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anonymous

Another rumour quashed then - Amadeus backs growing anti-Google lobby | Tnooz - 0 views

  • The floodgates have opened – last week’s frenzy of activity, when Expedia and then TripAdvisor submitted complaints to the European Commission about Google, has clearly triggered something. To paraphrase, as both pretty much argue the same thing, the complaints centre on accusations of unfair practices in search which, the pair argue, is damaging the industry and consumers. No major surprises there, given that Expedia and TripAdvisor were original members of the FairSearch anti-Google lobbying group in the US. What raised just a few eyebrows was when, a few hours after TripAdvisor’s statement was released, ETTSA (European Technology and Travel Services Association) came out in support of the pair. ETTSA primarily represents the interests of the GDSs, as well as online travel agencies such as Expedia, Ebookers and Travelocity, in Brussels, but the decision to publicly back individual companies effectively puts the GDSs, under the umbrella of their representative body, also up against Google. Fast forward a few days and now Amadeus has decided to publicly back Expedia’s complaint to the EC.
  • Amadeus, alongside ETTSA, is particularly concerned about the likely impact of Google Flight Search, when it eventually expands outside of the current customer base of the US.
  • But for Amadeus, which just a few weeks ago saw its UK MD Diana Bouzebiba suggest again that Google needs partners in Europe, to now also come out in support of the anti-Googlers will speak volumes to those that have watched closely ever since June 2010, when Google first announced its acquisition of ITA Software. Clearly Amadeus is not expecting to be forming a major partnership with Google any time soon. Unless it is some kind of weird reverse psychology, of course.
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    The contention between these OTA's and Google is a bit confusing and requires further research, but I think what is essentially at hand is severe competition. Google Flight has implications to cross over into OTA territory, which puts GDS's in a difficult position: support the OTA's or enter another profitable partnership with Google. Amadeus seems to be backtracking on its stance regarding new Google Flight Search, originally implying forming a partnership with Google, and now stating it is taking the sides of "anti-Googlers Expedia and TripAdvisor.
Michael Anthony

Behold the human-free, fully-automated hotel stay | Tnooz - 1 views

  • hotel in Norway has joined all the dots together, creating a completely human-free experience.
  • complete passport registration for overseas guests, select a room and other services through Ariane’s system – a platform
  • use their reference details to carry out a number of processes
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  • customer has booked their stay over the web or call centre
    • Michael Anthony
       
      They still have human interaction if the guest is booking over the phone, so there is technical support available
  • which effectively automate the entire process.
  • Before arrival at the hotel
  • The mobile key version works by emitting a unique ring tone to open the room door
  • visitors to the Comfort Xpress Hotel in Oslo will soon be able to complete their entire stay without ever speaking to a member of staff
  • customer actually arrives at the property they either pick up a keycard from a kiosk in the foyer or can be sent a mobile key system provided by OpenWays
  • mobile app for  its technology in March 2010.
  • can be used elsewhere around the hotel or for in-room services.
    • Michael Anthony
       
      The mobile app sent right to your phone, can unlock your room, allow enterence to pool/fitness center/conference center, etc. It can unlcok most any door all from your phone. You don't have to worry about misplacing your room key.
  • Ariane’s system – a platform which is integrated with the hotel or chain’s back-end reservation platform.
  • covering areas such as restaurant bookings, leisure services including spa treatments as well as activities in the local area which can be booked through the hotel
    • Michael Anthony
       
      Instead of having to wait for the agents at the spa, or restaurant to print you an itemized receipt. They can just scan your mobile app and you will be charged for the services and products.
  • guests can check-out from their mobile device at any time, even once they have left the property, settling outstanding charges via secure payment systems
  • a string of major hotel chains, including Hilton, IHG and Rezidor, to roll out various parts of its technology around the world.
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    This article demonstrates how easy it is to check in and out of your hotel as well use the services that feature at the property. There is no longer a need for room keys or itemized receipts to be printed. All the agents have to do is scan the mobile app and all charges can be seen from your smart phone. Asides from all charges being posted, yourphone will be unlocking most doors including your guest room, spa, and. fitness center. You don't have to worry about misplacing your room key and having to take it out everytime you want to use the elevator or get into your room. This type of technology has been produced in France and has been adopted by Comfort Xpress in Oslo, Norway. I don't think it will be long before the US adopts this policy. All they would have to do is create or purchase the software and hardware from Ariane Systems and Openways or create there own verison. Personally, I would love to be able to use something like this, I always misplace or forget my room key but never my phone. I also don't have to wory about putting change in my pocket and having the room key be defunct. My only question would be how many mobile apps could I have? If I was traveling with a guest or partner, could they get a mobile app as well at no additional costs?
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    Many of the individual elements of the tech-led hotel are in place, but a hotel in Norway has joined all the dots together, creating a completely human-free experience. Combining check-in/out and guest management software from France-based Ariane Systems with room door technology from OpenWays, visitors to the Comfort Xpress Hotel in Oslo will soon be able to complete their entire stay without ever speaking to a member of staff.
Yichuan Hao

E-Tourism is Here: Hotel Business Pages on Google Plus: First Look - 0 views

  • However, it is clear that Google will include your Google+ business page/s in the search engine results, which means a big SEO factor to consider. Kingpin's excellent blog post explains it best: "Due to the nature of their primary business, Google is able to use its leverage to make businesses that create and maintain a Page on its own social network easier to search on Google than pages or accounts on their competitors’ sites."
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    Google+ launched the business pages platform, which is similar as the platform of Facebook. The advantages of Google business pages is not obviously, but one thing very clearly is that if a hotel joins in Google+ platfrom, it could be more easier to search on Google and show on the top than pages or accounts on their competitors' sites.
Gerardo Collado

Nordstrom Sees Sales Boost From Mobile POS Devices - Forbes - 0 views

  • Now, Nordstrom, the Seattle-based fashion and beauty retailer offering apparel, shoes, makeup and other beauty products, is rolling out mobile point-of-sale (POS) devices throughout their full-line stores, as well as in some of their Nordstrom Rack stores. These mobile POS devices, which is a modified iPod Touch with a merchandise scanner and credit card slider, allow employees to check out customers from anywhere in the store. The app on the device also provides Nordstrom’s sales staff access to the company’s entire inventory, which is useful when helping customers check if an alternative size or color is available elsewhere, without needing a register to look up that information.
  • At the flagship Nordstrom store in downtown Seattle, most sales associates in these departments can be found armed with a mobile point-of-sale device and using them to checkout customers paying with plastic. When a Nordstrom customer checks out with a mobile POS, they can sign for their purchase and enter an email address for a paperless receipt. For most Nordstrom customers, checking out with a mobile POS is an incredibly intuitive and almost shockingly simple experience.
  • Johnson explains that the goal of using the mobile POS for Nordstrom is really to “take care of customer anywhere in the store. We don’t have to take you to the cash register, and instead, can do that right there with you on dressing room or when you’re trying on shoes – and then you’re on your way.” He adds, “that kind of ability to increase speed and convenience is increasingly important.”
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  • According to the company’s 2012 March Sales Report, “Preliminary quarter-to-date total retail sales of $1.73 billion increased 15.3 percent compared with total retail sales of $1.50 billion for the same period in fiscal 2011.” Additionally, according to the 2011 Nordstrom Annual Report, “both the average selling price and the number of items sold increased in 2011 compared with 2010.”
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    The fashion merchandise retailer store, Nordstrom, has joined the venture of equipping employees with mobile POS devices in order to increase customer satisfaction, in a focus toward convenient efficient checkout. The fundamental incentive is to minimize the customer's inclination to over analyze their potential purchase by waiting in the line for a lengthy period, thus, maintaining the impose of the customers to purchase the item. The mobile POS devices are equipped with a scanner and credit card slider in order to complete the transaction for the customer, the same type of technology is visible in Apple and Home Depot stores. According to the company's sale report, a visible increase in sales has occurred for the Nordstrom Company, an estimated 15.3 percent from $1.5 Billion to $1.73 Billion in the same fiscal year of 2011. As well, the creation of a Nordstrom app allows salespersons to check inventory and availability, in a further aim to increase customer satisfaction and their business. Without a doubt POS system are branching into different spectrum of business in order to increase efficiency and customer satisfaction.
kathy_douglas

More hotels recycle left-behind toiletries - 1 views

  • Today, there are 148 hotels across IHG's chains — Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental — that participate, compared with 60 one year ago, she says. Since then, IHG's collected 99,000 pounds of soap for Clean the World, which has translated into 400,000 bars of soap delivered to developing countries, she says.
  • There is one way toiletry recycling might help boost a hotel's business. It can make a hotel more attractive to meeting planners working for clients that favor green hotels and practices for event venues, Silberman says.
  • In 2011, Hilton Worldwide inked an agreement with a different non-profit — the Global Soap Project — to recycle toiletries. Today, about 500 Hilton hotels out of 3,900 across the company's various chains recycle toiletries through this program. Participation partly hinges on a hotel's proximity to the non-profit's delivery and distribution venues, she says.
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  • At Wyndham, which franchises about 7,000 hotels, about 3% of them participate in either Clean the World or the Global Soap Project, Taylor says. Still, some of the hotels not participating in those programs donate leftover soaps and toiletries to local charities. Taylor says this practice is more sustainable.
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    Ever wonder what happens to the little soaps you use at the hotel you recently stayed at? Hyatt Hotels Corp. has become one of the major hotels to start recycling toiletries through the organization called Clean the World. When guests are done using their shampoos or soaps at a hotel, the housekeeping staff collects all of the used and unused products and recycles them or donates them to other countries. The organization has only been around for a few years, however other hotel chains are joining the cause to helping the environment and also humanity. It is not just in the United States that hotels are getting involved but it is expanding globally. Hotels are sending used soaps that has been re-sanitized to battered women's center and also to countries like Africa to local clinics and orphanages.
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    It is really great to see that well known hotel brands like Hyatt Hotels Corp. are working to give back and reduce waste within their hotels. Every time I stay in a hotel I always take the complimentary soaps and lotions after my stay is over in an attempt to make sure they don't go unused and get disposed of. Often hotels will provide you with new soaps and lotions each day even if the old bottles aren't completely used. By sending the unused and partially used items to be sanitized and then sent to people who are less fortunate is a great way to reduce waste and give back. It is also great that the donation of these toiletries will promote personal hygiene to people who might not otherwise have the means.
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    It looks like the industry is taking notice of what they can do and stepping up to the plate. It all comes down to the front line workers though, in this case housekeeping staff. Turning a room correctly is labor intensive and time consuming. Adding the step of separating the used soap and shampoo does take time. 1 minute per room per day in a 200-room hotel at 90% capacity comes out to 21 man hours per week. At $10/hr that's nearly $11,000 per year. I'm not saying it shouldn't be done. I think it's a great idea. It does many people (including the hoteliers) a lot of good. If we consider this as "goodwill" in our operating costs, it probably works out for everyone.
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    I have never pay attention to where the leftover of the toiletries would go, and it's nice to know that they are going to the charity. This is a great way to recycle, help reduce waste, and help support the people in struggle. Knowing such information doesn't help making the booking decision, but it sure does increase the hotel's reputation.
Yudika Claude

Nat Geo's Hotel Industry Initiative - Clapway - 0 views

  • The hotels underwent a rigorous vetting process that was designed by Nat Geo Travel to satisfy their aims of offering a truly enriching guest experience while at the same time upholding the cultural and natural heritage of the property as well as further integrating sustainable tourism practices on a more permanent basis.
  • Would this hotel property provide its guests with a sense of unique design and appearance that honors the cultural heritage and the surrounding environment in which it is located?
  • Do guests have ample opportunities to enjoy elite hospitality services and chances to avail themselves of activities that promote lasting interaction with locals and the environment?
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  • How committed is the hotel property to protecting cultural and national heritage of its site and to conservation and green operations? And is there an active inclusion of the local communities in the hotel’s overall mission?
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    National Geographic designed a rigorous program to select the hotels they felt were aiming to satisfy guests while promoting the natural and cultural heritage of a region, as well as focusing on the environment.  This is a short article that briefly describes the selection process and lists the hotels that have "passed the test".  I found the three main questions posed by NatGeo to be very pertinent.  I am sure that as NatGeo launches the promotional campaign for the properties that made the list, others will want to join this select group. These other lodges and hotels will thus adjust their practices and policies, and essentially become greener and more focused on protecting and sustaining the environment. 
Yudika Claude

Entrepreneur Uses Technology to Make Wedding Planning More Transparent - 3 views

  • Tina Hoang-To got the idea to build Wedding Spot after planning her own wedding in late 2012. She felt overwhelmed by the stacks of wedding packets quickly taking over her coffee table, and the thought of researching hundreds of wedding venues was exhausting.
  • a big opportunity to create a company that could help brides plan their dream weddings without going through all the stress
  • many sites with a ton of information about wedding venues, but none of them answered the most important question — what would it cost to have a wedding there? Couples would have to email, call or even visit venues just to get a basic wedding information packet with rental fees
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  • Working directly with venues, Wedding Spot gathers all the information required to allow newly engaged couples to easily search for venues based on budget, location, style and guest count. Users can "build out" their ideal wedding day by selecting specific services and options to get an instant price quote and then book a site tour with one click of a button
  • On average, our venues are booking one wedding for every three appointments that we set up, which is a striking contrast to the low-single-digit conversion rates for the wedding industry
  • Consumer behavior has evolved drastically since the introduction of the Internet
  • successful because we were founded at a time when consumers are used to searching for things online and venues are definitely more open to providing transparency in pricing
  • demo our product to venues using an online meeting tool, and our small sales team has been able to onboard hundreds of venues a month
  • online meeting and collaboration software
  • With each venue, we need to walk them through a quick demo of Wedding Spot and then start the process of gathering all the information we need to build out their venue-listing profile on our site
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    I found this interesting interview of Tina Hoang-To by Jeanette Mulvey. Tina describes what led to the creation of Wedding Spot (the stress of her own wedding) and the growth her company is continually experiencing.  Wedding Spot allows couples to browse, price and compare wedding venues around their preferred location, eliminating the stress of having to visit a high number of different places in order to get of quote. As she described it, I realized it was very similar to what Yelp does for restaurants and bars.  I am not currently planning a wedding but I went browsing through the website and in my opinion this can prove to be an invaluable tool for brides and grooms to be as it saves them time and reduces their stress. It also has a feature that allows users to set a budget.  As more venues join Wedding Spot, I am sure it is only a matter of time before it is a necessary first step to planning a wedding and choosing a venue. 
apembert1920

Hilton's new 'Stop Clicking Around' marketing campaign emphasize the benefits of bookin... - 0 views

  • Hilton HHonors members can now receive an exclusive discount on room rates by booking directly through its brand websites, award-winning Hilton HHonors mobile app and reservation call centers, or through preferred corporate travel partners and approved travel agents. This guaranteed discount is available at more than 4,500 hotels around the world.
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    Recently Hilton launched their biggest marketing campaign in 97 years called "stop clicking around". The goal of this campaign to offer members of their loyalty program known as Hilton Honors special discounts just for booking directly with the company's call center, direct website or preferred travel agents. Not only would this increase revenue but it is also a great way of collecting information on their customers. This is easily done by giving the customers an exclusive incentive just for joining in. Hilton Honors is a free customer loyalty program whose members earn points during each stay that can be used for different amenities like breakfast when staying at a property.
asant318

How Smart Event Organizers Are Using Big Data to Create Better Events - Skift - 0 views

  • however, need more data than just how many people are coming to put on a relevant event for attendees and make money for conference producers.
  • gives her a more comprehensive overview of how her events are performing, benefiting her sales and marketing departments at the same time.
  • I can see, in real time, revenue numbers from a certain promotion on site, how many people have checked in. When you need something at your fingertips immediately, the data is always there at the time we need it.
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  • technology also integrates easily with Linkedin, MailChimp, and Salesforce among others.
  • Greenbook, using Bizzabo technology, limits the amount of data collected during the registration process to make it as simple
  • uses data to know which speaker to feature in his event’s e-marketing blasts.
  • turn users into advocates. When people purchase a ticket to an event, we incentivize them to share on social media
  • community of attendees
  • we need software for is marketing and running transactions, processing things that aren’t a conference pass
  • the Registrant Extract report, which he primarily uses for benchmarking to project how a conference will turn out, and the Abandon Registrations list. With that report, he said, “We email them, and send them a personal note
  • A sponsor would want to know the event ROI — what did their attendees learn, was it useful and do they have info to bring back and share with their colleagues? How many attendees were there, what job level are they, etc.,
  • evaluation post event asking for attendee feedback, rating each speaker, what they feel can be improved
  • It’s a lot more comprehensive than just tracking an event,” he said. “I also track payment history, how long they have been members, when they came to the conference in the past, if they attended a webinar and anything else they bought from me.”
  • Sometimes you don’t realize how much data is there.”
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    The article discusses different ways that events can maximize the use of their data pre, during and post event. Using their registration software analytics, you should pay attention to which channels are most successful and monitor abandonments, which can be followed up on individually. Skipping a lengthy registration questionnaire at the beginning makes it easier for guests to sign up and then its recommended to follow up with an invitation to 'join the community' where you can dig deeper into their details and find out what they are really interested in. Utilizing a social component allows guests to promote different activities to each other and those not yet signed up. I think the most important take away from the article is to have software that can be compatible with other functions that are taking place around the event including payment, sponsor management, merchandise sales, early bird and walk up registrations. Having all of this data in one place allows an event organizer to analyze and share it with internal stakeholders on the sales and marketing teams but also sponsors that want detailed guest information to show the ROI on their sponsorship.
Henrique Rodrigues

Legacy Systems are so Yesterday, Join the Reigning King - the Cloud PMS! | Hotel Online - 1 views

  • Smartphone’s are the preferred way of communication for today’s travelers. Reservations, special requests, even check-ins and check-outs can all be done via their mobile.  Guests expect the hotels to be available to them online at all hours.  With a Legacy system, these functions are restricted. Cloud-based system enable hotels to connect with their guests via digital mediums seamlessly.
    • Henrique Rodrigues
       
      The article debates why hotels should consider swapping from the old legacy PMS systems to the cloud based ones. It focuses more on the benefits a hotel could reap and the advantages of such systems. Some of the factors considered are: reliability, cost effective, accessibility, and being the most updated system to keep up with the current demand. It discusses issues such as giving the customers more access through their smartphones; as well as being more protected with information in the cloud than a system that could have information erased. Overall, it shines a light on the advancements of technology and how hotels need to get updated with the times.   
dsada005

Southwest's GDS deals to help agents, but how much?: Travel Weekly - 0 views

  • Southwest's pending move into the Travelport and Amadeus GDSs, coupled with the carrier's entry into ARC's settlement and reporting system, will simplify workflow for travel advisors and make it easier for TMCs and leisure agencies alike to process Southwest purchases.
  • "If it becomes easier to sell Southwest, the competing airlines may take a look at it and say, 'We might be losing share,' and they may address it in a competitive way."
  • "In some instances, we have found lower fares on the Big Three carriers. I don't believe we will see an increase in competition, since they are already competing in the marketplace."
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  • Southwest announced on Aug. 5 that it will provide full content in the Amadeus and Travelport systems beginning in mid-2020.
  • Travel advisors booking Southwest through Amadeus and Travelport will be able to change, cancel or modify reservations directly through the systems. Agents who currently book Southwest through Sabre must call the airline for any ticket modification that is not a cancellation.
  • For Southwest, broader entry in the traditional agent channel will serve as a third prong in the airline's distribution offering for business and leisure agency partners, joining its direct channel and the SWAbiz booking tool.
  • The company projects that it will earn between $10 million and $20 million in additional revenue in the second half of 2020 as a result of the move.
  • "It's an intelligent compromise on Southwest's part, because to compete with other airlines in the corporate market they have to sell their tickets through the channels that corporate customers want to use,"
  • Last month, Southwest joined NDC Exchange, an airline product marketplace operated by ATPCO and SITA that facilitates direct-connect capabilities between airlines and agencies using NDC protocols. While NDC is especially useful in enabling airlines to sell ancillary products such as fare bundles and checked bags through the agent channel, Offutt said it's also important as a way to attract ordinary ticket sales through alternative booking paths. 
  • "I think Southwest realized that as NDC moved from aspirational toward practice, they had to go down that path or be left behind,"
  • while the increased functionality will make sales-tracking more efficient for agencies, it will also provide greater visibility of Southwest purchases to competing airlines, thereby making it easier for those carriers to monitor whether agencies with which they have corporate contracts are meeting market-share goals.
  • Southwest's broader entry into the GDSs will result in the legacy carriers boosting the incentives they offer corporate and leisure agencies.
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    GDS systems are predominantly used by travel agencies to book both individual and corporate travel. By expanding their listings to Travelport and Amadeus, Southwest opens themselves up to increases in bookings but also potentially moving into better competition with larger airlines. Moving into these systems also allows them to offer further NDC enabled content, such as fare bundles and checked bags, helping to build even more bookings.
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    Southwest has always been on the outskirts when it comes to the top airlines. The "big three" are known as American, Delta and United. In order for Southwest to stay in the game, they are providing full content in Amadeus and Travelport systems. Amadeus is known for its European market and Travelport is known for its US market. Southwest already belongs to Sabre, which is also a US market. However, "those offerings will both complement and exceed Southwest's current limited-content availability on Sabre" (Silk). Henry Hartveldt states that "given Sabre's leading presence in the U.S. market, Southwest will elevate its participation in the Sabre GDS as well" (Silk). Of course, by only belonging to one GDS presence, Southwest was not able to compete with the big three, however, now Southwest is back in the game. In order to sell your tickets, you must be available in the channels that customers prefer to use. Southwest realized that "they had to go down that path or be left behind" (Silk). Vlitas believes that "Southwest's broader entry into the GDSs will result in the legacy carriers boosting the incentives they offer corporate and leisure agencies" (Silk). Other airlines may fear more GDS entries from other airlines, however, it is clear that GDS is here to stay.
jhazz003

Expedia Announces Suite of Software and Technology Products for Hotel Partners - 0 views

  • Omni Hotels & Resorts is the latest partner to take advantage of Expedia's package solution. "Omni Hotels & Resorts is excited to further leverage our marketing partnership with Expedia to bring our guests the option to book their total vacation experiences directly with us," said Peter Strebel, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of sales for Omni Hotels & Resorts.
  • Partner Loyalty Enrollment: Initially tested with Red Lion Hotels Corporation last fall, the technology has advanced to now allow hotel partners to enlist and sign up users from Expedia sites for their brand loyalty programs. This program has grown to include three other chains.
  • MICE Booking Technology: The MICE solution is the first tool that truly automates the booking process for meeting organizers and hotels in real time, making RFPs (requests for proposals) a thing of the past. Hotels can increase MICE sales efficiency by integrating the MICE online booking engine on their website, allowing customers to configure and directly book their meeting, including group lodging, online. This technology further enables hoteliers to yield prices for meetings and groups, based on multiple dynamic criteria to increase revenue. The MICE solution is currently live with Best Western Central Europe and the NH Hotel Group in Germany with promising results. A global rollout will begin soon.
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  • Rev+:
  • As p
  • art of Expedia® PartnerCentral (EPC), the company's partner portal which helps hotels manage their properties and rates, Rev+ is a revenue management tool designed to provide actionable data and insights to empower partners to make smart decisions to optimize their revenue. Rev+, an essential tool for revenue managers, comes at no additional costs for hotel partners, and doesn't require additional sign-up.
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    Expedia has announced new technology and software for hotel partners that will help hotel partners drive knowledge and efficiencies. "Expedia Powered Technology was born from rethinking how we work with our hotel partners - through listening to their needs, and leveraging our technology as a driver for industry solutions," said Cyril Ranque, president, Lodging Partner Services. It is vital for Expedia, the world's largest online travel company to listen to their hotel partners and to follow the growing technology advancements. Omni Hotels & Resorts has been the latest partner to join the Expedia's package solution.
tgood006

Google takes its next step in online travel planning - 1 views

  • Google has finished putting all the major pieces of its one-stop travel shopping together. The company calls the offering Google Travel, and it has the system in place for consumers to try out
  • Google Travel is, of course, very much a work in progress. But that’s the Google way — test, learn, iterate, solve big consumer problems, expand it around the world, and then monetize the heck out of it,” Schaal said
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    Google is indeed joining the online travel business, this will allow the largest search engine to become one of the largest travel intermediaries. Why is this important? Google has been experimenting and working with the world largest hotel company. The data they exchanged with Marriott has moved Google Travel along so much. This one stop shop is something Marriott is also experimenting with.
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    This article was a great choice! It will be interesting to see how it plays out. If Marriott did share their data with Google, as the previous reply indicated, most likely it will be successful. Marriott has a strong, vast database of client information. Google Travel will have plenty of information to have a strong, running start.
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    Great article. When I heard about this next big step that Google is making I was intrigued because I travel about 2-3 times a year and my go to site to book flights is Google flights. I always found that it was simpler to use Google Flights than to use Expedia or Orbit. Although Expedia and Orbit offered the hotels and flights in one page, I always deemed them to be too busy and more complicate to navigate. Looking at Google Travel, Google have kept it clean, direct and simpler and no pop up ads than what we are used to from the other OTA sites. It is interesting to know how relations with Google and Expedia will be after this. Although as the article states, Expedia CEO Mark Okerstrom saw this coming and he states "we have to be watchful about what they are doing" because Google have obtained a tremendous amount of data collected from marketing that Expedia does through Google.
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    True, Marriott is transitioning into a one stop shop and google has started but they haven't gotten on part with the other platforms as of yet. But it won't be long before they integrate and take over especially with all the information they have.
xiaoyuzhang

3 Effects of E-waste on the Environment and Human Health - 0 views

  • When these toxins leach into the soil, they influence the plants and trees that are crowing from this soil.
  • This groundwater is what underlies many surface streams, ponds, and lakes. Many animals rely on these channels of water for nourishment. Thus, these toxins can make these animals sick and cause imbalances in the planetary ecosystem.
  • Thus, these toxins can enter the human food supply, which can lead to birth defects as well as a number of other health complications.
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  • these hydrocarbons can contribute to the greenhouse gas effect, which many scientists think is a leading contributor to global warming.
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    This article showed us 3 scary effects of e-waste on the environment and human health. Although the long-term effects of e-waste are still unknown, it certainly has some negative impact on soil, water, and air quality. This article emphasize negative influence of e-waste. I think we can eliminate e-waste through joining e-waste recycling program.
anonymous

Blasting the 'gastro ceiling' with financial literacy - 0 views

  • former World Bank executive
  • trustee of the James Beard Foundation and co-founded the JBF Women’s Leadership and the Women’s Entrepreneurship Leadership programs
  • The culinary “gastro ceiling” is especially appalling with less than 7% leading women executive chefs
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  • scholarships and more education will not make a dent in parity. It’s not a lack of entrepreneurial spirit either — according to the National Restaurant Association, 40% of restaurants are women-owned businesses, or WOB, and startups by women are growing much faster than the industry overall.
  • grim reality that 96% of WOB do not cross $1 million in revenue. Fewer than 8% seek external financing,
    • anonymous
       
      Despite leading the way in education and opportunities, women are not accessing enough financial backing to support larger businesses
  • less than 4% of Small Business Administration loan dollars, and less than 2% of venture capital dollars.
  • o raise external financing and be successful entrepreneurs, however, women have to vanquish three areas.
  • own best advocate
  • by women learning to pitch themselves
    • anonymous
       
      Step One: Build confidence by learning how to pitch, not apologizing, not phrasing comments as questions, and not letting others take credit for their work.
  • investing in public speaking and negotiations coaching.
    • anonymous
       
      One way to accomplish this
  • 67% of executive women are in support roles (HR, Marketing, IT, et al) as opposed to running their own line businesses
  • ulinary world, women abound in the softer side (pastry, baking, freelance, cold stations, personal chefs
  • women increasingly develop discomfort with math
  • Policy should also incentivize commercial lenders and venture capital/private equity to do the same with their loan dollars
  • bottom-up solution of livable minimum wages and parental-leave benefits
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    Despite women leading the way in scholarship and culinary education, they are suspiciously vacant at the top of the leadership ladder. According to Bloomberg, only about 7% of executive chefs are woman, and "67% of executive women are in support roles...as opposed to running their own line of business." This doesn't appear to be because of a lack of entrepreneurial spirt, as "405 of restaurants are women-owned businesses or WOB, and startups by women are growing much faster than the industry overall." This made me reflect on my own city, as I do see women in executive positions, such as Stephanie Izard, Sarah Grunenberg, and Mindy Segal, they all got to their positions in very different ways. Probably the most successful, with currently 7-8 restaurants, is Izard, she got her start by winning a reality tv show and then joining forces with two male business owners (BOKA). Grunenberg also started visa vi the reality TV route, and now eventually owns and runs a very successful restaurant downtown. Mindy Segal is the only woman executive in this group that has built her business, her cookbooks, her brand, and now her cannibis retail, mostly by herself. It is interesting to relate these women to this article because while they are all three incredibly successful, only one was able to pull herself there through the three points mentioned in this article. In order for women to break the glass ceiling in restaurants and culinary, they will need to accomplish three main goals: 1. Gain confidence, 2. Increase their aspirations, and 3. Learn and Maintain Financial literacy. The "grim reality (is) that 96% of WOB do not cross the $1 million in revenue...(and) fewer than 8% seek external financing. Women "receive less than 4% of Small Business Administration loan dollars and less than 2% of venture capital dollars. For confidence, this article recommends to women to learn how to advocate for yourself. Use coaches, practices public speaking, and learn how to pitch your business
georgemacintyre

Sandpiper Hospitality chooses grab-and-go technology provider | Hotel Management - 0 views

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    Sandpiper Hospitality has joined on with the self-service grab and go kiosk Impulisfy. This is a technology that is growing rapidly in popularity. It provides an increase in efficiency which is something hospitality companies are always looking for.
CHARLENE ESCOE BARNETT

Caribbean Tourism Organisation News - OneCaribbean.org - 3 views

  • With more than 6 million listings worldwide, the platform launched last Thursday its “Live and Work Anywhere” program, an ongoing initiative to continue working with governments and DMOs to create a one-stop-shop for remote workers, and encourage them to try new locations to work, while helping to revive tourism and provide economic support to communities after years of travel restrictions.
  • Airbnb and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) have partnered to promote the Caribbean as a viable destination to live and work anywhere, through the launch of their “Work from the Caribbean” campaign.
  • Digital Nomads
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • The steady recovery of Caribbean tourism has been driven by innovation and a willingness to seize opportunities, like the rise of digital nomads and development of long stay programmes to diversify the visitor experience in the region
  • This partnership is one of the many initiatives in the CTO’s ongoing programme to help its members rebuild tourism and shine a light on digital nomad programmes in their destinations.
  • Hosts who have welcomed more than 1 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe.
  • The CTO’s vision is to position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year-round, warm weather destination, and its purpose is Leading Sustainable Tourism
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    This article speaks about the CTO and Airbnb joining forces to embrace the growing demand for Digital Nomads to work and travel, with the "Work from the Caribbean" campaign, a possible win for all involved. With Airbnb, it is a solution to embrace the flexibility of its clientele and the CTO, an opportunity to increase revenue in the Caribbean destination, diversifying the way they do business while offering the sun, sand, and sea. This disruptive innovation will undoubtedly change immigration policies in accepting longer than previously allowed visitor stays and could see reduced nightly rates and discounts. The flexibility of working remotely is an opportunity to increase the 'tourism dollar' in off-peak months, additionally bringing possible investment in real estate for the Caribbean. With the application of research through technology, both entities can devise innovative ways to market to this ever-changing industry.
cvera019

Event Technology Companies Join Forces to Create EventTechHub | TSNN Trade Show News - 2 views

  • Four event technology companies have teamed up to create EventTechHub, a collaborative initiative featuring fully integrated digital solutions designed to make event planning more efficient, increase attendee engagement and grow event revenue opportunities.
  • “Event and meeting planners constantly point out to us how hard it is to find vendors (and) even after they have selected the ones they like, it is hard to manage them,”
  • They need multiple accounts, export and import files, pay them separately and hope they are compatible with each other. EventTechHub addresses this need and allows event planners to source and manage vendors easily. This makes things easy for everyone involved in the process.”
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • There is an overabundance of apps on the market, each with a distinct functionality (and) the need to implement multiple apps can become cumbersome, confusing and cost-prohibitive for most planners,” Wynant said.
  • He continued, “Our innovative technology not only has the ‘cool factor’ of turning smartphones into microphones but the event planners who used Tap To Speak report a 400 percent boost in audience engagement during their live events. We seamlessly integrate into the Eventinterface event program and itinerary feature – turning the audience mobile devices into feedback machines. This way, Eventinterface and Tap To Speak provide real-time audio and text communication, polls and surveys to the planners, speakers and attendees of the conference or event. The combination of our respective areas of expertise in combination with modern event technology gives even more power to event planners to make their events even better.”
  • “Combining the expertise of four event-industry leaders is a truly exciting prospect,” Arzoni said. “We’re ready to play our role in ensuring ETH is invaluable for anyone in the event and meeting planning industry.” Combined, EventTechHub’s founding companies have served more than 1,500 events of 25-30,000 participants in 40 countries for companies including Google, Applebee’s and Johns Hopkins University, which have worked with one or multiple EventTechHub solutions.
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    This contribution between major event planning companies can really make a difference in the way vendors are found and managed. The new platform will address event planner's concerns and bring new innovative ideas to the sector.
Marcos Oliveira

Cloud-Based Event Planning Design Tool Set to Preview at BizBash Ideafest -- NEW YORK, ... - 0 views

  • The Plaza Hotel, Mandarin Oriental, The Pierre, Pier Sixty, Harriette Rose Katz of Gourmet Advisory Services, State of the Art, Marcia Selden Catering and Foremost Caters
  • core of AllSeated.com's unique usage includes creating and viewing venue maps, managing floor plans, table layouts, building guest lists, seating arrangements and the operational setup of an event. Venues can program in the specs for their own space using the services tools and then add various features like table and chair sizes, spacing specifications, placement and more
  • chance
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  • AllSeated.com is the new and completely free collaborative tool that connects venues, event planners, vendors and event hosts in the cloud so everyone can work together from one centralized and secure website -- no downloads required
  • archaic and inefficient methods
  • a practice that wastes approximately $5 billion a year in manpower and operations costs
  • chance for a mismanaged seating chart to ruin the entire event
  • Event hosts can let their venue and event manager know they are using AllSeated.com so they can join in
  • Optimized for desktop, laptop and all iOS and Android tablets, everyone involved in planning the event has access to the service from anywhere, at anytime
  • Guest lists can be created in minutes as the tool allows hosts to import guests from social networks and email accounts.
  • An event is all about the glamour, best food and best music so it's great that we no longer have to give our customers a piece of paper for the layout but can offer them a state-of-the-art solution that will save an incredible amount of time, money and eliminate a lot of stress
  • AllSeated.com is an easy-to-use cloud-based event planning tool for venues, event planners, vendors and event hosts to seamlessly collaborate on the creation, updating and implementation of floor plans, seating charts and guests lists
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    In the fast paced and often stressful world of event planning, a new innovative planning tool has been released that allows customers, vendors and anyone else the opportunity to see event layouts, menus, specifications and make notes on the event from either a desktop, laptop or even an android device. The event planning tool is called AllSeated.com and is completely cloud based which eliminates the use of the much antiquated way of writing everything down or showing a photocopy of a layout. Allseated.com also utilizes social media and to sync guest lists making it even faster for the client. With AllSeated.com, the hassle of having to book an event is eliminated and the customer can feel more at ease with their event on hand and the event manager can also have a much less stressful experience.
Hanqing Yang

Rezbook Review: New Opentable Competitor | Gourmet Marketing - 0 views

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    The most famous restaurant reservation software -- Opentable, now has a competitor. Rezbook is the cornerstone of Urbanspoon's online reservation system, from which all the parts come together.The already spectacular iPad, with its wireless internet capability, is the main platform that a restaurant manages reservations from Urbanspoon with. While the software techonology in hotel industry developping very fast , in restaurant industry, the upgrade seems to be quite slow. Opentable covers1/3 restaurant reservation business in United States, but 15000 restaurants believed that they have no more choice. Even though OpenTable pulls the strings in online reservation,Urbanspoon, a relative light weight in online reservation, has created a system both refreshing innovative and beautifully simple. Rezbook maintains efficiency and ease of use while maintaining all the requisite features. It's a step forward. To make an analogy: Urbanspoon especially RezBook, the anchor of their reservation system, takes Apple's ethos of simplicity, functionality and style that have catapulted iPhone, iPad, and iMac to being the industry standard. Not coincidentally, Rezbook works off the iPad. This new system smells the trend of Apple products being used everywhere. The perfect combination will sure attract more attention. At the same time, Rezbook's join will sure help to improve the development of restaurant software.
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