June 23, 2023
Siegel Sez
Finally, the week of dueling conferences will be here. Many of you reading this will be heading to Toronto or Las Vegas this weekend. Some will be going to both cities, but that is a bit crazy to me. Being a naturally curious person, I am tempted to head to the Toronto Airport early next Wednesday morning to see who will be on the two early morning nonstop flights from Toronto to Las Vegas on Air Canada and WestJet. It might be a challenge after the many Tuesday night parties that will be going on.
Anyway, I am glad this is a one-time thing this year only with the two shows planned in 2024 for June (HITEC) and October. A few months ago, Doug Rice did a great job looking at the two shows and got great feedback from a survey he did asking which event readers would attend. It was very heavy on HITEC attendance. In his Definitely Doug column that follows today, Doug has done a masterful job looking at the pluses and minuses of both shows.I encourage you to take a moment and read through his column even if you aren’t attending either event. It does a great job looking at the state of the technology industry.
Hospitality Upgrade and Hotel Online will be at both events, but I will be in Toronto. I’ve been entrusted to moderate two HITEC panels on Monday so I hope you will join us. The first one is pointed toward those attending HITEC for the first time and what to expect. Isn’t it great there is a large number of first timers this year? Historically the audience for this session is half and half with first timers along with those who have been many times. I am working on a few surprises that rarely work but it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try again. We shall see. The second session I am doing is a focus on the post-pandemic travel and how things have changed along with what to expect moving forward. It is great that Anthony Melchiorri, who is famous from the Travel Channel TV show Hotel Impossible, will be joining us. Once a hotelier, always a hotelier in my book. Join us at 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Monday -- we will try to make them fun and informative.
Again, I strongly encourage you to read Definitely Doug that follows. He really did a great job comparing both events. If you are attending HITEC you should follow Doug’s lead and visit some of the newer and smaller companies. Many could be the future of technology for the industry. We thank Doug for a great column along with the latest technology news that is happening. I hope wherever you are next week it’s a great week for you. It’s hard to believe July is nearly upon us. The first half of the year went quickly (my knee recovery notwithstanding). I will see you at the end with this week’s attempt at you know what. For those in the US, have a great Fourth of July weekend!
Rich
rich@hospitalityupgrade.com
Definitely Doug
What to Look for in Las Vegas, Toronto, or Both
If you are still on the fence about which of the two competing trade shows to attend next week, then you are a master procrastinator. And if you wonder if you made the right choice, I guarantee you are not alone. But stay with me and I will try to provide some insight into whichever show(s) you plan to attend.
Each year since I have been writing this column, I have spent a few weeks prior to HITEC researching the exhibitors. I particularly focus on the first-timers, because experience tells me that is where I will find most of the interesting and potentially disruptive innovations. At the show itself, I visit as many of them as I can, to round out my initial research and to assess what is truly new and interesting. That results in my post-HITEC column.
This year will be a bit different. Much as I would like to, I cannot physically attend both HITEC and The Hospitality Show (“The Show”) without wasting too much time in what is already the busiest week of the year for me. But I have spent a lot of time studying the agenda and exhibitors of both shows, so this week’s column will be a preview comparison and guide to what to look for on the exhibit floors.
The TLDR version is: The Show has a very strong lineup of sessions and speakers and should be an excellent conference, if not all that heavily oriented to technology. HITEC has a much stronger exhibition floor if you want to see technology vendors and innovation, and has more technology content in the program.
Comparison Preview
As of last Friday, there were 334 confirmed exhibitors at HITEC (including 89 who are first-timers), and 309 for The Hospitality Show (all first-timers). A total of 73 companies are exhibiting at both shows. Total reserved exhibit space was 58% more at HITEC than at The Show, versus only 8% more exhibitors, reflecting a larger average booth size for HITEC.
But for technologists, these raw statistics are a bit misleading. At HITEC, 92% of the exhibitors and 94% of the exhibit space is devoted to companies that provide technology. For The Show, the corresponding numbers are 48% and 49% respectively (and that’s counting some companies where technology is just a small part of their hospitality business). In fairness, The Show was never promoted as a technology show, but more of a general hotel show with a significant technology component – which it is.
At The Show, 18% of exhibits will showcase non-technology services (like brokerages, staffing agencies, tax advisory services, renovation services, and the like). Another 16% represent hotel suppliers, of everything from food to cleaning equipment to bathroom amenities. 10% offer equipment and furnishings, and 5% are hotel companies. Technology is not segregated on The Show’s exhibit floor, so a revenue management system vendor may be squeezed between an ERC tax credit advisor and a bathroom amenity supplier.
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
- InnSpire Appoints Anne Frye as President, the Americas
- PPDS continues to strengthen North America hospitality team with appointment of Tom Novotny as new Regional Manager
- Nomadix Appoints Hospitality Technology Sales Leader Jeff Johns
- Shiji Announces Michelle Silverman as Senior Vice President of Global Accounts, Strengthening Its Hospitality Technology Leadershi
- Cloud5 Welcomes Mark Speck as Vice President of Sales and Commercial Development
- Shiji Accelerates Enterprise Platform Growth with Appointment of Wietse Bijzeit as Vice President Global Solutions Architect
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For more information on People on The Move for 6/23/2023
GUEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
- Maestro PMS Enables Secure Online Payments with Integration to TransForm by b4
- UrVenue to Showcase Hospitality's 1st PXMS at HITEC Toronto; 1st Full-Suite User Revealed!
- Maestro All-In-One PMS to Showcase Two Way Engagement Tool GuestXMS’s Newest Features at HITEC Toronto
- Introducing: Optimized Hotel Revenue Management from Anywhere with Daily Rate Manager in Chorum Mobile
- Maestro All-In-One PMS to Showcase an Array of NEW Solutions & Enhancements at HITEC Toronto
- Above Property Services (APS) Debuts the Latest Advances in Hotel Technology at HITEC in Toronto
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For more information on Guest Management Systems for 6/23/2023
RESERVATIONS & DISTRIBUTION
- Great Wolf Resorts Partners With APS to Modernize Reservations Technology
Great Wolf Resorts, North America’s largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, has selected Above Property Services (APS®) to modernize its technology across their 19 properties across the country. Great Wolf Resorts’ strategic decision to partner with APS was part of an ongoing effort to enhance capabilities and the overall guest experience.
www.aboveproperty.com
- P3 Places the Booking Engine at the Heart of Hotel E-Commerce Experience at HITEC 2023
Hotel operators at HITEC Toronto will have an opportunity to learn how they can automate tasks, enhance the guest experience, and boost direct revenue by placing their booking engine at the heart of their e-commerce experience.
www.P3hotels.com
- New Hotel SERP Feature Alert: Google Property Promotion Ads Carousel Is Live/ GCommerce Solutions
The new Google Property Promotion Ads Carousel is live on desktop and mobile. Learn about this impactful new Google hotel search feature.
www.gcommercesolutions.com
REVENUE MANAGEMENT AND ANALYTICS
- IDeaS Expands Innovative Pricing Approach with Independent Products
IDeaS, a SAS company, a leading provider of hospitality revenue management software and services, announced new capabilities for G3 RMS. Independent Products now allows hoteliers to optimally price each product based on its individually unique demand patterns and any linked rates associated with those products, down to the room-type level.
ideas.com
- Unlocking the Advantages of Dynamic Pricing through the Oaky and IDeaS Integration
IDeaS Revenue Solutions, a leading provider of automated revenue management software and services, and Oaky, the hyper-personalised hotel upselling solution, are thrilled to announce their partnership and integration. The partnership helps hotels and resorts increase their incremental revenue by leveraging the power of advanced analytics to optimise and automate the upsells they offer guests in real-time.
ideas.com
GUEST FACING TECHNOLOGY
- HCN Bringing NEW In-Room Tablet with Modern UI & Mobile Phone Mirroring to HITEC Toronto
- Aavgo Partners With the Wyndham Orlando Resort & Convention Center to Streamline Welcome Experience and Operations
- Crave Interactive Launches Crave AI: Hotel Guest Service Redefined
- INTELITY, FreshBed Announce Live Integration & Partnership
- Sneak Peek at the Ultimate Nonius Signage Platform for Hotels
- PPDS Wins Inaugural Global ‘Sustainability’ Award at Infocomm 2023 with the Power-Free Philips Tableaux Epaper Digital Signage Series for Hospitality
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For more information on Guest Facing Technology for 6/23/2023
MARKETING
- Okura Nikko Hotel Management Partners with Ireckonu to Implement a Global Digital Guest Experience Strategy
Ireckonu, the industry leader in Hospitality Middleware, CDP and digital guest relationship systems integration, today announced its partnership with Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd (ONHM). Ireckonu will work with the Tokyo-based luxury hotel firm to centralize all guest data among their entire property portfolio to create an accessible and actionable Customer Data Platform (CDP).
www.ireckonu.com
SALES & CATERING, GROUPS & MEETINGS
- Knowland Now Available on Oracle Cloud Marketplace
Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality and a member of the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), today announced the Knowland platform is available on Oracle Cloud Marketplace and will enable integration with the Oracle Hospitality OPERA Sales and Event Management sales and catering management application.
www.knowland.com
BACK OFFICE
- Aptech to Unveil NEW Solution Upgrades & Financial Reconciliation Integration at HITEC Toronto
Next week at HITEC® Toronto, Aptech will reveal a series of upgrades to its three innovative financial-management solutions, PVNG, Execuvue, and Targetvue.
www.aptech-inc.com
- Newport Hospitality Group Chooses Single Provider to Run ALL Financials Processes Across 50 Hotels
Good things come in threes. For Newport Hospitality Group (NHG), this idiom is proven in its recent deployment of Execuvue, Targetvue, and PVNG – three innovative financial-management solutions from Aptech.
www.aptech-inc.com
- Shiji and Evention Form Strategic Partnership to Enhance Financial Operations in the Hospitality Industry
Shiji, the global hospitality innovator, is pleased to announce its strategic partnership with Evention, a leading provider of financial reconciliation and gratuity management solutions for hotel finance operations. This collaboration aims to enhance financial processes within the hospitality industry, delivering improved efficiency and accuracy to hotel finance teams.
shijigroup.com
COMMUNICATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE
- Nomadix Introduces its Next Generation Nomadix Cloud
Nomadix® Inc​., bringing connected experiences to life, today announced the next generation of its Nomadix Cloud platform, giving partners and property managers more visibility and management capabilities for their Nomadix solutions.
www.nomadix.com
- SONIFI Releases Authentication and Management Platform for Hospitality HSIA and Managed Wi-Fi Services
Leading hospitality technology provider SONIFI has announced the release of a new authentication and management platform (AMP) for its managed Wi-Fi and HSIA services.
sonifi.com
- m3connect Exhibiting at The Hospitality Show 2023
m3connect, one of Europe’s largest managed WiFi providers, will be bringing their expertise in hospitality technology to The Hospitality Show from June 27th – June 29th at The Venetian Convention & Expo Center in Las Vegas, NV, showcasing their premier network services and customizable guest-facing technology solutions.
www.m3connect.com
FOOD & BEVERAGE
- Shiji and Rivalry Tech Join Forces to Optimize Guest Experiences in Hospitality
- Shiji and IPORT Partner to Transform Hotel Restaurant Operations with All-in-One Tablet and Payment Device Solution
- Shiji Announces Infrasys Cloud POS's Fiscal Compliance Status in Latin America and Highlights Successful Expansion
- Torote Restaurant Implements Shiji's Infrasys Cloud POS for Enhanced Operations and Growth
- Oracle Announces Sleek and Stylish New Restaurant POS Workstations
- Shiji Adds New Mobile Ordering Solution “Shiji Digital Dine” to Infrasys Cloud POS
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For more information on Food & Beverage for 6/23/2023
PAYMENT PROCESSING
- Shiji Pioneers New Hotel Payment Solutions With "Shiji Digital Payby"
Shiji, the global hospitality innovator, announced the launch of Shiji Digital PayBy. A transformative integrated payment solution, uniquely tailored for hotel operators and managers, built to facilitate guest experience through faster and more secure, efficient, and globally compliant transactions.
shijigroup.com
OPERATIONS
- ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions Unveils Acuity, the Linen Management System Redefining Hotel Operations Efficiency
ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions, a leading provider of advanced security technology for the hospitality industry, together with ASSA ABLOY Group member, HID Global, has today announced the official launch of the Acuity digital linen management platform.
www.assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/hospitality
- Quore Drives Actionable Intelligence into Hotel Operations
Quore, a leading provider of workflow management and productivity tools for hotels, today announced the recreation of its Reports app, or “Reporting Engine.” The recreation includes new report options, more flexibility, and enhanced capabilities, like scheduled distribution, for hotels to leverage actionable data and trends to make smarter business decisions and improve guest satisfaction.
www.quore.com
SECURITY
- VENZA Celebrates its Fifteenth Anniversary at HITEC and The Hospitality Show
VENZA, a leading provider of data protection and regulatory compliance solutions for the hospitality industry, is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary at major events this summer. During HITEC (26 – 29 June) and The Hospitality Show (27 – 29 June), the company will be recognizing its accomplishments and history of strong partnerships within the hospitality industry with a series of special events.
www.VENZAgroup.com
MARKET REPORTS
- The State & Future of Hospitality: “Demystifying the Digital Market & Guide to Commercial Strategy” Empowers the Industry with Invaluable Insights and Expertise
The must-read book provides hoteliers with the latest updates on the digital market, how hotel performance has changed post-pandemic and introduces ways to operate more profitably given the realities of the technology-driven world.
www.kalibrilabs.com
PIQUED OUR INTEREST
- Outdated Human Resources Technology Exacerbates Hotel Staffing Problems
- Study Identifies Most Important Factors in Guest AI Acceptance
- The Power of an "Ecosystem Approach" in Hospitality
- Diet Water, Melted Ice Cream, Blowfish Among Top 10 Most Unusual Room Service Requests, Hotels.com Reports
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For more information on Piqued Our Interest for 6/23/2023
And now for the You-Know-What...
