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Over the past several decades, hoteliers have turned their focus to the importance of sustainability in the hospitality industry as it relates to hotel development and operations, including the environmental, economic and social impact.

In fact, according to Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research, the reverse is true for both. Recent advances in technology related to renewable sources of energy (solar, geothermal, wind, etc.) have improved the economics of using these kinds of alternative energies at the property level.

Cost is always a driving factor and reducing operating costs provides a compelling incentive for hoteliers. Cost reduction and efficiency strategies can be achieved by investing in better operational procedures and emerging environmental technologies. Many hoteliers now employ a variety of strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste. Other emerging areas include sustainable procurement, indoor environmental quality (focusing on air quality and chemical/cleaning product use), and staff training programs (which can facilitate improved performance and higher levels of employee satisfaction/retention).

Society is seemingly trapped in amber—frozen in place by the coronavirus. But really we’re speeding ever faster toward a technological future. Changes that would have occurred over the course of years are happening in weeks.

As surprising as it may seem, handheld ordering systems have been around for over 20 years.

Handheld wireless POS systems are a portable version of a POS system which is defined as the time and place in which a transaction is made. Point of sale computer systems include: cash registers, optical scanners, magnetic card readers, and special terminals.

hose minutes equate to greater table turnover and more profits. It is these benefits which lead to cost savings and return on investment for the purchase of a handheld POS system.

The benefits of using event management software It can make your life easier The main benefit of using such solutions is that they can help you maximize registrations, while minimizing the resources that may otherwise have been needed. Once you’ve set up an event on your chosen software, then you should just be able to press go and let it get on with things – leaving you to concentrate on promoting the event. If you’re running multiple events, or a regularly occurring event, then this can be particularly useful. Saves time needed for manual processing Good solutions will help you automate most processes. They will offer features like registration tracking, payment processing and also tools that can aid audience engagement. You’ll be able to grab a quick snapshot of what’s happening, who’s registered, who’s paid, who went on to attend and more. Plus, you’ll have an easy way to track how much money an event is bringing into the business. It will save time for your communication sequences too. With just a few clicks you should be able to send out tailored emails, including “thank you for attending” messages to those that made it and “sorry we missed you” to those who didn’t. Aids professionalism and the overall experience A further benefit is that it can make the management of the process feel that much more professional. The whole experience should run more smoothly. Nothing should be missed, which you can easily risk with a manual system. The payment of any monies can also be managed more easily and you’ll have the ability to manage multiple events easily. Can help increase engagement Engagement is at the heart of all marketing. It needs to start long before an event takes place and be supported and encouraged during and after. Good event management software will provide tools to aid participant communication at all stages. It will also give you the ability to see and analyze the global picture of your overall engagement levels. Supports targeted activity Marketing is at its strongest and most effective when it is highly targeted and tailored to an individual. (The key principal of account based marketing). You can use specialist solutions to tailor your event and all associated marketing activity. For example, by creating unique guest lists and email lists, and sending out targeted emails to those different attendees using certain parameters. A holistic approach Overall, event management software can act as a hub, holding together all elements of the event’s process. It can help keep everything connected, from the agenda, to speakers, any sponsors and the attendees.

New apps and software for the event industry are hitting the market daily. Some are improvements on existing services (an easier way to do a Webcast), while others are distinctly new ideas (turning a smartphone into a remote control). The common thread among all of these innovations is that they aim to improve the event experience for attendees or planners (or both), making it more efficient and effective. Here are 15 of the newest technology products to have on your radar:

1. To Help Attendees Navigate

2. To Address Language Barriers

” Shedd said. “On average, guests using digital key rate a hotel seven points higher than keycard guests with 84 percent of guests likely to use digital key again. 

New technology always takes time to enter the mainstream and mobile key is still on the adoption curve, but reviews among users and hotel satisfaction scores prove out that mobile key is the future

“The global demand for digital locks has swamped the manufacturers to the extent the typical wait time to receive new locks is up to 90 days. Challenges still exist around budgets to fund upgrading locks to BLE, but the desire to do so among hotels worldwide seems to be universal.”

So many businesses within the hospitality industry rely on word of mouth and good reviews from loyal customers that social media is a natural marketing tool

The use of social internet platforms like Twitter and Instagram have evolved from a strictly peer-to-peer communication channel to one that allows businesses to effectively engage with clients.

communication have changed somewhat, businesses still must apply the fundamental principles of marketing and promotion to get their messages across to their targeted audiences. The difference is the speed and reach that can be achieved by the new digital tools.

you can give yourself a competitive advantage and make your life easier at work.

you can give yourself a competitive advantage and make your life easier at work.

With cloud computing, you only pay for what you need.

As methods of doing business and customer expectations grow and change, small businesses (and especially independent or locally-owned restaurants) must be ready to meet demand whenever and wherever it exists. Incorporating a mobile point of sale (POS) system into your small business is one of the best ways.

Certain mobile POS systems work with larger systems, meaning business owners can monitor updates from their store from their smartphone or tablet.

Today, there are dozens of free and paid mobile POS systems to choose from, allowing small business owners to select the right system that best fits their business’ unique needs.

While convenience is still important, the pandemic has put a spotlight on how safe mobile payment is, both from a data security and a public health perspective. 

While still popular, cash is falling out of favor as more and more people use credit and debit for even small purchases under $10. And in today's pandemic where cash can be a vehicle for virus transmission, people are even more reluctant to use it. 

people who use mobile wallets make purchases at a rate 23% higher than those who pay with physical cash or card, and spend 2.4% more per transaction.  The reason is similar to why people spend more on credit cards than when they use cash — because the money doesn't feel real. 

The hospitality industry is changing, and is rapidly becoming super high-tech.

On arrival at their destination, guests no longer need to wait in line for the key to their room. They can now check in and out using electronic kiosks, online and mobile check-ins. Automated payments and the use of smartphones for keyless entry, making requests, online purchases, or even placing room service orders makes self-service an attractive option.

With the advent of technology, however, many activities previously performed by live humans have been replaced by automated methods, mainly in the attempt to streamline functionality and improve service

Over the last decade, guests have looked beyond amenities to decide where they want to stay. Now, they compare a property’s sustainable efforts to see if it matches their firmly held beliefs.

When someone decides to go green, reducing their water waste is often the first thing they try.

To achieve that balance, a hospitality professional must understand this most important audience, beginning with two fundamental objectives:

Create an excellent event: This includes making registration easy, managing the event properly, and creating a unique experience. Remember, attendees are spending valuable time and money to participate – make it memorable so they want to come back the next time.

Achieve the company’s business goal: Perhaps the point of the event is to train employees, or network around emerging trends. Maybe it’s a regional get-together designed to rally the sales troops for the next quarter.

A decade ago in 2009, hospitality was — by some reports — the most widely attacked industry of all. And while other industries have now surpassed it, a 2019 report by Trustwave still ranks hospitality as the third most-breached industry, accounting for 10% of all breaches.

the average hospitality data breach costs $1.99 million to contain, at a cost per record of $123. These high costs are due in part to the time needed to adequately respond to a breach. On average, it takes 200 days to identify a hospitality data breach and a further 75 days to contain it

attacks targeting the hospitality industry are mostly aimed at stealing payment card data.

Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work.

Old models are falling away and technology is giving both planners and event participants an opportunity to grow and revisit the underlying ideas about how event spaces work.

planners can use the tech-augmented action to direct traffic to spots and programming that they want to emphasize.

From virtual maps to quirky digital experiences, hoteliers are creating fun and memorable guest experiences using AR. By investing in AR solutions, they hope to exceed the expectations of guests and make their stay unforgettable. Best of all, hoteliers don’t have to commit to expensive and permanent changes when they’re experimenting with AR.

Hotels can also use AR to create virtual maps, especially if the place is quite large. They can get information about amenities, prices, maintenance issues, housekeeping schedules, and more.

AR can bring marketing collaterals like brochures, catalogs, and magazine spreads to life in new ways.

As service paradigm and customer expectations shift from conventional customized and personalized services towards a digitalized service environment, such customer orientation may favor using service robots at scales that could render service employees redundant.

Beyond digitalization, other service concepts, such as contactless services with highly reduced human interaction, are becoming more prioritized by hoteliers and consumers

The notable exception, Ivanov et al. (2018) denoted that employees might resist working with the service robot as they might see them as a threat, while Lu et al. (2019) believed that collaborating with a service robot can have adverse effects like frustration, discomfort, and confusion for service employees.

In particular, biometrics is being used to usher in a new age of seamless authentications, and this could benefit hotel processes and customer purchases.

In the future, this technology is also likely to allow for completely seamless purchases, with payments being authenticated by touch.

the Hilton robot concierge ‘Connie’, which uses speech recognition and AI to respond to queries from customers and intelligently learn from interactions.

As of January 2020, there are over 3 billion people around the globe actively using social media,

It’s projected that by 2023, the number of users will rise to about 3.43 billion.

The most popular social media platform is Facebook, with over 2 billion active users. Other popular social media outlets include Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.