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Throughout the life of hotels— from building construction, operation, maintenance and evolution—the environmental issue is the wasteful consumption of vast amount of resources such as water and energy and accumulation of air, soil and water pollution in a built environment. The unique service function and operations of hotel result to a stronger ecological impact when compared to other buildings used for commercial purposes. (Bohdanowicz, Simanic & Martinac, 2004)

It is imperative for hotels to construct buildings, design their facilities, operate, and refurbish structures in a way that causes the least possible harm to the environment. (Straus & Gale, 2006)

Protection of the environment through eco-friendly practices by hotels involves a radical change in operations and a long-term impact, which makes this a sustainability-driven strategy

In addition to speeding up registration time, incorporating RFID technology into events will help with both qualitative and quantitative data analysis, thereby making it easier for planners to target what worked during their event and what didn’t.

Though event apps are admittedly helpful, they now have a new hurdle to face. Producing an application to be used for one event is costly, time consuming, and inefficient, as users must learn how to interact with the app for each new event attended. Phone storage space is very important to consumers. Many are hesitant to download an application that they will only use once. Thus, event apps that can continue to deliver value to customers beyond the date of the event itself, are going to become a huge trend.

RFID also has the potential to allow attendees to become more engaged with the event across various social platforms.

Human resources (HR) have been a well-established function in organizations for decades,

the department was typically perceived by many organizations as a “necessary evil,” that is to say, as an essential but in no way profitable or advantageous element,

even at the current time HRIS is not limited to technological elements alone, such as computer hardware and software applications, but also includes the people, policies, procedures, and data required to manage the HR function.

Many of the accounting procedures used by hospitality companies are the same as those applicable to businesses in other industries. Methods for recording cash, receivables and deferred tax assets are similar while industry-specific transactions require special treatment. For guidance, accountants within the industry reference generally accepted accounting principles.

Retention periods for important records such as source documents, journal entries and reconciliations are prescribed by GAAP. Auditors must have access to evidence that supports management’s assertions in financial statements, and failure to comply with retention provisions can lead to various negative outcomes.

Data security is also a relevant concern, and tax returns, financial schedules and forecasts require safeguarding to prevent unauthorized access.

"There's a growth problem for a lot of restaurants in the U.S. Many fast-casual dining-type restaurants are mall-based or attached to retail spaces and consumers are just not going there as much," said Tom Champion, a Cowen analyst who follows Grubhub. Grubhub stock has shot up 141% from a year ago.

a millennial generation shift.

They typically share 20% to 30% of a bill with third-party delivery services. That matters in an industry with 10% to 15% operating margins and high fixed costs, including rent and staffing.

Events act as important motivators for tourism.

If you look at the destinations that gained popularity in recent times, you’ll find out that the flow of tourists to this place began after the successful event management.

This is the major reason why the role of event management in tourism is so important. Tourists and travelers need to understand why they should visit a particular destination. Therefore, event tourism comes to the rescue.

The process of mass production hasn't been accepted in the travel and leisure industry; therefore custom-made services are essential for survival.

The hospitality & tourism internet future implies a general system where property management systems will get rid of the need for expensive on-site computer hardware/software.

The core deals of our business involve close face-to-face interactions, which have certain limitations in regards to the utilization of e-commerce in the hospitality industry compared with other enterprises

the fact that millennials (those born roughly between 1982 and 1996), are going to be the largest generation in the country’s history (at 83.1 million).

Simple math tells us that the buying power at large is mainly in their hands.

For example, more LED lighting throughout their facilities with sensors can help keep costs down while reducing energy waste.

Smart controls Hotel smartphone apps have become industry standard, but hospitality industry leaders are using the ubiquitous smartphone in another manner: They’re giving hotel guests the ability to control their rooms via their smartphones. So-called smart controls have been growing in popularity, but major hotel chains are taking them on, leading smart controls toward becoming an expected hotel amenity.

Smart controls Hotel smartphone apps have become industry standard, but hospitality industry leaders are using the ubiquitous smartphone in another manner: They’re giving hotel guests the ability to control their rooms via their smartphones. So-called smart controls have been growing in popularity, but major hotel chains are taking them on, leading smart controls toward becoming an expected hotel amenity.

Beacons Providing two-way communication with nearby Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, beacons went mainstream two years ago. Retailers led the way in experimenting with the technology, primarily using beacons to track shoppers’ habits and send promotional messages to consumers. Big names in retail, including Target, Walmart, and Macy’s have employed beacon technology in their stores. Beacons have become so widespread that Business Insider's BI Intelligence projected that beacons would create $40 billion in retail sales in the United States in 2016.

more than 70 percent of the respondents indicated that they would be increasing their IT investment in the coming year

Most organizations realize that in order to grow their companies and revenues they need to invest in technology and systems that will create operational efficiencies, improve the customer’s experience, and help generate sales.

Fewer than 10 percent of the companies surveyed reported that that they would be reducing their IT spend.

“boys club.”

emerging market dedicated to organic ingredients and sustainable practices.

With such clean ingredients, the end product isn’t as stable as it’s more traditional counterparts, and therefore needs to be sold relatively soon after production.

LBA Hospitality Partners with M3 Accounting + Analytics to Enhance Accounting Processes and Increase Efficiencies July, 31 2013 M3 Accounting + Analytics Seeking to update and streamline accounting processes for its 70-plus Southeast properties, Dothan, Ala.-based Larry Blumberg & Associates, Inc. (LBA Hospitality) recently announced an expanded partnership with M3 Accounting + Analytics, the national leader in hotel-specific accounting software, operations reporting, and business analytics. “If we are to continue to be an industry leader, we must have the ability to meet the requirements of our stakeholders and provide accurate, real-time and relevant information for our management team and owners,” said LBA President Beau Benton.  LBA sought the ability to swiftly handle budgets, forecasts, and reports, and to dissect business data, all while insuring that the back-office accounting platform functionality was state-of-the-art and industry-specific.  In choosing M3, Benton cited how the company integrates accounting, business intelligence, and reporting, while eliminating most redundancy, software investment and annual hardware/software maintenance. In addition, Benton and LBA were looking for continual and automatic upgrades, backup and disaster protection, and minimized downtime.  LBA is implementing the full suite of M3 products: accounting through the AccKnowledge platform, time, attendance and labor management through the newly released RightTime solution and LaborWatch, and payroll services through RightPay. The company will also continue to use M3 Link business intelligence reporting, as LBA will be expanding it to bring financial data, operating stats, Smith Travel feeds and guest satisfaction data (including verbatim responses) into one completely customizable dashboard. LBA, which launched its business by developing a Sheraton Inn in 1973, is rapidly growing its management business and securing more and more agreements from sophisticated owners and investors.   Scott Watson, M3 Vice President of Sales & Marketing, said, “While our core product remains our accounting solution, we’ve continued to evolve and offer new products and services that meet the current and future needs of the hospitality industry. It is truly exciting that our product platform will help Beau and LBA achieve the aggressive growth they are anticipating over the next five years.”  The implementation and training process for all LBA properties is expected to be complete by December 1.  About LBA Hospitality Based in Dothan, Ala., LBA Hospitality is a hospitality management company focused on maximizing return, safeguarding assets and enhancing value. Founded in 1973, the company now manages 70 properties throughout the Southeast, from Texas to Virginia. More information is available at http://www.LBAHospitality.com.  About M3 Accounting + Analytics M3 is the national leader in hotel-specific accounting software, operations reporting, business intelligence and analytics, processing more than $8 billion in financial transactions for more than 3,000 properties. M3’s integrated suite of hospitality accounting products includes: AccKnowledge, Link, payroll and labor management services, and document imaging and retrieval – all designed to help provide hotel operators, owners and managers unsurpassed access to the information they need in the most integrated and cost-effective manner. The company was founded in Gainesville, Ga. in 1998, and also has a base of operations in Tampa, Fla. More information is available at www.M3AS.com. 

“If we are to continue to be an industry leader, we must have the ability to meet the requirements of our stakeholders and provide accurate, real-time and relevant information for our management team and owners,” said LBA President Beau Benton.  

continue to be an industry leader, we must have the ability to meet the requirements of our stakeholders and provide accurate, real-time and relevant information for our management team and owners,” said LBA President Beau Benton.