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Contents contributed and discussions participated by espence13

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How Technology Is Changing the Events Industry - 1 views

  • The events industry has come a long way since its inception, due to a variety of factors, but mostly because of significant technological advances. These days, technology is driving every sector due to its fast-paced ability to get things done. And the events industry is no stranger to this fact. In recent years the ticketing landscape is almost unrecognizable. With new technological trends, and mind-boggling innovations paving the industry, it’s no wonder that there has been a huge evolution.
  • One of the most significant trends emerging is the use of mobile ticketing. Meaning, events will become cashless and paperless.
  • However, as mentioned above, mobile ticketing is opening the doors to a ticket scanning entry system for all attendees, and with that event organizers can gather data using big data technology, and use it to create a more targeted marketing strategy. Venues can invest in big data companies. By investing in their software, venues and event organizers can easily collect, process, and analyze data in a hassle-free manner. Ultimately, this frees up their time to repurpose their efforts on marketing various events
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  • VR technology has been all the hype lately, so it’s no shock that it’ll be changing the game in the ticketing industry. As of right now, VR is introducing the possibility of obtaining a 360˚interactive experience from their chosen seat before even stepping into a stadium.In the future, VR is expected to evolve live events completely, by removing the need for physical attendance. This will open up events to event goers that otherwise cannot attend due to expensive prices. People will be able to participate in a VR viewing of the live event – for a smaller price. Meaning, consumers have more opportunities to attend their favorite events without the fear of missing out.
  • New technologies at their core, are introducing simple solutions to problems that venues and organizers may face while creating unimagined stress-free experiences for fans that ooze fun and excitement.
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    Various technologies make it easier for event managers to organize great conferences and meetings. For some time now, event planners have been using technology to some extent; however, the use of event management technology is increasing with more applications that can be used. The introduction of event management tools has made it easier for event managers to do their work. There are so many event management apps that you can use to simplify how you plan for any type of event. These apps can help you better plan events so that everything goes as planned. Event management technologies can help to enhance the experience of attendees. Technology makes the work of an event manager easier and allows them to focus on the main parts of an event. It helps in all aspects ranging from attendee satisfaction to project management.
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Marriott Hotels: Series Of Data Breaches Reveals Lack Of Security Awareness - 0 views

  • The data breach hitting Marriott Hotels Group was huge. The joint-second largest to have ever taken place, in fact, after Yahoo’s disastrous 2013 breach (and on par with Yahoo’s 2014 breach). While the amount of data that was taken from Starwood Hotels’ reservation systems (a company acquired by Marriott in 2016) was vast, what’s most staggering is the fact the breach went undetected for four years, and an acquisition also took place but the alarm still wasn’t raised. Since news originally broke of the release, it’s also been revealed that the hotel group’s own security team was hit by an attack in June 2017. Clearly something has gone amiss.
  • The issue is compounded by the fact that security is still not high enough up the list of priorities for business leaders. Despite well-known organizations frequently hitting the headlines for data breaches (in 2018 alone we’ve had Ticketmaster, Quora, British Airways, Under Armour and plenty more) and a ‘when not if’ warning  being peddled by the security industry for years, many businesses still haven't got to grips with just how critical proper security is. The fact that reviewing security may not have been part of the acquisition process of Starwood by Marriott – and if it was, not well enough – is further evidence of this apparent blindness to the impact of poor security. So, what’s going wrong? A research report from security company Bromium earlier this year suggested that the average large enterprise spends $16.7 million per annum on security, with the vast majority found to be on ‘the human cost of maintaining cyber security systems’. While most firms clearly aren’t 2,000 people sized enterprises, the research provides a good indication that spending on security isn’t the issue. Instead, it’s people.
  • We need to look at different approaches to skills development and, in many ways, imitate cyber criminals themselves who are continually iterating ideas to solve problems, rewarding perseverance and curiosity as well as encouraging further development. The ‘white hats’ need to approach their roles the same way – not rely on what they heard in a classroom six months previously.
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    The recent cyberattack at Marriott International Inc. has many hoteliers wondering what are the legal and business risks associated with security attacks? The recent breach at Marriott further proves the point that businesses should prepare now or be willing to pay for it later. In November 2018, the Bethesda, MD-based hotel company revealed there had been unauthorized access to the Starwood guest reservation database, which contained guest information relating to reservations at Starwood properties on or before Sept. 10, 2018. Businesses face a multitude of risk when looking at the potential consequences resulting from a cyberattack or breach. As we've seen recently with the Marriott breach, there can be significant impact to brand equity in the marketplace. This impact can be far reaching for publicly traded businesses, resulting in material impacts to businesses and business valuation, and long-term impact to user adoption. In addition to the downside risk from the market, businesses must also mount expensive defenses against litigation that increasingly takes the form of class actions. Reputation is important in every trade but is especially important in the hospitality industry. This, coupled with the fact that consumers are becoming more sensitive to privacy and security related issues, means that businesses in the hospitality industry must manage against these types of risk and allocate appropriate levels of funding toward information security. What should hoteliers learn from the Marriott breach? Pay attention. Marriott was aware that there was a potential issue shortly after it acquired Starwood, but did not, apparently, investigate in detail. Marriott may not have created the problem, but it bought the problem and didn't treat it with the seriousness that was necessary.
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Revenue Management : From the Perspective of the Hotel Industry - 0 views

  • In the hotel and hospitality industry, it is believed that the ideal revenue management is to sell the right room to the right client at the right moment at the right price on the right distribution channel with the best commission efficiency.
  • Today, every bit of data about your room occupancy a couple of years ago can be scrutinized against the specific date and season to determine why you sold your room at that price. And compare it with today's trend and determine the actual cost of the room you should be selling at.
  • Big hotel chains like Marriot were the first ones to understand value and implement the concept of revenue management decades ago. Today, especially in Asia, the developing economies are at a cusp of a technological revolution.
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  • Where cutting edge tech startups and companies in the hospitality industry have tremendous cloud computing power and have built world beating revenue management systems.These systems don't just crunch numbers and generate reports, but they are built on technologies such as AI and Machine Learning to give you, the hotel owner the best possible set of data analysis, to help you make the right decisions.
  • oday we already have the technology to help hotel owners carefully analyze in-house data such as past occupancy rates, general sales, customer segmentation, market share information, and customer satisfaction to name a few. However, external influences such as past weather conditions, holiday seasons, nearby competitors and their prices to name a few are also being analyzed for better price determination.
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    "The Future of Revenue Management " Hotel revenue management is moving front and centre of the overarching business model for many hotels, and this trend is only set to rise further. Revenue management undergoes constant change, more so than other departments. This is because it is rooted in technological capability. Technology will continue to evolve and more sophisticated methods of guest analysis will come to the fore, as revenue managers keep searching for ways of becoming more competitive. This constant change has contributed in large part to the expanding roles that today's hotel revenue manager is charged with carrying out. After all, it is through inventive marketing strategies that hotels can generate business. Ecommerce, social media, client engagement and relationship management have all become central to the revenue manager's job in order to drive business. The hotel sector is probably more competitive than ever before. Hotels aren't only competing with their cross-town rivals, but inter-city and even international counterparts. Online travel agencies, the rise of hostels, and high guest demands make the industry even more competitive. So, hotels are turning to guest analytics; and new technology is making efficient analysis that produces unique, valuable insights possible.
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How The Cloud Improves Hotel POS Software Integrations - 0 views

  • Integration of core hotel systems is key to streamlining operations with many experts and operators agreeing that a good distribution system and proper channel-management integration are some of the most important integrations into a PMS.
  • A cloud based PMS offers hoteliers much greater flexibility: built to run on the internet, with open API capabilities, it integrates much easier, faster and more effective than their local-server alternatives.
  • A key hotel system that should be integrated with your hotel PMS is the hotel point-of-sale(POS) outlets. Hotels can have multiple on-property points-of-sale like a restaurant(s), gift shop or spa all of which can be strong revenue earners for hoteliers but they also add another layer of complexity to daily operations.
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  • But with a cloud based PMS integrated with the hotel point-of-sale (POS) system this process is automated.  Guests may purchase items or services from the various POS and the charges will be billed directly to their rooms. The process of keeping track of charging guests for onsite purchases and the updating the guest folio is no longer an manual issue. A hotel PMS and POS integration simplifies operations, efficiency and accuracy, for both the hotel and the guests.
  • Attention to detail is what matters when it comes to guest experience and billing inaccuracies can be a source of frustration for guests. By eliminating errors via automation, hoteliers can help to ensure a smooth process and a pleasant guest experience upon check-out. Integration removes complexity, allows for streamlined processes, increased operational efficiency, greater accuracy and improve guest experience. With a cloud based PMS and hotel point-of-sale integration, hoteliers can focus more on going above and beyond in guest service and increasing revenues.
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    Integration of core hotel systems is key to streamlining operations property-wide. In the past, integrating legacy hotel systems was a complicated, lengthy and expensive process, but these days, through open APIs, common Web standards and rapid innovation, cloud based technology is paving the way to easier, faster and more effective system integration, empowering hotels to improve efficiency and share data across departments for a deeper understanding of guests and the market. For lodging operators, on-property points of sale like a restaurant, gift shop or spa add another layer of complexity to daily operations, but a simple interface between the property management system (PMS) and point-of-sale (POS) system can save hoteliers significant time and increase billing accuracy for more satisfied guests and improved revenue.
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About Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and Travel - 0 views

  • Global distribution systems (GDSs) are computerized networks/platforms that centralize services and provide travel-related transactions. They cover everything from airline tickets, to car rentals, to hotel rooms, and more. Global distribution systems were originally set up for use by the airlines but were later extended to travel agents. Today, the systems allow users to purchase tickets from multiple different providers or airlines. Global distribution systems are also the back end of most Internet-based travel services.
  • To see how global distribution systems work, take a closer look at one of the largest—Amadeus. Amadeus was created in 1987 as a joint venture between Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa, and SAS and has grown considerably over the past twenty-five years.
  • There's no doubt that global distribution systems will play an important part in the travel landscape for many years to come, but their traditional role is changing and being challenged by all the changes taking place in the travel industry. Two important considerations impacting the role of global distribution systems are the growth of online travel websites that offer price comparisons and the increased push from airlines and other travel service providers to encourage consumers to make bookings directly via their websites.
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  • While such changes will definitely impact the future growth opportunities for global distribution systems, there will continue to be a role for them as they evolve to meet the needs of travel planners, travel websites, airlines and groups of individuals.
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    Global Distribution System (GDS) is a system operated by an organization that empowers automated exchanges between travel specialist organizations for mainly airlines, lodgings and vehicle rental organizations and travel agencies. Travel agencies generally depended on GDS for administrations, products and rates so as to provision travel related administrations to the end consumers. A GDS can connect services, rates and bookings uniting items and services over every one of the three travel segments: i.e., aircraft reservations, hotel reservations, vehicle rentals. The biggest global distribution framework is Amadeus. GDS is not the same as a PC reservations framework, which is a reservation framework utilized by the specialist organizations also known as vendors. Essential clients of GDS are travel specialists both online and office-based to reserve spot on different reservation frameworks kept running by the sellers. GDS holds no inventory; the inventory is hung on the merchant's reservation framework itself. A GDS framework will have constant connect to the merchant's database. For instance, when a travel office asks for a reservation on the administration of a specific carrier organization, the GDS framework courses the demand to the proper aircraft's PC reservations framework. This empowers a travel specialist with an association with a solitary GDS to pick and book different flights, lodgings, exercises and related administrations on every one of the merchants working in a similar course who are part of that GDS network. There's no uncertainty that global distribution frameworks will have an imperative influence in the travel landscape for a long time to come, yet their conventional job is changing and being tested by every one of the progressions occurring in the travel business. While such changes will affect the future development open doors for global distribution frameworks, there will keep on being a job for them as they advance to address the issue
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Eric Lundgren, 'e-waste' recycling innovator, faces prison for trying to extend life sp... - 0 views

  • Eric Lundgren is obsessed with recycling electronics.
  • He built an electric car out of recycled parts that far outdistanced a Tesla in a  test. He launched what he thinks is the first “electronic hybrid recycling” facility in the United States, which turns discarded cellphones and other electronics into functional devices, slowing the stream of harmful chemicals and metals into landfills and the environment. His California-based company processes more than 41 million pounds of e-waste each year and counts IBM, Motorola and Sprint among its clients.
  • But an idea Lundgren had to prolong the life of personal computers could land him in prison.
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  • Prosecutors said the 33-year-old ripped off Microsoft by manufacturing 28,000 counterfeit discs with the company’s Windows operating system on them. He was convicted of conspiracy and copyright infringement, which brought a 15-month prison sentence and a $50,000 fine.
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    You may perceive the name Eric Lundgren. In 2017, he was everywhere throughout the news for making a $13,000 DIY electric vehicle with a 380 or more mile extend, effectively besting a Tesla. His LA-based organization worked in overseeing e-waste from regular electronic gadgets like cell phones and PCs. He's committed a huge number of hours to recuperating batteries, engines, and circuits from disposed of things reuse in wheelchairs, vehicles, or even different PCs. At 19, he began an organization to refurbish and offer PCs given to him by corporate customers like Dell, Asus, and Lenovo. At the point when a PC is sold or scrapped the Windows license accompanying it is legitimately transferrable to the new proprietor, making reestablishing non-working PCs and exchanging them a generally simple process. With a real Windows license, everything necessary is introducing the working framework from a reestablish circle and connecting the license key to demonstrate it's a legitimate install. The license key was frequently shown on a sparkly sticker along the edge or base of a PC. The certificate of realness, and the license key, is all you'd have to authentically introduce a working rendition of Windows on a non-running device. Those that didn't have the sticker, Lundgren told the Los Angeles Times, he rejected, pitching the parts to be utilized in different machines. Yet, it's here that Lundgren kept running into inconvenience. In the wake of aggregating exactly 28,000 restore discs, similar discs that used to come included with a bought PC, in any event before makers began getting rid of optical drives, Lundgren endeavored to dispatch them to his accomplice, for use in reestablishing non-working gadgets. After Microsoft and Dell caught wind of the plan, Lundgren was issued an indictment and fines
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Hotel property management systems you should know about - 0 views

  • Automating daily operations and administrative tasks is an important part of achieving customer satisfaction as it helps provide reliable and quality service time after time. A hotel is a complex system that encompasses the activities of many departments, and every operation must be tracked. For this purpose, hoteliers utilise various tools including spreadsheets, paper forms, and unified property management systems. In this article, we’ll talk about property management systems (PMSs) that handle reservations, front- and back-office operations, channel management, and more. You’ll learn about the main functions of PMSs, compare products available from different providers, and receive recommendations on how to choose the most suitable system for your hospitality business.
  • A property management system (PMS) is software that facilitates a hotel’s reservation management and administrative tasks. The most important functions include front-desk operations, reservations, channel management, housekeeping, rate and occupancy management, and payment processing.
  • Technologies in the hospitality industry constantly develop, offering new functions and modules to optimise daily operations. A well-chosen PMS can improve service by making check-in and check-out processes smoother, automating housekeeping, and supporting the creation of a guest profile to provide guests with special offers and further information about the hotel.
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    A hotel PMS is a solution developed explicitly to supplant those complex Excel sheets utilized to deal with day by day hotel bookings, room inventories, charging, and so on. PMS is an abbreviation for Property Management System. There is an immense measure of PMS suppliers accessible on the web, and you can discover them by completing a basic Google search. The PMS helps manage the hotels day by day activities for example invoicing, room inventories, housekeeping, registration, check-out, and so on. A hotel PMS will enable you to computerize repeating errands, for example, refreshing rates and room inventories, sending messages prior and upon arrival, invoices, altering and editing reports.
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