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Contents contributed and discussions participated by kakaboshi

kakaboshi

Top 10 Event-Tech Trends for 2019 - Hubilo Official Blog - Medium - 2 views

  • Top 10 Event-Tech Trends for 2019
  • 1. Facial RecognitionFacial recognition is definitely an aspect of event-tech that is on its way up.
  • 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.
  • 3. Augmented RealityAlternate reality transports attendees while ensuring that attendees remain connected to the event.
  • From scavenger hunts to exhibitor promotions and lead management, augmented reality has a plethora of use cases in events.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Apart from event experience, drones are also a great asset in terms of event security and surveillance.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
kakaboshi

4 Use Cases of Facial Recognition in The Hospitality Industry | revfine.com - 0 views

  • Facial recognition systems are an example of biometric technology, and can be used to identify people by analysing their faces. This is usually achieved by comparing a scanned image or a frame from a video with the faces contained within a database, matching them up based on facial features and skin textures.
  • The hospitality industry deals with large volumes of customers at once, and for hotel owners, airlines and other companies, it is a top priority to deal with them efficiently, without compromising on safety. As a result, it is an ideal field for facial recognition technology to be implemented. In particular, facial recognition systems can be used to automate certain verification or authorisation processes along the customer journey, and to improve the customer experience. Moreover, the ability to identify specific people, even in large groups, can be extremely advantageous, helping to make security systems more robust.
  • 4 Ways Facial Recognition Can Be Used in the Hospitality Industry
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  • 1. Security and Access
  • One of the main ways facial recognition can be deployed within the hospitality industry is for security and access purposes. Within a hotel setting, this might mean using the technology to grant guests access to their hotel room,
  • When it comes to security, the technology can also be vital in helping to identify troublesome guests, or guests who have previously been removed from the premises.
  • 2. Customer Service
  • The technology can also be used by those within the hospitality industry to deliver a greater level of customer service. For example, facial recognition can allow employees to quickly identify guests, perhaps before they even check-in, and deliver more personalised greetings and a more tailored service.
  • 3. Payment Authorisation
  • Facial recognition also has a role to play in helping to authorise payments, making that process more efficient. Companies like MasterCard have already implemented systems powered by facial recognition, where a customer can confirm a payment using the camera on their phone, or a camera supplied by the vendor.
  • 4. Research and Information
  • The technology can be set up for market research purposes, helping companies to know exactly how many people are in a location at a particular time. Additionally, it can be used to draw conclusions about customers too, reading their expressions to ascertain their mood, or their facial features to ascertain their age or gender. Most impressively, this data can be gathered automatically, at any time of the day or night.
  • One of the challenges for hotel managers and others within the hospitality industry looking to introduce facial recognition is balancing the benefits with privacy for customers. Indeed, many people have concerns about facial recognition, due to the fact that it means even more data about them being collected and stored.
  • Furthermore, many people fear their data being sold on to other companies against their will, and dislike the idea of businesses being able to track their every move. It is, therefore, important that the hospitality industry takes these concerns seriously and takes steps to avoid misusing data. In some cases, one of the best solutions may be to make facial recognition an opt-in or opt-out service, so that users have a choice in the matter.
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    This article discusses the 4 advantages of using facial recognition technology in the hospitality industry. These are security and access improvement, customer service improvement, payment authorization, and collecting data. This article also talks about the disadvantage which is the privacy concern from the customers. As technology advances, and consumers are more accustomed to using facial recognition technology in their daily lives such as Apple Face ID login and payments, and facial recognition social media apps, I believe that it is a matter of time until facial recognition technology becomes a norm in the hotel industry.
kakaboshi

Council Post: New Pay Trends: How Today's Workforce Is Reshaping Payroll - 0 views

  • It’s been over 40 years since direct deposit was introduced, arguably the last major development in the payroll world. It’s amazing to think that, with the speed of technological innovation these days, you have to go so far back to find the most recent payroll innovation that had such a significant impact on both employees and employers.
  • technology has infiltrated the payroll landscape in recent years, innovating time reporting and flexibility in pay. Payroll is also being forced to adapt to a workforce comprised heavily of two types of employees: those who require immediate income, and millennials and Generation Z workers.
  • Paycards According to a 2017 FDIC national survey, 25.2% of U.S. households are “unbanked” or “underbanked.” Those who are “unbanked” do not have any traditional banking relationship (i.e., a checking or savings account), while those who are “underbanked” have a financial institution account but also obtain services from providers outside the banking system.
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  • 78% of Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck and who are financially unprepared for an unexpected expense. They are often hourly employees in service-based industries, such as health care, hospitality, quick service restaurants, retail or nursing.
  • To combat this, many companies are implementing artificial intelligence (AI) for predictive timekeeping, rapid detection of irregularities, and even “smart” time verification based on video feeds and facial recognition. 
  • Research by Aite Group shows the use of paycards is expected to increase through 2022. For employers, these cards, backed by Visa or MasterCard, can provide benefits such as reduced payroll processing costs and the ability to move to fully electronic payment mechanisms.
  • Artificial Intelligence For Time Management
  • Workers increasingly expect employers to be okay with them working on a personal device, rather than a work-issued system. This adds a level of complexity for companies trying to verify payroll hours. Fraud and forgetfulness can lead to inaccurate records and added overhead.
  • Direct deposit of earnings for unbanked and underbanked populations isn’t a viable option, which has made the rise in the use of paycards (debit cards to which an employee’s wages are transferred) an increasingly popular alternative.
  • Payroll Platforms
  • Fragmented systems and data have always plagued the fintech industry, but payroll platforms are helping address these problems. They are making seamless integration a reality and combining features in a single platform. Having a fully integrated system provides a single set of data and a flow that reduces complexity, facilitates changes and ensures consistency across all system components. 
  • Daily Pay
  • A daily pay benefit lets workers track and access their earned wages prior to their next payday.
  • Provides the flexibility to transfer earned wages to paycards (or other payment platforms). • Incentivizes employees to perform accurate and efficient time reporting, as employees can see their available balance increase at the end of each shift. • Integrates with other payroll platforms, providing “plug-and-play” functionality.
  • Challenges Ahead
  • All of these new technologies will face skepticism about whether they can deliver on their promises. In some cases, these technologies will have to win over decision makers who are reluctant to change their ways.
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    This is an interesting article that describes some of the new technology being implemented to improve how employees are getting paid based on the current workforce's spending habits. These include the ability to be paid by debit cards, ability to be paid daily and have the flexibility to move the money around, AI intelligence to keep track of the employees' work hours on their own devices, and integration of many payroll functions into one platform. With so much technological advancement, it seems that payroll management is one that is still behind with many companies still working with the old clock in and out method which is time consuming.
kakaboshi

Ready When I Get There: Mobile Takeout Is A Rising Restaurant Trend - 0 views

  • At the moment, about 20% of diners are using a pre-order option, according to a study from BRP and Windstream Enterprise. But mobile pre-ordering is used by about 32% of millennials, the study found. "They are less likely than older generations to dine out and more inclined to order their food for off-site consumption,"
  • Pre-ordering can save money, since many delivery apps charge a fee to bring food to your door. There's often a service charge, too, and the diner is generally expected to tip on top of those costs.
  • Plus, delivery times can be unpredictable, and food may not be in optimum shape once it arrives.
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  • Getting food at the source saves those fees, and even if the diner tips, it's often only a dollar or two for a single meal, more if the order is larger. And the diner has the option of where they'd like to eat their meal. They can sit down in the restaurant, take it home or go someplace else.
  • Pre-order has become a standard feature for some of the country's leading fast-casual restaurant brands, including Panera Bread, Shake Shack and Chipotle, while quick service brands such as McDonald's, Starbucks, Dunkin' and Domino's also have adopted it.
  • Given how quickly the restaurant world is being transformed by digital ordering, it seems a bit surprising that only 26% of restaurants surveyed had such mobile point-of-sale technology
  • But 59% of restaurants said they plan to add it in the next year.
  • Beyond that, about 18% of restaurants have technology allowing customers to order at the table, like the tablet screens deployed at Applebee's. However, 52% said they would add the capability in the next two years.
  • The digital shift seems all the more urgent when it comes to the role that mobile devices are playing in dining decisions as well as the meal experience itself.
  • 53% of millennials say their visits to a restaurant are influenced in some way by digital technology, from being able to search a menu online, to reading reviews, to scrolling through Instagram photos, and posting their own after. For all diners, the figure is 40%.
  • But a new study of restaurant guests and executives has found that an increasing number of people want another option: the ability to order food in advance via mobile apps and have it waiting for them when they arrive.
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    There is a new trend of diners opting to pre-order food through their mobile app and go themselves to pick up the food. This allows them to lower the cost by not having to pay delivery fee, and service charge. It also allows for the food to be more consistent and give them the flexibility to eat wherever the customer prefers either in the restaurant or out. About 20% of diners are using the pre-order option (32% millennials), however only 26% of establishments have the mobile POS technology but 59% of restaurants surveyed plan to add in the next year. About 18% of restaurants have technology allowing customers to order at the table, however 52% said they will add this in the next 2 years. Restaurants are starting to react to the trend from consumers where 53% of millennials mention that the restaurant they choose will base on the digital technology they have including online menu, read reviews, look at Instagram pics, and post their own.
kakaboshi

Travel advisors urged to take active role in NDC implementation: Travel Weekly - 1 views

  • While the major GDSs -- Sabre, Amadeus and Travelport -- initially resisted NDC, all three eventually reversed course and last year announced that they would develop and test NDC-enabled solutions.
  • "It is clear that the GDSs are now en masse embracing NDC and trying to at least equalize the airline dot-com content and experience and trying to bring that to the indirect channel,"
  • Sabre earlier this month released its first set of NDC application programming interfaces (APIs) with United Airlines. That gave some agency customers the ability to make NDC bookings, which Kathy Morgan, vice president of NDC at Sabre, called "huge."
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  • As far as integrating NDC into its agency points of sale, Morgan said some capabilities are expected to be integrated into Sabre Red 360 by the third quarter this year.
  • By 2020, IATA wants 20% of sales with a group of airlines known as the Leaderboard to be powered by NDC.
  • Five airlines are currently supplying NDC content on Travelport's platform, and Ferguson said more will be introduced throughout the year; access to NDC content via Smartpoint will also continue to expand.
  • Considering many major airlines' bookings are split roughly 50-50 between direct bookings and agents, Ferguson said meeting IATA's goal would require that about 10% of agent bookings are powered by NDC by the end of 2020.
  • Gianni Pisanello, head of Amadeus' NDC-X program, said that in 2018, the company worked to develop NDC using test programs with airlines and agencies. This year, Amadeus is in deployment mode.
  • "We're trying to implement this with as many airlines as we can and as many agencies as we can this year," Pisanello said. "Next year, 2020, is really going to be a fine-tuning year." 
  • "We are dependent on airlines and their airline systems to be ready before we can do our bit as a GDS provider," Pisanello said. "And, of course, then the agencies are dependent on us as an intermediary to upgrade them and enable them to integrate those services into their own systems. So there is a sequential path here to the deployment of NDC."
  • The ability to make NDC bookings is expected in Amadeus' point of sale app, Selling Platform Connect, by this summer. As with the other GDSs, functionality will initially be limited. At first, agents will be able to complete an essential booking flow: the ability to search, book and settle. Additional features, such as the ability to change bookings, will be rolled out as they are developed.
  • Now is the time for travel advisors to step up and get involved with their GDS's efforts to implement IATA's New Distribution Capability (NDC), thus helping to shape its future
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    GDS companies continue to evolve and implement new technology to stay in line with current consumer demands. After initial resistance, they are implementing the NDC program into their system. NDC (New Distribution Capability) is a travel-industry supported program launched by IATA for the development and market adoption of a new XML-based data transmission standard (source: https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/airline-distribution/ndc/Pages/default.aspx) This article discusses the need of the airlines to upload useful content and for the travel agents to be more actively involved in order to make it useful for them. However, with major airlines' bookings split between 50% direct booking and 50% agents, and the airlines' efforts to drive more direct booking traffic, I wonder what is the sentiment of the companies to provide with more content and information on a platform that competes directly with their efforts to increase direct sales from their websites. Selling air tickets directly from their sites not only allow the companies to decrease booking fees and commissions but also allow them to collect much needed date from the consumers who use their services.
kakaboshi

Those Tiny Hotel Toiletry Bottles Are on Their Way Out - The New York Times - 1 views

  • In what might become the first such state law of its kind, a bill, A.B. 1162, is making its way through the California Legislature that aims to scrap the tiny single-use plastic bottles at hotels and other hospitality establishments. It was passed in the Assembly last week, and has moved to the Senate for committee examination.
  • “The goal is really to start to phase out single-use plastics in our state in general,”
  • “This is really low-hanging fruit because the industry is already moving in that direction.”
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  • The city council of Orlando, Fla., on Monday approved a partial ban on straws and bags, and last month, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, banned plastic bags starting from next year.
  • In March, lawmakers in New York agreed on a statewide ban on most types of single-use plastic bags from retail sales, making it the second state to do so after California, which has been at the national forefront of legislative action to ban plastics clogging shorelines.
  • In 2016, the world generated 242 million tons of plastic waste, according to the World Bank. North America, which it defines as Bermuda, Canada and the United States, is the third largest producer of plastic waste, totaling more than 35 million tons.
  • The California bill says that from the start of 2023, lodging establishments with more than 50 rooms would be prohibited from providing a small plastic bottle containing a personal care product in a bathroom or sleeping room. Establishments with 50 rooms or fewer would have until Jan. 1, 2024.
  • The California Hotel & Lodging Association had pushed for an extension of the deadline to make it easier for hotels to comply.
  • He estimated it could cost about $70 for each of the 500,000 hotel rooms in California to be transformed to accommodate multi-use dispensers.
  • Generally, hotels and hospitality organizations assume guests will nick toiletries. But if they don’t disappear from rooms, bottles left behind are often repurposed.
  • Some donate extras to homeless shelters or other organizations helping people in need.
  • “In one month alone, this can amount to over 380 pounds of toiletries diverted from the landfill and sent to those in need,” the hotel says.
  • InterContinental Hotels Group said last year that it would remove plastic straws from more than 5,400 hotels in nearly 100 countries by the end of 2019 and introduce bulk bathroom amenities at some of its brands.
  • Some hotels work with Clean the World, an organization in Orlando, Fla., that recycles soaps and leftover plastic bottles collected through its partnerships with 8,000 establishments.
  • Like grocery bags and straws, the miniature bottles of toiletries and cosmetics that many guests swipe from hotels are in the sights of legislators and hotel establishments who are trying to reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste.
kakaboshi

Tech Viewpoint: Three interesting on-demand food delivery trends - 0 views

  • Customer appetite and constant connectivity are driving innovation in the online delivery space for food retailers.
  • Here are three trends to watch in on-demand food delivery.
  • Retailers and on-demand delivery providers are starting to recognize the communal nature of food by offering different types of group ordering options.
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  • Group ordering
  • Some retailers are also open to offering delivery via a variety of proprietary and third-party platforms.
  • Multiple platforms
  • The average food delivery consumer has two delivery apps, according to a recent survey from US Foods.
  • Respondents are slightly more likely to start with a restaurant in mind and look for it in the apps (54%) than start by opening the app and then looking for ideas (46%), giving more incentive to offer delivery via multiple platforms.
  • Wherever you go, there your food is
  • Intrepid retailers are delivering food to remote locations that may offer few or no other dining options.
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    This article talks about three new innovative trends in the online food delivery market that satisfy the highly connected consumer: Group Ordering, Multiple Platforms, and Remote Location Delivery.
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