Mobile Apps Mobile technology is one of the hottest areas of development in any industry. Mobile applications will continue to change the way we meet and travel, and their influence will continue to grow. Global smartphone wholesale revenues were expected to hit $97.3 billion in 2010, according to New York City-based ABI Research -- a year-over-year jump of nearly 57 percent. ABI expects revenues to climb to more than $175 billion by 2015. As a fast-growing majority of planners and attendees have smartphones in hand, the opportunities for mobile meetings management and mobile event engagement will skyrocket.
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How Meetings Benefit From Today's Technology: Meetings & Conventions - 1 views
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How they are being used. App development is occurring at breakneck speed, and potentially thousands could be of use to planners. MeetingApps.com is making efforts to list them all; as of press time, the site had catalogued nearly 1,000 different meeting apps, across 26 different categories, for the iOS alone. Also listed are a steadily growing number of meeting apps for the BlackBerry, and the site has plans to catalog Android apps as well.
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Meetings management apps. These often are free and provide planners the ability to tap into web-based meeting platforms from their mobile devices while on-site or in transit. In many cases, the apps provide mobile access to a platform for which users already pay. In theory, a dedicated app might not be necessary for that, as long as planners have access to the Internet; but an app that provides a phone-friendly interface and optimizes the display for mobile-device viewing can make the difference between incredibly useful and utterly useless access while away from one's desk.
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Meeting apps for attendees. Think of these as "electronic event programs plus." These event-specific apps may be downloaded by attendees, nearly always for free, and can include all of the speaker, scheduling, seminar, keynote and attendee information, along with exhibit floor maps, that might be found in a printed program. Additional features could include everything from social-media platform links to attendee messaging or local restaurant listings.
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Toronto-based 5Touch Solutions, which makes the EventMobi app, has seen 70 percent of attendees download the app at some tech shows, according to president and founder Bob Vaez, and an average 40 to 60 percent download rate overall. Those numbers have grown quickly, says Vaez; as they continue to grow, so too will opportunities to generate revenue from the apps through sponsorships and advertising.
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There are kinds of meeting technologies in nowadays. This article mainly introduced how Mobile Apps affect this industry. It gave a description of two categories of mobile apps which are particularly relevant to meetings. They are meeting management apps and meeting apps for attendees. App use is gaining traction among attendees, particularly when event producers market it well.
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5 Tips to Activate Your Ecommerce - 1 views
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This article discusses five ways to stimulate Ecommerce which includes corresponding with guests, remaining active on social media, not letting your SEO go on leave, devising media budgets and targeting, as well as employing the help of an expert. The author emphasized staying in contact with your customers whether it be through your website, social media, or email. The intention is to stay connected with your guest so that when it is time for them to choose a hotel, they will choose yours. Social media can be used as a tool to entice your future guest and keep them interested in your property. Keeping search traffic up for your website will also ensure people continue to look at your property. Keep in mind the kind of travelers that will come to your property, and tailor your advertisements, messaging, and offers to meet the needs of those travelers. And lastly, if needed, do not be afraid to enlist the help of an expert. This article is meant as a guide for getting one's Ecommerce back on track during these hard pandemic times.
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My opinion on this article is that E-commerce has been a huge hit as of lately and it is time for this type of trend to follow in the hospitality world. There is a huge shift from walk-in business to online bookings and the best way to show guests the improvements to the property would be through email and social media presence. This would give properties a competitive advantage when it comes to OTA bookings.
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Learning and performance must not be add-ons to your HRIS - here's why | Engagement & P... - 0 views
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The article advocates for the integration of the vital components of an HRIS system. In other words, a firm must treat some things like learning and performance management as critical and vital to its HR system. As such, the HRIS must integrate these learning and development tools that cover performance management and learning systems into the HR Information Systems. The article goes further to expose the reality that most HRIS managers tend to view LMS and performance development as standalone matters. This of course refers to an era where these things were seen as separate and unpleasant tasks the HR department had to get on with as quickly as possible. However, in today's world, performance management and learning are as essential to HR as any other function. Therefore, it has to be integrated into the system for data to be compiled on a daily basis. Then the author goes on to compare an HRIS which is integrated with many different functions with an LMS which is a separate platform. This highlights the inconvenience, challenges in transferring data, and the overall inefficient method of managing a separate LMS from an HRIS. However, the article points out that there are new HRIS systems that simplify everything - from management to performance to learning to succession planning. The author goes on to recommend that it is better to integrate and make LMS a part of the HRIS system. The obvious benefits are highlighted and this is something that most HRIS managers can easily integrate into their systems with modern apps and other technological tools. The take home point is that HRIS should not stand alone nor include learning and performance measurement as an external component or a necessary evil. Rather, HRIS should integrate learning and performance and gain the right tools to compile data on a daily basis rather than an occasional process.
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Are you ready to create and manage a green travel policy? | PhocusWire - 1 views
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Without going into technical details, it seems widely accepted that aviation accounted for around 900 million tons of CO2 emission (CO2E) in 2018 equal to an estimated 2.4% of total global emissions (12% of total transportation-related CO2E), and this number is sadly forecast to triple to more than 2,700 million tons of CO2 by 2050.Despite the fact that airlines have become significantly more fuel efficient, we are experiencing a dramatic growth in total aviation emission as the number of planes flying more hours per day keeps growing much faster than the gains made in fuel efficiency.However, because most of the emission happens at high altitude during the actual flight, the “net emission impact” is considered by experts to be twice that number and then further increased due to the amount of energy that goes into production of aviation fuel.
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creating a basic model for calculating your CO2E in 2020 if you are a buyer and establishing some credible data points for your customers to use if you are a supplier.
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This German town replicated itself in VR to keep its tourism alive - 0 views
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Tourists may soon be able to explore the picturesque cross-timbered houses and historic churches of Herrenberg via virtual reality (VR), thanks to a digital twin developed with the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS). TNW online events
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There are now plans to develop the emerging area of virtual tourism for the town, which has a population of around 31,000.
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“We have a very beautiful city center so tourists can explore it in a digital way with VR glasses before they come to Herrenberg, which is an interesting benefit for the future,” Reith said.
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Dembski told Cities Today the use of digital twins by cities is “only at the beginning” but is progressing quickly, especially in Asia.
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But there are many aspects that are deeply human and cannot be reproduced in digital copies, such as culture, interpersonal relationships, joy, and happiness. A digital twin is a tool, not a solution.”
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This article discusses how the German Town of Herrenberg created a virtual version of itself that will allow to down develop virtual tourism. The reason I view this as a story about Green computer technology is virtual tourism is a very Green environmentally friendly version of tourism. It allows tourist to explore a place with much less environmental footprint. A virtual tourist can explore a town without flying or driving which reduces air pollution. I don't think virtual tourism would replace actual tourism but can allow for the creation of new tourism without the same environmental impact of actual tourism.
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Atlanta: An Airport Case Study in Trying to Manage Plastic Waste – Skift - 2 views
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Summary: It is clear that airlines and airports are responsible for plastic waste. The case is in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is one of the busiest airports in the world. The airport has planned to reduce plastic waste to a minimum in recent years. Airlines have taken part in eliminating plastic waste and cooperate with the airports. The airport itself also has done something useful like creating the airport's own recycling and composting facility and viewing plastic waste as resources. Besides, the article also mentioned that cocessionaries and consumers also have responsibility in helping reduce plastic waste in the airport. For concessionaries in Atlanta Airport, they are required to use compostable serviceware. For consumers, they are educated by the airport in reducing waste.
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Importance of information technology in modern work places - 1Training - 0 views
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According to the article Importance of information technology in modern work places, information technology (IT) is an integral part of every single business plan. Information technology plays a vital role in every business type including small, medium and large. Companies connect the inventory management system to their Point-of-Sale (POS) systems to gain maximum efficiency. In conclusion, IT plays a number of vital roles in organisations in improving communication, Inventory Management, decision making, data management as well as customer relationship management.
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Sun, Sand and Cyber: Does the Hospitality Industry Need to Invest in Cybersecurity Now?... - 0 views
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To ensure businesses are in the best possible position to compete during and long after the Coronavirus pandemic is over, both customers and employees need to be educated on the security measures on offer to feel comforted in this brave new business climate.
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For businesses to feel empowered against today’s many challenges, a consistent approach to risk management is absolutely crucial. A CISO with the authority to carry out real change and impart strong governance across the business would be hugely valuable.
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These burdens come into sharper focus when you consider the digital environment in which hotels are operating. Individual hotels are often connected to the organization’s national or international network, meaning only one hotel has to be breached before the entire company is at risk of hemorrhaging huge volumes of its data.
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Most crucially, a cybersecurity strategy must include a solid plan for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery in order to prepare for any worst-case scenarios. In the era of COVID-19, incidents of the worst kind are fast emerging and businesses deserve a fighting chance to succeed.
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The root of this cyber crisis lies in the way hotels are hampered by disparate legacy systems and out-of-date software where breaches are rife for the taking, particularly on hotels’ Point of Sale (POS) systems and other external vendors. Adding to this, hotels often outsource their customer IT connectivity but unfortunately forget to consistently monitor and audit suppliers’ security measures.
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Today, the systems used for various functions in a hotel’s back and front operations are manned by employees who are not yet well-equipped to pick up on and counter large-scale cyber-attacks until it’s too late.
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Mobile phones, tables and laptops connected to open networks become a hunting ground for hackers to harvest banking details through card payments.
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Worth billions of pounds, the hospitality industry is a perfect victim for cyber-criminals. Its make-up of luxury resorts and hotels alongside huge volumes of high net-worth individuals has fast become prey for hacker
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While financial services and the public sector have been forced to endure an endless stream of cybercrime, the hospitality industry has also become a prime contender for hackers in the wake of its rich data-base.
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No matter the size of the business, inefficient cyber support diverts crucial time from business activities and relationships with customers.
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With global business fighting relentlessly to survive against the chaotic threat of the Coronavirus, all industries are exposed to criminal cyber-threats, and so the security of highly sensitive data must be handled appropriately.
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British Airways and Marriott International are two major hospitality companies to be victims of high-profile breaches in recent memory. They serve as a stark reminder of the heavy costs faced when the safety of customers’ data is compromised.
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CloudBasedvsDesktopBased_PMSHotels.pdf - 0 views
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Even though keeping up with the modern developments in IT sector is crucial for the success and competitiveness of a hotel, it is usually very hard for new technologies to be accepted and implemented.
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On the example of hotel property management system (PMS) and comparison between features of its older desktop-version and new web-based programs, this research aims at finding out at which stage and how effective is usage of cloud technology in hotels.
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Constant innovation in hardware, software, and network developments and applications means that only dynamic organizations that can respond efficiently and effectively to these innovations, will be able to outperform their competitors and maintain their long-term prosperity.
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It is crucial for tourism and hospitality practitioners to proactively incorporate new technologies into their businesses as these will improve service quality and differentiate their products and services.
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In order to be able to follow the increasing guests' requests for qualitative services, it is mandatory for hotel management to constantly work on improving its functions and operations. For this it is necessary to keep track of innovations in sectors outside the hospitality, like IT sector that works on creating, developing and introducing new technologies
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Hospitality is one of targeted sector that is considered appropriate for application of cloud technologies and services. Hotel Management System or widely known as Property Management System (PMS) is one of the system where IT practitioners saw the chance for improvement by ''moving it to the cloud''.
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Hotels will be forced to upgrade their current systems so that they can respond to various and changeable guests' habits and requirements. However, until today, there was not enough academic papers related to usage of cloud technology in hospitality industry even though this sector is under continuous changes caused by usage of new technologies which made search, evaluation and payment of the hotel rooms easier than ever.
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After comparing the two groups of hotels, from which one was using desktop PMS and other group cloud- based PMS, the results of the research were derived and presented. In conclusion of the paper, challenges with which the hotels are facing and which affect their decision of starting to use cloud- based technology as well as recommendation for future work will be discussed.
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As stated by the Sharif (2010), cloud computing is the latest technology that is being introduced by the IT industry as the next (potential) revolution to change how the internet and information systems operate. The term “cloud” was probably inspired by IT text books’ illustrations which depicted remote environments (the Internet) as cloud images in order to conceal the complexity that lies behind them (Sultan,2010).
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The goal of a new computing world is to develop software for millions to consume by easily accessing it over a network. Cloud service providers are making profit by charging consumers for accessing these services.
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Products offered via this mode include the remote delivery (through the Internet) of a full computer infrastructure (e.g., virtual computers, servers, storage devices, etc.); the building blocks of an IT enterprise.
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Services provided in this category include CPU processing on demand, virtual Web hosting, and storage on demand. The most notable vendors are Amazon’s EC2, GoGrid’s Cloud Servers, and Joyent.
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With cloud computing, services and applications that were managed locally in the past requiring hardware, operating systems, web servers, as well as teams of network, database and system management experts are now provided remotely by cloud providers under this layer.
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Cloud computing services can be adopted by firms in three different forms (Goscinski and Brock, 2010):
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Private clouds - involves firms deploying key enabling technologies, such as virtualization and multi-tenant applications, to create their own private cloud database
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Hybrid clouds - mix of the previous two types that are emerging with the intention of providing clients with a level of “control” over their resources
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The cloud offers enterprises the option of scalability without the financial commitments required for infrastructure purchase and maintenance.
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Reallocating information management operational activities to the cloud offers businesses a unique opportunity to focus efforts on innovation and research and development. This allows for business and product growth and may be even more beneficial than the financial advantages offered by the cloud.
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These investments and efforts for a new technology to be presented open a new progress circle of technology advancements and it continues in the same way.
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When creating software or an application for a hotel, IT personnel have to possess a certain level of flexibility, openness and creativity. On the other hand, hotel employees are expected to have more insightful and openminded approach towards new ways of performing business operations, sometimes take risks and have experiences with using different programs and applications.
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A hotel's PMS can gather and keep valuable information about hotel guests by incorporating business intelligence tools which help hoteliers organize and make sense of the gathered data. Regardless of whether room reservations come from Online Travel Agency, Global Distribution Systems or by telephone, all of them are gathered, stored and managed in the PMS.
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Simplicity of the cloud based property management system allows it to be productive. Cloud based PMS's can operate on any advice that has a web browser and the companies are putting their efforts to make it even more friendly on smaller devices like tablets and smart phones.
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Business intelligence options provide hoteliers with a threedimensional view of guest data, which allows easily statistical reporting and increased hotel management efficiency.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in practical usage of the two types of PMS systems – cloud based and classical (desktop) ones.
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On the question about the reasons for using the current PMS type in hotels, answers of Group A were based on usage of their current PMS for years and on the fact that employees in all hotel departments were used to work on it. As time passed by, hotels upgraded their system to new versions for several times and additional customization was implemented with regard to hotel preferences.
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Hotels from Group B were consisted of relatively new boutique hotels that operate for more than a year and from those that were not using any kind of PMS solution (they were using Excel tables and creating reservation records manually). The reason why hotels from this group wanted to use cloud PMS was a desire to try the latest technology used in hospitality industry.
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Other reasons for using it were: PMS could be reached from any place where Internet connection is available, simple but effective design with lots of visual solutions, more options to enter the important information and the fact that it is working not only on any PC but also on any mobile device due to its mobile applications.
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low investment costs were main reason for hotels from Group B to decide in favor of cloud based version.
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The similar amount of initial investments were confirmed by the Group A. Being considered as great amount of money for newly opened and small sized hotels to invest, management decided to try out the cloud version which allows access to this system based on monthly subscription with very little or no investment cost, depending on the solution provider.
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After initial investments in the system implementation, hardware, software and training of employees, every year hotel makes a one-year-based contract for additional support services and, if needed, extra training. Support is provided any time a hotel reports an issue or malfunction by directly connecting to hotel's computer through remote programs.
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Changes are made either for each hotel at a time, or after releasing new version, when provider try to convince all the current users to upgrade to it. Upgrade is provided by the extra charge, so these costs should be also considered during planning investments in classical PMS.
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Regardless of which type of system they used, all participants were very careful about and interested in the matter of data security.
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However, it is totally different situation with cloud based system, which is mainly open system where all authorized users and providers from outside have access to. Of course, it is up to hotel management to whom the authorization rights will be given and being an open system it makes support, development and innovation activities much easier. Cloud based PMS are hosted on some of the world's best known servers so there is no need for additional computers to be used as servers.
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Although there are some great differences in functions and way of managing regarding classical and cloud based system, both have their advantages from which hotels do not want to give up.
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One of the biggest advantages of cloud based PMS for the Group B is the fact that this system can be directly integrated with hotel online booking engine. This is considered as a great advantage for the hotels that besides having functional web site, wish to maximize use of its online booking engine, receive more online reservations directly from the guests and gain more profit.
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Such a functional connection between hotel’s PMS and online reservation system allow hotels to have a social media integration as well. This means that hotels are able to receive online reservation through their Facebook page as well as receive direct links to its page from the biggest review sites such as TripAdvior.com.
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In this paper two different approaches and perspectives on usage of cloud based and classical hotel management systems were exposed. Hotels from Group B have shown a tendency for usage of new technologies and readiness to adopt and continuously learn about them.
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Among factors, affecting why hotel prefers one system over another, are type and size of hotel, through which channels are guest reservations coming, previous experience with IT stuff and different programs, etc.
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Cloud based program can help them in order to update prices and room availability information to hotel's booking engine. This prevents overbooking, provides easily management of CRM functions and information, with no first investment costs or extra expenses which results in revenue increase.
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Hotels that use classical PMS pay a great attention to the security issue because they do not want to risk opening their hotel for external intervention. In recent years we can find in media lots of evidence of information linkage from system that had much higher security measures than an average hotel.
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Measuring the performance of cloud-provided services is another challenge for the hotel management, primarily due to the lack of measurement standards.
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While investigating the previous knowledge about the other system solutions, hotels in Group A have claimed lack of information about the cloud technology and its solutions.
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Even though IT stuff in these hotels has some basic knowledge about it, it is still not enough to convince the other managers about its benefits. Therefore it may be concluded that, besides trying to overcome the above mentioned challenges, developers of cloud based solutions to hotels should also work hard on training the potential clients about the positive aspects and correct usage of cloud technologies.
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Lack of measurement standards for cloud-provided services in general as well as for hotels is another important limitation due to which qualitative research was conducted. Authors’ recommendation is that academicians should focus more on topics of cloud computing, cloud solutions for other business operations and on defining measurements standards for cloud services.
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This article, published in 2015, covers a study performed in Turkey to analyze factors in hotels that lead management to prefer desktop-based PMS over cloud-based PMS or vice versa. The study uses qualitative research to determine the reasons for the usage of PMS and the advantages and disadvantage of either system. The study found that, among others, significant factors that contribute to the form of PMS implemented by mangement may include the size of the property, reservation channels, and prior level of IT experience.
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When It Comes to a Cyberattack, We Are All Vulnerable - By David Trumble - 0 views
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Cyberattacks have nearly paralyzed mega enterprises including Facebook, Target, Wells Fargo and even the venerable credit reporting agency, Equifax.
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organizations must take preemptive measures not only to mitigate the financial and reputational impact of these events but ultimately to protect their customers.
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Deploying the latest software protection is only the beginning. Transparency to customers and actionable steps to correct such a catastrophic event are critical to an orderly recovery.
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An effective plan includes a risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities across a wide spectrum of threats including, but not limited to, cyberattacks.
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Why You Need Event Management Software - 3 views
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one of the greatest contributing factors to the explosion of live events is an explosion of innovation in live event technology.
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event management software (EMS) is a solution that assists event organizers in driving success through all aspects of their events—from event registration and event check-in, to event promotion and reporting
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One technology that the majority of these organizations are investing in is event management software.
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Before event management software, event organizers needed to rely on third-party website building tools like Wordpress or Squarespace for designing their websites quickly
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Events like concerts or shows would not be a good fit for event management software, as these types of events are focused more narrowly on driving ticket sales.
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Because event management software integrates all of the tools that an event organizer needs into one platform, it’s easy to work quickly, securely and with more rich insights at the ready.
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An event registration tool is used for processing registrations or ticket sales. In the past, event organizers needed to rely on a provider that specializes in event registration.
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This event registration tool also integrates with a variety of other functions so that event organizers can just as easily manage smaller events as they can manage an international event series.
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Event management software should come equipped with a suite of event marketing tools
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Attendees are looking for increasingly personalized experience that help them feel like they are part of the action.
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The modern EMS should come with an attendee engagement app that enable attendees to network, communicate with one another, and otherwise take part in your event.
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In addition to increasing attendee satisfaction and winning over event sponsors, event organizers will also be able to surface rich insights about their attendees’ behaviors and preferences.
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With all-in-one event management software, organizers can view data in many ways—resulting in more insights and better decision-making.
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Likewise, an event organizer can integrate their event management system with their marketing automation system to send out large emails campaigns that may include, but go beyond the scope of just those who registered at an event.
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Events are becoming more prevalent than ever and event management software is what is allowing them to do so
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the modern event management software does more than just manage events—it empowers organizers to unleash the power of live events and ultimately drive event success
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Top 10 Event-Tech Trends for 2019 - Hubilo Official Blog - Medium - 2 views
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1. Facial RecognitionFacial recognition is definitely an aspect of event-tech that is on its way up.
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Facial recognition tech can be great in attendee management, behaviour mapping, attendee engagement and most of all, event security which is indeed a major concern, especially in high profile events.
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2. Virtual RealityWe have talked about virtual reality for events a lot in the past. This is indeed a trend that is definitely here to stay. A major plus in attendee engagement, event planners have been finding a lot of amazing ways to leverage this tech to create interactive displays, on-site experiences as well as utilizing VR devices as a major factor in their event promotion strategy.
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3. Augmented RealityAlternate reality transports attendees while ensuring that attendees remain connected to the event.
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From scavenger hunts to exhibitor promotions and lead management, augmented reality has a plethora of use cases in events.
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4. Event DataBig data is considered to be the future of technology. Event technology definitely is no exception. Time and again professionals have emphasized the importance of data and data security in events.
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5. DronesThere’s a lot that can be done with drones. Events like Superbowl, Winter Olympics etc. have used drones in the past to mesmerize attendees with breath-taking drone shows.
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Apart from event experience, drones are also a great asset in terms of event security and surveillance.
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6. RFIDWearable tech is all the rage these days. It’s been in the market for quite a while now, its utility beginning with events such as concerts, music festivals, etc.
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From event ticketing to attendee mapping, RFID enabled bands and other wearable gadgets along with Beacon technology will be one of the most used event technologies in the coming years.
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7. Mobile App for EventsMobile apps for events is officially mainstream. A lot of events these days are going smarter, making the most of a mobile event app to let attendees access their event on the go.
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Event app developers are now focusing on integrating new and improved tech including AR and AI within the event app to engage attendees as well as for lead generation in events such as tradeshows, expos, etc.
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8. Voice SearchNot much has been talked about SEO for events. Organic traffic through SEO is a great tool for event promotion. Talking about SEO, voice search is definitely the future.
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9. Artificial IntelligenceAI is making great leaps in every field imaginable. One of the most popular implementations of AI is Social Media such as the Facebook chatbot.
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Event tech developers have started to focus on this tech in a lot of ways including stand-alone chatbots for events, integrating AI within the event app as well as using AI robots for attendee engagement.
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10. Experiential TechEvent professionals are now putting heavy emphasis on experiences. Experiential marketing is on the rise. Attendees, consumers even, now value experiences above anything.
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The value addition that an event provides is important to gain loyal attendees. Event technology such as 3D projection mapping, video mapping, etc. that aid event planners in developing these experiences are the future.
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This article talks about new technology advancements that will greatly help the event management industry elevate the guest experience and efficiency. Sensory experiences are a big trend and with some of these technological advancements, it will allow for event planners to create unique offerings such as video mapping, virtual reality, augmented technology, etc. Facial recognition and drone technology will aide in improving security measures. Mobile Apps can create customized apps for events with all the information in one place. The planning and execution of large scale events will become more effective with the aid of these and other new technology, which will benefit the planners and attendees alike.
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ProfitSword Launches Hospitality Recovery Dashboard to Provide Industry With Insight in... - 0 views
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provide hoteliers with greater predictability and clarity over what their own business priorities might be in order to more confidently strategize informed plans that preserve or strengthen revenue-earning abilities
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the dashboard is able to provide industry professionals with an array of key performance indicators,
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by making this information widely available, hoteliers can better determine what actions need to be taken to protect their businesses and ensure a more successful recovery.
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Why Southwest just became more appealing for business travelers - 1 views
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Most airlines around the world depend on three major platforms in sell seats on their planes — direct sales to consumers and business travelers, through ticket agents, a website or app; codeshares through airline partners; and consumer and business sales via a third-party travel agency, often an online travel agency (or OTA), or a corporate booking platform.
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Southwest Airlines has long stood apart from most airlines around the world, insisting on marketing its flights exclusively through its own platforms
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Last year, however, Southwest announced plans to grow integration with business travel platforms, making it possible for corporate travel managers to book, modify and cancel Southwest reservations with ease
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By making its flights available to more customers, Southwest will be in a better position to sell seats to a broader range of flyers, expanding the potential for lucrative corporate contracts
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more Southwest loyalists will have access to the carrier’s flights for work-related travel, when their options may have been limited before. Road warriors may have a worthy new alternative, too
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with another appealing program to choose from, elites sticking with legacy carriers could end up battling fewer travelers for upgrades and preferred seats — a win-win for customers across the board
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This article discusses Southwest Airlines' new strategy to allow bookings through GDS's, beginning with Apollo and Worldspan and continuing later this year wit Amadeus. Previously, Southwest had required its customers to book exclusively through its own platforms. Among the advantages listed are the possibility to sell seats to more more types of flyers (especially valuable during the pandemic) and brand loyalists' ability to book corporate travel through the airline. The article makes a compelling case for GDS's continued relevance, especially in the managed corporate travel sector.
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Restaurant Customer Service And Technology: Chili's' Tableside (POS) And Mobile Approach - 0 views
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It's a mistake to think that a waiter's job is primarily to deliver food. This is one of the primary lessons I get across in my customer service training sessions for restaurant waitstaff: that waiting tables is a multifaceted art form that includes providing guests with feelings of recognition, comfort, and anticipation, providing a bit of theater, and, sometimes, serving as couples counselor and family mediator. Getting food to the table is really the least of what’s involved.
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And there lies perhaps the biggest danger when you’re considering a move toward installing tableside technology in a restaurant: losing these less obvious, but emotionally crucial, parts of the waiter role. Another danger is that the implementation will be off-brand and off-putting. There is a 4-ish star steakhouse with locations in several U.S. cities (think: "Morton’s but regional") whose black-clad, iPad-based menu opens on Page One with cheesy Comic Sans electronic discount coupons and two-for-one offers. Maybe this doesn’t put you off your feed, but it did me, and I doubt that I’m alone. Which means that all the effort the restaurant had put into properly costuming the waiters, gussying up the dining room, sending its sommelier on vineyard junkets, teaching the waiters how crumb down the white tablecloths (and buying all those silver table crumbers) went down the drain with that one, ridiculously off-brand, choice. Folks: Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should do it; before you deploy any tableside technology, make sure that every single part of the deployment fits your brand, or at least fits your brand as you want it to be perceived in the future.
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Which brings me to Chili’s Grill and Bar, the ubiquitous casual dining chain. Chili’s, which pretty much defines the mainstream of chain restaurants (and is not a place that self-service couponing – free chips with your loyalty points! – will be off-brand), is quickly becoming a definitive mainstream example as well of tabletop point of sale (POS) technology and mobile self-service restaurant technology.
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Micah Solomon: Can you bring me up to speed on how the Chili’s digital service came to be deployed, and how it’s going so far? Wade Allen, vice president of digital innovation and customer engagement, Chili’s Grill & Bar: We started our digital guest experience journey in Sept. 2013 as the first mover in the casual dining industry to bring tabletop technology to our restaurant tables. The goal was to remove common guest pain points around paying the bill and re-ordering drinks. We’ve seen rapid adoption with 75 percent of guests using the tablets to quickly pay their bill. Furthermore, we’ve been able to gather valuable insights through real-time feedback where 25 percent of guests use the tablets to complete the Chili’s survey at the end of their dining experience. This feedback allows us to make improvements on an individual restaurant level, as well as, provide proof points for national-scale decisions around our Fresh Tex and Fresh Mex menu favorites. Once we had the tablets in place, we took a different approach and launched a fully digital loyalty program, “My Chili’s Rewards,” in May 2015. The goal was easy access/participation for all guests. We also included unique elements around gamification to keep guests engaged. In six months, we went from no loyalty program to 4.2 million members. Furthermore, approximately 18 percent of transactions in restaurant are tied to loyalty members. We’re building on this for what we call “loyalty 2.0” with our latest partnership with the Plenti rewards program, as the newest partner to join representing the casual dining industry. This will allow guests to earn points at partner locations and redeem for their Chili’s favorites.
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Solomon: Is the human element getting lost? Allen: Absolutely not! A key differentiator of casual dining is the personalized service model. Our technology innovation is not only a win for our guests, but also a win for our team members. With technology, we’re able to remove some of the mundane tasks of the server and allow them to make our guests feel special with a memorable dining experience. Furthermore, technology is completely optional and guests can choose to opt out if they wish. These tablets do not eliminate the personal service our guests receive from servers. In fact, these tablets have served as a good tool for our team members to help eliminate some transactional pain points, such as paying the bill or ordering dessert, and have helped our team members do their job more efficiently. This allows our team members to focus on the duties that make a personal impact on the dining experience, such as getting to know the table, taking entrée orders and delivering meals, among other duties.
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Solomon: What are the backup plans for when guests want human rather than kiosk service? Allen: Our model is based on personalized service to make guests feel special when dining with us. So, the personalized aspect will always be a part of what guests experience at Chili’s. The technology innovation is completely optional and guests can choose to opt out if they wish.
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Why You Should Take a 'Wait-and-See' Approach to New-Product Launches - 0 views
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While most inventors would love to create something completely new, that's not always necessary. Often, it's enough -- and a brilliant marketing tactic, even -- to imitate your rivals and then add a few tweaks.
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Pandora used imitation and a delayed launch to woo paid streaming-service users with the promise of a more personalized experience.
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Instead of being first to the marketplace, being last may actually present more opportunities and stability.
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Regardless of the solution they eventually offer, entrepreneurs who hang back can avoid early fatal flaws that interrupt fantastic consumer experiences.
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Capitalize on negative press swirling around your competition by waiting to release a similar product.
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As you read through social media posts and dig into articles on your competition's products, figure out where things went awry. Make sure you don't stumble over the same roadblocks.
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While we love a story of bold innovation, innovation doesn't always keep the lights on. Sometimes, it's far wiser to come in second or third where the spotlight is less blinding -- there, you can see where you're going.
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When President Donald Trump's travel ban rather circuitously led to #DeleteUber momentum, Lyft took advantage of the opportunity to outshine its rival. Not only did Lyft donate to the American Civil Liberties Union, but it has also enjoyed a 7 percent increase in customers since January 29. Lyft wasn't hasty, and it swung with the popular sentiment pendulum.
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You might think you have a revolutionary product, but what if the market disagrees? If your top competitor just released a similar product and its sales are flailing, you owe it to yourself to analyze what's happening. Could it be that the market for your product just doesn't exist yet? If so, how can you pivot so you can produce an actual game-changer, not a wannabe?Segway knows all about this challenge: It discovered its product's market was limited by cost and individual desire. By the time it was put to bed, it was no longer a technological marvel -- it was just a punchline. Chances are good that leaders of a company waiting to market a Segway-like creation put plans on hold when they saw the fallout and chose to execute their innovations differently.4. Do the common uncommonly well.
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leapfrogged over the issues plaguing its competitors, solidifying itself as a smarter, less-glitchy solution for music lovers, thanks in part to what it's calling the Music Genome Project.
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This article goes into being patient when it comes to launching a new or similar product. Many companies try to be a trendsetter but sometimes taking the backseat is much beneficial. Startup and trial and error runs are ultimately decreased. Reviewing the feedback of others on social media outlets can help make sure you don't stumble over the same issues.
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This article explains why a wait & see approach is sometimes the best approach for some companies before launching a product in a very competitive market which already has a company providing the same product to consumers. Many companies have waited to see what issues consumers are complaining about when their competitors have launched a product to later launch a better product better than that if the competitors. Such companies are Pandora versus Apple Music, Lyft versus Uber, Apple Cash versus Venmo, QuickPay, and Square Cash.
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Mobile Key by OpenWays Named 'Top Innovation' by Lodging Magazine - 7 views
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Mobile Key by OpenWays was hailed for its ability to "allow hotel guests to use their mobile phone if they want to bypass the front desk check-in procedure and get straight into their rooms.
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This article basically talks about a front-desk bypass solution that allows guests to head straight to their room without standing in lines to obtain a plastic room key as long as a guest has a mobile phone. To sum up the article, mobile key by Open ways is compatible with any cell phone, as all of the 6+ billion mobile devices in the world. It simplifies hotel Master Key management by harnessing mobile technologies to make all locks 'on line' without the costly infrastructure. It also enhances a hotel's sustainability program because the Mobile key is made only of data and not plastic. Moreover, hotels can eliminate costs originally spent on toxic plastic key cards. It is a creative way to move the technology of mobile keys forward, giving hotels an added dimension to guest satisfaction and a new means of attracting the ever-important business traveler. In my opinion, this solution could be beneficial to hotels' revenue since the system is compatible with not only smartphones but also all kinds of cell phone. It works with all major lock technologies and relies on a combination of text messages and its Crypto Acoustic Credential (CAC) technology. The only modification required to a lock for it to work is the addition of a decoding listening device. I think this is a great convenience for both the hotel management and consumers. Furthermore, there might be a good marketing opportunity here modifying the system to pop up a special offer on a phone once the rock has been deactivated. For example, a free dink at the hotel bar, or a half price meal at the hotel restaurant.
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Cool article Sungoo. I love the concept. I feel like this solution is a win for everyone involved. As a guest in a hotel, I like it because it's one less thing I have to carry around and worry about. As a front desk worker, I'm happy because I have less customers to deal with and the lines at the desk are shorter so (theoretically) the guests I do have to interact with will likely be in a better mood. As hotel management I like it because in addition to the cost savings you mentioned, it helps with security. Anyone can have a room card but I know exactly who is in the hotel due to their phones.
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Mobile Key by OpenWays allows hotel guests to bypass the front desk and go straight to their room upon arrival by simply using their cell phone as a room key. Many people do not want to wait in line at the front desk merely to get a plastic key card for their room. As long as the guest has a cell phone and the hotel is equipped with OpenWays they can get secure access to their rooms. Mobile Key by OpenWays is also very beneficial to the hotel as well. Since Mobile Key is only made of data, it cuts the hotel's costs of making room keys out of toxic plastic for guests as well as master keys for employees. The hotel is now "greener," saving money, and improving customer service. With technology growing and customers relying more and more on mobile technology while travelling, Mobile Key creates an easier and more enjoyable way to travel.
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In my personal opinion, I love this renovation on mobile key. I don't like to wait a long time for check-in. With the Mobile Key, guests don't have to carry their room key anywhere anytime and if they leave it in the room, they have to wait a long time in the line to the front desk to ask for another one. My favorite part of the Mobile key is that this technology is green. Even though current room keys that used by most hotels made of plastic are reused and recycling, the plastic itself is a material that would pollute the environment. But I still have a question about it that how about guests lose their cell phone during their stay. Does the hotel have a plan B for helping guests to open doors without the plastic key?
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shared by Alyssa Westmeyer on 13 Sep 13
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Marriott Offers Option to Bypass Front Desk with Mobile Check-in App | News | Hospitali... - 3 views
hospitalitytechnology.edgl.com/...-with-Mobile-Check-in-App88149
marriott mobile app check-in front desk
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Adoption has been rapid as one-quarter of Marriott Rewards guests with reservations at those hotels used the Marriott Mobile app to check-in.
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Marriott recently launched a new website – www.travelbrilliantly.com – revealing innovations under development, as well as a co-creation platform to solicit future-forward ideas from influencers, experts and traveling consumer enthusiasts
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The launch of a mobile check-in app is one of the most innovative developments in recent hospitality history. This is what consumers have been asking for for years and it eliminates the need for expensive and maintenance-laden kiosks. This is clearly a result of Marriott's recent commitment to innovation through its Innovation Lab - a subterranean space that functions as a technology design board. On the website listed in the article, www.travelbrilliantly.com, you will find so many more intriguing ideas and unlikely but brilliant partnerships. Contributors are even encouraged to submit their own ideas so that the public can vote on them, engaging users. Marriott, once considered a but stuffy and cookie-cutter has once again transformed itself and taken a leading role in the industry.
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Staying ahead of the curve | Stretch For Growth - 0 views
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Use the 80/20 Principles to guide you to faster decision–making (gather 80% of the relevant bits of information in the first 20% of available time. The remaining 20% of the data (which would take the remaining 80% of your time to obtain) typically does not substantially improve the quality of your decision.
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Look for learning in post-project reviews, customer meetings, changes in priorities and mistakes. Learn from these experiences to build flexibility into future approaches.
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regardless of rapidly changing circumstances, continue strengthening your team’s core competencies – what they are best at doing.
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committed to your values, your staff, your customers, etc., but uncommitted preferably to anything that may tie you down or impede agility
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do what you do well (or better than the rest), but focus your thinking on what your product and services are going to look like within the next five years.
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Check out industry trends, ensure that mobile technology is being fully utilised in every way in your business and get teams involved in planning a creative future for their respective functions.
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Staying ahead of the curve in our “disrupted” world requires the combined creativity of everyone in the company – all applying positive energy to generate ideas, inspire change and chart an exciting path towards a sustainable future.
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This article shows a few important steps to make companies staying ahead of the curve. Leaders can create an environment of trust, tap into the creative energy of their people, master characteristics of agility (speed, flexibility, strengths), stay committed to values, staff, and customers, stay uncommitted to anything that may tie you down, master the short-term, but think future.