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Know the total cost of all facility work done both directly and indirectly. “To the untrained eye, the facilities maintenance arm of a business appears to be a black hole of cost. The costs of these FM services add up, and unless discrepancies arise, that is where most of the business analysis ends. However, facilities maintenance managers, who are privy to all of the nuances that make up eac

h work order, understand the complexities and overhead involved in this sector of business.

Consider less obvious improvements that impact facility energy use. “Some energy-related projects will be more or less hidden from the users and primarily pursued to reduce energy demand, such as chiller and fan-unit upgrades. Such projects may end up providing the building users with better temperature control, but this is not the primary goal of the upgrade

Operational changes such as reducing the hours of HVAC and lighting operation, and changing setback temperatures, which require very little expenditure (if any at all) do not directly affect user experience, but can produce large reductions in electricity loads. In general, working with the building operations team to reduce energy use can produce impressive reductions in loa

his allows building and facility management professionals to determine whether the cost to improve a particular element of a building or a system in it against the cost savings over the same period. If the cost of an upgrade over its lifetime offers an advantage over the building operational costs it will save, then it’s generally considered a good investmen

“Finding the right suppliers to maintain your facilities can be difficult and time-consuming. From janitorial services, to groundskeeping and maintenance supplies, ensuring suppliers are providing apples-to-apples quotes, developing contracts with clear service levels, and validating that supplier quality

“Boilers today can reach efficiencies of up to 96 percent using condensing technology; however, a typical building, including new buildings, uses atmospheric type boilers which, for all intents and purposes, are only slightly more advanced than a science lab Bunsen burner. This technology is reliable and it works, but it is expensive to operate

An energy audit systematically identifies and develops opportunities to help reduce energy use in an institutional or commercial facility and, as a result, decrease building operating costs. Focusing the audit is imperative for maintenance and engineering managers.

“Commercial kitchens are high energy users, consuming roughly 2.5 times more energy per square foot than any other commercial space, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Of that, as little as 40% is used in the preparation and storage of food, says the UK’s Carbon Trust; much of the wasted energy is dispersed into the kitchen.

All commercial buildings are insulated; building codes make it mandatory to insulate up to  a certain level. Unfortunately, because most buildings are put up under strict guidance to budgets, they are usually put up with only the minimal amount of insulation

Develop performance measures for your PM process with an emphasis on measuring the amount of PM that is work completed compared to all other work. Total PM hours should be the highest percentage of all the department’s maintenance work. This goal might seem impossible, but over time, it is very achievable

“Preventative maintenance is all about planning, plain and simple. Every piece of equipment or machinery at your disposal or under your care should have a schedule of what type of maintenance it requires and when it requires that check-up.

“Failure modes are defined as “how something fails.” Let’s use a flat/membrane roof to show an example of what a failure mode is. On a flat/membrane roof, one failure mode may be “penetration of roof membrane,” and the causes of this failure mode could be many. Knowing the failure mode(s) of a specific maintainable item such as a membrane roof and its causes can be key to early detection of roof failure (not meeting the intent of the end user) so the repair can be made before it affects an operatio

“Catch small problems now before they become big ones. Addressing small details can add up to huge improvements in appearance and functionality. Ask your facilities services provider, janitorial company

You may schedule preventive maintenance based on meter readings on an equipment. However, equipment meters usually do not differentiate between work time and idle time

Greasing the rack and pinion of a beam saw, for instance, can cause grease and saw dust to solidify inside the gears over time, eventually preventing them from moving. If you’re unsure which tasks are beneficial to each piece of equipment, ask your equipment representative.”

Having spare parts and supplies around the time of a major preventive maintenance schedule is absolutely critical. Asset management software allows you to check the availability of the spare parts for dates when the work orders are due. This report can help you identify parts that are insufficient for the required work orders in the future. If you know which parts you are falling short on, you can order them in advance from suppliers rather than waiting till re-order limits are reached

“Appropriate repetition and reinforcement are necessary. The average person is bombarded with more than 300 messages while at work, and multiples of that outside of work, Finney says. Getting a message to land with an audience might take as many as 12 repetitions, in some cases, he says

Let’s get together: when you’re designing your facilities, design social spaces for your employees. These might be lunch or break rooms, games rooms, gyms, or even community gardens.

While other managers may work to manage clients or staff, your job is to manage facilities and all that occurs in them. Your corporation’s physical assets are just as important as your human resources, and you are the expert in this field. Whether it’s collating data or contributing to the organization’s bottom line, your input is a valuable part of corporate decision-making

 “Workplace inclusion has to be clearly defined before any initiatives can be pushed forward. One useful definition of an inclusive office is a workplace in which all staff are treated with respect and have equal access to resources and opportunities. Facility managers should build on this high-level description to create an idea of what concepts like equal access, diversity and fairness look like in their own facilities

Space costs money. Knowing that we are moving towards a working environment consisting of virtual or mobile workers, investing time in developing new workplace designs that can suit these new ways of working while increasing space utilization rates can result in impressive cost savings

Performing facility maintenance and engineering tasks is like sailing among icebergs. What technicians can’t see will sink them — or their facilities. Thermal imaging technology gives technicians the ability to see the unseen, making it easier to spot failing motors and electrical components,

This concept is broadly used to describe our attempt to formally identify in-house talent in many of our labor shops. We identify talent through a competitive selection process based on potential vs. skills and promote our selected personnel to the worker and helper level while training them to achieve appropriate full mechanic level with associated certifications/licenses

This directly leads to the client receiving a more fit-for-purpose solution and ultimately receiving greater value which grows a greater relationship.

In other words, there has to be a compelling reason based on our mission for why we would submit budgets for anything.” By presenting specific information on how and why you’ve chosen your budget numbers, you can help the C-suite see that your budget is well within reason

When you automate the work order process, you remove human error associated with it. Essentially, you’re taking the people out of the process and ensuring nothing gets missed or overlooked

“There are many different software options out there than can aid FMs in organizing and streamlining their everyday tasks. This ranges from software designed to help manage all maintenance activities to logging and tracking facility visitors for security purposes. 

uch smart sensors, operating costs are dramatically reduced, productivity is enhanced, and occupants’ comfort is improved.

“One of the most exciting features of Facilities Management software is the ability to manage heating and cooling remotely, or set a programmable thermostat to move set temperatures up or down throughout the day. Facilities planners love the ability to analyze and explore energy use from heating and cooling systems

“Maintenance and facilities administration systems must frequently abide by national and global regulatory requirements. All maintenance administrators face occasional random or audits inspections by regulatory authorities. Maintenance software enables you to prove regulatory conformity and decrease the amount of paperwork and preparation that is needed for an audit.

KPIs allude to opportunities and errors in your company. Paired with the Internet of Things (IoT) and energy management systems, KPIs can be used to highlight missed maintenance tasks, greater traffic area of your business or problems with machinery

“Closely monitoring energy and water use to reduce building-operating costs is another benefit. By allowing owners to monitor and analyze the performance of multiple systems—air-conditioning levels, lights on automatic dimmers, water usage

“A feature that’s gaining a lot of ground is using facial recognition technology to let people in and out of the building. It’s more secure than key fobs or cards, and unlike cards and fobs, you can’t forget your face at home. It’s like batting a triple, or killing three birds with one stone

You cannot do your job properly without the correct information. If you don’t have proper records on the state of your facilities, you can’t do your job as a facilities manager.

“A surprising number of facilities managers have no true system in place for managing their space.  More than a quarter of everyone interviewed – 28 percent –

. It may help significantly with compliance with various industry standards, such as HIPAA in the healthcare industry and Sarbanes-Oxley in the financial field. It can help to document best practices for avoiding accidents, or in the worst case scenario,

This method identifies how critical a piece of equipment or maintenance task is to your business and will ultimately show you where it should land in your prioritization process

Smartsheet is a spreadsheet that you share with your co-workers, but its features go far beyond Excel. This tool combines the traditional spreadsheet with project management tools, templates, and forms and allows you and your colleagues to access spreadsheets on mobile devices and work on them collaboratively

The business world is increasingly embracing a larger remote workforce. Offices are used as areas to collaborate, develop, and design new ideas. The day-to-day work can be, and often is, done from home

“Another possibility for cutting costs, say experts, is not just moving staff around, but moving work around also. This means carefully examining all outsourcing contracts to see if they can be scaled back and the work completed by in-house staff

“Verify assets from a minimum of two data points, such as the barcode and the item’s serial number.

After collecting data and developing a maintenance schedule for your assets, you need to plan for the long-term maintenance of your asset inventory

However good asset management and maintenance planning is, there comes a time when an asset reaches the end of its useful life and should be disposed of.

“If you’re trying to get a handle of your documents, the first thing you should do is an asset assessment. Detail the condition of all the main equipment and systems, and document those conditions

Strategic asset management integrates key relationships between planning and delivery activities.

Maximize your use of vertical cubic footage by placing seasonal products or those that move less frequently in harder-to-reach vertical storage areas

Proximity marketing—also sometimes called hyperlocal marketing—uses cellular technology to send marketing messages to mobile-device users who are in close proximity to a business.

While the audience is limited to those in the proximity of the business and those using its Wi-fi or Bluetooth signal, the message is very user friendly and reaches those most likely to visit a store. Who employs Proximity Marketing?

Major retailers, such as Ikea or Macy’s, can send store maps and coupons or offers to apply for their credit card or to enroll in their loyalty or rewards programs. Hotels can inform guests about on-site events and promotions or can offer to enroll them in loyalty or rewards programs. Restaurants can send special menus/daily specials, coupons, offers for loyalty programs, or perhaps send trivia questions or other games to help them pass the time while they wait for their table to be ready. Shopping malls can offer a proximity marketing benefit to their tenants by putting together a package of coupons or offer a discount at any mall retailer. Travel hubs such as airports and public transportation centers can provide maps or display ads that can be sold to local tourist destinations. General information about a product or service can be delivered through proximity marketing even if the fixed location of the business or service agency changes

This makes just about every consumer with a smart phone potentially susceptible to a proximity marketing campaign, particularly younger, tech-savvy shoppers who are more likely to own smartphone and use them while shopping.

With mobile devices becoming a staple of modern society and the preferred way of accessing digital content, today’s successful marketing professionals will need to understand how to connect successfully with mobile consumers.

One of the key benefits of proximity marketing is that its messages reach a high percentage of potential customers who are in the area.

The main purpose of the proximity marketing plan is to connect with customers while they are near your business or service and spur them into action

In the case of mobile messaging, it’s important to consider adding an opt-in component to your campaign.

More and more, customers value control over the messages they receive and desire privacy from unwanted solicitations

Mobile devices are made for short messages and quick interaction, and there is intense competition for the attention and time of the mobile device user. Therefore, in developing a proximity marketing plan, messages must be sharpened and honed to be as clear, concise, and impactful as possible.

If the goal is to drive as much traffic as possible to the business and maximize sales that day, then an electronic coupon or special offer might be the best strategy. If the store has a high turnover rate, the goal may be to make a connection with customers by offering them incentives to return.

The digital and interactive nature of most proximity marketing campaigns provides the advantage of real-time data collection of response and success rates. If a message is failing to connect, it can be easily and quickly adjusted.

Airports are using beacon technology to provide directions to points of interest and to help manage the flow of traffic; directing or moving passengers to less crowded security lines in order to minimize wait times.

The hospitality industry can benefit tremendously from beacon technology as it can provide travelers that are new to the area with relevant information on nearby restaurants, attractions, and other points of interest.

Once a guest enters the hotel, the beacon can connect to their mobile device, notify the hotel that the guest has arrived, and then send the guest a push notification to confirm the check-in process.

Menu options, travel directions, appointment updates, facial recognition software and contact information are just the beginning of the very real ways that event planners will soon be able to use wearable tech.

Event technology trends aside, the number one thing for any event professional to remember, is to let your tools work for you, rather than the other way around. The purpose of implementing advanced technology is to make your life, and the life of those whom you plan events for, as easy as possible.

5G will also make it more feasible to incorporate the cutting-edge into event experiences.

Projection mapping is the act of creating an augmented reality experience with the help of projectors.

this visual technology proves to be an efficient and cost effective way to create optical illusions in nearly every location.

event technology adoption can increase attendance by 20%, increase productivity by 27%, and decrease costs by as much as 30%.

branded apps provide limitless opportunities to interact with consumers right on their own phones

Apps can be customized to appear as if they were created specifically for events or stays, while offering functionality that serves to enhance and personalize the attendee experience.

Planners can utilize branded multi-use apps to connect with attendees and engage them on a variety of levels before, during, and after the occasion.

Event spaces can create customized apps to enhance experiences and share things like helpful facts, historical tidbits, and even the personalities of their unique employees,

Because they’re often cloud-based, these programs also provide accurate, customizable, and collaborative project planning that’s accessible by all managing parties

With event diagramming software, both event planners and venues are able to map everything out visually

provides helpful tools like drag-and-drop diagramming, 3D walkthroughs, and seating software on a single platform.

Hotels especially can use apps in this way, allowing guests to control their rooms from their phones and even communicate with chatbots to find nearby attractions.

Projection mapping5GBranded multi-use appsEvent diagramming

It also opens up new possibilities for app developers to push the boundaries of current event tech trends

Knowing event technology trends—and adopting the most valuable ones—gives planners and venues the competitive advantage

Studies show that using event technology can increase attendance by 20 percent and increase productivity by 27 percent. 

Each match automates personalized actions, such as printing a badge with the attendees name, sending an email with a scannable lunch voucher, and finalizing a swag bag for their ticket-tier (no sense creating swag bags for no-shows).

The technology speeds event check-ins, improves security, and helps businesses at tradeshows collect more valuable leads by tracking attendee visits to booths.

can also use facial recognition to watch for crowd flow bottlenecks and collect session attendance data so you know what worked—and what didn’t.

The ability to support advanced tech like facial recognition makes venues more attractive to corporate planners. The technology also allows automation at certain access points, which means lower manpower requirements and lower costs. 

Properly integrated apps add value to events, providing attendees with more opportunities for networking, interaction, and engagement with peers, speakers, and exhibitors.

Offering tech to support projection mapping provides bang for the buck. There’s no need to physically construct or deconstruct any part of your exhibit hall to add this fun, popular technology to your toolbox and draw more events. 

This visual technology is an efficient, cost-effective way to create optical illusions on anything—from cars to landmarks to stages.

With tradeshow or conference maps, speaker bios, and schedules in the event app, there’s no need for bulky information packets. Push notifications in the apps help keep attendees informed and on schedule. Planners can also use apps to personalize the event agenda through live polling and attract event sponsors with the option of targeted attendee surveys.  

Event spaces can create customized apps to share helpful info like maps, historical tidbits, and even the personalities of their unique employees

Easy-to-use 3D event diagramming software provides accurate, customizable, collaborative project planning regardless of venue design or size.

Give clients peace of mind and leave nothing to chance on the big dayUpload a floor plan to work with, so you know the diagram is to scaleTake clients and stakeholders on 3D ‘fly throughs’ to clarify your visionPlan seating charts and manage attendees’ meal choices or other preferencesHelp staff easily identify and accommodate VIPs and guests with special requests

Sales reps can collaborate with planners in real time, share variations on the event proposal, and visually portray upsells.

Attendees can use this tech to follow slide presentations, participate with quizzes and polls, take notes, and engage in text-based Q&A. They can also view graphs, tables, videos, and other content; and follow website and social media links. 

Any speaker can keep an audience attentive and engaged with this technology, leading to good reviews and a successful event.

Supporting second screen tech for presentations is much less expensive than making physical upgrades that aren’t in the budget. 

This data underscores the importance of social media sentiment analysis in monitoring your brand and messaging, keeping an eye on competitors, and making improvements to services during and after events.

Tracking attendee activity on social media during an event provides actionable data to help you make adjustments in real-time

Replenishing food and beveragesEasing show floor bottlenecksDriving session attendanceAddressing technology issues (mobile apps, Wi-Fi, or audio/visual)

Venues can social media sentiment to promote popular services and learn where there’s room for improvement:

Wristbands and smart badges using near-field communication (NFC) chips keep disruptions and lines to a minimum, thereby increasing attendee productivity and engagement.

Access different event areasExchange information with peersReceive exhibitor marketing materialMake cashless purchases

Wearable tech helps you speed-up check-in, control access, and monitor attendee behavior with less staffing. It also improves ROI for exhibitors, who can drive attendees wearing the tech to visit a booth of interest based on an individual’s profile.

On-site staff can use real-time data to learn when they need to offer overflow rooms or investigate security breaches, such as non-VIP guests in restricted areas. 

Indoor wayfinding helps attendees navigate exhibit halls with ease,

gather useful attendee behavioral data, send leads to sales team members in real-time, and build attendee profiles to send targeted messaging

You can also incorporate proximity advertising options as a value-add for exhibitors and sponsor

Post-event, you can utilize IPS data to see where attendees spent their time visiting booths and attending presentations.

Adding hotel bars, restaurants, spas, gift shops, and other amenities to the location map can help drive additional revenue during events while improving the attendee experience

store attendee admission information on their person, helping to detect fraud and streamline access

Attendees can review their travels throughout a tradeshow and see who they interacted with, while exhibitors are notified in real-time when sought-after prospects come into their booth.

Planners can generate pop-up directions for attendees based on their location at an event instead of investing in producing/shipping/replacing physical signage

validates your event and highlights improvement opportunities by tracking session popularity, length of attendee visits to exhibitor booths, and strong tradeshow traffic.  

RFID and beacon technology helps security and general event staff do their job better in real-time, which is essential for building trust and streamlining crowded events

event planners are turning to venue sourcing platforms to connect with the perfect site for their particular event.

discover detailed venue layouts, capacity ranges, and on-site services

Venue platforms offer exceptional ROI and generate more leads through improved discoverability.

Convey elements that make your venue uniqueShowcase your event spaces visually with accurate floor plans, 3D diagrams, quality photos, and videosLeverage the success of past events with testimonials and social media accolades

artificial intelligence (AI) tech is using badge scans, social media info, and other behavioral data to match attendees with people they should meet or seminars they may want to attend. 

Instead of taking-up significant time pre-event and on-site manually recommending seminars, exhibitors, and sponsors to attendees, AI can do it for you—even in real-time—based on their profiles and preferences captured during registration. 

it requires transparency and advance notice about how you may use data submitted by attendees. 

Attendees entering the geofenced area triggers predetermined actions, such as event check-in, push notifications, or advertising related to the event. 

Planners can sell geofencing to exhibitors and sponsors to reach attendees at events, or even promote their event on attendee devices at a competing event under a separate geofence. You can also provide attendees with a better experience via seamless registration and check-in, along with automatic app downloads as soon as they walk on-site.

provides analytics, both post-event and in real-time to help you better understand things like the duration of an attendee’s time at an event and overall peak attendance. 

Hotels can serve ads promoting their brand, facility, and services to attendees at events

once a prospect visits an event website, ads for that event will appear on any subsequent websites the prospect visits, in the form of website banner ads, search engine results, and pop-up or push ads on mobile apps. 

Event marketing teams should develop relevant and creative ads with clearly visible event dates to convince prospects who have visited an event website, but haven’t yet registered

venues can use it to generate return visits from event planners

retarget attendees during events with offers for in-house services like food and beverage, spa, and discounts on extending their stay.

Gameplay creates an immersive attendee experience, while generating leads and booth visits for exhibitors via quizzes, scavenger hunts, and trivia on mobile apps.

Gameplay fosters a sense of common purpose; creates an environment of collaboration and trust; facilitates easier communication; and boosts attendee confidence. You can also gather information about attendee engagement and interests via game choices.

Promoting the use of gameplay on-site showcases a venue to organizations looking for facilities supporting team building exercises as well as immersive attendee experiences.

Event technology is a term used to describe all of the digital tools and software used in the events industry. Everything from check in & registration, to diagramming, to social media tools, and more can be considered event technology.

2. Virtual RealityWe have talked about virtual reality for events a lot in the past. This is indeed a trend that is definitely here to stay. A major plus in attendee engagement, event planners have been finding a lot of amazing ways to leverage this tech to create interactive displays, on-site experiences as well as utilizing VR devices as a major factor in their event promotion strategy.

3. Augmented RealityAlternate reality transports attendees while ensuring that attendees remain connected to the event.

From scavenger hunts to exhibitor promotions and lead management, augmented reality has a plethora of use cases in events.

4. Event DataBig data is considered to be the future of technology. Event technology definitely is no exception. Time and again professionals have emphasized the importance of data and data security in events.

5. DronesThere’s a lot that can be done with drones. Events like Superbowl, Winter Olympics etc. have used drones in the past to mesmerize attendees with breath-taking drone shows.

Apart from event experience, drones are also a great asset in terms of event security and surveillance.

6. RFIDWearable tech is all the rage these days. It’s been in the market for quite a while now, its utility beginning with events such as concerts, music festivals, etc.

From event ticketing to attendee mapping, RFID enabled bands and other wearable gadgets along with Beacon technology will be one of the most used event technologies in the coming years.

7. Mobile App for EventsMobile apps for events is officially mainstream. A lot of events these days are going smarter, making the most of a mobile event app to let attendees access their event on the go.

Event app developers are now focusing on integrating new and improved tech including AR and AI within the event app to engage attendees as well as for lead generation in events such as tradeshows, expos, etc.

8. Voice SearchNot much has been talked about SEO for events. Organic traffic through SEO is a great tool for event promotion. Talking about SEO, voice search is definitely the future.

9. Artificial IntelligenceAI is making great leaps in every field imaginable. One of the most popular implementations of AI is Social Media such as the Facebook chatbot.

Event tech developers have started to focus on this tech in a lot of ways including stand-alone chatbots for events, integrating AI within the event app as well as using AI robots for attendee engagement.

10. Experiential TechEvent professionals are now putting heavy emphasis on experiences. Experiential marketing is on the rise. Attendees, consumers even, now value experiences above anything.

The value addition that an event provides is important to gain loyal attendees. Event technology such as 3D projection mapping, video mapping, etc. that aid event planners in developing these experiences are the future.

As a part of this program, the chain tapped a popular Turkish loyalty app called Shopping Genie, to target customers while they were around the premises of a local McD Café.  Customers got mobile coupons, via the app, which prompted them to purchase a coffee and receive a beverage from the new drink line for free. This proximity marketing campaign via beacons helped McDonald’s achieve 20% conversion rate with 30% of users who received the promotion!

Bluetooth beacons were deployed at the point of purchase, where customers were waiting in line to pay or just moving around.

These beacon notifications offered two Red Bull cans for $4! Apart from making a profit out of campaigns, Red Bull also monitored the entire campaign in real-time and captured customer behaviour.

The retail giant used GE light bulbs to house beacons and send push notifications of specials and discount coupons to in-store customers. These beacon-equipped LED bulbs can track shoppers within a store by using the beacons hidden inside them

Carrefour has extensive iBeacon networks in all 28 of its hypermarkets in Romania through which the retail chain offers its consumers a simple, intuitive, and fun app for orientation inside hypermarkets from area to area

The retailer’s beacon-enabled app automates the commercial content delivery and collects essential data about in-store consumer behaviour. Its proximity marketing campaign keeps consumers informed about the products, services, and actual special offers from each of the store departments.

Popular convenience store group Nisa piloted iBeacon technology to track its shoppers by attaching Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to trolleys and baskets

These sensors picked up the signals emitted by beacons and collected location data which was then fed to a cloud-based server for analysis.

used iBeacon technology to gamify the Ladies’ Night event with brands providing offers, discounts, freebies, and prize giveaways. Many retailers such as Hotel Chocolat, Krispy Kreme, Cath Kidston, and House of Fraser, participated in the event

The event was highly successful as it saw more than 500 app downloads within the first three hours, with over 500 offers redeemed. All 120 hotspot offers were redeemed within the first 52 minutes of the event.

Best Buy implemented a beacon strategy to help boost sales and improve personalisation of experience. The retail giant chose to use their own application as well as Shopkick retailing app to offer rewards to shoppers, simply for stepping foot in the door.

Hammerson rolled out beacons across their shopping centres to improve personalisation of consumers’ shopping experience. Their beacon-enabled Plus app was initially trialled at Les Terrasses du Port in Marseille and it ranked among the top 10 lifestyle apps in France.

The app also allows a consumer to call for assistance. A member of the staff receives the request informing them that a customer is waiting for help

UK supermarket Waitrose started using iBeacon technology at its relatively new experimental Swindon store to deliver price promotions to consumers when they were near a particular aisle or food counter

UK supermarket giant Tesco launched its “biggest trial” of iBeacon technology, in partnership with consumer goods company Unilever, by deploying beacons in 270 stores across London. They launched the ‘Mpulse app’ as a part of the Pink and Black marketing campaign

using beacons to target passers-by based on their interest. They change campaigns based on distinct seasons including prom season at colleges

Oscar Mayer worked out an interesting deal with the supermarkets which would allow them to place beacons at the deli counter. This location helps them convince shoppers to buy the specials of the week while waiting at the counter.

Amazon, the retail giant started a new convenience store in Seattle, U.S. in Jan 2018. Amazon Go is an 1800 sq feet mini market filled with food and technology. They have deployed an array of cameras, beacons and other proximity sensors to make the store one-of-a-kind

World-famous brands such as Hamleys, Armani, Longchamp, and Hackett form the 80% of the retail companies that have deployed beacons in their Regent Street stores with the aim of pushing exclusive and personalised marketing messages to customers via iBeacon technology. Shoppers receive alerts and tailored content about everything, from new in-store promotions to exclusive offers only available for visitors to Regent Street, as they pass

Neiman Marcus, the high-end retail chain, piloted beacons at three stores—Austin, TX, Walnut Creek, CA, and San Antonio.

Rite Aid has installed beacons in over 4,500 US stores for retargeting and personalization of user experience. This large-scale beacon deployment by the Pharmacy chain is the largest beacon installation program in a retail setting till date. In fact, it has even surpassed the one undertaken by the famous Macy’s

a collection of beacon-level proximity data to strategize their retargeting plan and achieve personalization capabilities similar to those that have been used in e-commerce

Walgreens has innovated considerably in the mobile retail space by using iBeacon and other technologies at over 7000 locations.

leveraged iBeacon technology at ten of its stores to boost its loyalty program.

Target, the second largest general merchandise retailer in the US, announced that it will start testing beacon technology in 50 of its stores nationwide.

The recommendations may appear both as push alerts and in-app updates on the Target app’s “Target Run” page, which is designed like a social media news feed offering deals, top-pinned items on Pinterest, and more

beacons to bridge the gap between online shopping and in-store experience. Their beacon-enabled app notifies consumers if any item in their mobile shopping bag is in stock,

The store has deployed beacons with individualized campaigns for each department, which makes the customer experience interesting and focussed

Macy’s expanded its beacon program to all stores nationwide, by installing more than 4,000 beacons. This step was a part of the retailer’s efforts to make bigger investments in omnichannel retail technologies. This Thanksgiving, Macy’s also used a beacon-triggered mobile app game at its 700 stores, to engage shoppers

Urban Outfitters announced that they will be rolling out beacons at 15 of their stores located in Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Atlanta, New Jersey, and Delaware, more than a year ago. The US multichannel fashion and homewares retailer decided to take a different route unlike the conventional route of using aggressive promotions.

Kenneth Cole is using beacons to create more compelling, personalized customer experiences with an aim to “provide value and offer at the time of need when customers are in the store

launched beacon networks in more than 100 of its top-performing stores located in states such as Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York, and San Francisco. The idea was to implement iBeacon technology at the stores with the highest traffic levels and best traction with Shopkick.

Supermarket giant Woolworths successfully completed a beacon trial with one store using iBeacon technology to improve customer service around click-and-collect. Thereafter, the chain announced that they are looking to roll out beacons across all of its 254 click-and-collect stores with the aim of allowing consumers to place their order online and pick them up in-store

it has decided to distribute free BLE beacons to about 150,000 gas-station convenience stores in the United States and Canada

Alex and Ani used beacons in all of its 40 stores to optimize store layouts and product placement. Contrary to popular belief that beacons are only for ‘pushing’ ads, the popular Rhode Island-based jewellery brand used beacons differently in its trial period without using them to promote flash sales and other discount promotions.

In 2019, 63% of social media marketers confirmed that social listening would be crucial in 2020 to continue to engage the traveler

over 40% of social media users are now asking questions on Property and Destination Opening instead of asking for cancellations, showing a highly engaged potential guest.

organizations that respond well to a crisis and continue communications see a 20% increase in brand value as opposed to those companies that respond poorly see a 30% decrease

she owes the success of the campaign on turning the focus from the brand to the guest and their needs during the quarantine.

Building trust is critical for a brand, however sustained engagement to drive bookings and revenue from social media is the key success metric for most marketing leaders.

mitigating negative reviews is critical for driving demand in the future.

encouraging guests to share photos and awarding a two-week stay voucher and promoting the health standards and safety measures taken by the brand.

BCV’s RoI focussed strategy that micro-targeted source markets and personas created tailored content for Cinnamon hotels to deliver more than 200 room nights worth of revenue and an RoI that exceeded 200.

Brands need to understand who their target audience is, what they care about, and how they manage their time to capture their attention.

Instagram now has a shopping feature, which allows users to check out new products from brands in a few swipes. This shows that visual content is more crucial than ever—you can literally put a price tag on your photos on Instagram now.

Every Digital Platform has its own metrics and today, Digital Marketers can track close to 50 metrics to show success such as followers, traffic, share of voice and many more however as hospitality marketers emerge from this pandemic

The companies that are best at tracking social media return are measuring all of their marketing efforts including organic and paid social so they can see how social media is driving traffic and influencing purchasing decisions.”

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) offers cybersecurity guidelines for best practices to manage cyber risk. These include identify, protect, detect, respond and recover. Another resource is the NCSA’s national program, CyberSecure My Business.

Firewall Often referred to as a company's "first line of defense," a firewall is a security control that filters and screens network traffic entering and exiting your corporate network.

People can rely on the password manager to create and store dozens of passwords in an encrypted database without having to remember them.

Password managers are quite helpful, and some are even free.

store the first part of sensitive site passwords

but keep the last few digits memorized and fill them manually.

This way, if there is ever a compromise of the password database, hackers don't have those full passwords.

You should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA authentication uses more than one thing or "factor" to log you in

, biometrics is part of this last category

SPAM & Malware filters screen email for unwanted and dangerous elements, blocking them before they ever reach your users.

In the world of cybersecurity, there's a phrase, "humans are the weakest link." An employee who accidentally clicks on the wrong link or email attachment can put in motion a chain of events that results in a cyber breach. Security awareness training is an anti-phishing tactic all organizations should employ.

RDP access must be protected by a VPN connection.

reduce the risk of getting hacked is to ensure your systems and software are updated regularly, or "patched.

patching shouldn't end with the operating system. Your patch program should also look to patch all other applications running on your systems

regardless of the security tools implemented to prevent a data breach, you should plan for a compromise occurring.  

That's where 24/7/365 network and endpoint monitoring comes in

This type of data risk is more subtle, and it involves employees selling data to third parties without the knowledge of the organization that employs them

Data security risks in the hospitality industry extend far beyond the reputation hit that a hotel can take if guests’ data is compromised. Industry and political regulators are becoming stricter in governing how organizations process and store personal data.

the job turnover rate in hospitality is as high as 90 percent

High Staff Turnover

From the perspective of cyber criminals, hospitality appears to offer an ideal target for conducting crimes, such as identity theft and credit card fraud, due to the existence of multiple databases and devices containing both Payment Card Information (PCI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Here are five of the biggest data security concerns in the hospitality industry:

Complex Ownership Structures

Reliance on Paying By Card

Information security is a pivotal aspect of many industries

Compliance

Insider Threats

Best data-protection practices for companies in the hospitality sector include… Always encrypting payment card information.Operating a continuous training program in cybersecurity to maintain a well-trained workforce.Always adhering to relevant regulations, such as PCI DSS.Use cybersecurity measures such as firewalls, network monitoring, anti-malware, and traffic filtering to protect against common threats.Conduct tests against your organization’s cybersecurity defenses in which you mirror the behavior of an actual hacker.Know where your data is and enforce the principle of least privileges to limit acce

ss to sensitive information.

organizations in the hospitality sector are better placed to implement a comprehensive information security strategy that entails the necessary procedures, processes, and people to improve cybersecurity within the hospitality industry.

The purpose of an RMS software is to improve pricing strategies in order to sell more rooms at optimal rates. Since the hotel industry is highly dynamic, it is crucial to use a revenue management system. Some of the main advantages of this hotel software include strategic pricing and higher revenue, but there are many more benefits that hotels can make use of.

A channel manager helps avoid overbooking and prevent other costly mistakes since it has the ability to report booking sources. The hotel owner can then determine which online channels or portals are the best fit for their niche market.

Reputation and review management software is designed to track online users’ feedback on services and products. It is a system that helps spread the customer’s positive reviews through the relevant online platforms.

As different technologies in the hospitality industry are constantly evolving, it becomes almost obligatory to choose the right hotel software for improving service and making the process to run smoother. W

Hotel software allows hotel owners or managers to streamline their administrative tasks while cutting costs and increasing bookings at the same time.

PMS is a system that facilitates the booking management and admin tasks of a hotel. A property management system doesn’t just automate operations across the various departments in the hotel.

It has now developed into a platform that helps hotels gain more visibility and enables them to reach out to audience in order to increase bookings

RMS lowers costs as it takes into account the room rates during the low and high season. As a result, the hotel manager can plan in advance and lower costs by avoiding unnecessary expenses.

This hotel software has the benefit of simple graphics and easy-to-use reporting tools that help hotel owners optimise room rates in line with demand.

Advantech’s FaceView app, developed for smart security and visitor analysis, provides fast, high-precision, scalable facial recognition and can extract data on visitors’ gender, age and emotions. The resulting data empowers businesses to better understand and serve customers such as VIP or loyalty program guests, as well as facilitate loss prevention and area security.

he integration empowers the app to perform real-time facial recognition and analysis of visitors’ gender, age and emotions for IoT applications in scenarios such as retail, hospitality, transportation and commercial building management, among others.

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. 

there’s a problem with this process. There are a ton of factors that contribute to sales growth or regression that simply looking at last year’s sales doesn’t give insight into. 

Things like the weather, your restaurant’s location, holidays and even local or international events can have a big effect on your sales. 

Whether it’s sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy or warmer than usual, consumers are drawn to certain foods and drinks based on the conditions outside. Based on the food and beverages a restaurant serves, the weather will influence how many customers a restaurant serves on any given day. 

it lets you know how many sales you can expect in the future based on that historical sales and weather data. 

A study from the World Resources Institute found that for every dollar a restaurant invests into reducing their food waste, they save seven. That’s a 7x return on investment! 

By using historical sales data and weather conditions to predict how much inventory you actually need to buy to fulfill customer demand. In doing so, restaurants remove the risk of overspending on cost of goods sold (COGS).

Using AI, restaurants can accurately project their sales, inventory and staffing needs for holidays. Instead of guesstimating your sales for events like Saint Patrick’s Day, use artificial intelligence to decipher what (and how much) food and beverages you need to stock up on to fulfill demand.

Your restaurant’s location will also affect sales on holidays, and AI can help you predict foot traffic and walk-in customers based on the same historical sales and weather data. 

For example, if your restaurant or bar is near a basketball arena and your local team is in the finals, you can expect larger crowds of customers who want to watch the game. If you’re not prepared for that spike in customers, that’s effectively missed revenue. 

Rather than guess which menu items attendees prefer, pinpoint your best (and worst) sellers and adjust what you purchase from suppliers accordingly. 

AI can help restaurateurs determine what their promotion includes, which maximizes that promotion’s returns. 

With AI-powered forecasting, businesses in the hospitality industry can plan and make decisions based on previous sales data and analytics in relation to the weather, their business location and so much more. 

The next thing I want you to work on is your online

distribution

work on building your Instagram presence

Food is killer on Instagram,

because people love to look at photos of food

Use the new video feature to

enrapture your audience and make them want to buy your products.

start branding yourself on Pinterest.

Since you are a content creator (hello, you create food for a living!) you can pin your own images and edit them to link to your site from the backend of your Pinterest account.

One thing that will be very important to help brand yourself on Pinterest is creating keyword-friendly board

names. Things like “food” and “beverages” won’t cut it. Create boards that are more original and that people will search for online. Board names like “DIY Party Ideas” or “Summer BBQ Appetizers” are going to bring your brand more value and more search traffic.

create a blog

Nick Pickles, director of Big Brother Watch, said: "I am pleased the City of London has called a halt to this scheme, but questions need to be asked about how such a blatant attack on people's privacy was able to occur in the first place.

POS technology makes it possible for small businesses to accommodate these complex buying behaviors, letting them compete with larger companies with bigger budgets.

POS technologies continue to empower retailers to create a more seamless customer experience across all touchpoints.

mPOS systems: Many cloud POS options also have a mobile component, or an mPOS, so associates can meet customers where they are and make sales on the floor.

When you accommodate additional payment methods with a flexible, tech-forward POS, you can accommodate more customers—and encourage more sales in turn.

While credit and debit cards remain popular, usage is expected to decrease gradually as consumers access ever-expanding payment options

Having a POS that provides personalized shopping experiences is important

POS software captures valuable information with every transaction, so you can build customer profiles that help you learn more about your clientele. Over time, you can personalize automated campaigns through your POS, enabling your associates to access customer profiles at checkout or on an mPOS.

POS data is valuable for more than just getting to know your customers and their communication preferences. The metrics from your POS can also reveal information about your business’ staff, products, store layout, foot traffic, and returns rate—among other metrics.

Choosing a POS system that lets your customers subscribe to products or services makes it easy for them to keep their favorite products in stock while effortlessly maintaining brand loyalty.

many of the best loyalty program software options integrate with POS systems and make it easy for customers to sign up for rewards.

With increased mobility, data analysis, and security, POS technologies are becoming an integral part of every retail business.

Showcase sponsorship packages.

Take advantage of fully immersive trips.

Speed up the RFP process

Adopt an AR app that drives event traffic

The only limitations to virtual reality and augmented reality in event planning lie in your own imagination.

From inception to creation, VR and AR have proven to be welcome event additions for both the companies who use them and the attendees who benefit from them. 

Because AR and VR is all about creating an experience, you should focus on sharing event content that is relevant to the theme as a whole while also creating something entirely unique for the viewer. 

Virtual reality and AR event planning is all about creativity

VR and AR events and event elements are as practical as they are entertaining.

Look to leading brands and events for more inspiration.