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Contents contributed and discussions participated by Ashley Reed

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Know your clients - social tourism marketing | Pro Tourism - 0 views

naturalconsulting.se/...ients-social-tourism-marketing tourism marketing social travel trends
shared by Ashley Reed on 19 Nov 12 - No Cached
  • It´s amazing how much money tourism organizations are wasting on inoperative marketing
  • Most of these fancy brochures are dropped in the waste bin after a quick glance at some nice photos.
  • H-U-G-E amounts are spent on traditional ads. Sure, you´ll probably reach some interested clients. But at least 3 out of four readers are not.
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  • If you´re marketing by ads and brochures, or collecting surveys at the hotel or tourism centre, you´ll never know who these people are or why they didn´t show up.
  • Todays E-marketing tools allows you to communicate with them, but I´m not talking about a simple newsletter. I mean dialogue. Questions. Answers. Problemsolving.
  • One way is to build a society, club or community. Social marketing with a specified topic.
  • Or running travel clubs for different tourism niches, like fishing, local culture, ancient architecture or whatever your destination has to offer certain target groups.
  • Competitions, lotteries, research studies, interviews, articles and movie clips are just a few samples of what´s attracting people enough to fill in their names and numbers because they want the information you´re providing.
  • Ashley Reed on 19 Nov 12
     
    This article discusses different approaches to tourism marketing through social media outlets. The author points to excessive advertising costs especially with printing brochures and guides that are usually tossed in the trash. E-Marketing strategies need to involve the users interactively by having them join, register, or enter and engage in activities. This way you are collecting user information, gauging trends, and possibly making more customers out of viewers.
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Recent Trends in Event Management - 1 views

www.articlesalley.com/...ent_Trends_in_Event_Management event management meetings trends technology
shared by Ashley Reed on 16 Apr 12 - No Cached
Wei Ding liked it
  • Through the use of various mobile applications for event management, it becomes easier for the event managers and the producers to promote audience engagement, interactivity, and business-to-customer networking.
  • “Technological advances continue to be increasingly important and are leading to more requests for customization and interactivity in meetings and events…We expect technology to be at the core of several trends in the meetings industry in 2011."
  • Publicis Meetings USA (PMUSA), revealed that the trend of using technology in meeting or event management will drive in forward, thanks to the increasing tech-savvy clients.
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  • Today the trend of using mobile applications for event management has led the Smartphones to increase the technological and interactive aspects of a meeting or an event. There are various audience response and networking apps that helps in accomplishing tasks like customizing program agendas, and messaging.
  • The entrepreneurs and event managers have a coined the term “hybrid meetings” for the type of event management that comprises both the elements of a live meeting and a conference via the Internet.
  • With the use of applications like the Windows mobile apps, your Smartphone can be transformed into a hand-held PC.
  • Ashley Reed on 08 Nov 12
     
    This article looks at the rising use of Smartphones and smartphone apps for the event planning industry, and more specifically at industry meetings. The use of the technology makes it easier to connect the audience on points like engagement, interactivity, and business-to-customer- networking. As the importance of social media interaction in business, so does the need for interaction between business leaders increase as well, and helps to create a successful marketing event.
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Hoteliers increase investment in enhancing guest experience - 5 views

www.eturbonews.com/...ent-enhancing-guest-experience
shared by ahand019 on 22 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • 91 percent of hospitality decision makers realise the increasing importance of mobile and wireless technology, while 78 percent recognise the role mobility plays in ensuring a competitive advantage for their business.
  • "It is a challenge to demonstrate that the proposed technology infrastructure will indirectly reflect into a benefit to our business and will keep us up to date with the technology trends and market competition."
  • Ashley Reed on 08 Nov 12
     
    Information technology spending is on the rise in the hospitality industry in attempts to enhance the guest experience in the highly competitive market. According to Motorola hotels are looking to increasing mobile investments in the hopes that their staff will be better equipped and that with their new hardware will improve operational efficiency. The article states that 91% of hospitality decision-makers see mobile and wireless technology as the wave of the future, as well as the need for mobility to stay competitive. A few large challenges are: keeping up with cost, ever-changing technology, the need for more bandwidth, and data storage.
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Restaurant Accounting Software - Business Guides & Articles - Business.com - 2 views

www.business.com/...urant-accounting-software-2651 restaurant accounting software business guides
shared by Ashley Reed on 23 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • Restaurant accounting software systems address two categories: kitchen operations and point of sale (POS) systems. Kitchen software is used by the chef for recipe management, inventory and ordering. POS restaurant acc
  • ounting programs handle a wide range of accounting functions that may include credit card payments, gift card purchases, time clock, payroll, special pricing (lunch and happy hour), reporting and more.
  • When shopping for restaurant accounting applications, consider the following:1. Restaurant accounting programs that cost out kitchen operations, including inventory control, recipe and menu costing, purchasing and ordering.2. POS systems that integrate with foodservice accounting software.3. Restaurant accounting programs that integrate kitchen and POS systems.4. Multi-site and corporate restaurant accounting software.
  • Ashley Reed on 23 Oct 12
     
    This article discusses the accounting application needs for restaurants. Restaurant accounting systems need to "address two categories: kitchen operations and POS. These programs can map the costs of "kitchen operations, inventory control, recipe and menu costing". The accounting software is usually integrated with POS for a seamless solution. There seem to be many options for businesses to have detailed, comprehensive, and complete accounting overview of their operations. Utilizing integrated accounting software would allow managers to quickly analyze ways to save money, what needs improvement, and to understand their basic financial reports.
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Virtually There: Property Management Systems Expand Far Beyond Their Original Scope-and... - 0 views

www.hospitalityupgrade.com/...magazine_Detail-ID-511.asp property management systems clouds scope
shared by Ashley Reed on 18 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Many vendors have also expanded their coverage into revenue management, sales and catering, spa/golf/activities and so on, within their own software and/or by interfacing to specialized systems from other vendors.
  • a search for a system (or system set) with much broader capabilities.  These usually include marketing, multiproperty reservations, distribution channel management and coverage of every aspect of the guest experience, both on and off property. 
  • Property management systems (PMSs) have been fundamental software in every hotel for decades
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  • As more guest and operating information needs to be captured and managed, many hotels and resorts need multiple other systems to complement the PMS. However, the more applications are required, the greater the amount of computer room hardware needed to run them and the more complex the support requirements become. 
  • Cloud computing takes virtual server tools one stage further, using them to allocate the resources of vast numbers of servers quickly and flexibly among many different companies’ needs
  •   Further, the on-demand flexibility means that hoteliers no longer need to worry about buying and implementing more hardware resources as their businesses grow; they just call up the cloud vendor and ask for it to be allocated.
  • Data storage is another factor,
  • toring all this data on cloud-based servers is cheaper than continually expanding on-site storage, though of course selection of a trusted, secure vendor for the cloud is even more important.
  • There’s one link between the PMS and the revenue management system, one to S&C, one to the GDSs and Web booking sites, and so on, not one per system per property.  Traditional remotely hosted approaches do outsource the support and security issues but can’t provide the economy-of-scale savings nor the flexibility of clouds.
  • Alternatively, since many cloud-based systems are accessed via Web browsers it’s also possible to use 3G (and soon 4G) high-speed cell phone connections to access them if the Internet or other main communications line goes down. 
  • The best approach, though, is to keep a copy of enough critical data on property at all times so that operations can continue even if connection is lost completely.
  • Traditional PMS functionality is still the essential core at every property.  By tracking and managing all aspects of guests’ stays, it’s both a source and collection point for the crucial activity and preference information that forms the basis of all future relationships with them, on and off site.
  • At the same time, the move to cloud-based architecture makes all of these combinations simpler to create, implement and support.
  • Ashley Reed on 29 Sep 12
     
    The author attributes a growth in 'hotel complexity' that is driving the need for a change with traditional PMS systems and the limits of their capabilities. According to the article, the current PMS system is unsustainable and will need to evolve to meet client's demands- such as cloud computing, which is highlighted as being beneficial to hotels especially with regards to flexibility, better security, speed of implementation, etc. The pros and cons of cloud computing are clearly described, the cons mainly being loss of connectivity and security breaching. Although traditional PMS are essential for most hotels, cloud computing could put them at a competitive edge.
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IATA Offers Views of GDS, Agents and Distribution - 0 views

www.travelagentcentral.com/...-agents-and-distribution-33825 GDS
shared by Irina Stepanenko on 21 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • “Technology with origins dating back to the 1960s, such as that imposed upon travel agencies by the GDS middlemen, simply cannot support the nature of the data required to provide accurate, dynamic price quotes consistent with the way consumers are buying travel today,"
  • But at least 50 percent of the world’s flights continue to be sold through travel agencies, which rely on global distribution systems (GDSs) to display and compare airline products. And the areas of comparison are limited to some very basic metrics such as price, time, and routing—just as they were four decades ago.
  • "Although GDSs have made an invaluable contribution to the industry and made global distribution possible, a GDS screen today looks much like a screen from the 1970s. They are unable to handle the rapidly increasing range of product offerings from airlines."
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  • There is a real challenge in getting these new products and services to the customers in the way they now want to purchase them while legacy carriers are still using the old structures and networks they relied on in the past.”
  • “Airlines are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the types of product they are offering and consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their purchase decisions. The frustration is that these trends are being stymied by the outdated systems of the GDSs.”
  • It is important that US legislators and federal regulators recognize that as monopoly suppliers, GDSs have no incentive to innovate in order to allow passengers to purchase the airline services that meet their particular needs,
  • Ashley Reed on 21 Sep 12
     
    The limits of GDS's are discussed in this article, as well as the lack of initiative of the big 4 GDS's to adopt and develop newer and more updated systems because of their prevalence in travel. According to the article, the face of the GDS systems look nearly the same as they did in the 1970s, and the airlines systems are not up-to-date enough to meet consumer demands. The author points to consumer trends in the demand for personalization, package variety, and simply the desire for more packages.
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Hotel operators step up their green initiatives - Travel Weekly - 0 views

www.travelweekly.com/...tels-step-up-green-initiatives
shared by Patty Ferrer on 30 Aug 12 - No Cached
  • MGM Resorts is among an expanding number of hotel operators looking to capitalize on growing environmental awareness among travelers by getting their hotel owner-developers to invest in systems that cut energy usage, save water and reduce waste.
  • The trend in consumer green consciousness has grown important enough among travelers that Sabre Holdings, one of the world's largest GDS operators, has taken notice. Last month, Sabre launched its Eco-Certified Hotel Program, making it what the company claimed was the first GDS to break out a list of "environmentally responsible accommodations."
  • MGM Resorts has cut its electricity usage by an amount that could power more than 12,000 homes.
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  • Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah's Entertainment) set a goal of cutting its carbon emissions by 10% between 2007 and 2013. So far, the Las Vegas-based company has replaced 65,000 halogen light bulbs with LED bulbs, which use about 90% less electricity, and has recycled more than 60,000 pounds of soap for Clean the World, a nonprofit that sanitizes the soap and sends it to low-income areas of the U.S.
  • Ashley Reed on 21 Sep 12
     
    Travel Weekly takes a look at hotels taking real initiatives to their commitment to going green, especially in Sin City. Hotel groups are looking not to save money through transparent initiatives asking guests to simply reuse their towels, rather the article looks at "hotel owner-developers to invest in systems that cut energy usage, save water, and reduce waste". It seems in addition to other environmentally conscious west coast cities, Vegas has set a standard by setting goals for increased recycling, decreased energy consumption, switching over to LED bulbs, composting food waste, reducing overall carbon footprint and emissions. In light of continuing green development, Sabre Holdings has launched an Eco-Certified Hotel Program taking the lead out of the other four major GDS's to tip their hat to eco-friendly hotels. As travelers, GDS's, hotels, travel websites, and developers alike place greater emphasis on the preference for environmentally conscious lodgings, the more likely the industry is going to continue adopting these measures.
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Three companies partner for hotel technology packages | Hotel Management - 1 views

www.hotelmanagement.net/...otel-technology-packages-16974 Phone System AutoClerk Technology PhoneSuite
shared by Linfan Cai on 05 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Offering both cloud-based and premise-based property management solutions, AutoClerk’s software can accommodate corporate hotels, B&Bs, resorts, condos or timeshare hotels. In addition, they produce Point-of-Sale (POS) software and systems to manage marinas.
  • Voiceware by PhoneSuite is a server-based hotel phone system capable of running both administrative and guest room SIP phones, as well as standard, inexpensive, analog guest and common area phones. It can be hosted “in the cloud” as a service, or locally on a premise-based server.
  • new features such as group affiliation with voice message broadcast, voice mail and wakeup prompts (using the guest’s native language), and Interactive Voice Response (IVR)-based guest checkout are possible using PhoneSuite’s new Voiceware platform.
  • Ashley Reed on 05 Sep 12
     
    The partnership of AutoClerk, Inc., Technology At Work, and PhoneSuite is changing the approach to technology packages for hotels. This technology addresses the issues of solely-based cloud based solutions by additionally offering "premise-based property management solutions". Its application for property management and phone systems is most compelling. The software extends its use to smaller boutique hotels, B&Bs, and larger corporate hotels with its variety in package solutions. For international guests, the use of Interactive Voice Response allows for the use of their own native language, tailoring the hotel experience to the individual and group needs.
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Urbanspoon Unveils Rezbook "Right Now" - Yahoo! Finance - 1 views

finance.yahoo.com/...ils-rezbook-now-170100112.html software urbanspoon rezbooks restaurants reservations
shared by Ashley Reed on 29 Aug 12 - No Cached
  • Now" for Urbanspoon Rezbook, enabling diners to view immediate table availability at their favorite restaurants, both for reservations and walk-ins.
  • new functionality gives diners the immediate gratification of securing a table when they want it, and accessing table availability at a broader pool of restaurants that may not take reservations or have heavy walk-in and waitlist traffic.
  • Restaurants have a unique opportunity to market open inventory that's never been available to them before."
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  • Real-time availability: The new functionality enables consumers to view current availability and book a table at their favorite restaurants, or a new restaurant they want to try
  • Waitlist: If users are interested in a restaurant that does not take reservations, they can now learn how long the wait is, and how many diners are on the list ahead of them Restaurant marketing tool: "Right Now" provides a new tool for restaurants to push out and market new inventory to diners on the go Availability bar: Diner
  • s can view restaurant availability in aggregate, with table inventory automatically populating a bar marked "Tables Available Right Now," on the Urbanspoon iPhone app home screen; Restaurants can easily flip the switch on and off to publish information about their wait list, including walk-in availability and wait times
  • Ashley Reed on 29 Aug 12
     
    The article, Urbanspoon Unveils Rezbook "Right Now", highlights a new chapter in online reservation resources available to customers on their home computers or their smart phones. Urbanspoon's new application rivals Open Table. The "Right Now" feature allows guests to view what restaurants in their area have open tables, make reservations 'right now', view current wait times, and amount of guests in front of them. This allows restaurants to reach a market they might not have before and can provide them with new business. The goal of restaurants is to turn first-time guests into regulars, and Rezbooks is a great way to introduce new guests to your establishment. Not only can they reserve or find a table online, guests can also directly rate the restaurant and post details on their dining experience. This enables restaurants to get immediate feedback (positive or negative), especially since the application is readily available from smart phones. The new Urbanspoon application can work to provide new business while streamlining the seating process. For instance, even if a restaurant offers a 15-minute grace period for seating, to the diner they have conveniently jumped ahead of the wait in an otherwise busy setting. In our world of instant gratification, Urbanspoon's "Right Now" seems to fit in just right.
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