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Complex Events

by Oxford Economics, around 1.5 billion people participate in business events every year, across more than 180 countries. Global business events generate over $1 trillion in direct spending, and supported 10.3 million direct jobs globally.

2. The value of events

To understand planners’ goals and expectations for the event they’re tasked with creating, let’s start with the basics. Events generally are categorized by size, purpose, and type — all of which are increasingly dependent on a technology footprint and a digital experience.

3. What makes an event: size

Understanding the basic mechanics around an event can help clarify the planner’s approach, and improve communication.

"Simple" Events

Defined as small, repeatable meetings with “simple” requirements such as basic audio/visual facilities, these events are usually limited to 100 or fewer participants.

Midsize Events

Larger meetings rely on technology, and require a robust marketing effort to attract attendees. Planners handling these more complicated events want fully branded websites, advanced registration options, and the ability to send targeted emails to their various attendee segments.

Small Events

The number depends on the area, but as a general rule a small meeting is between 100 and 250 attendees.

Forty-three percent of planners in Cvent’s Planner Sourcing Report cited live music and entertainment as their top strategy for building memorable experiences.

Planners tasked with arranging large-scale events need an array of solutions that help manage cost and risk, optimize the experience, and measure business impact — including ROI. 

4. What makes an event: point and purpose

One can only imagine the chaos of a meeting without a point or purpose!

For venue managers, understanding the purpose of an event is critical in helping planners design the right experience, from registration to conference space needs and room management.

For Profit

The key is in keeping costs as low as possible without sacrificing the experience.

Corporate

Planners arranging a corporate event will likely need help driving attendance to sessions, generating leads, and tracking ROI.

Membership Growth

Associations and consumer groups rely on member events to raise funds and recruit new members. So it makes sense that planners are acutely interested in driving attendance.

5. What makes an event: the experience

The popularity of events is due to the quality of the experience — one that’s a good measure more than a speech and a presentation.

1. Why events matter

Live Entertainment

A Quality Keynote Experience

There’s also an emerging desire for shorter sessions and more interaction with the expert — before and after the keynote. Perhaps most of all, keynote speakers must be able to use real-world examples to support their data.

Food and Beverage

The trends underscore a preference for locally-sourced and creative, exotic cuisine. Consider that more attendees have dietary restrictions, requiring hotels and caterers to be accommodating and flexible.

6. What makes an event: technology that puts everything together

Innovations such as virtual reality grab the headlines, and for good reason: according to a Consumer Technology Association survey in 2017, 77% of U.S. consumers are interested in purchasing VR equipment.

Branded Websites

Websites that promote the brand to attendees also create anticipation for the coming event experience. More practically, these websites help ease registration, check-in, and more.

Room Block Management

Venue managers who expect planners to use spreadsheets to manage room blocks risk losing business.

Digital Check-in Desks

Digital signs, self-service check-in kiosks and on- demand badging are increasingly expected as part of a smooth and easy event registration experience.

Real-Time Surveys

Branded Mobile Event Apps

This technology can expand the influence of the event to at-home registrants, and is effective at showcasing event space to planners.

Data Dashboards

We all prefer our mobile devices, and that doesn't change during an event. Attendees want instant access to agendas, updates, and networking.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Chatbots are popular with planners and hoteliers because they provide answers in real-time, and do so without much staff oversight.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

RFID makes it easier for planners to collect data, such as surveys and session attendance.

7. What makes an event: technology in the moment

Today, exceptional experiences also include a healthy amount of technology. From easing a time-consuming process, enhancing a stay or improving the level of interest or interaction with a topic, technology is at the forefront of helping planners create exceptional in-event experiences

To put it simply: if your guests are sitting idle and passively listening, then their energy and engagement is sure to decrease.” The great opportunity is to instill a sense of excitement and enthusiasm in your events through the connective power of technology.

Websites: It’s not just for registration. A good event website can drive engagement before, during, and after the event through interactive content, video and images.

Room Block Management: Helping every participant register quickly and efficiently gets the event off to a great start; it’s also a great way to offer upgrades and package offers to attendees

Virtual Reality (VR):

At-a-glance analytics provide quick insights that can help optimize events and offerings.

Augmented Reality (AR): Digital interaction is the name of the game, and that's exactly what AR does: Have attendees use their phones to transform your venue with visual effects.

Beacons: Few solutions are better at connecting events and mobile devices. Period. At events, Beacons improve communication, push updates, and promote targeted content — all through Bluetooth.  

Planner Expectations Around Technology

Technology has indelibly changed the hospitality industry. Professionals on both sides of the meetings and events ecosystem — planner and supplier — now expect technology to power their events and increase efficiency.

The Value of Technology

That finding reflects an emerging requirement for venue managers to stay abreast of the application of technology in order to provide a best-in-class experience for planners. Some of the significant benefits planners and hoteliers can expect to achieve include improved engagement, increased revenue, an improvement in managing costs, and greater ROI insights.

After the Event: What Attendees and Planners Want

Event attendees are also hotel guests. So, in addition to their expectations for a memorable event, they’re also looking for amenities and options during off-hours.

Doing that takes more than spa services and local tour packages. By keeping the connection alive, there’s an opportunity to build an ongoing relationship. This makes it easier for planners to return to your venue for the next event.

Put your hospitality management professional learnings into practice

With all that goes into an event – the sourcing, logistics, and managing of hundreds of issues – what most planners want is for attendees to walk away satisfied and rewarded for spending time at the event. Post-event special touches, from a relaxing spa treatment to a simple survey and “thank you,” send them on their way with an unforgettable final impression

The PCI Security Standards Council claims that since March, malicious virus-related reports are up 475%. The reason for the uptick is that cybercriminals are trying to take advantage of rapid changes to the payment-card data environment. In addition, 41% of small businesses have said they’ve suffered breaches costing more than $50,000 to fix.

Contactless payment is one of the big changes within the payment data environment. Several restaurant companies – from chains to independents – are offering it because it reduces customers' physical interaction with the restaurant's POS system. As part of this move, some businesses have eliminated credit-card PIN numbers.

Eliot says malicious email is usually the easiest way for cybercriminals to access your networks. The emails typically show up as urgent requests for sensitive information, often pretending to be from the Small Business Administration or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When the intended victim types in his or her credentials and clicks on a specific link or downloads an attachment, criminals are in.

Anyone looking for easy-to-implement security tips can try these six to start. Reduce areas where payment-card data is stored. The best way to protect against a data breach is to avoid storing any card information at all. With many small operators offering curbside pickup and accepting payment over the phone instead of through face-to-face transactions, it’s important they train employees not to write down payment card details. Instead, have them enter numbers directly into a secure terminal. Use strong passwords. Using weak and default passwords is one of the leading causes of payment data breaches among businesses. Effective passwords must be strong and updated regularly. The most recent guidance is: the longer, the better. Think of it almost as a “passphrase” rather than a password. Use it in the form of a sentence, but mix in different characters within the phrase. It’s much harder to break a long passphrase than it is a short, complex password. Weak and vendor default passwords often result in small business data breaches. Also, don’t repeat your passwords. Update your software often. Criminals look for outdated software to exploit flaws in unpatched systems. Timely installations of security patches are crucial to minimizing the risk of a breach. Whenever updates are available, use them. They will improve performance and close out some of the vulnerabilities cybercriminals are searching for. Enable two-factor authentication. It's so important for restaurateurs, especially where their POS systems or any of their sensitive databases are concerned, to have two-factor or multi-factor authentication enabled. If an instance where credentials are stolen occurs, there will be a second layer of verification the operator can rely on to potentially reduce the chances that information will be breached. Segment your networks. If you are going to store payment data, make sure your POS system has its own separate, secure network. Do not store sensitive documents on public cloud services such as Google Docs or DropBox. If you’re going to store sensitive documents, house them in an encrypted, locked down location.   Be hyper-vigilant. Criminals are going to try to take advantage of this pandemic situation as much as possible. You can protect yourself by not giving out sensitive information, especially within unsolicited emails. Don’t click on links you’re not expecting and do everything in your power to protect all sensitive information.

The Stand-Alone LTE device offers hotels an all-in-one solution capable of protecting employees both on and off property without the need for a tethered smart device.

Sidekick

s designed to pair with company-issued mobile devices to provide a truly seamless safety solution for the mobile workforce

BLE beacon device is a discreet, easy to conceal device that allows our safety platform to deliver precise room level location accuracy indoors in multi-story buildings.

In a crisis scenario, hotel staff can press their React Mobile Sidekick panic button to transmit an SOS signal.

making personal safety accessible at the touch of a button

mmediately identify the precise location of an incident.

he device identifies the closest BLE beacon. It then reports the precise room number and GPS coordinates,

a Stand-alone LTE panic button, which transmits the same, location-specific information

apable of connecting to any available cellular network, and is compatible with third-party hardware.

better reliability and lower service costs for hoteliers.

the system relies on GPS coordinates to follow an incident in real-time, relaying that information back to support services

BLE 5.0 Beacon provides incredibly precise location information even within a high-rise building.

Bluetooth beacons placed throughout the property,

o remedy any concerns, hotel properties will be expected to adopt frequent and stringent disinfection measures of guest rooms and public areas, with some staff members dedicated solely to the upkeep of new protocols.

housekeeping department

ill be more integral to successful operations than ever before. Ultimately, workers should feel confident, and with the peace of mind of knowing that help is just a click away,

Why Is Hospitality So Hard to Secure?

1. They often have large, complex networks.

2. Customers are onsite — and attackers could be too.

3. Staff churn.

4. Franchising.

5. Third-party risk.

Protecting the hospitality industry from cyber threats isn’t an easy job. Security professionals in the industry are tasked with defending highly complex networks with many endpoints against a constant barrage of attacks and a constantly churning workforce. On top of all of that, they have limited security resources to work with.

Comprehensive security intelligence helps security teams identify unknown threats to the organization, and make informed decisions about how and where to allocate time and resources for maximum effect.

Threat intelligence provides the context analysts need to quickly distinguish between valuable alerts and false positives, drastically improving their ability to respond to genuine cyber threats.

Threat intelligence can help security teams drastically reduce the time needed to identify and contain a breach by alerting them the moment stolen assets (e.g., guest or passenger data) are made available for sale via the dark web.

New cyber security companies are popping up all the time in response to the heightened demand. This can make it hard to stand out in the crowd, and it makes it essential for you to communicate what makes your brand different.

you also want to be credible.

your potential customers need a significant amount of education to understand what threats they face and what solutions they may need.

This is especially true given that CEOs and other C-level executives are not as well versed in information security, which can impact a company’s decision to include cyber security as part of their overall preparedness plan.

Though there is plenty of evidence pointing to the necessity of cyber security in protecting valuable data, the truth is that many businesses just don’t prioritize cyber security until it is too late.

only one in five, or 22% of those surveyed said that they fully incorporate information security into their strategy and planning.

data suggests that cyber security marketers must find ways to create a sense of urgency for potential customers

Content marketing can help you build credibility while addressing the major challenge of educating your prospects. In order for your content to be effective,

ensure that it is unique.

Blogs are great for attracting prospects in every stage of the buyer’s journey. Try to create some evergreen blog content that will be universally relevant

Offering downloadable content like e-books and whitepapers is also an excellent way to convert your site traffic into leads that you can later nurture.

Another aspect of downloadable content that you’ll need to consider is the landing page.

case studies are one of the most important tactics for B2B companies.

Email Marketing

Downloadable content like e-books, case studies, and reports that provide readers with a more in-depth understanding of important cyber security topics. Links to your most recent blog posts talking about recent attacks or security concerns and those that break down complex cyber security topics for a wider reading audience. Video content that emphasizes the importance of cyber security and communicates the value of your company’s offering. A digest of relevant articles from reputable industry publications that helps readers better understand hot topics in cyber security. Monthly offers and sales promotions like a free trail, which can encourage prospects to sign up.

Webinars are a great way for cyber security marketers to connect with bottom-of-the-funnel leads.

interactive element.

Webinars can sometimes be costly to produce. However, as with other parts of your marketing campaign, there is also an opportunity to repurpose your webinar to get more out of this content.

Paid campaigns are great at accomplishing two goals – amplifying your content marketing efforts and getting prospects to arrive at your demo request landing page.

Don’t exaggerate your solution’s results.

Use data in your messaging. 

Create an easy-to-navigate library of premium content. 

Many hotels are incorporating web-based solutions to optimize their key management functions in order for managers, HR executives, and employees to shift their focus to other high value activities.

Within just a year, the hotel experienced significant positive results in terms of better alignment and lower turnover.

scale, magnitude, duration, and strategic importance

hotels are cultivating talent pools internally and preparing their employees to assume leadership roles whenever the time comes.

The senior management needs to outline such customer service values of their hotel, and ensure that their staff at all levels has clear understanding of how their individual actions contribute to providing these values.

senior executives also need to empower employees to ensure they deliver them in a way that adds values to the customer experience.

experience and knowledge must be readily available to employees, and must be proactively delivered to the right person at the right time.

they need to reinforce core messages through timely advice, which should be both practical and inspirational.

Each employee needs to know this change is going to affect their work, what they are expected during and after the transformation process, on what basis their performance will be measured, and what is the altered definition of success and failure.

However, as emails and/or e-newsletters might be unsolicited, senders should either offer recipients an opt-out option or get their prior consent (opt-in). In fact, experience shows that permission-based email marketing is one of the most cost-effective and efficient marketing tools available.  

This makes search engines one of the most effective tools in driving targeted traffic to a hotel’s or destination’s website. In the hospitality sector, hoteliers have two options with regard to SEM: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or sponsored search:

Interface design:Adjustment of the web content for screen sizeso that users can comfortably access content in an intuitive way on a smaller screen and benefit from all functionalities on a mobile device (hotel search, access to reviews, bookings, payments, etc.).

A successful e-marketing strategy should comprise a set of specific e-actions that help hoteliers reach their planned objectives. These e-actions can be grouped into the following five main sections (A to E):

E-marketing is also known as Internet marketing, web marketing, online marketing or digital marketing. It is growing at a dramatic pace in the hospitality industry and is significantly impacting the business behaviors since it drives more revenue than traditional marketing.  

these systems are also called Human Capital Management systems, or HCM. In this article, we will use the terms HRIS and HRIS systems interchangeably.

keeps track of changes to anything related to employees

ability to offer self-service HR to employees and managers.

This includes material for the identification for employees in case of theft, fraud, or other misbehaviors, first contact information in case of accidents, citizens identification information for the tax

one plac

the tracking of data required to advance the HR and business strategy. Depending on the priorities of the organization, different data will be essential to track. This is where the HRIS comes in.

Record-keeping

time and attendance data from employees

Payroll automates the pay process of employee

is benefits management

This software handles all the company’s recruiting needs. It tracks candidate information and resumes,

allows HR to track qualification, certification, and skills of the employees, as well as an outline of available courses for company employees. This module is often referred to as an LMS, or Learning Management System, when it’s a stand-alone

talent pipeline and having replacements available

having employees and their direct supervisors manage their own data

involves the analysis of this data for better-informed decision making. We’ll explain more about this in the section below.

databases that record a company’s transactions. An example of a transaction is when an employee joins the company.

It includes modules on talent management, workforce rewards, workforce management, and work-life solutions.

They simply haven’t been designed for this. In addition, not all HRIS systems have all the above functionalities build-in.

as it means that data is dispersed into multiple systems. In order to report data, a new layer needs to be added on top of all HR systems to report and analyze the HR data.

These include Workday, Oracle, SAP, ADP, Ceridian, Kronos, and more. Listing all the HRIS suppliers would be impossible, so we decided to explicitly mention the four HCMs that are considered to be leaders.

they offer different suites including recruiting, learning, performance management, and an e-learning LMS.

Workday is arguably one of the best-known HRIS out there

These are systems that keep track of a company’s resources, which include among other things financial assets, orders, and people. In 2011, SAP acquired SuccessFactors,

. They are

HR, payroll, and talent management. Systems include time and attendance, onboarding, performance management, compensation, succession

on-the-job training to HR professionals in the use of the system. This function is usually in the IT arm of the HR department.

provides support for the HRIS. This includes researching and resolving HRIS problems and being a liaison with other parts of the business, like finance/payroll.

This means improving the employee experience in using the systems, coming up with user-friendly innovations, and implementing new policies to be reflected in the system.

IT is useful to understand the intricacies of the system while HRM helps to understand the processes that the HRIS is supporting.

the specific demands of the different stakeholders inside the company are inquired about.

you choose an implementation partner,

Here the functional and technical requirements for infrastructure,

a core test team is created.

communication plans need to be created, and Frequently Asked Question and other support documents created to benefit the software implementation and uptake.

the system can Go-Live. Feedback needs to be constantly collected and training material updated with the evolving systems. Cons

virtual hotel tours.

Interactive elements within hotel rooms can also improve the guest experience.

This helps them to plan their daily itineraries and provides incentives for them to book at your hotel.  

AR and VR offer huge potential within the hospitality industry.

5. Faster and More Reliable Repairs

3. Enhanced Customer Experience

4. Remote Room Controls

A smart hotel room is a room that makes use of ‘smart’ electronic devices, powered by the Internet of Things (IoT).

another.

Perhaps the single most important reason is because it can improve the actual experience of staying in a hotel, by enhancing the convenience aspect.

This internet connectivity and communication capability allows devices to find information from the internet, and to interact with other devices in the nearby vicinity.

With that being said, smart hotel solutions has grown in popularity for other reasons, such as its ability to reduce some of the costs associated with running a hotel.

One of the main benefits of a smart hotel room is the ability to offer guests a greater level of personalisation.

For hotel management, one of the biggest advantages of creating a smart hotel is the reduced costs that are often associated with the concept. This is primarily due to improvements to sustainability and energy efficiency within the hotel rooms, with certain devices only being used when they are actually needed.

Perhaps the most immediately obvious benefit of a smart hotel room is the improvement it can deliver in terms of the customer experience. A smart speaker, such as that provided through the Alexa for Hospitality service, assists with this by making it possible for TVs, lights, heating and other devices to be controlled through voice commands.

Another benefit of smart hotel rooms and the Internet of Things is the ability for hotel staff to access a variety of room controls from a remote location. This is especially useful when it comes to getting a hotel room ready for a new guest, improving the level of comfort they are greeted with upon checking in.

e advantage that is sometimes overlooked when it comes to smart rooms is the improved ability to anticipate technical issues with devices and make repairs swiftly. This allows hotels to intervene at the most timely possible moment, avoiding situations where the need for repairs hinders the customer experience.

While a growing number of owners are willing to embrace the idea of smart hotel rooms, many are unsure of how to go about actually implementing smart hotel systems. To help out, in the article “7 Ways to Transform a Hotel Room Into a Smart Room” you will find seven ways to transform a hotel room into a smart room.

Video: Example of a smart hotel room

Retail model

easy way to understand this model is if you think about how you would work with your local brick and mortar travel agency, that caters to walk-in customers.

Merchant model

 you would work with online travel agents (OTAs) like Booking.com via the third party service provider.

Opaque model

your guests don’t know they’re staying at your specific property until after they’ve made the booking.

Small accommodation providers can benefit greatly from using a GDS to connect to retail travel agents and corporate buyers.

However, we highly recommend that you steer clear of the merchant model, because you would be paying commission to both the third party service provider and the OTA.

n this kind of business relationship, it’s much better to retain full control of your rates and inventory, and cut out the middle-man by using an integrated channel manager to sell rooms through your OTAs.

But the party may not be over yet for GDS. According to a 2014 Business Travel Survey by Business Travel News, GDS still processes growing volumes of travel transactions.

If GDS evolves to meet the changing needs of the airline industry, it will survive; else it will cease to be relevant.

continuous experience with virtual meetings and events, work from home, and the so-called technology-driven life, these guests will expect HUMAN-TOUCH, HOSPITALITY, EMPATHY, MOTIVATION, and more importantly HIGH-END SATISFACTORY SERVICE with integrated technological solutions.

In order to achieve all these expectations, hotels should consider training staff to improve their EQ so that they can deal with any situation or use their EQ to make decisions when AI is unable to answer guest's queries or special requests, etc

. Furthermore, due to rising customer loyalty, employees can emphasize highly personalized touches and anticipate what a guest needs before he or she actually says them, unlike the AI which is programmed to respond only to certain inputs.

Personalization:

Reputation Management:

rtificial Intelligence is here to stay forever, but only as a dynamic helping tool or as an assistant for humans in the HOSPITALITY industry.

Predictive Analytics:

Sales & Marketing:

Revenue Management:

The future is optimistic where an integrated EQ & AI skills are needed to better optimize and provide guests an out-of-the-world experience

Relevancy:

It needs to be obvious why users would want to share their location with you and how it will benefit them.

users may feel as if you want to spy on them

Inaccuracies may be due to an unreliable method of pulling data, moving devices, poor interpretation of data, high urban density, or outdated data

They are often concerned that businesses will share their data with other services or send them annoying ad

Privacy Concerns

When too many services request location data, users can be overwhelmed with notifications and other types of content

Accuracy

Grabbing Attention

Offer Useful Content

This allows you to build relationships and develop loyalty.

Higher Conversion Rate

By using ads correctly, you significantly increase your chance of conversions.

Disruption comes in many sizes. It can make a huge splash, like self-driving cars, or it can make ripples in the form of chatbot service agents and robotic room service delivery. But all new ideas should have the common goal of making travelers' lives easier and their experiences more enjoyable in order to ultimately drive loyalty and spend

Near field communication (NFC) technology is the next-generation short-range high frequency wireless communication technology that gives users the ability to exchange data between devices.

Retina scanning is even more accurate and secure

Cloud computing is becoming the norm and we will continue to see hotel groups replacing their legacy IT infrastructure with cloud solutions.

Installing and maintaining a hotel-wide wireless network may be coupled with costs, but many leading hotel groups have started to install high density Wi-Fi and started to offer in-building mobile phone coverage as guests have come to expect these services during their stay (not only for themselves, but also for their guests if they are hosting a conference or function at the hotel).

While the amount of AV and digital equipment that goes into a typical conference room is fairly minimal, staging companies are often hired for various projects in order to equip the facility as required.

Guests want to be able to do everything from checking in at a venue’s automated kiosk to ordering room service with a digital device instead of standing in queues and moving around the hotel premises to order food.

investing in a check-in/cocierge app requires a small initial investment and can lead to greater efficiency and savings as hotel staff are able to focus on customer service and property developers don’t have to create large static reception desks at each entrance and hotel location.

can transfer data at up to 424 kbits/second and the communication is enabled when two devices touch each other, which makes mobile payments (by touching the smart phone to a credit card) an instant, secure process.

this technology could also be used to track loyalty points from a guest’s use of the conference facilities or room service.

Infrared scanners are now also used to minimise disruptions relating to housekeeping (which is a common complaint from customers).

All of these experiences need to be part of an integrated, dynamic system so that the guests’ experiences are at the forefront of the marketing and operational team’s mind.

Starwood (owner of the Sheraton, Weston and “W” hotel chains) has already upgraded 30,000 room locks across 150 hotels with this system and Hilton will be implementing a similar system at 10 of their US properties this year. In 2016, they will be deploying the smart room key technology globally.

This technology will mean that guests don’t have to worry about picking up keys and front desk staff won’t have to issue new keys in the event that a guest loses their room key.

The hotel room’s television, radio and clock are taking a backseat as travellers use their own technology to keep themselves entertained.

Many companies in the hospitality industry are already using social media to their advantage as guests check-in on location-based social media apps, tweet about their experience on Twitter and share their holiday photos with friends and followers on Instagram and Facebook.

his shift has led to many hotel and leisure groups developing active social media monitoring and communication strategies in order to stay on top of what’s being said about them online

Hotels will increasingly install smart room access systems that allow guests to unlock their doors by simply swiping their phones across a keyless pad on the door.