2. Before a crisis: Have a Risk Management Process in place

A Risk Management Process aims to reduce the uncertainties of actions taken during a crisis. It is important to have this is place in advance, so that your organisation is well prepared for unexpected events that may happen in future.

Establish the context

Identify the risks

Know who your stakeholders are

Analyse and evaluate risks

Analysing risks involves determining the likelihood of a crisis occurring and their possible consequences, from insignificant up to catastrophic. Understanding which possible crisis would have the most negative impact will enable you to decide on the priority course of action.

Treat risks

Communicate and Consult

Being visible and keeping in touch with your stakeholders is one of the most important factors of risk management, and it must be done on a continuous basis in all stages, before, during and after a crisis.

No two crises are the same, and some destinations will be more susceptible to particular crises than others. You should carry out a risk analysis, drawing up a list of crises that might happen based on those that have occurred in your region/country in the past and may happen again.

ou should revisit your website regularly and publish the most recent information about the impact a crisis is having on your destination/region.

Use your website and social media to keep in touch

Draw up a list of your stakeholders to get a clear overview, so you can ensure they are included in all correspondence you issue.

It is really important to date your website communications, so that users can be sure they are receiving the most up-to-date information.

Monitor and review

Crises are often fast-moving; situations tend to be highly changeable and can be volatile. This means that current processes, plans or procedures that you have in place to deal with a crisis should be regularly reviewed and updated. Your plan should be flexible and dynamic, so that you can adapt easily to the changing situation when a crisis happens.

Training and testing

Once you have formulated your Risk Management Plan, you must train your staff and test the plan.

3. During the crisis: Follow these four steps

Once a company is in the middle of a crisis, the first thing to do is to understand the situation as best you can and understand the impact it can have on your organisation. This is a continual process as one of the characteristics of a crisis is that it’s always changing, and the effects on your business will also constantly shift.

1. Mitigation

Mitigation refers to the initial actions that the company that is directly in the face of the crisis or emergency needs to carry out. These are the first steps that need to be taken to protect the ones in the immediate line of fire – teams, customers, suppliers, industry partners and finances.

2. Preparedness

he mitigation stage of the crisis management could be a very short process or a long, drawn-out process, depending on the immediate effect of the crisis on your business. At the same time, the process to start preparing the business for this particular crisis can be key to the next stages of Response and Recovery.

3. Response

The majority of crisis management lies in the response to the crisis. All the preparation you have already done to protect the company and its assets will help you in the response stage.

4. Recovery

It is difficult to know when the Response phase becomes the Recovery phase. However, it is clear that, while you are on the road to Recovery, you should to continue to follow the steps you established in the Emergency Response Plan. As in the previous steps, you should be continuously refining and updating the plan, based on the current situation. Flexibility during the Recovery phase continues to be important. Your organisation may look different following all the changes you may have made as a result of the crisis, and your markets may also have changed.

To understand planners’ goals and expectations for the event they’re tasked with creating, let’s start with the basics. Events generally are categorized by size, purpose, and type — all of which are increasingly dependent on a technology footprint and a digital experience.

3. What makes an event: size

Understanding the basic mechanics around an event can help clarify the planner’s approach, and improve communication.

"Simple" Events

Defined as small, repeatable meetings with “simple” requirements such as basic audio/visual facilities, these events are usually limited to 100 or fewer participants.

Midsize Events

Larger meetings rely on technology, and require a robust marketing effort to attract attendees. Planners handling these more complicated events want fully branded websites, advanced registration options, and the ability to send targeted emails to their various attendee segments.

Small Events

The number depends on the area, but as a general rule a small meeting is between 100 and 250 attendees.

Forty-three percent of planners in Cvent’s Planner Sourcing Report cited live music and entertainment as their top strategy for building memorable experiences.

Planners tasked with arranging large-scale events need an array of solutions that help manage cost and risk, optimize the experience, and measure business impact — including ROI. 

4. What makes an event: point and purpose

One can only imagine the chaos of a meeting without a point or purpose!

For venue managers, understanding the purpose of an event is critical in helping planners design the right experience, from registration to conference space needs and room management.

For Profit

The key is in keeping costs as low as possible without sacrificing the experience.

Corporate

Planners arranging a corporate event will likely need help driving attendance to sessions, generating leads, and tracking ROI.

Membership Growth

Associations and consumer groups rely on member events to raise funds and recruit new members. So it makes sense that planners are acutely interested in driving attendance.

5. What makes an event: the experience

The popularity of events is due to the quality of the experience — one that’s a good measure more than a speech and a presentation.

1. Why events matter

Live Entertainment

A Quality Keynote Experience

There’s also an emerging desire for shorter sessions and more interaction with the expert — before and after the keynote. Perhaps most of all, keynote speakers must be able to use real-world examples to support their data.

Food and Beverage

The trends underscore a preference for locally-sourced and creative, exotic cuisine. Consider that more attendees have dietary restrictions, requiring hotels and caterers to be accommodating and flexible.

6. What makes an event: technology that puts everything together

Innovations such as virtual reality grab the headlines, and for good reason: according to a Consumer Technology Association survey in 2017, 77% of U.S. consumers are interested in purchasing VR equipment.

Branded Websites

Websites that promote the brand to attendees also create anticipation for the coming event experience. More practically, these websites help ease registration, check-in, and more.

Room Block Management

Venue managers who expect planners to use spreadsheets to manage room blocks risk losing business.

Digital Check-in Desks

Digital signs, self-service check-in kiosks and on- demand badging are increasingly expected as part of a smooth and easy event registration experience.

Real-Time Surveys

Branded Mobile Event Apps

This technology can expand the influence of the event to at-home registrants, and is effective at showcasing event space to planners.

Data Dashboards

We all prefer our mobile devices, and that doesn't change during an event. Attendees want instant access to agendas, updates, and networking.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Chatbots are popular with planners and hoteliers because they provide answers in real-time, and do so without much staff oversight.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

RFID makes it easier for planners to collect data, such as surveys and session attendance.

7. What makes an event: technology in the moment

Today, exceptional experiences also include a healthy amount of technology. From easing a time-consuming process, enhancing a stay or improving the level of interest or interaction with a topic, technology is at the forefront of helping planners create exceptional in-event experiences

To put it simply: if your guests are sitting idle and passively listening, then their energy and engagement is sure to decrease.” The great opportunity is to instill a sense of excitement and enthusiasm in your events through the connective power of technology.

Websites: It’s not just for registration. A good event website can drive engagement before, during, and after the event through interactive content, video and images.

Room Block Management: Helping every participant register quickly and efficiently gets the event off to a great start; it’s also a great way to offer upgrades and package offers to attendees

Virtual Reality (VR):

At-a-glance analytics provide quick insights that can help optimize events and offerings.

Augmented Reality (AR): Digital interaction is the name of the game, and that's exactly what AR does: Have attendees use their phones to transform your venue with visual effects.

Beacons: Few solutions are better at connecting events and mobile devices. Period. At events, Beacons improve communication, push updates, and promote targeted content — all through Bluetooth.  

Planner Expectations Around Technology

Technology has indelibly changed the hospitality industry. Professionals on both sides of the meetings and events ecosystem — planner and supplier — now expect technology to power their events and increase efficiency.

The Value of Technology

That finding reflects an emerging requirement for venue managers to stay abreast of the application of technology in order to provide a best-in-class experience for planners. Some of the significant benefits planners and hoteliers can expect to achieve include improved engagement, increased revenue, an improvement in managing costs, and greater ROI insights.

After the Event: What Attendees and Planners Want

Event attendees are also hotel guests. So, in addition to their expectations for a memorable event, they’re also looking for amenities and options during off-hours.

Doing that takes more than spa services and local tour packages. By keeping the connection alive, there’s an opportunity to build an ongoing relationship. This makes it easier for planners to return to your venue for the next event.

Put your hospitality management professional learnings into practice

With all that goes into an event – the sourcing, logistics, and managing of hundreds of issues – what most planners want is for attendees to walk away satisfied and rewarded for spending time at the event. Post-event special touches, from a relaxing spa treatment to a simple survey and “thank you,” send them on their way with an unforgettable final impression

significant introductions with regard to guest-facing apps, and apps focused exclusively to enhance the guest experience, the untold value in mobile apps, for the operator, is behind the curtain.

Mobile app reporting not only streamlines efficiencies and allows easier access to data, it also allows today’s hotelier to be more agile.

interact with and enhance the guest experience by being more available and more attentive on the floor. Removing the chains and restrictions of the desktop and expediting report compilation, hoteliers can truly begin to refocus on delivering the best experience possible without worrying about becoming mired in the weeds of business ineffeciencies.

Predictive analytics and forecasting tools will continue to allow management teams to better anticipate and adjust decisions to meet future guest needs without sacrificing bottom-line results.

Good data supports good management. As more guests tap into hotel apps on the front end, hoteliers can track, analyze and adjust their offerings on the backend to meet guests’ needs, all while supporting a business synergy and strategy that makes sense.

Automation

managers will need to access an array of critical information on-the-fly, from in-house guest preferences to upcoming reservations, restaurant volumes, spa bookings and so forth—with automatic alerts set up that notify staff members when there’s a deviation from the plan related to forecasts or scheduling changes.

Increased automation will remove manual workloads and streamline processes. Putting the right industry-specific accounting software in place will be a game-changer for hotels looking to pinpoint inefficiencies and significantly reduce expenses across property lines.

Analytics

Smart operators will seek out the most versatile technology on the market to collect and store information through data warehousing, which enhances data mining, analytics reporting, decision support and business forecasting. These capabilities will result in increased efficiencies, reduction of expenses and improvement of overall performance and profitability.

Over the next five years, the advantages of having a big data strategy will be infinite. Hoteliers who decide to apply big data in a meaningful way will reap the rewards in every facet of their business, from sales and marketing to guest satisfaction. On a micro level, big data will help property managers faced with countless day-to-day decisions make more informed choices on the floor, from keeping track of labor expenses to assessing the cost of a new light fixture. Using consistent data monitoring and evaluation, hotel teams will be able to deliver a higher level of service while making informed strides every day.

Technology and Labor

Effective labor management technology can help proactively notify management when there’s an issue and eliminate overtime before it happens to ensure that guest satisfaction remains high while balancing profitability. Mobile and dashboard data related to key functions that consume labor will become the GM’s best friend.

finally—partnering with a hotel-specific provider will continue to be invaluable for hoteliers to speed up their internal processes, minimize investment, reduce errors, and increase overall performance to make more informed decisions on the horizon

The Real Difference Between Cloud POS and Traditional POS

all of the data is stored on a local server at the business. That means the business owner or manager must be present at the physical location to view reports, make changes to the menu, or any other task involving the point of sale software.

DatabaseDatabase selections were limited. You had Visual Basic, C++, or Delphi to develop in. POS software companies had to pick a database structure and wrap their entire product around it.

Programming LanguageThe software company’s developers had to pick a programming language and standardize it across the entire application.

Operating SystemAn Operating System (OS) had to be chosen to execute the tasks and commands of the software. At the time, Windows was the only OS with meaningful market share and the reason why many legacy systems were built using Windows.

Cloud POS solutions have had a very different evolution. Most started as tech companies with zero customers, no legacy source code or database, and little knowledge of the industry they were trying to serve. That lack of knowledge regarding the mission-critical nature of a POS system is a big reason why some of the young cloud POS offerings haven’t gained traction in much more than a juice bar or niche boutique. Not to mention, their customer support often leaves a lot to be desired.

When it comes to cloud POS architecture, POS data is stored on a hosted server in a remote location (“the cloud”) and accessed via an internet connection.

Everything is web-based and app-driven these days, so using a web browser to run your back office from anywhere certainly makes more sense than physically going to the store and sitting down in front of the computer. Cloud POS systems also eliminated the in-store server configuration leveraged by legacy software and replaced it with a cheaper, easy-to-manage server in an offsite datacenter.

The Hybrid Approach With Future POS

Future POS has put their efforts into transitioning their database and creating a web-based (cloud) back office, so business owners and managers have the best of both worlds. The stability, reliability, and feature-rich software along with the real operational freedom that comes with cloud technology.

New Distribution Capability (NDC) is a new technology created by IATA to streamline the airline distribution process.

It's an XML-based communication standard originally developed by Farelogix in 2010 to create direct connections between airlines and third party distributors.

This was standardized in 2012 by IATA to replace the old EDIFACT messaging standard, which global distribution systems (GDSs) rely on.

NDC was orginally created as a way to bypass the GDS providers, but slowly these providers have become more involved in the process. The basic idea is that NDC is supposed to give indirect distribution channels, such as GDS and metasearch, the same capabilities as an airline’s website.

Who's Involved in NDC?

There are several different players involved in the NDC process: travel agents, airlines, aggregators and IT providers.

Travel agents and airlines are straightforward. The aggregators are the different intermediaries involved in communicating the travel agent's request to different airlines.

IT providers are responsible for integrating NDC into the airline’s IT infrastructure.

The integration layer method is less complicated, and companies such as Openjaw, Farelogix, and Paxport have created solutions by sitting above the airline’s PSS.

third party distribution process works as follows when a traveler needs to reach their destination at a certain time and price:

The traveler goes to their travel agent who then queries the GDS system.The GDS pulls information about schedules and fares from a third party. The GDS builds the offer, then goes to the airline to get information about availability. When the offer is available, the information is relayed back to the travel agent and passenger who can then see the airline, price and schedule.

In a complete NDC solution, the process goes like this:

A travel agent will create a shopping request which will be sent to an aggregator. The aggregator will then create an offer request to be sent out directly to airlines. The airlines will then determine a product that fits the offer.

Third Party Distribution Today and Under NDC

According to IATA, this process will eliminate confusion over what's included in the offer. It will also be able to simplify the airline ticketing process.

How Can NDC Be Implemented?

wo recommended ways

One is by integrating directly to the airline passenger service system (PSS), the other is an integration layer outside of the PSS.

The product is sent back to the travel agent through the aggregator and the offer will "evaporate" after a certain amount of time.

In order to set up a full NDC suite, airlines have to create an offer and order management system, which will interact with the PSS.

How is NDC Being Used Today?

There are currently 62 airlines who are either NDC Certified or XML-capable.

NDC connections mostly use it in limited cases, and not to its full potential. United has partnered with Amadeus to have an NDC connection to their GDS for selling their economy plus product.

Many airlines are piloting these simple types of connections through NDC (instead of developing their own direct connection) as it will be easier to increase the scope with other distribution providers.

Other carriers such as GOL are using NDC connections for offer and order management, providing ability to purchase seats, bags, upgrades, meals, car rentals, and travel insurance, as well as ability to bundle the products (this is being done with Navitaire as their IT provider).

What's the Future Outlook for NDC?

In the future, there are hopes that NDC will be able to connect to chatbots, allow purchasing and upsell through things such as Amazon and Alexa.

Part of the challenge is getting airlines, travel agencies and GDSs to spend money on the infrastructure needed to implement NDC.

Airlines are hoping that by using NDC connections either through GDS or directly to travel agents/metasearch they will be able to pull in additional revenue for each ticket sold

Some airlines such as Lufthansa, IAG (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus), Meridiana, and Ukraine International Airways are introducing fees for tickets booked through GDS, however the fees are waived for tickets booked through NDC connections.

Smartphone penetration and mobile use are higher among global travelers than in other groups.

Travelers are setting standards across the globe when it comes to leveraging the latest mobile services. Not only do travelers have the highest rates of smartphone adoption, but they’re also doing more with their devices like booking, payments, and check-ins,” said Clinton Anderson

“So their expectations for intelligent, personal experiences via mobile are high and continue to rise. Travelers are setting the bar for mobile services and will drive new innovations in the travel industry and beyond.”

2009 – The first mobile hotel app for guest service and operational enhancements is introduced by Intelity.

2007 – The release of the iPhone marks a change in views on mobile technology and apps.

2003 – Hotel WiFi begins a steady increase, as more than 6,000 hotels make it available to guests.

1994 – This year marks the debut of the first online hotel catalog (Travelweb.com).

1994 – The first hotel chains launch websites on the Internet (Hyatt Hotels and Promus Hotel Corporation).

1986 – Teledex Corp. introduces the first telephone specifically for hotel guestrooms.

1958 – Sheraton introduces Reservatron, the first automated electronic reservation system in hospitality, and the first toll-free reservation phone number.

1947 – Westin establishes the first hotel reservation system.

1894 – The Netherland Hotel, NYC, introduces the first in-room telephones.

It Improves Hotel Efficiency

A hospitality management system helps employees identify and manage room maintenance needs faster; it alerts housekeeping staff in real-time when there are early arrivals so they can prepare specific rooms in good time, and it also updates your employees when clients check out.

Streamlines Hotel Reporting and Analytics

hotel management system will also remember customer preferences, pre-stay, and post-stay communications, in addition to performing an analysis of client feedback, which gives valuable insight to your employees on prioritizing better guest experiences

Room and tax reports, night audit, housekeeping, shift audit, departure/arrival, are some of the reporting and analytics details that a hospitality PMS system can generate.

Part of the drivers of growth in the hotel industry includes timely and comprehensive reporting, and a hospitality management system can help you achieve this.

Better Guest Experience

A hotel management system will also remember customer preferences, pre-stay, and post-stay communications, in addition to performing an analysis of client feedback, which gives valuable insight to your employees on prioritizing better guest experiences

Better Guest Experience

A

Enhanced Security

Hotel owners can download and analyze data available in the cloud after installing PMS software while enjoying the protection of such information using the latest technology

Technology continues to impact various operations in different industries, and the hotel sector is no exception especially with the advent of a mobile app that improves staff mobility and communication within such establishments.