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Even though using beacon technology for proximity marketing is still in its infancy in the restaurant industry, this technology has already demonstrated some of its potential by virtue of increasing labor and overall operational efficiency while boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty. Beacons can help increase restaurant and bar sales, improve customer service, and provide more value for their customers, which should lead to customer loyalty. The possibility of applying beacon technology in the restaurants and bars opens a window of opportunity to engage diners and also enables restaurants to create more tailored experiences for them. Restaurants can use beacons to send alerts to people nearby about many table/seat availability and encourage them to make reservations or walk in. Or if the restaurant is very busy, restaurants can send the menu to their phones, so they can browse it while waiting for their tables. Restaurants and bars can build profiles of returning customers and provide offers based on past preferences. Thus, returning customers can benefit from improved and personalized customer service. During quiet hours or days, restaurants and bars can efficiently manage their staff and service, because of the data they have been collecting using beacons. Diners can even pay for their meal or drinks using their mobile device without having to wait for the waiter to come over and accept their method of payment.

This articles talks about what beacon-based proximity marketing is and its usefulness in restaurants.

Beacon technology has been around for a long time - prior to 2013 - but cost kept it unpopular. Initially only real big hospitality players had this tech. Now cost is no longer a limiting factor, but companies are limited to customers/potential customers who have a compatible app or the companies own app already on their phone, so they can push the proximity messages.

This article investigates the adoption of cloud computing in the hospitality industry across the world. While identifying the benefits and challenges of this system, the findings suggest that cloud computing is utilized in hotel groups today, more often than not. The article is not an opinion piece but rather an investigation searching for evidence to support the theory that cloud computing is growing in the hospitality industry. It bases its arguments from the observances that in order to operate a hotel group on todays scale, you have to be willing to fall in line with the trends of today- technology + convenience. It also is described how operating systems that streamline property management in terms of reservations, billing, ticketing, etc aren't exactly inventions of right now, but have been developed and corrected more and more as time has gone on and necessity has demanded of them. Four hotel groups, across 2-3 regions were involved in the study where participants were all senior IT directors and managers, across hotels with varying levels of rooms. What they ultimately found was that majority of the information systems used by these hotel groups were based on the cloud system. When the benefits and challenges were surveyed, it was found that the most common reason groups were utilizing this system was relieving the site from not having certain hardware to perform certain functions, and transferring security related risks to the system suppliers instead of the hotel. However, challenges noted was that operating expenses increased, the on site IT leaders don't have access to the environment the hardware lives in, and information security concerns. Working with a cloud computing system daily, I thoroughly understand and appreciate the benefits of having one streamlined services for guest logistics. It creates multiple levels of ease for all aspects of the organization as well as the wider hotel group. For operations that span across the globe, there probably i

"Technology and innovation are what have helped, even saved, restaurants as they transform how they operate to not just survive, but thrive, in this new connected and contactless era" "Third-party food delivery apps like UberEats, Foodpanda, or Door Dash will continue to be an important solution for those not able to offer in-house ordering and delivery services" "Contactless technology is going mainstream, and it's not just about placing an order online, but also about paying with a smartphone, smartwatch or smartcard via an app or touchless device" "technology-enabled reservation systems, restaurants can manage seating, waitlists, customer loyalty and dining preferences as well as collect vital client data be it for contact tracing or market insights" "Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) are a digital menu board for kitchen staff helping restaurants streamline back-of-house operations" "companies like Winnow are helping restaurant owners and managers cut food waste and costs and run their businesses more efficiently and sustainably" "auto-scanning barcodes with smartphone cameras on posters, tables, coasters, doors or websites allows customers to access online menus, order and pay - without contact" "air purification technologies to promote 'clean air'" https://diigo.com/0lmspn

Some of these technologies such as food delivery services, and conctactless payments I have grown used to as a consumer. However, technology like KDS to improve the back of house operations or air purification technologies are more behind the scenes type of technologies that I have not given much thought so I found this article interesting.

Many restaurants are adapting to a new reality. Some of the digital trends to watch in 2022 are as follows: 1. Online ordering systems and delivery apps - Food delivery market worth more than $150 billion globally. 2. Contactless payment estimated to triple from $2 trillion to $6 trillion by 2024. 3. Online table reservation system such as Open table Experiences initiative offering unique culinary events and dinner experiences. 4. Digital kitchen boards such as KDS, a digital menu board for kitchen staff linked to the restaurant's POI which displays orders automatically and efficiently. 5. Automated inventory management software tracking food and beverage stocks, anticipating quantities and scheduling reorders. 6. QR codes that allow customers to access menus online, order and pay. 7. Air purification technology like bipolar ionization and ultraviolet light.

In the very competitive sports landscape, the Dallas Mavericks have to find ways to separate themselves from the football crazed area. The Mavericks created a mural in Downtown Dallas with augmented reality that also provides fans an opportunity to "shoot the shot." It is another way sports and entertainment have looked to engage with fans.

The article address the importance of today's capital expenditure and how it attracts new and recurring guests to its properties. Some of these capital expenditures are executed for solely esthetic reasons, even adding more bandwidth to the internet is done to show its clientele that they no longer offer just the average features anymore.

The hospitality industry has needed to dive all in on technology for a while now. The pandemic kickstarted the industry to really go all in. Many of todays guests really want a very personalized experience. Hospitality companies are using technology to provide guests with a very unique experience personalized exactly for them. The use of new technology from some companies is just going to have to make other companies try and keep up with them. An arms race of technology is likely to happen in the industry.

This article helped me gain a better undestanding of proximity marketing and beacons. Beacons emit radio signals to connect with nearby consumers' mobile devices. This article discusses some of the pros and cons to proximity marketing in order to best engage consumers. Proximity marketing is a fairly new concept that is beginning to skyrocket.

Modern society is an era of big data. There are indeed many benefits to using proximity marketing. But pay attention to avoid excessive spam, so as not to cause customer dislike.

This article talks about the benefits of proximity marketing and why it is the new wave in which companies should get engaged and begin finding ways to utilize this kind of marketing amongst their consumers. The collected data is priceless information for a company to gather about its ideal customers and how to engage them. However, the downsides the article brings up are the legalities around opt-in and the opportunity to allow consumers to opt-out with ease, and the pressures to get the marketing continuously. That is a compliance issue that companies should stay clear and consider. Also, it the importance to build security features to care for this data and information being shared online.

This article discusses 10 robots that are helping to revolutionize the restaurant industry. These robots are really making an impact in the food and beverage industry by stepping in and filling workforce gaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The article mentioned that even though these robots have the ability to replace humans, it's very unlikely that will be happening anytime soon. Furthermore, a majority of these robotic systems are still quite expensive and are intended to work alongside human employees so they can "focus on more complex tasks." If you are interested in salad making robots, pizza robots, and my personal favorite the fully automated micro-cafe that creates coffee, then this will be a great read.

This article discusses 10 robots that are automating the restaurant industry. There are robots that make cocktails, pizza, burgers, coffee, ice cream, etc. Business are starting to discover the benefits of using robots to improve their productivity. Since the pandemic began, these robots have become increasingly used and all industries have started to take notice. In the future, it is likely that new generation technologies like these will replace front line workers.

Hotel certified wedding planners and event and catering managers can promote social media walls to weddings, social groups, and business conventions to not only enhance the guests' hotel experience, but to also generate organic UGC (user generated content) to use in its social media marketing strategy. A relatively minimal amount of hardware is required as building a social wall can be accomplished with either an LCD projector or LED screens and a social media aggregator tool. Hotels can create new revenue streams for their F&B Department.

I chose this article because it has good examples of how AR and VR has the possibility to change the guest experience in the hospitality industry. It also talks about beacon technology that has been used by companies for marketing purposes. Using bluetooth technology and by placing small devices through out a hotel property, hotels can send signals to guests devices that generate suggestions or things to do, places to eat or even to have digital keys for their rooms

This article deals with cloud PMS and its advantages. Some of the advantages stated by the article are efficiency, low cost, and provides guest with more contactless experience. This is a new trend we are starting to see emerge into the industry especially now more than ever after the events that have occurred due to the pandemic.

Seems to me this took a lot longer for companies to start getting onboard then I would have anticipated. The cost perspective and ease of use should have attracted people right away. Not having to house or protect on site servers from damage and theft is also a critical point. Not to mention the ability to grow the system when necessary.

The article discusses traditional PMS, an on-premises software platform that can range from very basic to extremely powerful and complex. Installation, training and maintenance are expensive for such platforms, and they stifle innovation by not allowing third-party integrations, applications, and solutions. Cloud-based hotel management systems with Open API integration platforms are the future of hotel management software. They are cost-effective and offer many operational benefits. Operating expenses such as the OPERA Cloud PMS improve cash flow, are easy to install, train personnel, and automate many administrative processes. Also, it provides easy access to reporting and performance analytics, as well as contactless guest experiences and mobility.

The metaverse became more relevant to the travel industry during covid. This is a great way to discover new places, and can transform tourism marketing. Interactive virtual worlds can create excitement for a destination or attraction, and build interest for actual travel later on. Changes in consumer behavior must also be considered, as the culture of the new generation of travelers is currently being cultivated.

This article on "Sustainable Hospitality Technology Made Possible" gives detailed tactics on how properties can lower their energy and consumption costs, and reduce waste which ultimately leads to protecting the environment. As explained in the article, this sustainability shift did not occur overnight, but rather through a progressive process that encompasses corporate social responsibilities and consumer sentiment.

This article discusses the importance of using social media in the hospitality industry. According to the article, social media increases visibility, increases direct bookings, and increases brand awareness. When done correctly with the right team and right platforms, social media can result in tremendous benefits for hospitality companies. Some of the platforms mentioned were LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. These platforms help companies to communicate with potential and existing customers through ads, stories, reels, videos, as well as customer testimonials. Influencers were also mentioned as these social media stars have a large and/or specific following that can help promote hospitality brands. Overall in this day and age, if you would like your company to succeed, you need to be on social media because it is the best form of marketing and promotion.

Biometrics usage in the hotel sector have been ramping up. Biometrics links a user's I.D. and credit card information with biometrics like a photo or fingerprint and this tech can be used throughout the hotel for things like in-room purchases and access to the gym and pool. Using biometrics allows the hotel staff to focus on being hosts.

I like how this article broke down proximity marketing and which tools it targets for different consumers. I also enjoyed the graph is used for popular proximity marketing solutions. This article helped me understand this concept a bit more and in an easy way

The article explains how the pandemic offers a "good opportunity for pioneers to act". In a study that was conducted, there was a preference for a robot-staffed hotel. This could be due to, however, the contagious nature of COVID-19.

This article talks about the different trends in Digital Marketing that hotels will be facing in 2020.

As mentioned in this article, the amount of data creation on a daily basis is rapidly increasing personally and professionally. This data is more high quality now than ever and the space required to save the data has to be large enough to hold all the information. This is shy most people are switching to the cloud, because it is affordable, easy to use, and typically has large amounts of space.