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Xuan Huang

KLM Biofuel Flights: Dutch Airline To Use Recycled Cooking Oil To Power Planes - 0 views

  • Dutch airline KLM plans to use recycled cooking oil as biofuel to power flights
  • Dutch airline KLM plans to use recycled cooking oil as biofuel to power flights
  • cutting carbon emissions.
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  • cutting carbon emissions.
  • cutting carbon emissions.
  • Dutch airline KLM plans to use recycled cooking oil as biofuel to power flights
  • Dutch airline KLM plans to use recycled cooking oil as biofuel to power fligh
  • Dutch airline KLM plans to use recycled cooking oil as biofuel to power flights to and from France in a
  • An Air France-KLM Boeing 747 using a 50 percent biofuel mix in one engine successfully completed a demonstration flight in the Netherlands in November 2009
  • emissions
  • emissions
  • cutting carbon emissions
  • move aimed at cutting carbon emissions.
  • Air travel is responsible for about 3 percent of greenhouse gases, but their share of global emissions is rising rapidly.
  • cutting carbon emissions.
  • The plane had a 50-50 mix of biofuel and regular jet fuel in one of its four engines.
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    The concept of this article is totally new to me. Air travel contributes at least three percent of global greenhouse gases and it is still rising. However, it is really good to know that there are certain airlines begin to pay attention on this issue. Dutch airline nowdays has used recyceled cooking oil(biofuel) to power planes. In fact, the plane had a 50-50 mix of biofuel and regular jet fuel in one of its four engines, which help cut carbon emission making by the planes while also help reduce nagative impact on biodiversity and food supply. In a word, KLM airline really shows a model of "green airline".
waldjustin13

10 robots automating the restaurant industry| 2021 Trends | Fast Casual - 1 views

  • From cocktail-making to burger-flipping, many food and beverage businesses are beginning to discover the benefits of using robots to improve their productivity.
  • The automation revolution has begun.
  • make 10 loaves per hour,
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  • Aside from being pretty damn cool and bringing innovation into businesses, customer-facing robots can help reduce human contact, a significant benefit at COVID-19.
  • Recently acquired by delivery startup DoorDash, Sally is a salad-making robot, mixing up to 8 fresh ingredients from vegetables to salmon into a compostable bowl in just 90 seconds!
  • Cecilia.ai is a smart, interactive bartender that can be placed almost anywhere, serve mixed drinks in less than 30 seconds, and give customers guidance about the menu using AI and speech recognition.
  • The entire process can be automated in this modular and customizable system, starting with spreading the sauce, topping it with cheese, then adding pepperoni and three more ingredients and baking the pizza.
  • Picnic can produce hundreds of pizzas per hour with just one operator, allowing the rest of the staff to be occupied with the rest of the food
  • The startup recently raised $16.3 million and has plans to install its robot in schools, stadiums and hospitals.
  • The Mini Bakery, built and designed by Wilkinson Baking Company, is a fully automated system for baking bread. It does all the mixing, shaping, proofing and baking, allowing bread to be sold hot and fresh directly to customers just like a vending machine
  • Even though the system was built for supermarkets, we don't see any reason why it couldn't be used in restaurants or hotel kitchens.
  • This countertop device makes authentic artisan gelato, fruit sorbets, frozen yogurt and ice coffee using biodegradable capsules, which can also be used as the serving bowl. Solato is ideal for small cafes and restaurants looking to upgrade their menu with fresh ice cream without wasting precious space and money.
  • can flip burgers and make fries
  • The system includes the Miso Analytics platform, which provides deep insights and improves food quality with cooking precisely as defined.
  • Among the company's clients are CaliBurger and White Castle, where it flips over 10K burgers and fries more than 12K baskets every month.
  • The Dark Kitchen, also referred to as ghost kitchens and virtual kitchens, is a kitchen space devoted exclusively to delivery-only restaurants, a trend that has seen a meteoric rise since the global pandemic began in 2020.
  • Beastro can be customized to automatically prepare any type of dish, prepare about 45 dishes per hour, collect analytics, and fully integrate with Cuismo, the company's online restaurant, and dark kitchen management software.
  • The company partnered with craft breweries in NYC to give customers high-quality coffee at a reasonable price, automatically made by a 20-square-foot kiosk that serves the cup using three little magnets.
  • While TrueBird's primary business model is to open dozens of automatically operated coffee shops in public spaces across the country, we can see no reason why you shouldn't set up one in your hotel or airport lounge.
  • ACUR-C by Japanese company Smile Robotics is an automatic robot for serving and collecting dishes in restaurants, clinics, nursing homes, hotels, and more.
  • The robot moves autonomously between tables, picking up trays with its robotic arm and bringing them back to the kitchen.
  • They can automate the food or beverage-making process, save money and human resources, enrich menus, make fewer mistakes, reduce food waste, and work 24/7 without a raise.
  • Another innovation for the hospitality industry is Milkit, a patented milk-tap solution that saves time, energy and money
  • With its unique milk bag, the Milkit device pours precise amounts of milk, saves up to 4 seconds per coffee cup and eliminates the need for storing milk bags.
  • Most of these systems are still quite expensive and are intended for filling in the gaps throughout the workforce (a major issue created by COVID-19), either to work alongside human employees so they can focus on more complex tasks, or just to serve as additional revenue sources or a tourist attraction.
  • already being used by several Israeli restaurants and hotels, as well as Starbucks in Germany.
  • As technology advances and AI becomes more accessible, it is no wonder that robots for the food and beverage industry are becoming more commonplace.
  • We believe that we will see more and more robots and machines in restaurants and hotels, making delicious meals or mixing fantastic cocktails.
  • Innovating the food and beverage industry is essential and will be beneficial for both the business and the customers.
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    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.
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    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.
Fesal Alanazi

New, Green Technology Being Used to Improve Indoor Air Quality - 0 views

  • Through the use of nano ionic technology
  • blend of naturally occurring polymeric matrix materials
  • These same matrix materials ground into a fine powder then mixed with paint and applied to the interior walls of your home or business, produce a continuous flow of healthful negative ions and IFR's, detoxifying the air while removing offensive odors
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  • Studies by the Environmental Protection Agency indicate that Americans spend billions of dollars every year on spray and medications
  • ndependent studies have confirmed that the inclusion of this innovative technology is effective in reducing and diminishing various pathogens, including MRSA bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) and Black Mold (Aspergillus Niger, test results available on request)
  • The product and technology are non-toxic
  • not harmful to pets
  • children or plant earth
  • no consumption of electricity is necessary
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    By using of Nano Ionic technology, The new interior paint will remove odors that caused be smoking, pets, bacterial proliferation. However, some natural matrix materials ground into a fine powder the mixed with paint to be applied to the interior walls of homes and businesses. Moreover, this new product is non-toxic, not harmful to pets, children or planet earth and no consumption of electricity is necessary.
nicolettevelez

OTAs vs. Direct: Creating a healthy mix - 0 views

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    With the growth of OTAs there has been an increase in OTA fees. This does not mean however that hotels should not use OTAs to fill rooms. To optimize a healthy channel mix a hotel must look at certain distribution channel as not every guest is loyal to one brand. This is why avoiding OTAs is not a good idea. The optimal percent of OTA business depends on the hotel. One reason for hotels to pay special attention to direct bookings is that third-parties do not share data with hotels. In the lecture we learned that data means nothing but knowledge is everything. Since third-parties do not share information remarketing these guests is difficult. Additionally, guests who book with OTAs tend to be less loyal, travel less, and spend less.
yuqiongliang

Website, GDS and OTA: the right mix in distribution channel investments - Insights - 0 views

  • Here is a summary of the trends in three online distribution channels used in the hospitality industry: websites, Global Distribution Systems (GDS), and online travel agents (OTAs).
  • The Internet has made marketing more measurable and accountable with different metrics and analytics that show the contribution of marketing to the bottom line. The most critical measures of marketing are the customer acquisition cost (CAC) and the customer lifetime value (CLV), which at times can be difficult to understand and quantify.
  • The CAC is the price a hotel pays to acquire a new customer, which can have a significant impact on RevPAR performance and asset value growth. The CLV is a prediction of the value a business will derive from its entire relationship with a customer.
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  • CAC = Marketing Campaign Costs/Total Customers Acquired
  • CLV = Gross profit from all historic purchases for an individual customer
  • f managed skillfully, the hotel’s website could yield the lowest CAC and the highest CLV as it permits the hotel to have a direct interaction with the customer which could lead to a long-term relationship.
  • Each online distribution channel plays a different role in the hotel’s marketing program:
  • The hotel website is the most critical marketing tool because it can deliver a message that is both relevant and appealing to the target customer.
  • A responsive web design provides an optimal viewing experience by adapting the website to mobile phones, desktop computers, and tablets. A responsive design is an advantage because a wide range of devices are used to make hotel reservations.
  • This could be a significant advantage for a hotel considering that mobile bookings have increased by 42% in the last two years, accounting for 25% of total bookings made in the Americas, as reported by TravelClick.
  • hotel website that contains relevant, unique, engaging, and accurate information will be able to dominate SEO.
  • Online Travel AgentsThis channel has the highest cost for hotels given the bidding process and the commission structure in place, typically amounting to 15% to 30% of revenues generated.
  • Branded hotels typically have agreements and commission structures in place with different OTAs.
  • Most OTAs feature a pay-per-click sponsor listing through a bidding process that typically ranges from $0.25 to $2.00 per click, depending on the market.
  • Each OTA uses a slightly different algorithm to position and rank hotels in the results screen. Regardless of the OTA used, hoteliers should implement the following techniques to position their hotel with the highest possible ranking:
  • The more information we know about customers, the more we will understand how to attract them to hotel properties. Hoteliers need to understand the electronic distribution environment and develop a comprehensive pricing strategy to maximize revenue and profit. Maximizing profitability can only be possible by extracting intelligence on the day-by-day activity of these channels and analyzing the possible displacements.
  • It is important for hotels to ease the booking process for travel agents by including the right type of information and rates in the GDS, and by keeping hotel information current, including all attractions and points of interest that attract guests.
  • Measuring the distribution channelsDemand360 is a market intelligence tool from TravelClick that provides exclusive information and in-depth reports on projected future demand for a hotel’s specific competitive set.
  • GDS provide pricing, availability, and reservation functionality to a world-wide market of consortia, who can book airline, car, hotel, and other travel arrangements for their customers.
  • Here is a summary of the trends in three online distribution channels used in the hospitality industry: websites, Global Distribution Systems (GDS), and online travel agents (OTAs).
  • The most critical measures of marketing are the customer acquisition cost (CAC) and the customer lifetime value (CLV), which at times can be difficult to understand and quantify.
  • the hotel website reflects and emphasizes the hotel’s image and competitive edge
  • OTAs can boost occupancy in need periods and help diversify a hotel’s client base by introducing guests that otherwise might not have considered staying at that particular hotel
  • the GDS connects hotels with consortia, which are global associations of travel agents that provide hotels primarily with major sources of corporate business.
  • A vanity domain name with an independent website that reflects the hotel’s unique personality can be an advantage for a branded hotel operator to include relevant information about their particular submarket and the property.
  • The advantage of this distribution channel is marketing exposure. If a hotel is incapable of filling certain days using other channels, even higher-cost OTAs would be considered a benefit.
  • GDS provide pricing, availability, and reservation functionality to a world-wide market of consortia, who can book airline, car, hotel, and other travel arrangements for their customers.
  • It is important for hotels to ease the booking process for travel agents by including the right type of information and rates in the GDS, and by keeping hotel information current, including all attractions and points of interest that attract guests.
  • The GDS distribution channel remains an important part of the industry, and it can have a significant impact on the amount of commercial demand captured.
  • Data mining will help managers understand how many room nights are being booked and the typical season and day of the booking, which will in turn help them recognize how to maximize profit from these accounts and avoid displacing higher-rated demand.
  • GDS channel advertising opportunities are also available to increase the exposure of the hotel on the GDS
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    Hotels rely on the information that is accessed through different intermediary systems that give each property information on their customers, as well as insight on their comp set. OTAs play a key role in assisting properties generate revenue, they have different processes in place such as pay per clicks or commissions involved when bookings are made through their websites. Marketing plays a key role in both OTAs and a properties direct website. Websites must be user friendly, easily accessible and have the ability to function on a mobile device. Majority of bookings are made online and and increasing amount are being made through a mobile device. Ensuring that each of these platforms creates a welcoming environment for each potential guest maximizes the chances of them booking.
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    An effective marketing strategy starts with knowing your customers and your goals. it is important to understand how to attract online shoppers, increase conversion rates, and have data mining tools to understand the customer's preferences and booking patterns to be able to develop a long-lasting relationship.OTAs and GDS remain an essential part of the industry, as they provide marketing exposure to a wider range of market segments.
tjcamino

15 Benefits of Having Digital Menu Boards in Your Restaurant - 0 views

  • While the core focus of a restaurant might be to serve delicious food, what missed out is the paper menus and restaurant chalkboard on which restaurant invest lot of time and mon.
  • 1. Digital Menu Display Makes Communication Easier
  • It gives you better control over what you want to highlight on your menu which indirectly influences the choices of order of a customer.
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  • use videos or animations that catches more attention and also makes the communication much easier
  • grab user’s attention with videos and animations
  • pdate can be made in a matter of seconds and whenever you want to.
  • 3. Sound Investment Saving Money
  • convenience with an added benefit of cost savings. Since you don’t have to print new menus or promotional material regularly
  • 4. Digital Display Create a More Memorable Experience
  • The right mix of graphics and videos can keep customers entertained
  • enhance the overall customer experience.
  • 5. Better Visibility of Menu
  • 2. Save Time by Easy to update Digital Display
  • ye pleasing than the regular paper
  • 6. 24/7 Support
  • Many restaurants have started opting for 24/7 menus which create an impression on passersby too
  • 7. Boost Sale up to 21-23%
  • said to have boost up sales by 21-23%
  • You can change menu items, prices, and promote specials without having to invest anything more to have your menus changed
  • 8. Promote and Upsell Your New Items
  • sell and promote your newly introduced items on the menu.
  • 13. Reduce Wait Time
  • Moreover a restaurant can use several other things like display fun facts or display promotional material to distract the waiting customers and get them less frustrated.
  • 14. Meet Health Care Regulations
  • display calorie counts next to each menu item.
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    Week 4 Article Summary 15 Benefits of Having Digital Menu Boards in Your Restaurant. This article discusses the positive ways in having a digital menus and explains the benefit it has on the restaurant. The focus of the restaurant should be more on the quality of food being served. Even though there are a lot of restaurant that give you an experience like no other but if the food is not top quality it will be hard to bring customers back. Having this type of digital menus could enhance the guest experience while helping the restaurant increase revenues. Here are ten of the top fifteen positives reasons of having a digital menu boards. 1) Digital menu displays will make communication easier. This starts form the customer directly to the kitchen. It will also allow the establishment to display videos and animations that will catch the eyes of the customers and could highlight specific menu items. 2) Saves time by easy updates on display. The software will allow the restaurant to update the menu very easy. You could add and take away dishes without having to print all new menus. It will also allow you 86 items that are sold out at any time during the shift. 3) Sound Investment of saving money. With the system allowing you to change menus, it will save money because you won't have to pay to print new menus every time you want revise it. 4) Digital displays create a more memorable experience. With having a digital screen, it will allow the customer to stay entertained by having a right mix of graphic videos and allowing them to keep them occupied during down times. 5) Better Visibility of menu. The display on the tablet will allow the guest to see a nice HD screen with colors that will make it easy to see and read. 6) 24/7 support. No matter what time of day, there will be support for mangers to trouble shoot any issues that might be happing at time. 7) Boost sales up to 21-23%. It has been said that having an emenu will increase revenues by allowing the establ
da7327

Using Mobile Event Apps as a Marketing Tool to Attract Event Planners , by Bob Vaez - 0 views

  • Today, however, new technology solutions such as mobile conference apps are on the top of mind for every event planner.
  • Destinations and properties can use mobile offerings as a new opportunity for a different type of relationship with event planers and to add value to their overall package and offerings.
  • this helps attendees manage the event schedule easier, enhance networking opportunities, interact with the event using audience response and navigate their way around the event and property right from their smartphones
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  • Integrating partner technology relationships into our sales and marketing immediately increases our value in the eyes of potential business partners and ensures them that we understand their overall event goals and objectives."
  • She adds by highlighting that bringing new technologies to the table also helps with the sales process.
  • First is the opportunity to engage and educate potential clients (event organizers) looking to book meeting space and in the process forming a new relationship. The other is adding value to the overall hotel offering and building a stronger brand as well as increasing revenue.
  • Organizers benefit greatly when a destination offers additional marketing and event execution tools, which assist when positioning the experience to event stakeholders and decision makers. In addition having a technology relationship in place, saves the organizer time and money, by having pre-populated destination details and potential purchaser discounts."
  • It gives them an opportunity to experiment how audience response with smartphones work or how they can send conference updates and alerts to delegates faster and easier with mobile event apps.
  • If possible it would also be extremely beneficial to offer a demo or a free basic version of the technology to allow event planners experience and try a simple mobile event app before exposing or upselling them to the more advanced features.
  • Mixing technology promotion by Hotels is not a usual practice but it is becoming more mainstream.
  • It is also important to closely measure the ROI for any technology strategy such as offering mobile event apps as part of the experience at a hotel. The key measurement factors will be feedback from attendees and event planners as well as tracking how many event planners opt-in to use this technology for their events.
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    This article talks about how hotels can use mobile event apps to attract event planners. Hotels can use these apps to not only add value to their offerings, but also set themselves apart from the competition. These mobile apps provide information on the meeting agenda, speakers, and hotel details to all attendees. Mobile event apps are beneficial to the event planners because the apps help facilitate communication, offer networking opportunities, and improve the overall digital experience. Hotels are able to move away from traditional meetings and offer planners something more, something intangible that will contribute to the event's overall success.
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    The article introduces the benefit of using mobile event apps as a marketing tool. It is not a usual practice to mix technology promotion by hotels yet but it is becoming more mainstream. Destinations and properties can use mobile offerings as a marketing and sales tools to attract more event planner. It makes easier to organize the event more effectively and enhance the networking opportunities for attendees. Thus, properties will gain benefits greatly in terms of positioning and promotion of the services or facilities inside the business as a marketing tool. For example, mobile app can include the information about event and property service details, which will facilitate on-site communication and advertise hotel services via the app. It will, in turn, make the overall digital experience for attendees outstanding. As a measurement of success, properties can monitor ROI for new technology through feedback from attendees and event planners, and the number of events adapting mobile app.
Angelica Saez

Cocktail: Exploiting Bartenders' Gestures for Mobile Interaction: Social Sciences & Hum... - 0 views

    • Angelica Saez
       
      This is a great app for people to learn how to make new drinks for themselves at home.
  • Finally, we have designed interaction via SmartTable to support intuitive data transfer to stationary devices. SmartTable is a touch-screen-based computer system.
  • A user can transfer data from the mobile phone to SmartTable with the sprinkling gesture, i.e., by sprinkling the mobile phone above the touch-screen. An icon that represents the received data then appears on the touch-screen. In addition, SmartTable allows the user to transfer data from SmartTable to nearby stationary devices, such as a TV, printer, or computer, by dragging the icon in the direction of the target device. Details about the SmartTable interaction are given in Section 2.4.
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  • This paper presents ‘Cocktail’, a new gesture-based mobile interaction system that exploits gestures employed by bartenders for easy data sharing between co-located users. In our system, users can pour (transfer) multimedia data in their mobile devices to other friends’ devices in a manner akin to a bartender pouring a drink into a glass. Cocktail also provides an intuitive way of creating new content by mixing existing data with a shaking gesture. For example, users can make music videos with their favorite music and pictures in the mobile phone by selecting them and shaking the mobile phone.
  • This paper describes a gesture-based mobile interaction system, Cocktail, which is designed for intuitive data exchange between co-located users and content creation. Motivated by the analogy of bartenders mixing drinks to make cocktails; our system uses related gestures for mobile interaction: a user can pour (transfer) data in the mobile phone to another device, like a bartender pouring drink mix into a shaker.
  • Our system provides three types of interactions: (1) data transfer from a mobile device to another device (including both mobile and stationary devices); (2) creation of new content; and (3) data transfer from SmartTable to stationary devices. All three interactions are based on gestures used by bartenders.
sosor012

GDS – is It Relevant for You in 2023? - 0 views

  • more than 600,000 travel agents worldwide still accessing the global distribution systems, its relevancy has not diminished post-pandemic.
  • One of the oldest distribution platforms, a GDS
  • Feeding in real-time rates and availability is important in this highly competitive platform that attracts high-value guests.
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  • is it still relevant in 2023?
  • provides a property to high-value and higher volume guests
  • is last-minute and very specific with requirements and locations
  • 3) Travelport
  • What are the types of GDS?
  • 1) Amadeus
  • ; 2) Sabre
  • effective channel mix
  • GDS is evolving
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    The article "GDS- is it relevant for you in 2023" discusses GDS and their benefits and relevancy for the upcoming year. GDS provide "real-time rates" and "availability" which is important in this competitive market. GDS provide unmatched, personalized service tailored for each customer and it also ensures you have "effective channel mix" of both tourist and corporates. This article is great in understanding how one of the oldest distribution platforms is still so relevant almost 50 years later!
artandmer

Working with OTAs: The Indirect Distribution Dilemma - 0 views

  • properties that work with Online Travel Agents (OTAs) perform significantly better financially than those that do not, with commissions being more than compensated for by the increased revenues, resulting in higher bottom-line profits
  • However, in reality, many hotels still have a (perhaps historic) negative opinion of OTAs
  • the commission levels reaching 25%, sometimes even 30%, that was steep. The current situation is more within the 15-20% range
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  • The real question is: How much dependency on the OTAs is healthy for your property: 20%? 30%? 50% or more of of booked room nights?
  • OTAs are a necessary evil, and they bring value most of all whenever they bring incremental revenue to hoteliers. The challenge is to strike the right balance in the distribution mix.
  • play the role as a true partner — must offer independents and chain hotels alike greater flexibility around closing out dates, close to arrival/departure, MLOS, and related tools in their inventory management toolkit
  • Few property owners or managers would object to paying higher margins on inventory that they can't sell on their own; but having to eat that cost on last room available, or even close to last room, during high demand periods is too high a price to pay
  • hoteliers tend to think these bookings are "free." Well, bad news is that they're not: booking engine commissions, advertising on search/metasearch engines, website creation, promo-codes, hosting, SEO, etc.
  • would you have gotten that booking without the OTA?
  • I believe a healthy distribution ratio is the one of 2.5:1 direct online vs OTA booked room nights, enjoyed by the major hotel chains. Marriott and Hilton are doing even better with 3:1 ratio.
  • So what is a smart distribution channel strategy? Blended distribution strategy is the smart thing to do in hospitality
  • OTAs are storms of computer engineers with a pack of money. Would you bet them at their own game? Not sure. Can you "use them" for your own needs only when necessary under particular conditions? I'm sure you can! 
  • OTAs can help hotels gain market insights and business intelligence by applying machine learning algorithms to analyze property-level data. Some OTAs might have already provided some of those value-added reports to their hotel partners. If that is the case, I encourage the OTAs to engage the hotel sales team and see what additional value/reports they can add to the partnership.
  • In fact, we would advise hoteliers to take advantage of OTAs' online reach by listing on their platforms while, concurrently, strongly reinforcing their direct channels by adopting new technology solutions. 
  • The 2021 travel landscape has dictated that the leisure guest is all-important and that guest loyalty should be the prize, not channel loyalty.
  • To put it simply, OTAs are perfect for a first-time visitor to your hotel destination.  If a returning guest books via the OTA for their 2nd visit, then this is a complete failure on the hotel for missing the opportunity to create value or establishing a compelling reason for the guest to book directly.
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    The relationship with OTAs should be about finding the right balance (or mix of business) for your specific hotel. A commonly held point of view is that OTA commissions are exorbitant (in dollars, or as a % of revenue), but shouldn't we be glad if they sold a room we were not going to sell otherwise?
Jeremy Fairley

MediaPost Publications Travel Sites On Facebook Deliver Mixed Results 02/15/2012 - 0 views

  • Compete argues that the number of Likes a brand collects via Facebook is a common but potentially misleading measure because it’s cumulative rather than current. Using a weather analogy, it compares the obsession with Likes to looking at how much snow has fallen in total over the past 10 years versus how much is falling now or this winter.
  • Compete argues that the number of Likes a brand collects via Facebook is a common but potentially misleading measure because it’s cumulative rather than current. Using a weather analogy, it compares the obsession with Likes to looking at how much snow has fallen in total over the past 10 years versus how much is falling now or this winter.
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    Trying to go beyond the limitations of the "Like" as a standard metric for social media, a new Compete study combines a variety of measures to assess the success of online travel brands on Facebook. While the analysis focuses on the travel category, the approaches taken could apply to other industry verticals on Facebook.
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    Article discusses ways in the the practice of measuring social media success based on likes canbe misleading for travel sites and brands. The argument made is that the like is a cumulative metric rather than a current. Meaning You have an indication of what people think of your brand in general, but not at that moment. Unique visits is a metric that is a better indicator of engagement as it lends to give you an idea of how users/travelers are reacting towards your brand on an ongoing basis...
Hyeyoung Jang

Advantages and Benefits of Point of Sale Systems Over the Older Cash Register Systems - 0 views

  • Whether it's a Brisbane point of sale, Sydney point of sale, Melbourne point of sale, or a hospitality point of sale in Adelaide a point of sale helps to speed up the service and delivery of good to customers. While a cash register only stores money and is often attached to a computer or bar code scanner a point of sale or POS does this all in one interface. Cash registers are often slower, and more limited in their options and methods of payment then a POS. For these reasons, many cash registers systems are being dropped for the more modern POS systems.
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    Point of sale systems are revolutionizing the retail and hospitality industry. They have gained much attention and are now much more common then the older cash register terminal systems that once used to be at every retail store in Australia. The reason for their increasing popularity in retail stores, hotels, and restaurants is that they are more efficient and make processing and tracking orders easier. In the hospitality industry a POS system is much better because of the different needs, requests, and reservations of customers. Data must also be stored, and processed by the staff of the hotel to ensure smooth operation of the hotel. Because POS systems can record date such as payroll. labor, volume of good sold etc, they are more feasible then a cash register system. POS systems are now found in high volume restaurants. Restaurants that bustling with clients have installed this new software to be able to track and complete orders in real time, similar to a rail or airport flight schedule. Customers appreciate when their food is delivered on time, and when their orders are not mixed up. For high volume or busy restaurants the POS system offers incredible advantages and the possibility of increasing profits.
Yingjie Cao

E-CRM trends 2012 - Smart Insights Digital Marketing Advice - 1 views

  • If you like driving, BMW has an app which allows you to search for the best driving roads, using GPS to take you to them.
  • So increasingly brands are becoming curators and providing information to customers about things they want
  • “We want those conversations to be created
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  • The only way to differentiate yourself in the marketplace is through service and experience. And there are a growing number of organisations that understand that. If you look at high performers they consistently invest time, energy and money in the customer experience
  • “Customer demands are now so strong, overwhelming and personal that it has led to two things. One is there is a newfound desire to better understand and predict customer behaviours. And two, the customer experience has become the focus because that’s what customers are demanding – they are demanding an ‘experience’ with you rather than just a transactional experience
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    Most future trends for Customer Relationship Management are predicted to be online marketing and competition. However, companies realized they are losing touch with customers, which brings up attention on customer service. So more and more companies are trying to mix technology with customer service. For example, mobility is still coming on strong and a long way to go with Microsoft announcing strong mobile options in the last month. The customization of IT and the "Bring my own device" movement add new pressure to mobilize CRM. Social CRM is a long way to go here with increased investment in linking Social analysis into CRM via customer sentiment as well as networking and key decision matrices through connectors to LinkedIn becoming popular. However, all the apps or software designed for CRM solely emphasizes from management perspective, such as marketing, pricing and reading reviews, which lost reaction with consumers. Instead of only reading customer reviews, we should arrange more agents to respond to build two-way communication.
Odette Beauvil

Email Marketing The Right Way - 0 views

  • The digital age is a boon for marketing in the travel and hotel industry. It makes promotion and communication easier than ever before. Through the personalized medium of email, it is even more easier and safer to communicate for hotel bookings.
  •  
    The article explains in depth why e marketing is the right way. Marketing involves a product from the geographic location, price depend on the preferences and income of consumers in the target market, the place is the distribution points where the product is available, and promotion methods and media is what the tourism service uses to communicate the availability and benefits of what it's offering, which is a marketing mix.
Carolina Ferrer

Restaurants adopt mobile apps for ordering, payment | Technology content from Nation's ... - 0 views

  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
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  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
  • With the growing number of smartphone mobile ordering and payment applications, restaurant information technology divisions have gone from a cost center serving brands’ operations to a crucial part of the revenue stream.
  • Customers are more frequently demanding a connection to a brand on their smartphones, and restaurants are considering an increasing number of technology options to meet those demands
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    Information technology serves a big party in keeping up with the latest trends especially in the restaurant sector of the hospitality industry. Restaurants owners have seen an increase in revenue from partnering with application developers to create online ordering applications for mobile devices. Consumer data collected from these mobile applications for online ordering most be processed properly especially if employees are in the mix. Companies must ensure that their property management system integrates efficiently and properly with the application that is being developed to ensure proper completion of orders.
lvela051

HITEC panel: Technology investment requires direction, clear goals | Hotel Management - 0 views

  • Technology investment requires direction
    • lvela051
       
      Going into the wrong direction?
  • It doesn't pay to invest in technology without a plan.
  • the industry of failing to look before it leaps into technology upgrades, charging ahead without a precise objective.
    • lvela051
       
      Very important to note.
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  • Kapur said that as the industry works to fix its growing list of tech limitations, organizations within hospitality continue to attempt to disrupt or reset aspects of the customer journey, creating more problems.
  • what is a brand’s vision
  • Today, however, she sees and industry that is hungry to innovate while simultaneously lacking direction.
  • hotel companies began innovating around the time point-of-sale systems were introduced, but once these organizations reached critical mass, innovation decelerated.
  • Kapur argued that technology must enable a property to offer a powerful stay experience every time, eventually delivering the guest to your brand.
    • lvela051
       
      What Kapur argues that technology should do.
  • Barry Goldstein, chief commercial officer at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, agreed with Kapur, but said hotels have limited chances to win guests over because of the heavy levels of competition found in the market.
    • lvela051
       
      More concerned of competition that brand vision.
  • The word “integration” has been the refrain of the conference, with nearly every company discussing ways to work in tandem with others to smooth out hotel operations and create an exciting guest experience.
  • Hoteliers were made for hospitality, not things like website management, and with tech manufacturers able to focus on their zone of genius, hotels are able to specialize.
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    The article talking maining about the issues that companies have in investing into technology without having a set plan. Mr. Estis-Green, among others, stated that they see an industry that is very innovative but lacking direction in its approach to investing in the correct technology. The main issue is seems to follow throughout the article is that these companies are following trends instead of figuring out if said technology would mix well with the brand vision. A first, the implementation of technology within a business was used more as a tactic but it has become more popular that is has changed the way the guest experiences service at a hotel, from POS systems to a front desk check in. It's driving the way hotels run their business. I think that the biggest issue with investing in technology is controlling the way its used within a hotel. With technology becoming bigger and being implemented within larger hotel brands, it is changing the service experience which affects the loyalty of a guests. Taking that into consideration, I think that it causes internal competition within the vision that a hotel original sets out to provide and what other hoteliers are doing to gain that loyalty. As mentioned in the article, i think that the best way to have a vision and trend coincide is to find a way to personalize it to its convenience and effectiveness.
lvela051

La Corsha Hospitality Group Migrates to Aptech PVNG Enterprise Accounting - 0 views

  • Aptech Computer Systems announced La Corsha Hospitality Group implemented the PVNG Enterprise Accounting System across 10 properties.
  • La Corsha (LCHG) operates a mix of managed and owned properties across Texas that includes hotels, restaurants and a multi-city parking company.
    • lvela051
       
      Meaning it working in different operations.
  • "We converted to PVNG Enterprise Accounting because LCHG wanted a web-based system that could handle its varied mix of hotels and restaurants with the flexibility of remote operations.
    • lvela051
       
      Why they converted?
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  • The transparency this provides us gives confidence to owners and managers while making answering questions quick and easy."
  • PVNG hotel accounting software also lets operators easily define user roles and system access to limit staff interaction with functions not necessary for their roles.
  • This is very important to auditors. By limiting staff access, we've created a control mechanism whereby we are not only reducing risk, but each person can work more efficiently with reduced errors. We have the ability to change access levels as a staff member's knowledge and responsibility increase and their role expands or changes."
    • lvela051
       
      Very important for confidential or sensitive information.
  • Also, since PVNG is web-based, many of our staff members can work remotely, me included. This increases productivity.
  • Aptech's staff works closely with users to continuously improve our enterprise accounting, business intelligence, and budgeting and forecasting systems."
    • lvela051
       
      Always looking to improve.
  • Aptech is the only company that provides a complete suite of financial management and analysis solutions for the hotel industry.
  • is the only provider of a fully integrated enterprise accounting, business intelligence and planning ecosystem to the hospitality industry.
    • lvela051
       
      What sets them apart?
  • understand their financial and operational data for faster goal achievement.
  •  
    The main focus of the article is the use of Aptech PVNG Enterprise Accounting within La Corsha Hospitality Group. La Corsha has been implemented the web-based system over 10 properties, providing a flexibility between hotel and restaurant operations. The multi-company system is meant to facilitate the way companies report and access data while also managing finances. The main feature is that it is very detailed in the way is analyzes the finances and allows for it to increase productivity within the workplace. Also giving a brief description about how Aptech computer systems is the "only provider to fully integrated enterprise accounting, business intelligence and planning ecosystem to the hospitality industry." Besides the ability to help productivity, what I consider important is that the software helps define who and who doesn't have access to certain functions. When it come to finances, security is important and having that function allows management to control and limit the staff that is allowed access. Not only does it prevent theft but in my opinion it helps to hold the staff accountable for the expenses that are being reported.
mellakygg

Information Technology A Boon To Hospitality Industry | By NP Chandra Shekhar, CHA, MHC... - 3 views

  • Information is the key for decision making in any business. Getting the right information at the right time, at the right place and faster makes lot of difference in any business and so especially in Hospitality Business where the decisions are taken instantly in some levels.
  • It is a combination of the Right People and the Right System that makes a business successful.
  • Computer cannot replace men!
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  • A good Information Technology System comprise of three components, Systems, Software and Hardware.
  • From the time of reservation until the time customer checks-out of the hotel everything is recorded and the data is available. The computer system really monitors the guest requirement, their likes and dislikes, their wants and satisfaction levels in a readable way that helps the hotel enhance their future services.
  • Information and good service is the key for success in hospitality industry.
  • Selecting the right type of system is most important for any hotel operation. Most of the hotels use special software made for hotels which are generally called as Property Management System (PMS).
  • Normally, all systems comes with Room Division – with Front Office System and House Keeping Module, Food and Beverage Division – with Point of Sale and Back End system – with Accounting, Inventory, Human Resources.
  • System requirement for each facility differs and it should preferably be a cost effective solution.
  • Good IT personnel should have the knowledge of all the three components, i.e., System (flow of each activity), Software (that translate the activity in measurable terms both quantitatively and qualitatively) and Hardware (Media through which we can see these activities). All this should reflect in primarily guest satisfaction, staff satisfaction, management satisfaction and owner satisfaction.
  • Yet, man made the computer and not the other way.
  • Man cannot be replaced at any level.
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    As the topic suggests information is the key for decision making in any business. Computerized modern information technology should make this process much quicker and more efficient. But, of course, as the old saying goes "Garbage in Garbage out." So it is a combination of the Right People and the Right System that makes a business successful. Computers cannot replace men. Good people along with a good computerized system is necessary. The software used for any hospitality business needs to be tailored to the specific needs of that organization depending on whether they primarily sell just room service or whether they offer a lot of food and beverage service or other services. Good I.T personnel should have good knowledge of all three components: System (flow of each activity), Software (that translate the activity in measurable terms both quantitatively and qualitatively) and Hardware (media through which we can see these activities) To achieve this at least two months of training should be done, of which one month must be on the job training. Once an appropriate mix of competent people and a good system is set up this should reflect in guest satisfaction, staff satisfaction, management satisfaction and owner satisfaction.
adel168

At Alibaba's futuristic hotel, robots deliver towels and mix cocktails - 0 views

  • drastically cuts the hotel’s cost of human labor and eliminates the need for guests to interact with other people.
  • Guests check in at podiums that scan their faces, as well as passports or other ID
  • Elevators scan guests’ faces again to verify which floor they can access and hotel room doors are opened with another face scan.
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  • To check out, guests press a button on the app after which the room locks and they are automatically charged through Alibaba’s online wallet.
  • develop AI and other high-tech expertise which will propel Alibaba’s e-commerce offerings forward, as well as develop new areas of business at a time when e-commerce revenue growth rates are slowing,
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    The Alibaba hotel in China has incorporated several e-business components that decrease the hotel's cost of human labor drastically. The traditional front desk check-in process is replaced by podiums that scan guests face as well as documents. To check-out, a button is pressed on an app which locks the room and automatically charges the guest through an online wallet. Apart from hotels, Alibaba has also launched projects for grocery stores and book stores.
msoma003

8 Great Email Marketing Tips for Hotels | WebRezPro Hotel PMS - 0 views

  • successful marketing is driven by a mix of complementing strategies — and email is still one of your best tools
  • successful marketing is driven by a mix of complementing strategies — and email is still one of your best tools
    • msoma003
       
      Under utilized
  • Email marketing is a very effective way to build guest loyalty, encourage brand engagement and increase direct bookings through well-targeted communications. It’s cost efficient and easily automated, making it an ideal marketing technique for busy hoteliers without a lot of time on their hands.
    • msoma003
       
      Good for small hotels
  • ...31 more annotations...
  • Permission-based email marketing
  • customers that genuinely want to hear from you
  • Get your customers to actively join your email list by:
  • Adding a simple sign-up form to your website
  • Including an opt-in checkbox, or a link to your sign-up form, in your post-stay survey
  • Placing cards in guestrooms
  • provide opt-out instructions on every email communication you send
    • msoma003
       
      Shouldn't end up in junk bins
  • your emails need to look good on small screens
  • avoiding large image files and long paragraphs
  • including social sharing buttons
  • other
    • msoma003
       
      Almost everyone reads it on their phone, no longer their computer
  • all about timing
    • msoma003
       
      This is a science, a firm needs to be sure they are sending it at the right time, this includes the correct booking window.
  • ow frequently and when you are going to send emails
  • In addition to your pre- and post-stay emails
  • keep in touch with your subscribers whenever you have something truly interesting to say or offe
  • the best time and day of the week to send marketing emails
  • email marketing systems can be integrated with your PMS
  • automate pre- and post-stay emails
    • msoma003
       
      Good for small firms that do not have dedicated marketing teams
  • Personalize your emails as much as possible
  • Use your PMS data to segment your contact list
  • ending irrelevant information is a sure-fire way to lose subscribers
    • msoma003
       
      This may take more time but it is worth it.
  • sign off from an actual person
  • doesn’t always have to be discounted rates and services; local “insider” information, like exciting events, new attractions or destination tips, gives your customers food for thought and could put your property front of mind when planning their next holiday.
    • msoma003
       
      International visitors appreciate the extra help, it adds an intangible value
  • Great content = stuff that benefits your customers
  • Make sure you include links or button
    • msoma003
       
      Guests need the buttons so it becomes easy,the less work for them the better
  • Visuals are important, too
  • Note: be sure to link to the Web version of your email in case the actual email doesn’t display properly. Most email newsletter/marketing services include this feature.
    • msoma003
       
      Need options if not it will go to junk
  • Short post-stay email surveys are part of great customer service and provide a marketing opportunity, too
    • msoma003
       
      Necessary for front office to learn how to improve operations
  • track all opens, click-throughs, enquiries and bookings stemming from your emails
  • See what works best
    • msoma003
       
      Emails are pointless work if they do not get opened for do not meet the desired goals
  • look at your emails from your customers’ perspective and ask yourself what’s really in it for them? If the answer is obvious, your email marketing campaign is bound to be a success.
    • msoma003
       
      The guest needs to like it so test the email out. Would you like it?
  •  
    This article provides 8 tips on how to email marketing. Email marketing which is a part of e-marketing is a great way to reach customers, the service is also cost effective and time efficient. The main ways to optimize emails are to get a an organic list of contacts to make sure they do not end up in the junk bin. Next the emails should be functional they should be mobile friendly and the links should work. In regards to the content it should contain more than just rate specials they can contain events or insider city tips and they should be targeted at the correct audience. Finally the sender should test it out by receiving one first.
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