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You won't lose as much employee productivity.

Virtual tradeshows have everything a standard show does--and more:

There's no tedious setup or breakdown.

"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."

Nearly 60% of travellers say they plan to make eco-friendly choices when booking hotels, with half saying they would pay extra to stay at an environmentally friendly hotel, according to a 2012 survey by the travel website TripAdvisor.

The percentage of companies with travel booking policies that either require or recommend that a hotel adopt “sustainability” measures has jumped to 19% in the US, up from 11% in 2011, according to a new study by the Global Business Travel Association

Bathrooms are the biggest drain, accounting for about 30% of hotel water use, followed by landscaping and laundry, each with 16%, and kitchens with 1%, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Typical water-saving measures can reduce operating costs at hotels by as much 11%, the EPA estimates.

The Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara drained its decorative fountains and planted succulents and agave plants in a large fountain near the entrance.

The Intercontinental Hotels Group plans next year to give all 4,700 of its hotels access to an online tool that lets managers track how much energy and water they are using. The group hopes to use the system to cut water use by 12% over the next three years in water-starved areas like California.

The Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel plans to install a system to recycle about 70% of the water used for its laundry operation.

The project will cost about US$96,000 (RM326,400), after water and gas rebates, according to hotel officials. Hotel officials expect the investment will pay for itself in 17 months

The Montecito Water District in Santa Barbara declared a water emergency in February and adopted penalties to force residents and businesses to cut overall water use by 30%.

Furthermore, it is important to consider the proper dress for the security staff to be in line with the hospitality management philosophy.

Safety is a term which relates to protecting guests and staff within the hotel from the potential hazards, injury, and death by dealing with dangerous materials and different kinds of accidents. In contrast, security regards the protection of property from criminal accidents and terrorist activities.

Providing the highest levels of safety standards and security ensures good marketing for the hotels by preventing an accident before it becomes a major issue causing loss of life and property.

effective information system and being well prepared for emergencies could prevent or minimize loss for the hotels.

four-phase model to plan for the crisis and to deal with the emergencies; this model proposed reduction, readiness, response, and recovery phases to deal with the crisis.

Many practitioners imply that regarding the technology evolution in the last decade, Information Technology has become a fundamental part of the hospitality industry,

the importance of an updated emergency plan

The hospitality industry is one of the most vulnerable industries to crises.

is vulnerable to both internal and external emergencies.

updated regularly, and a direct communication system should be employed to respond to and overcome the crisis.

The importance of continuous emergency training for the employees is also emphasized.

ole of the media, information, and the social media should be reviewed and evaluated continuously

causing negative impacts not only for the hospitality players, but also for the tourists and the local community.

biometric technologies could ensure the hotel security and increase the effectiveness of hotel information systems. This will reduce the costs, improve management of the employee and guest activities, and improve the ability to recognize the criminal activities.

Preparedness and an updated emergency plan with managers' awareness will help the hospitality industry to provide the necessary resources, as well as effective training to avoid or minimize risks. Safety surveillance and security systems are very important to save guests' lives and hospitality properties. These factors can also be used as a marketing tool for guests and meeting planners. Finally, it's very important to understand the crisis emergency frameworks to mitigate effects and be well prepared before the crisis strike, and furthermore, to minimize losses during evacuation when the disaster happens.

susceptible to epidemics movements,

Hotels should issue a check-list concerning a hotel’s vulnerability to emergencies caused by natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis) or man-made crises (terrorist attacks, explosions, fires, spill, food poisoning).

This will transmit a positive image: hospitality may gain a lot by using its safety and security as a marketing tool to attract more tourists to the destination.

You are not doing local distribution, you are doing global distribution

Integrated rich content is only part of the emerging value proposition, though. Automated mobile tools to service travelers are the next step as the travel experience evolves.

It’s the tech providers that are going to make this happen, but we also have to walk [travel providers] forward through the things that are going to make [this evolution] happen,” said Menke. “If people are going to stay in their corner and not engage in the marketplace, it’s not going to happen. If you don’t, you’re going to find yourself in between. You need to have those conversations. Let’s stop fighting over the pie that’s out there. Let’s grow the pie

creating content such as photos, videos, articles, and social media posts that do not boldly promote the business but generates an interest in it.

good for customer retention as it engages customers and keeps them in the loop about your services.

search engine optimization, is a marketing strategy that aims at improving your rankings on search engine results pages.

if a potential client searches for “affordable hotels in town A”, chances are he/she will click on some of the results appearing in the first results page

Currently, customers often look up online opinions, ratings, and reviews of your business before making a purchase.

Paid searches involve making payments to search engines such as Google, so that your site’s results may appear first whenever someone searches for a certain keyword.

Search Engine Advertising also requires a lot of technical input. First, you need to identify the right key search words used by potential customers, such as “best spas in town B”. Secondly, getting advertising space on search engines involves a bidding war.

social media is the go-to platform for most internet users

Averagely, internet users spend 30% of their online time on social networking sites. It is, therefore, a great place for advertising your service

The social media marketing strategy will, therefore, aim at reaching users of all social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and LinkedIn

SEA (Search engine advertising), on the other hand, enables you to achieve this almost instantly.

A good e-reputation marketing strategy is multi-disciplinary that often requires input from digital marketing and public image consultants.

Good user experience is determined by several factors. For starters, your web design and layout should be captivating, and easy to use. At the same time, the platform should work well on computers as well as mobile devices and tablets. All these are tasks that are handled by digital marketing agencies.

The key issue in this strategy is to get the content right. It needs to be engaging and captivating so as to draw an audience

The company is working on a reservation system solution for InterContinental Hotels Group,

Fees for an air booking are usually between 2 and 4 percent of a ticket, and about 20 percent for a hotel booking.

The airline industry has been lurching forward towards adopting the International Air Transport Association’s New Distribution Capability paradigm for years, which essentially simplifies transactions between different members of the ecosystem by using XML coding language and allows for selling ancillary products like seat upgrades.

A little-known element of American Airlines’ strategy could be the most consequential moving forward. Some 20 years ago, airlines stopped paying commissions to travel agencies on air tickets. This thoroughly disrupted the travel agency community, and it still has never really recovered; many agencies have moved to a service fee-based model instead of relying solely on commissions or overrides, but the damage helped essentially gut the industry in the U.S. Under American Airlines’ new distribution program, however, agencies placing a booking directly or through an intermediary using New Distribution Capability level three will receive a $2 payment per segment. This nominally represents the return of a commission model to agency air sales.

Despite the preeminence of Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport, there is room for new players in the travel distribution space to emerge.

Berlin-based Flyiin represents a new way for airlines to sell flights. By connecting with airline APIs, the service will allow consumers to search flights from multiple airlines and add-ons using an intuitive interface. Users can specify up front what types of flights and what kinds of ancillaries they want, and have the full cost rolled up into their search results.

The service is really a messaging platform at heart, instead of a search platform; it crunches airline fare information on the back-end and aggregates messages from airline APIs into easily digestible results for consumers.

Some major chains have already made the bet. Buffalo Wild Wings announced a big tablet push in March, promising to have them in all North American stores by the end of 2015.

E la Carte cofounder and CEO Rajat Suri argued that tablets are designed to work alongside human employees, not replace them.

These enhancements are geared toward increasing customer satisfaction and driving up revenue. Patrons are far more like to buy a restaurant gift card or buy dessert if they're pleased with their dinning experience at the end of the meal. 

Tablets are also making life better for waiters with the help of some behavioral science.

This tablet tsunami suggests waiters might not be getting the job done.

Taking action means understanding the new thing or idea or concept, capturing its potential, and putting it into action. 

customers are your best barometer for what’s worth capturing and what’s not. 

Sometimes that’s easier said than done, but without decisive leadership, you are not going to succeed in moving your team forward.

There is no 100% surefire solution to staying on top, but you must try to get in and stay in the game. 

When well-intentioned plans go awry, you must be able to rebound and redirect your plans and goals in a new way. 

No guts, no glory.

Hotel event planners work with their clients to dream up and execute outstanding events that stay in budget and meet expectations.

That means you need detailed planning skills, a knack for delegating well, and above all, the ability to multi-task.

ou’re going to run plenty of other events that are at night or on weekends. Not to mention no one’s going to be covering for you.

From speakers that arrive late, to unexpected food allergies, or guests that didn’t RSVP – there’s always a little something to keep event managers on their toes

An event manager is responsible for all of the hotel’s events spaces including dining rooms, conference rooms, large ballrooms, and sometimes even concert venues.

The substantial uptick in online shopping, while only one data point, matters all the more because the US is reporting thousands of more cases each day. That means areas that were not affected during one survey may be affected during the following survey three days later. It is reasonable to expect that trends currently affecting four out of 10 consumers will spread as additional states join the 23 that have already shut down non-essential businesses.

Unsurprisingly, the Covid-19 crisis is proving especially challenging for restaurants, the tourism and hospitality industry, and brick-and-mortars. A whopping 80% of consumers said in the latest survey that they are scaling down their restaurant visits, a 25% increase from the previous survey. Sixty-two percent are avoiding travel for business, and 42% are cutting back on in-store shopping for inessential items.

Hospitality businesses save money in the long run when they go green

Travelers are seeking out eco-friendly places to stay

Environmental regulations are being enforced

Incorporating technology into day-to-day operations is essential to minimize human error, maximize service efficiency and improve the guest experience.

Companies must move quickly to meet evolving demands or risk missing the boat.

24/7 digital concierge.

Gamification of travel planning

As people contemplate their next getaway, hospitality companies can leverage gamification — using game design elements in non-game contexts — to turn travel planning from a chore into a guilty pleasure.

companies can capitalize on human motivation.

Beyond novelty, using gamification for online advertising is proven to boost data driving, customer loyalty, brand awareness, user-generated content, online engagement and revenue.

Virtual reality tours

Through the use of VR (virtual reality), companies can now give first-person digital tours of their space to future guests.

VR increases the elaboration of mental imagery and presence, leading to better brand experience,

Going contactless

The adoption of contactless technology like self-check-in, in-room technology, mobile keys and digital payments, increased by 66 percent during the pandemic

many hospitality companies transitioned to contactless check-in/out to reduce staff dependency.

Chatbot as a digital concierge

Hoteliers are scrambling to meet 24/7 guest demands. With fewer staff, chatbots are shifting from luxury to necessity.

This means a 24/7 ability to engage users, answer their questions and fulfill their requests.

IoT for room control and customization

Location-based services

IoT technology allows guests to personalize room settings like room temperature and lighting.

By seeing a guest's location via their smartphone, hospitality companies can offer more intuitive local recommendations. Without needing staff assistance, guests can instantly access local information, such as the nearest grocery store or the best pub in town.

Hospitality tech revolution predictions

he hospitality industry cannot expect a return to normal.

Our industry has been uncharacteristically receptive to new development and technology since the onset of the pandemic.

We are seeing the need for automated solutions to support staff in a way we never have before.

We must start looking to invest our dollars in a solution that handles everything from booking and contactless check-in, seamless guest communication all the way to business intelligence t ools that track the guest experience.

What should you be looking for if you haven't adopted an integrated solution already? Your system should give guests options to personalize and take control of their experience with online reservations, mobile check-in and check-out, self-service kiosks, communication through a guest portal, and support for online and mobile payments. The more convenient self-service options you can provide, the greater your guest satisfaction will be.

Be open to the agility of a product that can do more than take a reservation and check a guest in. And most of all, stay engaged. Stay engaged in what's going on in and around our industry.

Improves communication with the employees

data is usually collected and placed in a central database