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Contents contributed and discussions participated by Sasha Bravo

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EXHIBITFORCE WINS 2009 BREAKTHROUGH AWARD FOR PROJECT EDITION - 2 views

  • ExhibitForce, the leader in on demand 24/7 web-based event and project management, was recently awarded Honorable Mention for the TSEA Exhibitors' Choice Award in the category for Best Technology
  • User-friendly and easy to deploy, ExhibitForce streamlines workflow processes on a Cloud platform, with no tradeshow software required
  • ExhibitForce.com delivers on-demand, 24/7 web-based event and project management for event and marketing managers and trade show professionals. Through a focus on the delivery of a dynamic, flexible online application that can simplify, streamline and support event and exhibit management, ExhibitForce is the leading provider of on-demand event management tools, with over 40,000 end users powering over 115,000 worldwide events annually.
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    this article goes over the ExhibitForce technology features offered to event planners and the award they won for best technology. ExhibitForce is another example of the Cloud-based trend. they streamline event planning services together to make a more effective workflow. their services are available 24/7 and have a wide reach worldwide!
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The Future of the Hotel Industry and Social Media - 0 views

  • Unlike many modern industries, most of what a hotel does needs to happen offline. It's hard to deliver room service or make beds with a click. But hotels are experimenting with plenty of other ways to improve service and connect with customers using social media.
  • Here are six ways that social media could make that impact on the hotel industry.
  • A concierge with a Twitter feed could be a powerful thing. Instead of making a single stop at the concierge desk to collect brochures, guests could ask questions before they get to the hotel, from their rooms, or while they're out exploring.
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  • f mobile geolocation features alert a hotel that you are in the building, it creates the opportunity for them to pitch relevant services. Perhaps when you arrive, for instance, management will encourage you to come down to the bar and enjoy a complimentary cocktail.
  • Interacting with customers using Facebook and Twitter can improve customer service. The idea of personalized customer service was also possible with a telephone number. But it's vastly easier with social media.
  • This strategy has successfully recovered previously dissatisfied customers. It also gives Marriott the ability to solve problems for customers as they arise.
  • About two years ago, Wolf asked Marriott's online network what they wanted from their social media interaction with the hotel brands. "I figured the last thing they wanted were deals, that they just wanted to engage," Wolf says. "And they said, no, they wanted deals.”
  • Fairmont and Omni Hotels & Resorts are two examples of chains that tweet or Facebook last-minute special offers in hopes of unloading their unbooked inventory.
  • Social media can make it easier for both large brands and small independent hotels to tell their stories. In the case of large brands, hotels have the opportunity to highlight individual properties. Potential Hilton guests, for instance, can check out videos of each Caribbean hotel on YouTube.
  • Smaller companies can use social media to reach their customers without a national advertising budget. Many hotels use Twitter, for instance, to communicate promotions and remind customers what they're about.
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    this article is very interesting, going over the future of hospitality and social media. It goes over 6 major changes they believe are affecting hospitality directly. The one that i found interesting is the use of twitter as a concierge as well as a method to improve costumer service. I never thought about the ability to use this technology as a concierge with the ability to have access to hotel services!
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Industry Outlook | Top Stories | | Hospitality Magazine (HT) - 0 views

  • have seen some next generation hotel management systems that are truly cloud-based (no thin client installs). They have the ability to integrate with social media outlets, CRM and all the other major management modules, allowing the guest to ultimately have a better interaction with their online hotel profile and booking abilities.
  • I believe a mobile payments standard such as Google Wallet or NFC on smartphones is an emerging technology with profound implications. The service will allow a customer to access all of his account balances and payment methods
  • I hope to see a single mobile device be your unique and secured identifier for everything from loyalty programs to payment transactions, to hotel room entry. This might be NFC or something else. Such a large percentage of our guests are carrying mobile devices, we should be able to identify them uniquely and have them authorize the sharing of this information for multiple purposes. Personally I hate having to carry 30 cards in m
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  • I would expect apps to be available to give the guest a new, unique experience to their guest room, not only from the booking side, but also the experience once they have entered your hotel; much more than just a booking widget.
  • Tech is experiencing an innovation boom, and many in the hospitality industry are ready to replace the “slow to adopt” mentality with strategic IT investments. From cloud computing to mobile devices, hotels and restaurants are monitoring, testing and deploying new solutions that improve the guest experience, streamline operations across vast franchise networks, and bring greater security to their enterprises.
  • y wallet for varied functions. I know there are multiple vendors doing some facets of this chip-based ID, but the entity that standardizes and creates buy-in from consumers will be huge in the future of hospitality and retail markets.
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    this article gives a great overview of the steps leaders in the Hospitality industry are taking towards new technology. In this article members of the industry were interview regarding weaknesses in the current hospitality market as well as emerging trends that each believe is in rapid increase. Some of the answers give very interesting approach towards technology. Although, overall it seems that the number one emerging technology is the use of cloud-based/mobile-based services.
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Despite the Mobile Hype, Fixed POS Continues to Grow | News | Apparel Magazine(AM) - 0 views

  • Much has been made about the replacement of traditional point-of-sale terminal devices by mobile phones and tablets, but the overall penetration of POS devices continued to expand 3.9 percent in North America and 4.6 percent around the globe in 2012,
  • The company released the latest results of its POS Vendor Shipments Database, showing growth in all four major worldwide regions
  • Despite challenges from mobile devices and e-commerce growth, new store concepts and greater penetration of PC-based POS continue to offset those challenges as the point-of-sale remains the center of the customer interaction
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  • We are seeing the greatest changes occur not between the technologies but between the vendor composition and market share positions
  • HP is now the second largest supplier of POS Systems worldwide, rising from the #20 position just 10 years ago. Add to HP's share standard PCs purchased and repurposed by small businesses for POS and the company would have the #1 position.
  • The value of the North American POS Market topped $7.8 Billion for the first time in 2012 Brazil, Mexico, China, India and certain Middle Eastern countries are driving POS adoption at the fastest clips. The POS Vendor Shipments Database and other research reports on the POS industry are available immediately from the company website. Rate this Content (5 Being the Best) RatingRatingRatingRatingRating 12345 Current rating: 0 (0 ratings)  
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    This article shows how despite the trend into mobile devices and tablets, the industry growth of fixed POS system is still ahead. it is very interesting to see these findings, since nowadays all one seems to see or read about is this addiction to mobile devices and tablets. The article found growth in all the major regions of the world, which clearly states that this is not a random occurrence.
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Resorts Drive Revenue with High-Touch Innovative PMS | News | Hospitality Magazine (HT) - 0 views

  • Maestro goes above and beyond PMS by delivering revenue generating tools and expert services that enable independent operators to maximize revenue, increase productivity and keep guests coming back
  • Maestro also empowers multi-property hotel groups with enterprise-wide system solutions that deliver true centralized management controls on a single database.
  • his enables closer property coordination, cross-property booking and upsell capabilities, and consistent guest recognition at all touch points for all properties.
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  • Maestro's Web Connection suite increases profitability and reduces costly third-party dependency with direct bookings
  • he ResWave real-time, integrated booking engine enables guests and groups to book rooms, suites, activities, amenities, spa and dining online, from mobile devices, Facebook, landing pages, and email campaigns.
  • operators are turning to hosted systems to reduce staff, trim hardware investment, simplify PCI-compliant cardholder security, and ensure 24/7 access to property data.
  • Maestro delivers a robust, stable hosted solution that increases profitability and productivity. Managers and ownership teams may access the property’s system at anytime from anywhere to always connect with their operation.
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    This article is about the Maestro Property Management Suite which allows properties to optimize their revenue by having access to centralized control and innovative capabilities. this system enables a property to lower costs; permitting guests to  have real-time direct booking for not only rooms but also, other services such as amenities, dining, and such. Maestro offers secure and accesible system which seems to be allowing companies, such as The Snow King Resort, to increase revenue and improve the services offered to guests and groups. 
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'Greenest' Super Bowl Offsets 3.8m Pounds CO2 · Environmental Management & En... - 0 views

  • “greenest” Super Bowl in the game’s history, the New Orleans Host Committee says it will donate carbon credits to offset some 3.8 million pounds of CO2 emissions, among other sustainability initiatives.
  • In addition to offsetting the Super Bowl’s energy impact, all major venues offered recycling, and the Host Committee teamed up with the Green Project and Repurposing NOLA to reclaim Super Bowl banners, displays, signage and other promotional items, which will be manufactured into tote bags
  • wallets, shower curtains and other souvenir items.
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  • The Super Bowl offered free bike valet parking services through a partnership with Entergy, Bike Easy and the Downtown Development District. Additionally, these groups offered a bike share pilot program during Super Bowl week, with bike checkouts at several downtown locations.
  • As of January 11, NFL fans had pledged CO2 reductions totaling more than 21 million pounds of avoided greenhouse gasses
  • In other efforts to “green” the surrounding community, the New Orleans Host Committee teamed up with Hike for KaTreena on an urban forestry initiative to plant or give away 7,000 trees, exceeding the previous Super Bowl record set in Dallas by 2,000 trees.
  • The San Francisco 49ers
  • announced in late January that they have partnered with the Santa Clara Stadium Authority and NRG Energy to help the team’s new facility become the first professional football stadium to open with LEED certification
  • and the first zero-energy sports venue in California,
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    this is a good article that goes over some trend changes in events, such as the Super Bowl, with regards to green initiatives. the Super Bowl committee developed a list of programs to make the event more sustainable; donating carbon credits, recycling, free bike programs, and more. I specially found it interesting that they recycled all the promotional material by collecting it and making it into other consumer products such as bags and wallets. I've always wondered why events as big as this one dont have recycling programs for the incredible amounts of wasted promotional items. When you think about it, not only does this help reduce waste but also helps generate some revenue from the products that are eventually sold. The article also shows that this trend seems to be happening at all levels from the committees, to the teams, and even the consumers! 
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Sabre Hospitality Solutions and Passkey Join Forces to Streamline Group Reservations fo... - 0 views

  • allow group reservations booked through Passkey’s GroupMAX platform to be delivered to a hotel’s Property Management System (PMS) electronically via Sabre’s SynXis Central Reservation System (CRS).
  • It also provides real-time reporting and tracking of room blocks and inventory, giving our customers the ability to maximize revenue.”
  • This collaboration will present a clear opportunity for hotels to increase not only their efficiency, but their revenue as well,
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  • The integration is based on industry standard OpenTravel XML specifications and allows reservations to be communicated directly and securely to hotels’ property management systems
  • without the need to re-key or even import rooming lists.
  • This automated process allows event organizers to leave blocks open longer to maximize attendance. Hotels will also benefit from the ability to yield rates after cutoff, allowing last minute bookings closer to the actual event date.
  • Sabre Hospitality Solutions provides technology to the global hospitality industry.
  • Its reservations and property management system, marketing and distribution software, and Internet marketing and e-business solutions are used by more than 18,000 hotel properties around the world
  • Passkey (http://www.passkey.com) is the travel industry's leading hotel booking technology for meetings and events
  • GroupMAX, is used by thousands of hotels, destinations and meeting planners worldwide to manage the hotel accommodation process for events of every size.
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    this article talks about the merger between Sabre and Passkey in creating a new system for improved group reservations. this new technology benefits directly meeting planners and hotels by creating an automated system that communicate reservations directly to the property management system. some of the benefits include real-time reports and tracking, ability to maximize attendance and therefore revenue, greater efficiency, and direct communication.
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U.S. Hotel Guests Hanging Up and Logging In | By Robert Mandelbaum - 0 views

  • The way travelers communicate on the road has changed dramatically over the years, and these changes become evident when analyzing the revenue earned by U.S. hotels from their guests for use of telecommunication devices and services
  • Not only has telecommunications become a minor revenue source, it now "costs" most hotels to provide telephone service to its guests.
  • he initial decline in telecommunications revenue during the period 2000 through 2009 can be easily explained by the increased use of calling cards, then cell phones
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  • we believe it is an increase in the monies collected from internet connections that is driving the growth in telecommunications revenue that has occurred during the past two years.
  • more hotels are beginning to follow the successful paths of those chains that have always opted to charge for internet connectivity.
  • A tiered pricing structure based on connectivity speed is the current trend in hotel internet charges. While this practice will most likely not restore the profit-producing days of the old telephone department, it will most likely curtail the slide in telecommunications revenue until the next wave in communication technology comes along.
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    this article goes over the on going change of the types of telecommunication technologies Hotel guests are using. The article mentions the shift from the use of in-room phones and faxes, to the now popular use of internet connectivity. Mentioning how nowadays it actually costs hotels more money to offer phone services to guests than what they actually make from these services. lastly, it also talks about how more and more hotels are charging internet access fees in order to balance out the loss of revenue from telecommunication services.
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High-Tech Teambuilding: Using Social Media to Help Corporate Bonding | BizBash - 0 views

shared by Sasha Bravo on 18 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Everyone loves gadgets, and they want to be a part of what’s new and cutting-edge,”
  • now people are adding a technology layer, which allows for more of a learning takeaway on top of the physical bonding.”
  • Wizard’s teambuilding games deliver missions and track scores via a custom app, but also integrate physical challenges and real-world interactions.
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  • sing smartphones and tablets has logistical advantages, too, particularly with large groups.
  • The latest element in high-tech co-worker bonding is all-virtual teambuilding game platforms.
  • online software, which costs $100 a month for as many as 100 players, involves dividing employees into teams that get new mini missions every week, like sharing your favorite lunch spot, or posting your most awkward childhood photo for points.
  • It’s about connecting with people.”
  • hoping to increase engagement and productivity among employees by adding gaming elements to intranet platforms.
  • Jive Gamification module. The software incorporates role-based missions, challenges, status levels, and badges into digital education and training experiences.
  • Experts emphasize, however, that these new virtual teambuilding platforms are meant to augment face-to-face bonding, not replace it
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    This is a very interesting article related to how employees interact with one another. Industry leaders such as Russell Brumfield, CEO of Wizard Studios Global Events, are using gadgets and apps to improve team building with employees on a constant basis, even when the individuals can not be in the same place at the same time. By using this technology, they believe that the process of bonding and learning becomes more interactive and therefore more fun. The article mentions that the addition of these technologies are especially beneficial in motivating "jaded employees." As Ian Fraser mentions, the game element of these apps is attractive to modern day employees; it just makes sense to integrate a technology that everyone is already craving in their daily lives. It is also mentioned the advantages of being able to connect massive amounts of people simultaneously. Lastly, the article touches upon the fact that these technologies are not meant to replace face to face interactions; instead, this is meant to improve upon this by extending the ability to interact and therefore continuously develop teambuilding.
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