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Contents contributed and discussions participated by marilyn diaz

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Job Tips - Job Tips for Getting Started in the Meeting and Event Planning - 0 views

hospitality.about.com/...Hot-Tips-Getting-Started.htm event planning job getting started tips insider
shared by marilyn diaz on 01 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • We all know having contacts can be priceless when exploring a new career.
  • Three industry pros share the wisdom of their years.
  • Volunteer. Just like any other field, the more experience you can bring to the table, the better - and volunteering is the perfect way to test the waters.
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  • being a part of an association is invaluable.
  • Join. You don't need to be a full-fledged meeting planner before you can become a member of one (or more) of the many respected associations of the events world.
  • Network. Greg Jenkins, partner and co-founder of California-based Bravo Productions, cites another important reason as to why volunteering is an ideal place to start, "…it provides opportunities for networking.
  • Research. Before you're even hired, it's a good idea to become as familiar as possible with the meetings and events industry.
  • invest in one or two industry guides
  • Carter explains, “For those individuals that would like to explore event planning as a career, you need to know that the hotel event/convention business is a unique industry. It is extremely important to gain a basic understanding of the business including hotel operations, terminology and sales concepts before assuming it is the right career for you.
  • To get started, read a meeting planning primer or concise reference manual to give you an idea of what you will encounter while planning meetings. Industry articles will also give you a feel for what event planners face each day.”
  • Be Real. As Carter advised, know what you're getting into before you jump in. Landing a job you regret is a waste of time and resources, yours and your employer's. Greg Jenkins provides this final bit of caution, "…if you enjoy a 9-5 job, the event and meeting industry is probably not for you. The hours and days are quite erratic and can be long and exhausting."
  • marilyn diaz on 01 Oct 12
     
    This article is how to be successful in entering the event planning industry. It has tips from insiders on things they did to become successful. It states that networking is key. Volunteer and get to know people in all types of events from school functions to jazz festivals. People interested in the event planning field should join one or more associations in this field. Research should be done, for example read books, articles and learn what you can. If you want to be an event planner in the hotel industry then you should also learn the terminology, sales concepts, and gain a basic understanding into the the hotel/convention business. Last be realistic, this is not a 9 - 5, it is hectic and your schedule will fluctuate from event to event.
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What Are the Different Types of Key Card Systems? - 2 views

www.wisegeek.com/-types-of-key-card-systems.htm
shared by wenzheng guo on 25 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Metal keys with a jagged row of teeth are becoming increasingly rare as technology improves.
  • In locations as diverse as hotels
  • using key cards instead of traditional keys.
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  • four types of key card systems: holecards, bar code cards, magnetic strip key cards and radio frequency identification (RFID) cards
  • Holecards are the earliest type of key card systems
  • An individual key card is programmed by a computer with a unique electronic signature.
  • If stolen, magnetic strip cards and RFID cards can have the signatures changed, adding security protection from theft.
  • Key card systems operate on the relationship between a plastic card and electronic access control locks
  • Bar code cards were the next innovation in key card technology.
  • The technology used by this type of card includes microchips and radio technology, so it is considered the most difficult to forge and provides the highest level of security.
  • an individual bar code is created to correspond with a particular lock and is printed on a card.
  • his key card type lost popularity when magnetic strips became more readily available,
  • because bar codes could be forged and the electronic reader easily fooled.
  • Magnetic strip key card systems are widely used in the hotel industry and in workplace security. This card looks like a credit card with a thin metallic strip on the back.
  • This type of card is much more difficult to forge than holecards and bar codes, providing an added layer of security.
  • RFID key card systems are a more recent form of technology than holecards, bar code cards or magnetic strip cards. RFID cards have a radio sensor chip embedded inside the card.
  • When brought into close proximity of a correspondingly programmed reader, the door unlocks.
  • Sornes devised a system that would punch a series of 32 holes into a plastic card. The card would correspond to a lock and would open a door when it was inserted into a slot in the door.
  • marilyn diaz on 25 Sep 12
     
    This article is about the different keys available for hotels to use for their rooms. Metal keys which are like what we use everyday for our homes is an outdated form of security key in the world of technology. The key card system is a plastic card with electronic access. Hole cards seen rarely today is a plastic card with a series of holes to correspond to a specific door in the hotel. Bar code cards is exactly that a card with a bar code, like you see at the supermarket, which is placed under an electronic reader. This type of key has been fazed out due to easily being fooled. The magnetic strip key card are widely used in the hotel industry. They look like a credit card with a metallic strip on the back. It has extra protection unlike other types of keys. The newest system is the RFID key card system, which has a radio sensor chip embedded inside. It works with a programmed reader and when the key is brought in close range the door unlocks and opens. This article was about the security keys being used in hotels.
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Accounting technolog Used in the Hotel Industry | - 5 views

www.ehow.com/grams-used-hotel-industry.html
shared by Juan Du on 07 Feb 12 - No Cached
  • Decisions governing selection of accounting programs depend on multiple factors including the uses of the accounting programs.
  • Hotel managers are often faced with the challenge to propose and procure the appropriate technology and software to run their operations.
  • This article describes major factors to weigh in selecting accounting software for the hotel industry.
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  • Decision Criteria Used in Selection Process: Major factors identifying selection of accounting programs used in hotels are: ---Annual revenue ---Budget ---Location ---Multiple sites ---National or international location ---In-house vs outsourced operations
  • Accounting software is crucial in measuring and tracking the hotel's profitability.
  • Functions covered in accounting software programs include: --Accounts payable --Accounts receivable --Budgeting --Cash management --General ledger --Sales analysis --Payroll --Procurement --Order entry --Fixed assets --Inventory management
  • marilyn diaz on 18 Sep 12
     
    This article is about how a hotel should choose their accounting program. There are many things to consider when choosing the right program for your institution. It is not just what is more cost effective, but what does it include and are they things your hotel needs. It is like a PMS system, you get some basics, but you also may need to be able to add more options, or none at all. Another factor when selecting this program is the size of your hotel. If it is one hotel or a chain. Accounting software is crucial in measuring and tracking a hotel's profit. In conclusion, when hotel management buys an accounting program, they must analyze the software, and not just buy the first one they come across.
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7 reasons to switch to a point-of-sale system - 0 views

www.microsoft.com/...to-a-point-of-sale-system.aspx pos saving tools good reasons system switch
shared by marilyn diaz on 10 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • If you're a veteran retailer, you know the problem: Your inventory doesn't match your tallies. Sales are going unrecorded. Your staff is spending far too much time chasing mistakes instead of tending to customers.
  • These and other snafus suggest that it's time that your business did away with its cash registers and stepped up to a point-of-sale (POS) system
  • A POS system is a computer software and hardware network that records sales as they're occurring; it solves a variety of operational and rec
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  • 1. Your "sudden shrink" no longer goes undetected.
  • Rather than wrestling with cash-register receipts at day's end, a POS automates the process of introducing markdowns and, in turn, tracking them accurately.
  • "Almost every modern POS has a receiving and inventory module that, when used properly, can help pinpoint the cause of the shrink."
  • 2. Markdown management is much easier.
  • record any and all sales. Not only does that mean timely and accurate sales tracking, but a POS system also lets you readily identify inventory levels, particularly when what you have on the books doesn't jibe with actual stock.
  • Whether through coupons, special discounts or other vehicles, promotions can be central to attracting and retaining business. Trouble is, managing and reconciling short-term specials
  • a point-of-sale system ensures pricing consistency.
  • The POS store can pretty much tell you to the penny how they did."
  • You may be surprised to discover that you actually run two businesses: one when you're there and its evil twin when you don't happen to be around.
  • 3. Promotions can be tracked more successfully.
  • Many operations suffer in employee efficiency and customer service when the boss is away
  • You simply can't be there all the time,"
  • 5. Your prices are consistent from one location to the next.
  • Nothing can prove more embarrassing than having a customer question why one item has one price at one store, yet a different price at another
  • 4. You can maintain control in absentia.
  • 6. You get many tools in a single package.
  • If you find your checkbook wearing thin from the expense of software and other gear, a comprehensive point-of-sale system may include them in a single package.
  • "Most POS systems have add-on modules like payroll time clocks and customer preference databases
  • 7. You can make better use of your personnel.
  • Little is more maddening to a business owner than watching his or her staff bogged down with inefficient, unproductive responsibilities, from double-checking inventory disparities to seemingly endless cash-register reconciliation.
  • Perhaps the greatest advantage to a comprehensive point-of-sale network is the freedom it can afford your personnel to devote their energy to what genuinely matters the most: helping customers
  • That means they no longer have to be counting, calculating, ordering, and checking cash-register accuracy."
  • marilyn diaz on 10 Sep 12
     
    This article deals with the seven main reasons on why a company should switch to a point of sales system. There are a few different systems for example Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System. There are seven signs that your business can boom if you consider using pos. POS allows you to always know your inventory going out and in stock. Marking down merchandise is always correct and accurate. Promotions can be tracked more successfully, especially if you have more than one location. You can always have some sort of control, even when the boss is away. The business can also get m multiple tools with pos, such as payroll time clock and customer preference databases. Last, businesses can place their human employees where they really need to be, helping customers.
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GDS usage on the rise as travel demand grows - 0 views

www.hotelnewsnow.com/...he-rise-as-travel-demand-grows
shared by Nicole Dudley on 04 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Industry leaders’ speculations that the global distribution system is dying a slow death have lingered for the last decade, ever since online-travel agencies made their debut in the hotel distribution space.
  • A study conducted by the American Society of Travel Agents in 2009 found the percentage of member travel agencies that used the GDS channel declined from 98% in 1999 to 79% in 2009.
  • However, despite the decrease in GDS usage amid the most recent global economic downturn, hotel companies and travelers still find value in the channel, according to sources interviewed for this report.
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  • Sabre Travel Network, for example, saw an increase of more than 7% in its GDS bookings during the first quarter of 2012 over the same period last year
  • “And it’s a steady trend that’s gone up over the last several years,”
  • Many hoteliers are attempting to leverage those increases in demand through dynamic pricing models, which offers clients a percentage off a hotel’s best available rate on each travel date as opposed to a fixed, negotiated rate for the year
  • But that does not mean leisure travelers are not using the GDS as well.
  • “If they are shopping online with (the OTAs), then they are using the GDS
  • Indeed, overall demand has increased from both leisure and corporate travelers
  • Corporate travel demand is primarily responsible for that uptick
  • “Hotels that have typically had a negotiated rate for each corporation can actually work better with corporations with dynamic rates, as long as they are able to ensure they are giving that corporation access to whatever the deal of the day is
  • One of the trends she is seeing in the GDS channel is the increase of combined business and leisure trips
  • “Insurance companies are also pushing today that (companies) know where their employees are,” which the GDS facilitates,
  • There’s more opportunities for hotels to put promotions, put leisure opportunities on there … It enables hotels to really take value of the GDS.”
  • More and more, Kennedy is seeing corporate account managers ask: “What would you offer our travelers for their weekend stay if they wanted to stay longer or extend?” “What can you offer for group rates?”
  • The GDS is not going away any time soon because of the unique solutions it provides for hotels and travelers alike
  • For instance, it is better-suited to handle incredibly large look-to-book ratios
  • The GDS also provides enhanced marketing support
  • Although these and other benefits will continue to attract hoteliers’ inventory, Cole said the GDS would provide additional value if distribution costs were lowered
  • Travel-management companies are coming up with many security reporting and informative ways to show corporations where people are at any point in time, which can be important for insurance purposes
  • . “People are traveling for business in parts of the world and extending it to stay for leisure.”
  • marilyn diaz on 04 Sep 12
     
    This article is about the current rise in the use of the GDS system again. This rise has been seen primarily with corporate travelers, but has also been used by the leisure traveler. While GDS usage percents dropped from 98% in 1999 to 79% in 2009, it has slightly started to increase again. Sabre one of the larger GDS companies has seen a 7% increase in use of the system in 2012. Hotels have tried to give companies better rates to their consumers, for example as more corporate travelers are extending their stays from a business trip and then turning it into a leisure trip for a few more days. This gives the traveler a lower rate a night at the hotel, as they are staying for more nights. Overall, while there was a decline in the use of GDS because of the OTA, there is now a slight increase, bringing life back to the GDS system.
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How Hotels Are Going Green for Guests - 3 views

www.executivetravelmagazine.com/...els-are-going-green-for-guests
shared by tania morgan on 07 Jun 12 - No Cached
  • I make a quick stop for goodies and feel like I’ve entered a miniature Whole Foods: bulk nuts, dried fruit, even local chocolate and salsa from (according to the salesperson) the Lexington farmers’ market.
  • a kitchen full of Energy Star appliances.
  • Filtered water pours into the sink, under which I find two bins for recyclables. The toilets are dual-flush, the showers are low-flow, the shampoo and conditioner are in bulk dispensers, and the bellhop tells me that the art on my walls, depicting a leaf motif, was crafted from recycled aluminum and car tires.
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  • I can grab one of the gratis bikes downstairs and go for a spin on the nearby bike trail into town, or take a dip in the pool that’s cleaned with saline salt solution instead of eye-burning chlorine.
  • Owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Element is the first chain to receive an LEED-certified gold rating, the second-highest standard bestowed on a building by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
  • 212-room property, including saving water and electricity, recycling paper and implementing the towel and linen reuse program now common in most hotels across the country.
  • “It’s a 2 to 3 percent premium above the total cost of the building to go the LEED-certified route,” he says, adding that he hopes to offset that cost from the operational side in the next three to four years.
  • Energy savings include keeping electricity down to a minimum through natural lights and the use of CFL bulbs, low-flow showers and dual-flush toilets that save approximately 942,000 gallons of water annually at Element Lexington, and a roofing material that reflects heat from the sun, so the hotel won’t tax its air-conditioning system in the summer. Keeping with LEED standards, Element also purchases energy that comes from a green source: the wind.
  • Put a compost bin in the back of that megaresort in Cancun, and suddenly you have an “eco-lodge.”
  • Meredith Elbaum
  • Indeed, government incentives and big business could very well be behind this latest surge in new hotel design.
  • Green Seal has also been vocal in its assessment that a typical average-size lodging uses more resources in a week than 100 families use in a year.
  • says it’s hard to find a resort that actually practices what it preaches. “Seeing if they have LEED is one criterion, but you still have to do your research.”
  • “We heard from our global accounts, players like Microsoft, AT&T and Hewlett-Packard, that their goal was to find a hotel company that had some sort of green program in place,” says Brian McGuinness, “and we realized we need to do this.”
  • According to Arthur Weissman, this new initiative has led to an increase in revenue for hotels that join the movement. “The Doubletree in Portland, Oregon, told us they received more than $3 million in business due to their green certification,” notes Weissman.
  • But what about the typical traveler who simply wants a decent shower, a comfortable bed and perhaps a workout before turning in for the night? Workers who have no corporate mandate to go green are known to be extravagant when away from home, indulging in energy-chugging hot tubs and (dare I say it?) forgetting to turn off the lights and the A/C when they leave their rooms.
  • We need to find a balance.”
  • There’s certainly room for more growth in Element’s green design, such as the use of solar panels to heat the pool and the incorporation of a master switch, which many hotels in Europe already have.
  • The latter works by simply inserting your room key into a switch inside the room that turns on the electricity, heat and water. When you leave the room, you have to take that room key with you, thus turning off all the appliances.
  • “We’re just trying to do the right thing,” says McGuinness. “At the very least, we’re at the entry level: eco-friendly and not increasing the carbon footprint.” It may not be a green revolution quite yet, but it seems like a darn good starting point.
  • marilyn diaz on 28 Aug 12
     
    This article deals with how hotels are going green. Many have the typical saving shower head, the double flush toilet, or the special roof panels. Some go a little further than just putting a garbage bin to recycle. Many hotels are now placing cards in the rooms asking if you want linens changed when they clean the room, and for example may ask you to do something specific like throw the towels on the floor. While it may be an expensive thing to start turning hotels into green hotels, profits are being seen as big companies are now pushing their employees to stay at green hotels versus non green hotels. This may be the extra push management needs to make the decision to go green. Also, it says not all customers may care about the green issue, but some may try. We just need to find a balance and not expect all people on vacation to be a happy go lucky green freak.
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Thieves Won't Wait. Neither Should You. | hospitalityupgrade.com - 3 views

www.hospitalityupgrade.com/...magazine_Detail-ID-739.asp thieves hotel technology
shared by marilyn diaz on 21 Aug 12 - No Cached
  • data is under attack
  • the most afflicted industry was accommodation/foodservice
  • use a combination of hacking and malware (61 percent).
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  • success stealing data “in transit” (62.5 percent) versus stored data (28 percent)
  • What this tells us is hotels and restaurants need to do more to protect sensitive payment data and be proactive in keeping up with the hackers and thieves. We also need to pay particular attention to properly securing data as it moves through the merchant IT environment.
  • Point-to-point encryption (P2PE) is a technology
  • has only recently gained momentum in the hospitality sector.
  • P2PE places “data in motion” in a wrapper that can only be decrypted by an endpoint that has the requisite key.
  • The goal of point-to-point encryption technologies is to encrypt as close to the point of entry as possible and guard against thieves who attempt to install sniffing/hacking software on a merchant’s network.
  • P2PE solutions can significantly reduce a merchant’s card data environment, mitigate potential breaches and simplify PCI DSS validation efforts.”
  • You should also understand the types of cards and transactions that can be encrypted. Does the solution encrypt both swiped cards and manually entered cards? Does it encrypt online transactions, as well as on-site or card-present transactions? Is the solution tamper resistant and, what happens if an attempted breach occurs? Where is the HSM (hardware security module) located? Even if data were to be intercepted, is it rendered unusable to cyber thieves?
  • A hosted solution will shift much of the burden of responsibility to the third-party provider and free you from having decrypted data in your environment.
  • Keep in mind, there is no single silver bullet when it comes to payment security. Even with EMV, stolen cardholder data could be used for a fraudulent online transaction. Merchants should implement a variety of technologies and techniques as part of a multi-layered approach to security that ultimately includes EMV to protect against counterfeit card fraud, tokenization to protect data at rest, and P2PE to protect data in-flight.
  • Thieves won’t wait for a unified approach and specification, and are looking to access your valuable data now. By taking a proactive approach to security that includes point-to-point encryption, asking the right questions, choosing trusted partners and keeping yourself updated, you can protect your customers’ data and your reputation.
  • marilyn diaz on 21 Aug 12
     
    This article deals with the theft that happens on a daily basis in the hospitality field. It happens when credit cards are used to pay for something, like a reservation, and thieves want the information, so they can use your credit card number for whatever intentions they may have. As the article states, "our data is under attack". I can relate to those people that have had credit card numbers stolen, because it has happened to my husband and me, and it is a horrible feeling trying to get your life back on track and recover your money.  I think it would be a great idea, with some research, to get the point to point encryption technology in a field where credit cards are used so often, not only to cover the business (hotel), but also to protect the guest, so they feel at easy when they travel on vacation or business.  The overall point of this technology is to encrypt the information as close to the point of entry, i.e. the swiping of the credit card, as possible. This would in turn "significantly reduce a merchant's card data environment", as the program would encrypt the information so that hackers cannot access the customer's information. As I mentioned earlier, questions should be asked before buying this technology, as there is always something new on the market that may be better. Credit cards are not always swiped, but can also be manually placed in the system, so you want to make sure, that both transactions are protected. Overall, the establishment should always be concerned about the customer and their safety, whether physical or mental and always be prepared for the worse.
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