideas are pretty basic ideas about waste practices. Some of these ideas are about energy-efficient technologies that can be implemented at resorts, and then also training staff to be more energy efficient as well. This is not just a technology idea, but a culture idea as well.

Another simple reason I liked this article has to do with hotels either renovating or hotels being built. Or any venue for that matter. Hire architects that understand you want to "go green," be "self-sustainable" as much as possible. Having the architecture allow in more natural light, or work in such a way that reduces heating and cooling costs, as well as implementing free energy standards such as solar panels, may seem expensive, but reduce long term energy costs, can look amazing, and also draw guests. There have been great examples of this kind of architecture in recent years, and this is something the hospitality industry should definitely adopt. We work with guests and want to not only make them feel comfortable, but also impress them time and again. Implementing these types of changes in terms of starting small like this article suggests, and then aiming big...is something that definitely should be rolling around our minds nowadays. Not only that, but now with COVID19, we must find ways to ensure guests of cleanliness. So we have to issues to think about--green technology, and cleaning technology. Maybe blue light activation is something to consider.

A so called restaurant owner applied for $440,000 in forgivable loans to keep employees paid through the Paycheck Protection Program. The man claimed to own 3 restaurants, but 2 of the restaurants were not open before the coronavirus pandemic and he had no connection to the third. The "owner" disappeared after receiving the $440,000.

The hotel industry has experienced a lot of change and cloud based hotel software continues to do so.With a good understanding of this technology it will make it easier to interact with guests. It provides real time updates and data that will keep people up to date, keeping things quick and efficient.

This article was pre-COVID and budgetary restraints I fear will force many initiatives to be placed on the back burner for a while. What I really liked about this article is that it shows the hospitality industry being a driving force in sustainability technologies and taking accountability for amount of resources it uses and waste it produces. I found the "three-zero-concept" particularly interesting for new builds, since it takes a ground-up approach to sustainability. It talks about education and training for staff, which is extremely important for sustainability initiatives to be successful. The article highlights different protocols being used to lower waste, emissions, pollution, and natural resources used.

This article gives 5 tips on ways to maximize a property's visibility on GDS channels. As more regions and tourist hot spots adjust to new safety COVID-19 protocols, bookings are starting rise. With 400,000+ travel agents searching for the best options for their clients, it is important to standout to get the booking. It helps if the hotel updates their travel/safety guidelines, so guests know the property is taking their safety seriously. By targeting ads in domestic areas without travel restrictions, the hotel is getting the most "bang for their buck" with their marketing. This article recommends using two separate creative in your ads: one focusing on offers/promotions and one featuring safety/cleanliness. It suggests marketing for future stays a few months in advance, because as travel restrictions start to ease more people are looking ahead to their future travel needs. It emphasizes the important of holding rates and using added amenities to help reduce price slashing and look more attractive to potential guests.

The article is about how technology solutions can be a great investment and reduce capital to face the challenge of "new normal" adapatation and safety demands. Using technology such as as self-check-in, digital key, robots for sanitation of public areas, and social media to promote could result in less payroll costs and maximize revenue.

With restaurants having to go dark to most of their customers, it has become essential to reinvent and find a way to connect through online events. Using newer technologies like Zoom, Tock, and other social media platforms, closed restaurants and bars can find a way to connect and engage their customers, and sometimes even find a profit in it. In this article, we follow the path of a wine bar owner who closed his doors early on. He then moved to zoom classes for his servers, and decided to tailor them to his consumers. Now, he offers virtual tasting experiences that are followed up with the options to buy those wines directly from his bar. He also has done classes for 25-35 that engage his consumers in a positive experience. I've seen this happen a lot lately with successful pivots in restaurants. Girl and The Goat did this with goatceries, where she has created multi-day groceries that are partially prepared that guests can pick up and then follow her online cooking class directions. I've also seen this with Christina Tosi as she has started online baking classes through Instagram. If restaurants can continue this through the pandemic, it might offer another new option for revenue in the future.

The article by Conrad and Branton (2020) focuses on the need for technological changes in the metal fabrication industry as a means of compensating for the declined operations for metal manufacturing companies. The article's data was collected from a sample of 330 individuals from the metal manufacturing industry, from different demographical groups. While focusing on the current coronavirus pandemic, Conrad and Branton (2020) note that approximately 90% of people are affected by the pandemic, with 60% being directly or severely affected. The resulting effect is noted as the reduction in the companies' productivity, resulting in dormancy or loss of investments. Approximately 70% of businesses are recorded as expecting lower sales for the year 2020, with 90% registering declined sales in the food and beverage industry. Conrad and Branton (2020) provide that, in solving the issue of dipped productivity and sales, companies may focus on improving their strong points. This focus may be aimed at the issue of uncertain demand in the market, resulting in the need for more effective product mixes. On the other hand, they may focus on meeting the specific customer need through partnerships with vendors. The proposed strategy, in this case, is adopting the Design for Manufacturability (DFM) framework. This means organizing and automating the entire manufacturing process, retaining only the most relevant members of staff. Further, this focuses on standardizing the products to serve multiple purposes, making them easier to manufacture in bulk. The article further provides that approximately 34% of manufacturing companies have considered automation to increase quality and productivity (Conrad and Branton, 2020). Moreover, such aspects as marketing may also be considered in the redesign process. Overall, the article provides that businesses cannot exercise laxity by waiting for normalcy to return, but must be innovative and adapt to the changes in order to survive.

This article is about two schools that used Event Manager Software to help them get and stay organized. From knowing what areas/classes were clean and ready for use to knowing where certain groups were going to be located on campus for events. They were able to apply the same issues with organizing large groups for events to organizing the daily needs of the school.

(1 of 3) This Hotel Technology News article discusses the various technology advancements in Hotel Event Planning and what their effects were predicted to be for 2020. As the article states, "With each passing year, events seem to get bigger and better, boasting exciting new technology, catering to attendees' needs in finer detail, and bringing guests together in unique venue spaces for a variety of occasions." The event industry continues to grow as people continue to desire more unique, memorable experiences. Event planners struggle with advancing their experiences, but with the help of technology they are able to continue to grow each year. This process starts with the booking experience and Venue Management Technology has gained popularity in creating seamless booking experiences. "Whether marketing to a transient guest, event attendees, or a corporate group, hoteliers and event planners are in the business of meeting and exceeding expectations." With venue management technology, event planners are able to make memorable experiences starting with the booking of the venue all the way until days after the event. Venue management platforms provide everything to the event planners at their fingertips.

(2 of 3) The article continues on to discuss that while large events are extremely lucrative, venues must make sure to consider smaller events as well. "Ensure your venue space is equipped for events and meetings of various scale, and work closely with planners to ensure an attentive, personalized experience while bringing their event or meeting to life." Meetings are going to continue to grow so venues must continue to adjust and be equipped for anything a consumer might desire. This may include non-traditional events or venue spaces as well. While classic hotel convention spaces may not be as popular anymore, hotels are challenged to utilize and market their space differently to attract new consumers. With the event industry, as with any segment in hospitality, the ultimate purpose is to leave lasting impressions on guests. In recent years, the use of technology has been great in assisting this idea. Venues who have mastered creating a memorable experience have often done so by "using new-age features and platforms to create a frictionless event, engage attendees on a deeper level, and create meaningful, memorable experiences." Venue management tools are also used in making these experiences for guests. The article left readers with three takeaways. The first being that venues need to utilize technology to make them more effective in areas such as RFP response and the way that they offer their services. The second takeaway is that businesses need to evaluate their current technology partners and make sure to choose a partner that will allow them to best create memorable events. The final key takeaway is that venues must increase conversions and improve venue listings with things such as real-time availability and strategic pricing.

(3 of 3) This article was very interesting in its description of the technology used in the event industry and predictions for the future of events. It is quite apparent that this article was written at the beginning of 2020, though. I do believe the event industry was headed in this direction, but, as with the rest of the hospitality industry, I believe events will see a massive decrease over the next few years and then pick back up in the future. Due to the risks associated with Covid-19, consumers are not finding in-person meetings or events necessary. Many organizations have resorted to digital meetings and cancelled any events, causing a huge loss for the industry. I believe that as the rest of the industry recovers, events will slowly follow and eventually make their way back to their pre-pandemic predictions.

This article is about a company named eMenue International that offers a revolutionary way of allowing customers to order their food. Instead of the traditional paper menues, guests would be given iPads where they could view pictures and videos of the food that is available to order. This visual element was added in on the premise that people are more enticed by visual elements rather than descriptions of the meal. This technology was adopted by one of NYC's oldest steakhouses agter 100 years, which bodes very well for the business since checks increas by up to 9% after a couple of months. Some of the most valuable aspects of this new method of ordering is the ability for someone to view menue items in the native tongue, widening the range of customers restaurants can receive, increasing profits. Another thing to note is that this menue allows people to click on a tab that caters to their specific dietary needs. In terms of marketing, this could be great since it also offers the ability to showcase the different amenities in the restaurant whther that means meeting space or event packages.

This article talked about the importance of travel agents. Before the pandemic people often thought that travel agencies weren't necessary was a dying career, however since this past year they have really proven their worth and won't be going away any time soon. Travel agents were able to cancel trips and get their customers money refunded or switched gears and planned a different trip for the future. Using the internet to cut out the middleman and save money isn't always the best way to plan a trip and the pandemic proved this.

Technology has been present in the travel and hospitality industry for years but only until the pandemic has it really blossomed. Technology is changing the way we travel and it's going to accelerate with VR in a post-pandemic environment. Countries like Germany and Ireland are turning to VR to capture visitors virtually and this results in them actually booking tickets with the goal of one day visiting the country. VR technologies are a cost-effective method to help people feel more comfortable and more willing to travel.

This article stresses the importance of cyber security specifically within the hospitality industry. The author of the article describes how a strong cyber security management system should not be an afterthought for hotels and should be seen as a cost of doing business especially in a tech driven industry. The article lists some key components and areas to focus on for hotels to manage cyber risks and threats