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This article discusses how the traditional vendor RFP (Request for Proposal) model is no longer the ideal way to integrate the right technology marketing that a hotel needs. The traditional vendor RFP model is time-consuming and expensive, and with the way that technology is constantly expanding and changing, hotels need to stay up-to-date with technology more and more frequently, which can mean this process is wasting time and money on an ever-increasing scale. Furthermore, it is not always an accurate indicator of the kinds of technology a hotel might need, especially what a hotel might need in the future, and it is difficult to determine who would best be capable of knowing what the property will need or what exactly to ask for in an RFP. The article talks about three alternatives to the traditional model: the Scorecard model, the Digital Marketing Partner Interview model, and the Trusted Partner model. With the Scorecard model, hotels have a checklist of things they need and can check off each point from each potential vendor. With the Digital Marketing Partner Interview model, which is similar to the traditional vendor RFP process, except that the interview focused on finding a Digital Marketing Partner that aligns with the hotel's management philosophy, values, and culture in order to find the right partnership. With the Trusted Partner model, the hotel works with one particular company with whom they share common goals and objectives, and they work together to solve problems and adapt new technology as the hotel's technological needs are manifested over time.

This article talked about Sabre Hospitality Solution which is the user-friendly e-marketing tool. The Sabre Hospitality Solution will push your internet marketing program to a higher level of performance through the following five essential elements. First, Sabre Hospitality Solutions developed a proprietary Content Management Tool (CMT) based on the needs of the clients. Second, Sabre Hospitality Solutions provides a full e-commerce solution that enables you to build and manage an E-store that generates significant incremental revenue. Third, behavioral targeting engine of Sabre Hospitality Solutions serves potential guests content based on how they are navigating through the Website; and profiles their keyword search that has led them to the Website. Fourth, flash map solution integrates standard interactive components for any set of floor plans. Fifth, Sabre Hospitality Solutions' Interactive Proposal Service (IPS) is a proprietary system that allows a property to respond to RFP's in a highly customized fashion.

Sabre Hospitality Solutions has designed applications and products to push the e-marketing program to a higher level. It offers a wide range of e-marketing tools. Sabre Hospitality Solutions developed a proprietary CMT based on the needs of the clients. This friendly empowering the clients and is widely used in multiple hospitality websites. It also provides a full e-commerce solution that enables you to build and manage and e-store that generates significant incremental revenue. In addition, the behavioral targeting engine serves potential guests content and the flash map solution integrates standard interactive components for any set of floor plans. Finally, it is a interactive proposal service. This unique online presentation of your proposal will ensure your product stands apart form other competitors.

Introduction Many Fast Food Restaurants are using the Point of Sales Systems in their food and beverage establishments to take orders from their customers. These systems are being distributed rapidly at a fast pace and has become increasingly popular in the food and beverage industry to improve customer service, operational efficiency and food safety. Food and Beverage entrepneuers are also adapting to these emerging technological systems to remain competitive in their industry and to increase growth of the business. There are diverse Restaurant Management Information System components that are used in the fast food industry. They comprise of Inventory Menu Managements control Systems, Labour Scheduling and Time Management Systems, Reservations and Table Management. . This study reviews the constraints of the existing system used in the restaurants and proposes a potential System solution called Restaurant Customer Self Ordering System. Customer Self-Ordering Systems allows prospective customers to order for food electronically while in the restaurant. This system proposes to limit customers' wait time and improve customer service. However, it may have some challenges that include a high cost to implement the system, the intergration into existing systems and staff adoptability of the proposed system. It was further recommended that a solution to the implementation of the proposed Customer Self-Ordering System could be to implement a web-based system that allows customers to access food menu/beverages and order via the internet with the use of their mobile phones at any time and any where they may be. It is anticipated that this new system feature will attract a wider range of audience and potential customers.

This article shows a different end of an RFP process - the one where the hotel is the vendor. Typically, a hotel that offers meeting spaces can integrate an RFP request into their sites allowing easy access to event planners interested in the hotel. When an event planner submits for an RFP, the hotel has a responsibility to answer in a timely, personalized manner in order to attract the planner. If a hotel has meeting space they would like to sell for business, they should definitely consider a software that allows them to answer RFP's in real time. As the article stated, "By leveraging your CRM, automation, and personalization during the RFP process you will ensure a high-quality sales pipeline and more qualified leads."

Web based system to create any type of event and be able to book and organize any amenity needed for the event. Complete customization of event can be done and all legal and binging documents can be added in order to be followed and agreeded on.

Changes are coming for New York City hotel workers. A proposal between the Hotel Association of New York and the New York Hotel Trades Council would equip hotel staffers with personal panic alarms. Employees like house keepers are calling for the extra safety measures for fear of being assaulted in a guest room. Concern is also circulating outside New York in places like Sacramento, California. The personal security devices were tested on students at California State University at San Marcos last year. I believe hotels will begin to implement more measures like this in large cities like New York. Similar to airports and large department stores, safety is a major concern. I believe the personal panic button is a great idea for any hospitality space that accommodates a large number of people.

I think this new proposal may draw people's attention to employees' safety issues within the hospitality industry. It is also important for hotels and restaurants to make sure that their employees work in an environment that is danger free and threats free. The panic button can provide the instant location of the staff and once if something goes wrong, the time for rescue will be shorten. It is really a beneficial proposal for the entire hospitality industry.

Pending approval, personal panic alarms would be carried by staff members in all New York City hotels. These panic buttons would be carried by the staff member during their shift so that they are easily and quickly accessible should something happen. Fox News in Sacramento, CA reported that house keepers voiced their desire for more saftey measures to be put in place. Assaults on house keepers may be more common than people think. House keepers tend more often to be women and they tend to work alone or with only one other person. Hotels host many events in which guests may be drinking which in turn creates the potential for violent or inappropriate actions. Not only is the safety of guests important to the hospitality industry but safety of employees is paramount as well. Having personal panic buttons would give house keepers and workers alike more peace of mind should they encounter any uncomfortable or unsafe situation.

Cendyn and Vipe Inc, a video marketing sofeware provider, launches eFaceTime video sales capability for eProposal. By using this technology, hotels enable to offer personalized videos about their service, food&beverage, function space, amenities and staff to the event planners or customers through eProposal presentations. This technology only need a hand-held cameras to link the videos, can hotels' sales people produce a high quality promotion vedio with less cost. It also provides video libraries, sales people can compare the videos and inser the best one into the sales Proposals quickly. Moreover, the eFaceTime video provide an effective way for the hotels to welcome their patrons. This technology drive the eMarketing to go futher. Its unique personalized videos may help the hotels to attract more customers especially for the event planners.

The distance is not a problem anymore. The style of proposal presentations is more is more convenient and less limited.

I think this is a useful technology for a hotel because hotel can sale its product without limited by region. In this way hotel can increase its market share and increase the profit.

Green initiative has a great value for both economy and environment. Some countries' governments had drafed some regulations supporting this concept of development. Canada is one of the most early contries focusing on thise issues. The Cnadian Intellectual Property Office is mainly responsible for detail jobs related to green technology developing and spreading. They made some standerds toward some primary industries in both demastic and international market. Nowadays, they plan to update their strategies and standards to make these industries more productivity and eco-friendly. All of the agencies or ministries regarding to these issues attmpt to iprove their ability to solve green product problems through a proaction approach. In my opinion, all of these efforts are benefit to sustaianable development of local economy and society.

It was recently brought to my attention that Donald Trump has expanded his portfolio with the $150 million dollar purchase of Miami's Doral Hotel & Country Club. I was casually watching the coverage of the 2012 World Golf Cadillac Championship on NBC and saw Ivanka and Donald on the screen but just brushed it off because of their well known passion for golf. To be honest, it was more exciting for me to see Watson fall to Rose after missing a birdie putt in the playoff round. Anyways, after searching Market Watch for 'IT Investment' and 'RFP' I stumbled upon this article and it all made sense. I am now pleased to summarize the exciting $200 million dollar investment Mr. Trump made with intentions to "reposition all aspects of the resort" resulting in a "greatly enhanced guest experience." Although not explicitly stated, I assume this investment will also include a 'renovation' of the current IT structure of the hotel and country club to increase productivity, revenue and ultimately ROI. Linda Robertson, from the Miami Herald, reported on March 8th that Mr. Trump stated, "to have 800 acres in a city like Miami -that opportunity will never arise again." It will be interesting to see how The Trump Organization follows through on their investment and achieves their goal of making Doral a "world-class facility benefiting of the resort." This article also mentions that The Trump Hotel Collection had been selected by GSA as the preferred developer for Washington D.C.'s The Old Post Office after an "exhaustive" Request For Proposal review. After researching the topic I could not find for what exact reasons he won, besides money. I will take a further look into the news. A lot of exciting new developments for The Trump Organization in the recent few months.

Wi-fi is a service everyone expects everywhere, especially in hotels. It seems easy enough to install but proposes numerous questions and challenges for a hotel providing wi-fi, such as whether or not to charge a fee, who manages it and problem-solves, and how much and what type of hardware is required? This article reiterates much of what we already know about wi-fi but also poses some new ideas, including how wi-fi will develop and change and what that means for hotels.

The agency "Tourism Fiji" will be implementing a new global brand and accompanying communications style, which would take place in each of the Tourism Fiji's international and local markets. This decision was based in accordance of the destination marketing audit of 2011. "A key outcome of that analysis was that taking a global approach to brand communications would create a range of new opportunities and help to ensure Tourism Fiji a maximum return on its marketing investments." The Tourism Fiji agency have received great ideas and proposals of agencies that are very interested in working with them because it will give them an opportunity to make their name known in the industry. These agencies are required to make a full pitch encompassing a full creative and strategic proposal. Michael Meade, acting chief executive officer of Tourism Fiji, claims "the association had already had strong levels of interest from the industry, despite only announcing the pitch on 24 January." Thanks to its communication campaigns, marketing strategies and networking, Tourism Fiji will attract great interest in new markets which will bring a lot of businesses to the agency.

New York City union employees are trying to secure a contract that would include a 29 percent wage increase for workers in big hotels. Hotels will also increase contributions to worker pension funds to 10.5 percent of total payroll. That's opposed to the former 9 percent. The seven-year proposed contract would affect some 30 thousand employees and could raise some housekeeper salaries as high as 60 thousand dollars. In perspective, New York City has the highest yearly hotel occupancy rate of anywhere else in the world, at 85 percent. Room rates are well over 200 dollars. It's understandable how Hilton, Hyatt and other large brands can afford to negotiate with union demands. I foresee that the accounting departments in many of the big hotels will be quite busy making the adjustments if the proposed plan is accepted after Monday's vote.

Stung by the traveling public's disapproval of its one-size-fits-all approach to passenger screening, the Transportation Security Administration last month announced that it would begin testing a new trusted-traveler program. But if you think that the next time you fly, you'll speed through the security line as though it were 1999, you're probably in for a letdown.

Hotel ProposalPro Creates and Tracks Professional Proposals and RFP Responses; Shares Leads Throughout an Enterprise to Increase Sales and Revenue

Hotel ProposalPro works either as a seperate entity, or in conjunction with any of Hotel SystemsPro's other programs, such as SalesPro. It allows management companies to share leads in a more productive fashion, as well as helps with creating and closing contracts with clients. I am personally jealous at this point. I am required to use Delphi.net, which has been "undergoing a transistion" to .LDC for the last 8 months (which has yet to make it to me). The functionality of Delphi is not nearly as user-friendly as some of the other programs, such as SalesPro. To hear that SalesPro is now having the option of adding on ProposalPro, just makes the program that much more desireable to me. I'm sure it has it's flaws as well, as every program does, but I would really like to make the change to almost any other program.

Security has different meanings in different countries and is extremely important in creating and maintaining international leisure travel. In the United States this means technology: security cameras and monitoring, rapid communication and response technology. In developing countries such as Nigeria, the security conversation centers around much more primitive ideas. "A hospitality and tourism consultant, Emeka Attamah, has made a case for the establishment of 'Local Tourist Security'…in Nigeria." This idea centers on the belief that locals should be involved in the policing of public places because they are well versed in the terrain and the criminals that operate in these areas and are therefore in the best position to fish them out. After all, the success or failure of a tourism destination depends largely in part on how safe tourists perceive the destination to be. The idea of a Local Tourist Security in countries such as Nigeria means recruiting indigenous youth to provide surveillance and security near tourist sites. There are benefits and disadvantages to this proposal. These individuals will be well versed in the region and the people who live there. Many of them will have lived in the area for generations and have insider knowledge on who's who and where's where of the town in which they are operating. However, these youth would be more malleable and perceptive to outside influence. More than likely they would be easier to pressure into certain ways of thinking or actions than their adult counterparts. In addition, initiatives such as Local Tourist Security seem to potentially promote child labor (although potentially milder than the stigma would have us believe), which is looked down upon internationally. In conclusion, Local Tourist Security groups may be the best answer for areas such as Nigeria at the current time, but security in these countries is still miles behind the developed world. As a result these measure may attra

This article is about Ruby Hill hotel, located in the city of Pleasanton, presenting the proposal for an events center within the hotel. From what the article states, it would have been a good idea but the council chambers declined it. They stated "We believe it is too big for the size of the site and we believe it is not compatible to surrounding uses..."

IT investment are pushed forward now and days more so for guest satisfaction. A recent Motorola Solutions Inc has uncovered a study that fifty six percent of hospitality organization plan to increase their mobile investment and wireless technology with greater data volumes and high speed access. This will increase drastically competitive advantage for the business and customer experience. Some find it a challenge in convincing upper management to approve investing in to the latest technology. As well as demonstrating that a proposed technology investment will be beneficial for their business and will assist in continuous up to date trends and market competition. I highly agree that technology is a must in this industry, especially how fast it is changing. In order to stay within the competitive advantage and provide convenience for our guest it is necessary to invest and update into the latest technology. The initial investment might be extreme especially if you have been out of date from any recent technology however, with time the results will be returned with satisfied guest and fast paced PMS systems.

Information Technology is indispensable in the hospitality industry for several reasons. This article discusses how many hotels are increasing their investment in I.T because of its abundant advantages, especially guest satisfaction. It particularly states how mobile and wireless technology will aid in guests pleasure but ensure competitive advantage as well. They looked at a study of Motorola Solutions Market Barometer of 2011 where they fundamentally determine the emerging trends in the industry and opportunities. They then came to understand that businesses are investing more on hospitality information technology to not only assist in customer retention but to have an overall high-quality system that can manage their daily duties such as inventory, budget, and status of room reservations.

This article talks about how hotel companies are starting to invest more in information technology to provide a more enhanced guest experience. A survey done by Motorola Solutions found that 56% of hospitality companies are looking to invest in more mobile technology. While companies are looking to invest more in technology, it has been challenging to convince higher management levels to make the investment. Radi Karnib with Rotana Hotel Management said that it's important to demonstrate the benefits of the investment. Daniel Haijar with Layia Hospitality agrees and goes on to say that it's important to differentiate between what's an investment and what's an expense.

Many HRIS choices are available at different price points providing different levels of functionality. Given the importance of the choice the employer is making, the package selected should meet its current needs and have the flexibility to grow and expand with the organization into the foreseeable future. However, constraints from budgets, hardware and time will affect the choice made.

Anything worth INVESTING in that will assist in building your business is worth researching and looking into. Buying blindly is a very foolish thing to do. By doing your homework and comparing IT investments, you have the ability to see what is the best fit for your business. You can compare and customize what will be most beneficial for you and your company. This will force you to define what you need and see how it will benefit your establishment.