Technology is changing the overall event management experience making events more productive and fun. This article touches on things like advances in event organizing software, real-time feedback for speakers and data collection of attendees that can lead to personalizing activities throughout the event. I think most professional public speakers would say they already get real-time feedback from their audiences; no technology required. But for more novice speakers, that type of feedback would not only improve their session, but also help them hone their speaking and delivery skills more quickly allowing them to become better speakers faster. Personalizing an event to each attendee sounds pretty cool. Read the section about using the data collected during the registration process. It's interesting to think the data could be cross-referenced to bring delegates together for networking opportunities. Making important business contacts is a key reason people attend events.

This article talks about cloud computing, mobile access and advances in tax software. It refers to the concerns about security with cloud-based tax software. Is it worth risking? Is there really a risk or is it just irrational fear? And doesn't it make it easier when tax codes change that cloud-based tax software would be updated for you? Mobile capabilities and mobile working are interesting. the ability to record expenses on the go and check financial data and manage accounts using a mobile device are very appealing features.

This fellow has an interesting argument for switching the hotel's PMS to a cloud-based version. He is specifically referring to Opera Cloud PMS. He believes that if you don't switch from a license to a subscription model, your hotel will be left behind and unable to take advantage of new features that are likely to become the norm in hospitality. And without those capabilities, the hotel becomes disadvantaged competitively which leads to waning revenues, which leads to cost cutting measures, which leads to more lost revenue and so on; the death spiral. Is my hotel PMS ready for the future? Is it easily adaptable to meet the unexpected wishes of the traveler? The author is calling it "future proof technology". It's a gamble if your business isn't ready for it and I suspect when owners review their P&L's, they are willing to take the risk of waiting to see what happens. The author also makes reference to the sustainability benefits of transitioning to a cloud-based PMS. However, if moving to a cloud-based PMS is more expensive than the hotels current PMS solution, spending more money to be environmentally responsible, while noble, is a tough sell to most owners.

Ok so this article is lengthy but comprehensive. And the general consensus is the GDSs are never going away. They will likely change with new technologies, but they won't be replaced completely by something new. Heck, even though air travel is dominant among travel options, we still have trains, right? Overall this article takes the reader through the birth of the GDSs, their evolution to today and thoughts about what to expect in the future. One part of the article of particular interest is the talk about New Distribution Capability for airlines that uses XML coding language to allow airlines to sell ancillary products like seat upgrades. This layers directly into revenue increases through revenue management of seats on flights. There are already price differences between cabin classes. But instead of all seats being one price in the main cabin, seats closer to the front of the plane could be sold for a slight premium. There could be a different fare for window or aisle or exit row. There are 3 levels of this certification for an airline and although some airlines like American Airlines has been certified as level 3, full capability, most airlines have not gone beyond level 1. None of the GDS companies offer level 3 for New Distribution Capability which means you need to go a company's site directly to be able to purchase the specific desired attributes of your seat. By not having that capability, the GDSs disadvantage themselves as a distribution channel.

This article makes me proud to work in the hotel industry. Of course, there's financial motivation for being energy efficient, but hey, we can pretend we also do it because it's the right thing to do. As long as owners and operators see opportunities to continue to reduce energy costs, they won't stop. I have to believe that hotels will continue to look for ways to become even more efficient to the point of eliminating their carbon footprint. The hotel business is one of the few industries that have a strong incentive to dramatically reduce energy costs. The fact that the EPA's ENERGY STAR program is working on a new, hospitality-specific scoring system in response to the industry's specific needs and growing demand is pretty cool. I can see such a system becoming measurements for bonus payouts like market share is with Smith Travel Research and further accelerating the work around sustainability in hotels. A great point is also made regarding the retention of employees. The article argues that employees will feel that management cares about their health and well-being. But I would also say that employees want to work for hotels that do what's good and right for our world. You want to work for the good guys. Individual travelers, companies and meeting planners are more and more looking to stay or do business with hotels that are eco-friendly. Thirty six percent more travelers are expected to choose more eco-friendly travel options than they did in 2016. That statistic should definitely get the attention of owners currently in the process of planning a new hotel. If you want a competitive advantage from the day you open your doors, fill up that building with green initiates and let the green slide right down to the bottom line.

Hotels have always looked for ways to improve guest satisfaction to stay competitive. And since travelers are becoming increasingly tech savvy it makes sense that those hotels would look for ways to meet the "wants" of today's travelers. But it's not just about providing new services, it is also about improving existing services that are difficult to provide at consistent levels. For example, there are so many things included in the check-in experience that must be done right in order for a guest to be satisfied with the process, e.g. the agents appearance, demeanor and professionalism, their level of competency, the wait time, etc. So much effort is made to find, hire and properly train these first contact employees and even then hotels often fall short of guest expectations. Technology solutions would eliminate the need for these tasks and bring a level of consistency to this and other activities related to staying at a hotel. But can tech completely replace human interaction? I believe it can and will in some hotels that will be designed for those guests that want that kind of experience. As a business traveler, I'm happy when I can bypass the front desk check-in lines and register myself using my phone and also use my phone as my room key. It's exciting to see the innovative spin being placed on routine hotel related activities, but the industry is likely a generation away from unmanned hotels being an accepted norm.