The Atlanta Airport Marriott just completed event space renovations that will enable event planners to host any size party/ meeting with the most updated technology. The Georgia hotel features 28,300 square feet of event space, including two ballrooms and 27 breakout rooms. The hotels lobby features a complex monitoring system for flight tracking information and departures by Delta Airlines. Touch screen kiosks have also been installed at concierge stands that will allow planners and people attending events to search for nearby restaurants and attractions. Additionally, the most recent renovation included in the installation of multi-use TV screens in the rooms. The screens allow guests to hook up iPods and other music devices. Guests may also use the new TV's as computer monitors. This connectivity is becoming more common in event spaces and visitor centers. I personally know that similar technology was recently installed in New York City's Central Park. Touch monitors enable park visitors to navigate their way around more efficiently. Additionally, tour guides have been equipped with handheld devices to track visitor usage and access information quickly.

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

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

Last week, one of the leading web-based property management systems announced a partnership with the world's largest B2B deal community in order to save hotel owners and managers money. The partnership comes between management software company, Frontdesk Anywhere, and B2B services and software community, GroupPrice.com. It is a partnership that Frontdesk Anywhere founders are promising will allow managers and hotel owners to cut their costs and grow their business faster. Frontdesk Anywhere customers are getting a special discount of 15 percent off their first GroupPrice buy. Things like social media, PR, and video are being offered at the best deals through the partnership that should allow for increased revenue and profit. I believe the whole idea of software partnerships will continue to become more popular as the use of the Internet is becoming more widespread in the hospitality community. Packaging of several different services can increase productivity. Frontdesk Anywhere has reportedly managed hotel stays for more than 60,000 guests. This cloud-based software makes it simple to add other features, like combining other company software, in order to create the best experience for the business and the customer.

In an effort to catch up with emerging technology and trends, it is expected more hotels will begin to "go green" this year with their linens and uniforms. I believe this is in part because hotels are being held to hirer expectations as we emerge from the recession. USA Today reports that American Laundry News surveyed several vendors about new products at the 2011 International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show in New York. Vendors including popular uniform maker, Cintas revealed more items like the washable tuxedo, made from recycled plastic bottles and the Eco-Cobra Jacket for front door staffers. Hospitality textile maker, Riegel is reportedly getting lots of attention from hoteliers for its recycled polyester tablecloths, also made from recycled bottles. The recycled fibers are expected to cut costs on hotel laundry bills. For example, Cintas estimates the washable tuxedos would save them nearly $1,000 each year. I had the opportunity to attend IHMRS this year, and visited the Cintas display. The recyclable material is no new idea. However, it is apparent that changes are being made to improve the durability of the products. I recall when the recycled fibers were initially used. The material seemed cheap and couldn't be ironed for risk of destroying it. Quality seems to be something hotels and restaurants are forgoing in order to "go green". To add, up front costs aren't necessarily saving companies much money. The USA Today article prompts reader responses by asking if hotel/ restaurant visitors even care whether or not a business has "green" products. I believe this is a fair question. Beyond attempts to save on long term costs, what other motivation do hotel operators have to "go green"?

In the age of apps and mobile technology, something told me this one was coming. I found an interesting article about 10 travel companies being sued by a mobile app producing company for copyright infringement. Air Transport World is reporting that MarcoSolve Inc., based out of Oklahoma, is suing several airlines and other companies, including Avis Rent A Car, the Hertz Corp., Hipmunk Inc., Hotels.com, Priceline.com and Travelocty.com. The patent that MacroSolve is suing over grants the company the ability to download apps to any mobile device, collect data from those device users and send that data back to a central database. On a travel-based application, this would be conceived as the ability to track user location and automate social networking connectivity. MacroSolve was finally granted the patent in 2010 following several revisions when the company originally filed in 2002. More than 30 other companies other non-travel based companies were also sued by MacroSolve for infringement. However, a patent consultancy is claiming that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted the same patent for the invention to different companies. When considering the app world and app technology, the article indicates that there are only very small differences in software that distinguish one patent from another. As app-building technology continues, I believe news reports will begin to reveal more litigation like this. This is the type of technology that tends to overlap in design. For example, the article says the MacroSolve patent on differed in its use of its app terms like "poll", and "survey". Air Transport World reports the recent litigation is forcing some foreign developers away from the U.S. market.