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The Internet changed event marketing. You can create online events around a product, leverage an existing program to enhance a brand, and build an ongoing online community with a natural brand affinity. As a result, you can cost-effectively engage consumers in a brand experience that extends over time and yields measurable results. Online event marketing enables you to attract new customers, build brand, and increase revenue. Maximize the outcome with a well-coordinated plan of related programs. Consider incorporating other aspects of your online offering, extend the program offline, or move an offline happening to the Web. An event can be implemented on your site or in partnership with a related media site.

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! 

The Hotel Industry and its vendors are acknowledging and taking a keen revenue advantage, because their customers are supporting a green environment focus. This green economic revolution has impacted the $90 billion dollar Hotel industry. The article describes a hotel in Austin Texas profoundly in regards to their property having the "largest solar system in the continental U.S.". The hotel goes as far as creating their motto, which gear guest towards a green environment focus; their motto states "Environmental consciousness in action." The hotel grows its own food and vegetables, in which they serve the guest with, and they also give some of their produce to local food banks. The hotel guest often brag about how well they slept in the night, this might be caused by the toxic free chemical environment they are in. The lodging have refrained from using chemical pesticides 20 years ago, which may have added to the result of guest sleeping well; stated the general manager. The Ritz-Carlton program "Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment program" was originally for the children that were staying on the Kapalua in Hawaii. The children enjoyed it so much, and their parents became very inquisitive; that the program emerged into the entire property focus. This program gives guest the opportunity to have involvement with the native forest; native nature walk and the hotel also harvest a native garden. This is almost the same idea as the hotel located in Austin Texas. There are many valid reasons for the reason why the Hotel Industry should be green conscious. The Green Hotels Association states that "Companies with proactive environmental strategies will make 4 percent higher investment, 9 higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental practices.". If I was a general manager, this would be one of my main concerns and focus. Going green is cost effective, but the ending

nowadays, more and more hotels attending to join the green army. one of the most important reason is this kind of hotel will have a better market. because of the education level of the guests, their invironmental awareness become stongly. so the guests want to do more to make a contribution the the environment protection. on the other hand, the customers all knows that even the price of the green hotel is higher, but it is more health and safe. it will make them feel better and have a good experience in the hotel. as we know, a good experience is the final goal of hotel. so, the green hotel must have a bright future.

The green economic revolution is impacting the $90 billion U.S. hotel industry. There is an opportunity to increase revenue and market share by "going green". Habitat Suites in Austin, Texas is a leader in this area. The hotel's motto is "Environmental consciousness in action." Habitat Suites has an environment that is free of chemicals, has the largest hotel solar system, and uses their own organic fruit and vegetable garden for food in the hotel. Due to this environmental consciousness, the customers are reacting positively. Commenting on how great they slept, due to the ecologically fresh rooms. Many hotel chains are jumping on the green revolution bandwagon. At the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua in Hawaii, they started an environment program that was originally designed to provide fun for kids. But after positive feedback from the children, this has grown from just learning about local marine life to educational nature walks. These walks go through Maui's native forests and a garden that grows native foods and has community engagement in order to preserve their island's culture and environment. The food that is grown in the native garden is used in the hotel to provide guests with a healthy dining experience. Because of this, it has increased guests' reason to eat at the hotel and is 15 percent of the hotel guests' revenue stream. This environmentally friendly program increases the possibility of repeat business and attract new travelers who search for these types of experiences. A report published by the Green Hotels Association states, "Companies with proactive environmental strategies have a 4 percent higher return on investment, 9 percent higher sales growth and 17 percent higher operating income growth than companies with poor environmental track records." Even non-hotel-industry entrepreneurs are realizing business opportunities in the green vacation industry. Patricia Griffin, president of the Green Hotel Association, started the associatio

Several different hotel chains have fallen victim to hackers who have stolen the personal information of their guests therefore Hyatt is taking matters into their own hands. The hotel chain is offering a bug bounty program via HackerOne which will reward ethical hackers with monetary compensation for reporting flaws in their network and programs. They will then take the information that these hackers provide them with & work to strengthen the weaknesses in their cyber security.

GDS companies continue to evolve and implement new technology to stay in line with current consumer demands. After initial resistance, they are implementing the NDC program into their system. NDC (New Distribution Capability) is a travel-industry supported program launched by IATA for the development and market adoption of a new XML-based data transmission standard (source: https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/airline-distribution/ndc/Pages/default.aspx) This article discusses the need of the airlines to upload useful content and for the travel agents to be more actively involved in order to make it useful for them. However, with major airlines' bookings split between 50% direct booking and 50% agents, and the airlines' efforts to drive more direct booking traffic, I wonder what is the sentiment of the companies to provide with more content and information on a platform that competes directly with their efforts to increase direct sales from their websites. Selling air tickets directly from their sites not only allow the companies to decrease booking fees and commissions but also allow them to collect much needed date from the consumers who use their services.

Week 6 Diigo - This article was all about how the use of mobile devices can grow a restaurant's business. The four tactics that were discussed were engaging with customers on their level, offer mobile ordering,stay connected with customers, and offer loyalty programs. Engaging with customers includes posting and responding to customers on social media websites, creating a personal connection with customers. Offering mobile ordering allows for customers to have quick and convenient access to your food. This gives them the ability to still choose your restaurant even if they are on a time crunch. Staying connected with customers involves sending out reminders to customers about specials, coupons, etc to encourage them to remember your restaurant and choose to go to it. Lastly, offering loyalty programs will encourage customers to visit your restaurant more than usual just to receive the free perks that come with the loyalty program.

TVs are the largest contributors to electronic waste. Electronic waste recycling solution is urgent because the waste is toxic. LG partnered with Hilton Hotels for a recycling program to efficiently recycle their old TVs without sending them to a landfill or somewhere overseas. Through the program, recycled TVs were replaced with newer 43" Energy Star certified LG flat screen TVs.

This article is a research paper did by Amir and Beer-Sheva. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact of technology on the human resources function in organizations, in general, and in hospitality firms, in particular. At the beginning, it introduced the role of human resources department in organizations for decades. And the trend or changes in contemporary human resources. Then it came out that we cannot skipped the effect of technology on the HR function, especially in tourism and hospitality industry. So, next it gave the definitions of HRIS by introducing technology. And list some advantages and challenges of using HRIS. In the end, it listed how technology put infusion across HR function, including recruitment, selection, training, performance evaluation and compensation, payroll, benefits and pension administration, labor relations and outplacement.

This article is about Marriott International partnering with Micros Systems. This company now hosts the PMS used by all Marriott brands worldwide. This company's program will operate all daily functions in the hotels, regardless of size. The Marriott is confident in its decision and that the cloud program being the best solution for their properties. I believe that utilizing this program could indeed be successful for the Marriott. However, I hope that the company did its research on cloud programs before making this decision. Of course, the cloud programs have many advantages and are deemed promising in the future of technology and the companies it may eventually be a part of. However, the Internet is open to experiencing many issues, especially in security that can jeopardize the hotels. Since they implemented a "considerable evaluation", I assume that they are aware of the risks they are taking when utilizing a cloud based program. But, is the security of the company really the best risk to take?

This article focuses on the benefits that Maestro (a property management system) offers to hotels and how it has been benefitting hotels that currently use their system, more specifically, smaller, independent hotels. Most chain hotels and large facilities are required to utilize a flag-mandated property management system. However, independent operators are not linked with these mandated systems, and have a choice as to which system to utilize. Maestro claims to offer Northwind, a service that allows Maestro to be utilized in a cloud-based system, enabling it to host multiple properties and save the establishment money by not requiring them to purchase servers and security, whereas a traditional PMS would have done so. The president of Northwind also states that they strive for their clients to succeed and that it is more of a partnership with those who utilize their service, and their goal is to make a hotel's operations more profitable and efficient. The article continues on to explain the uses and functions of the Maestro system, including being fully-integrates and offering operators loyalty program benefits and the functionality to compete with programs that were solely available to chains. It also tracks points earned and redemption stays as well for those loyalty programs, and claims to minimize errors and save operators money. It also allows integrations that provides social media outlets through the property management system, allowing the user to operate their business simultaneously through different systems. Maestro also boasts that the utilization of their property management system allows hotels to increase their direct bookings through the property for a lower cost than if they were to utilize a different system in which it was not flawlessly and seamlessly integrated with a global distribution system. It seems to be a property management system that enables users to complete many tasks at once, from one location, without having the hassle of

This article talks about some of the creative ways hotels are going green. As more and more guests are looking to stay at environmentally friendly hotels, properties have to go beyond just offering a towel initiative or just using LEED lights. Hotel chains like Kimpton, The Charles Hotel, Starwood, and Calistoga Ranch are all coming up with new ways to be more eco-friendly. About five years ago Kimpton Hotels implemented a complimentary bike service. Guests are able to check out the bikes and use them to navigate throughout the city. As this service became more popular, Kimpton started investing in more bikes at each property. The Charles Hotel in Cambridge Massachusetts offers a similar program for guests. Their program started eight years ago when they purchased a property in Boston. The program enables guests to experience the city, all-while being environmentally friendly. Hotels are also finding new ways to be eco-friendly with their food and beverage options. The Charles Hotel actually operates a farmers market on-site with local fruits, vegetables, and meats. Other companies like Kimpton focus on offering sustainable seafood in their restaurants. Kimpton has removed whale, turtle, and shark fin from their menus due to environmental concerns. Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley has come up with a creative way to reduce their carbon footprint when it comes to yard maintenance. About 11 years ago, they brought in babydoll Southdown sheep to graze on property in order to reduce their usage of lawn mowers. These babydolls help Calistoga Ranch reduce noise and reduce usage of gas-powered lawn mowers. Guests love to visit with the baby sheep, which is an added benefit. Hotels like Kimpton, Starwood, The Charles Hotel, Calistoga Ranch and other have to come up with more creative ways to be eco-friendly as more and more guests identify that this is important when considering where to stay.

With sustainability at the forefront of hotel operators and investors hotels are becoming conscious of the guests needs as more and more travelers are requiring and are staying at properties that are serious about environmental conservation. The article highlighted the fact hotels are big consumers of energy, therefore have construction that are LEED certified will not only benefit the environment but also the bottom line of investors.

Travel Weekly takes a look at hotels taking real initiatives to their commitment to going green, especially in Sin City. Hotel groups are looking not to save money through transparent initiatives asking guests to simply reuse their towels, rather the article looks at "hotel owner-developers to invest in systems that cut energy usage, save water, and reduce waste". It seems in addition to other environmentally conscious west coast cities, Vegas has set a standard by setting goals for increased recycling, decreased energy consumption, switching over to LED bulbs, composting food waste, reducing overall carbon footprint and emissions. In light of continuing green development, Sabre Holdings has launched an Eco-Certified Hotel Program taking the lead out of the other four major GDS's to tip their hat to eco-friendly hotels. As travelers, GDS's, hotels, travel websites, and developers alike place greater emphasis on the preference for environmentally conscious lodgings, the more likely the industry is going to continue adopting these measures.

Hotels are becoming more green world wide. MGM hotels is on board with a green initiative. Hotels electricity and water add up because they have to cool a building , clean and maintain the hotel. IT costs about 800 per room annually in electricity and water costs. MGM hotels reduced the electrivity they use which can help power 12, 000 houses. HOtels are also trying to reduce its carbon emissions. Although as the article states " its very difficult fot hotels to be trully green by their nature" every little bit helps.

This article talks about how to increase customers' loyalty by rewarding them for spreading the word on social sites. Since social media grows stronger those days, it is becoming a trend that businesses use them as a marketing approach. Some businesses build loyalty programs with help of social media. With the high traffic and huge net of connection, word-of-mouth can be easily spreaded via social media. Although it brings lots of benefits, social media also brings negative effects to business, such as adding processing time to transactions. But fortunately, we have a solution already. It is called SNAP(social network appreciation platform). Anytime you swipe your loyalty card, the opt-in program of SNAP will automatically post a message on your social media web site, and every purchase you made gives you points, you can trade them for free staff when you accumulate enough points. As a future manager, you can not ignore the growth of social media, and the way it is going to affect marketing strategy. You should take good advantage of it, and i think loyalty program is a really good idea.

At most hotels, waste is created at upwards of 1 kg per guest per night - a large amount when multiplied by the number of hotels and guests around the world. Taking responsibility for the environment and local community has been an important part of the hotel industry. Hotels can make a significant impact on waste reduction and recycling.  Hoteliers have many opportunities to reduce waste by establishing waste prevention and recycling programs and by purchasing recycled products. Besides reducing waste and saving money, these actions can increase employee morale and customer satisfaction. Hotels and motels generate large amounts of highly recyclable materials, such as office paper, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, plastics, metals, and glass. Work with your waste hauler or recycler to arrange the details of your recycling program. Management should adopt an environmental policy to reflect how the company sees itself in relation to the environment, neighbors, and the people it employs and serves. Chains with multiple locations may want to encourage each hotel to evaluate and establish its own program.

Tripleseat offers a cloud-based system that keeps client information-even little details- and can be used to assist event planners. Private parties/events represent over 30% of a restaurants revenue and event managers lose time and money conducting their planning the way that they have before. Tripleseat streamlines the process and makes finding leads and simplifying the planning process. 

This article talks about a Tripleseat company a cloud base sales and event management application for the hospitality Industry, announced they have recently achieved the milestone of having over 400 restaurant hotel and unique venues as costume. Tripleseat has delivered over 200m in leads and managed over $500 million in event in cities around the country. THE EVENT BUSINESS IS a $26 billion a year industry and it is being run on past it notes. Tripleseat, a web base sale and event application that can deliver and capture leads while simplifying the book and planning of event

This article discusses a program called Tripleseat that was created in 2008 as a way to better organize sales and even planning within the hospitality industry. The program is a cloud-based software that provides a competitive edge that event managers need. The founders of the software said that the idea came when he realized that Event sales managers were still using paper and pens to organize their events. He said that event planners were losing sales by not having a simple organized system to track their events. The point of Tripleseat is to provide a fast yet simple to learn program that allows event sales managers to easily book and plan any sort of event no matter the size. It keeps track of little details as well as past client information, there is less paperwork, and managers are able to focus on sales. Since this is a web application it can easily be integrated with other websites as well as social media. It is a sophisticated event planning system, but is also offered at a manageable cost. This type of system sounds like a great system to use. I only wonder if it is able to interface with a property management system of a hotel? Especially one that isn't cloud-based.

This article presents suggestions on POS selection for companies sized from small to large. I found this article really interesting and reiterates that the selection of the POS is going to be based on company needs/culture. Their research was extensive and conducted market research repeatedly, before suggestions were made. It also touched on the different pricing options, in addition to any special features the POS may offer.

This article talks about the best POS systems for 2020. What I found interesting is that the majority of these systems are cloud-based and offer integrated information services for a variety of industries, not just hospitality. A lot of the systems also are ipad based and work well with third-party POS hardware. They also have automated payment options integrated, for people who like to process payments electronically (i.e. Apple Pay). I think its important to know about these POS systems and what they can accomplish for hospitality companies.

In this article, they talk about the best pos systems to use for 2020. They list each pos system name and then summarize the benefits and give a full review. The first system they talk about is lightspeed, which Ipad pos system has solutions for retail stores, restaurants, and online businesses. It's fully mobile, so you can check inventory from anywhere in the store, show customers product images and descriptions, and ring up orders and accept payments on the sales floor or, for restaurants, tableside. The next system is Vend that has real-time reports, inventory management features, and access to various integrations that can help you run your business, save time, and boost sales. This POS software is suitable for nearly every type of retailer. Whether you run a clothing store, a sporting goods store, or a specialty service-based business such as a car wash or computer shop, Vend has the features you need. Touch Bistro is a simple and affordable POS system that focuses on the unique needs of restaurant owners, with tables, reservations, and delivery management features. It's suitable for all types of food establishments - fine dining, casual eateries, cafes, pubs, food trucks, and more. Lastly, there is eposnow has both retail and hospitality versions of the software are available, each with a robust selection of features to help you run your business. It also has more than 80 integrations, so you can add extra capabilities and connect to the business programs you already use.

Hotels are more likely to replace their electronics more often because they are using them every day and they are trying to be up-to-date to be able to provide the best experience to the customers. Therefore, the number of computers that people are throwing away is too big and hard to count. Great Lakes Electronics Corporation is providing electronic recycling programs that are environmental friendly.

Cyber attacks open more and more often and varied since cybercriminals are becoming more cunning and their methods more challenging to detect. This article introduces some types of strategies implemented to protect companies' businesses from cyber threats and cybercriminals. Including using Anti-virus software, firewalls, password managers (very useful while some even free), VPN, patch management program which not only for operating program but also for other applications running on your system, consider the email SPAM/Malware filters and security awareness training for the employee since "humans are the weakest link." An employee who accidentally clicks on the wrong link can put in motion a chain of events that results in a cyber breach. Finally, plan a 24/7/365 network and endpoint monitoring.

"Maybe it's easy to ignore the huge percentage of vintage gadgets that wind up torched in dicey scrap heaps in developing countries". This article was written on Feb-27-2020. The problem we saw on the old video is still very much a problem now, only bigger.

This article was super informative in the realm of E-waste. It covered every aspect of the issue and most definitely is relevant in today's world.

This article takes a deep dive into the emerging tech trends in 2021. They briefly touched on how SaaS is slowly taking over the traditional PMS and how venture capitalist can't get enough of these programs. Another honorable mention in this article is the explosion of guest room tech such as streaming services, voice activation, and guest room tablets. OTAs that have traditionally been top dogs when it came to hotel bookings are slowly declining and big data is becoming super insightful to hoteliers. This article touches on so many avenues of tech and it's definitely a must read!