Human Resource manager roles in the hospitality industry are very important. Staff within the industry are one of the biggest assets to the company, thus managing the staff properly should be a priority. An HR manager should be someone that the staff can talk to and trust. They also need to cover creating HR policies and procedures, recruitment, conducting staff inductions, assessing staff in their job roles, monitoring and implementing personal development plans for staff, and mediating dispute. It is a hands on job that requires staff training and development.

To summarize this article discusses a great management goals to help effective hotel maintenance plan. EAM CMMS is a system that will most likely help hotels maintain operational costs as well as manage the lifecycle of assets. Having this system doesn't automatically help accomplish these goals. It is important to know how to properly use the system in order for it to be efficient. Maintenance planning for a hotel is more than just creating a schedule and hoping the staff may get to it as quickly as possible. Costs for maintenance can increase if things are not properly handled and maintained. Thus, it is important to attain hotel maintenance management goals. Some of these goals are as follows: * Meeting capital budget expectations * Establish standard operating procedures. * Eliminate overtime * Reduce energy consumption by 15%. * Reduce customer complaints (maintenance related) by 30%

Bluetooth proximity marketing was the new and upcoming marketing technique back in 2014. As learned this week in class this kind of marketing is used to connect with potential and existing consumers. There are four different types of proximity marketing that should be considered:  Internet enabled device (cell phone, tablet, etc) with GPS.  WiFi device (cell phone, tablet, etc) within range of a transmitter  Bluetooth device (cell phone, tablet, etc) being within range of a transmitter  NFC enabled phone that can read a RFID chip on a product or media. The main one described in this article is Bluetooth. An example of Bluetooth proximity marketing would be a retailer adds a transmitter to a specific promotional spot, and the person with a Bluetooth enabled phone may receive a coupon for the products found at that promotional spot or a complimentary product. The target is to directly market the consumer, you can send coupons, engage the costumer, send relevant information, etc.

This article talks about eight-event planning management softwares that will help event planners perform like rock stars. No matter how talented a person may be it is not easy to remember everything and be able to perform at high levels without the assistance of special software. The article has helped streamlined the best event planning softwares to narrow down the best for work for each consumer. Following are a few discussed in the article: o Google drive - By using Google Drive's documents, folders, and spreadsheets it can help manage and collaborate on content and ideas. o Whova Event Management - can help manage an event in one place. Significantly boosts attendee engagement and networking, which results in winning the best Event Technology Award 2016. o Asana - Has a great smartphone app, in addition very helpful for both the big picture task management view, as well as narrowing in on the detail. o Allseated - Good for planning weddings, helps design floor plans, seating arrangements, manage the guest list, etc. Essentially, after reviewing all the software's it would be important for the event manager to pick the best one to fit their specific job tasks and personal preferences.

The importance of delivering safety, security, sustainability, and service in the hospitality industry is becoming an important aspect of our society. This article discusses each principle and addresses essential information that can help deliver legendary experiences to guests. As social media and review sites become a way to engage costumers in expressing their overall experiences it is important that you ensure the up most excellent experience in every aspect to create consumer loyalty. * Safety - must be the number one priority in any hospitality business. Any issue that violates the duty of care of any guest should be addressed and taken very seriously to avoid negative affects to the brand. * Service - Excellent and hospitable accommodations is the reason why frequent travelers return to the same establishments. Training your staff to be diligent and welcoming will help promote the brand values. * Sustainability - one of the latest trends is environmental sustainability within the industry. Guests are conscious of the importance of sustainability and want to feel like they are part of the movement by booking hotels that are "Green". * Security - due to the large risks of security breaches any business is susceptible to be a victim of cyber attacks. It is important to promote security by having a proactive and preventive plan in case of a security breach.

CEOs of companies struggle with the decision of investing more in IT rather than in advertising or research/development tools. When and if investing in IT the question would be what kind of projects should have the focus. Recent studies have helped determine that since 1995 there has been significant positive profitability in IT investments. This research indicated that IT investments have a larger profit impact than spending money on advertising. IT investments are creative and use new technology that may help attract new consumers. Some IT projects however work better than others. They can be used to support sales by customer satisfaction and customer retention strategies. As more companies invest in IT investments, profitability increases due to competition. In conclusion business owners should focus on IT projects that will have potential growth in revenue over projects that only focus on cost savings.

Setting up an electronic system to match with your current manual system has three major advantages: * Potential reductions in calculation errors * Increased ease of reporting data in useful formats * Improved safety and permanency of stored data The advantage of matching the systems is that the staff is already familiar with working with the manual systems, thus making it easy for them to continue identifying their entries in the new system. To better transition to the new system pick a group of people from your staff that will help identify any problem areas that can be fixed in the new system. Buying a software that fits your specific needs will also help you save on costs so that programmers don't have to start from scratch and can just modify the software to your business precise needs. You need to test the software before you switch over to the electronic system, as it is easier to correct any errors before all the data has been transferred. It is also very important to train all the staff including the managers on the new system. Provide information on any new procedures and allow the staff to compare the reports from the manual to the electronic system. Backing up your data on regular basis to an icloud storage or a personal USB drive is also important so that no issues arise. Companies could suffer large financial losses if important data is lost or stolen.

In the hospitality industry your Point of Sale System is the backbone of your operation, thus finding the best and most efficient POS for your business to succeed is key. The article discusses the best POS systems to fit your business, from traditional standard systems to the new trending Ipad systems. Your POS system should be affordable and efficient. In addition, it should do more than just take payments and process sales. It should come with marketing strategy tools, inventory/staff management, easy to function daily specials menus, and other special functions to help run your business. The vendor should have 24/7 availability to your needs and accommodate all the proper functions to assist the servers and bartenders. Some of the best POS systems are the following: * Vend - Has features that help run your business, boost sales, and save time. * Bindo - Best mobile POS system for Ipads. It is cloud based and offers an intuitive user interface. Easy mobile payments and 24/7 customer support. * Touchbistro - POS system that focuses on a restaurant's specific needs. Works with the Ipad and the Ipad mini, also has 24/7 customer support availability. * Shopkeep - cloud based for the Ipad, with easy to use tools for any retail store. No long term contracts or fees.

As discussed this week in class there are numerous pros and cons to cloud PMS Systems. Hotel owners and Hotel management battle with the decision, "should they cloud or not cloud the PMS"? The main concern here is how will it affect the business and will it be a favorable one. They all want what is best for the company and for the customers. The main issue at hand with going to the cloud PMS is the possibility of losing Internet or the Internet slowing down. What would happen to your hotel then? It paralyzes and slows down your staff and the customers suffer. As we all discussed the pros and cons to cloud PMS may or may not out weigh the regular systems (PMS) but there are still many things to consider. The cloud will continue to evolve and maybe a hybrid of the both will eventually solve all the issues.

Sustainability in the hospitality industry was introduced back in the late 80's. Ever since then it has been a growing movement, seeking the best and most efficient strategies for hotels and tourism. In 1992, The United Nations Conference on Environmental Development (UNCED) recognized that travel and tourism would be one of the most benefitted by sustainability trends. In 1996 three organizations (World Travel & Tourism Council, World Tourism Organization, and the Earth Council) met to create a global environmental certification program called "Agenda 21". Consequently, Green Globe was created after to set targets and functioning standards based on environmental development. Hotels receiving the "Green Globe" address issues within their hotel that include: * Greenhouse emissions * Energy efficiency * Management of freshwater resources * Ecosystem conservation * Waste water and solid waste management Hospitality is the fastest growing global industry. In 2014 it was stated that it contributes $7 trillion annually to the total world gross domestic product. There is a huge incentive for sustainability due to customers being conscious of the impact their actions have on the planet. Soon green and sustainability will become the standard rather than an option.

Global distribution systems have thought to eventually become extinct but the growth of new technologies has given GDS new hope. The three main companies that control this market are Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport. Each of the companies has expanded their market penetration via their subsidiaries that are currently operating with global distribution systems. In 2014 Amadeus brought in almost $1billion in revenue. In addition, Sabre and Travelport showed positive growth. Airlines on the other hand, would prefer to directly have travelers book with them to save on fees. At the same time GDS brings attractive promotions to customers making them useful to the airlines and their revenue. GDS has stimulated the growth of online websites like, Expedia, Kayak, Orbitz, Priceline). Where potential customers find competitive rates and can book more than just a plane ticket.

Cloud based hotel software is allowing management for more efficient and affordable results. Hotel management can save on time, training, and cash flow. The cloud computing software enables hotels to construct their own IT infrastructure. This saves them money on expensive hardware equipment. Cloud based reservations are becoming extremely popular because of the customer can directly book a room via the web resulting in direct revenue for the hotel. More hotels are considering cloud-computing solutions due to: * Affordability - Hotels can save on hardware and can save on money being paid to employees to manage that hardware. All they need to focus on is paying for computing power and storage that the hotel may need. * Reliability and Security - Information is stored in the cloud, alleviating management of data being destroyed in a natural disaster or security breach. * Flexibility to operate from anywhere at anytime - A chain of hotels can easily use the cloud technology from anywhere in the world. The future of hospitality industry with cloud technology is moving fast and effectively, hotels want to deliver personalized guest experiences that will ensure customer loyalty. This data can be gathered by cloud technology, via email or reservation bookings.

Traveling is becoming a popular trend. People love to visit new locations around the world and are expecting a high quality level of technology. The more people travel, the higher their expectations become. The new technology trends being offered in the hospitality industry include wearable technology and sensors. Guests are able to check in and have a key-less room entry with an apple watch or something similar. Rooms are equipped with sensors for lights, an app to adjust room temperature as desired, TV voice recognition, digital news papers, and much more. Another important aspect of technology in the hospitality industry is providing rich travel related multimedia content. People like to use apps or websites such as Yelp, Youtube, or trip advisor to offer travelers suggestions and real life user experiences and reviews. Thus, providing such brands a way to create significant relationships with their current and future customers. Hotels encourage their guests to use social media to share their experiences. Yelp and swarm allows people to check-in and be rewarded for visiting the locations, by offering a complimentary cocktail, appetizer, and so on. In addition, Hotels encourage their guests to hashtag their stay. Robots are entering the hospitality industry, from serving foods, carrying luggage, and acting as hotel receptionists. You will be able to find this in the Henn-na Hotel in Japan.