Tech Talk

Recent posts

Definitely Doug 6/9/23: Hotels Fighting Trafficking: The Role of Technology
Posted: 06/09/2023

This week I want to address an important issue for the hospitality industry, albeit one that technologists have not historically had on their radar. They can potentially play a significant role in addressing the issue, which is human trafficking, and more specifically sex trafficking.

In my last column, I reviewed some key trends in autonomous mobile robotics for hotels, and dove into three categories of delivery robots in more detail – room delivery, food delivery, and heavy-lift robots. This week I will round out the topic with several other robot types and applications, as well as general guidance for evaluating, acquiring, and adopting mobile autonomous robotics. If you have not yet read part one, I recommend going back and doing so before continuing below, as some of the introductory material is important background to what follows.

Read More +

Best Practices for Hotel & Resort Operators in Pool Season 2023
Posted: 05/25/2023

With the arrival of warmer weather and summer fast approaching, hospitality operators are gearing up for another pool season. This year, technology is at the forefront of driving booking revenue and taking operational efficiency to the next level. Modern technology platforms (such as hospitality’s newest technology category – the Property Experience Management System or PXMS) are providing brand new capabilities that unlock new strategies and approaches to filling the pool with satisfied guests.

Read More +

The Growing Role Technology Plays in Hotels and Restaurants
Posted: 05/25/2023

In the past few years, hotels and restaurants have grown into hubs for entertainment, leisure, and human connection. In an effort to best serve their guests, operators have begun rethinking their technological investments and working to adapt to recent shifts in consumer preference and operations. To ensure that guests have the best on-site experience possible, brands are increasingly looking to new technologies to make their experiences more convenient and comfortable. Advanced property management systems (PMS) and point-of-sale (POS) systems can increase operational and staff efficiency, while also meeting changing customer expectations for a high-value but relatively low-touch experience.

This week I will return to a topic I have covered before, because it has, within the last 12 to 18 months, become one of the hottest-growth categories in hospitality technology. That topic is autonomous mobile robots – specifically, ones that can move around the facility as well as perform specific tasks. Many of these products were launched pre-Covid but were often seen at the time as more of a marketing gimmick than a legitimate operational solution.

Read More +

comment on this article

HSMAI ROC Recap: Grabbing Revenue by the Horns in Houston

07/17/2018 Tagged as: HITEC Houston, HSMAI, Revenue Optimization Conference, ROC 2018

by Jason Smith

More than 600 hospitality professionals gathered in Houston in late June for the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) Revenue Optimization Conference (ROC) Americas.

The day officially kicked off with an opening general session, emceed by Dr. Kelly McGuire, SVP of revenue management for MGM Resorts International. Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist for the Economic Outlook Group, shared his geopolitical and economic forecast for the coming year, citing tariffs imposed recently by the United States, increased cyberattacks, and the high likelihood of a recession in the near future as some of the biggest concerns for the travel industry. He urged hoteliers in attendance to be proactive about pricing and to have game plans in place for plausible unfavorable scenarios such as company-wide technical disruptions, and a decreased number of internationaltravelers to the United States.

The opening general session also featured a “Think Like an Owner” panel, in which hotel executives shared their perspective on revenue management.

Another highlight of conference was the two-part interactive session, “No Bull: The Great Debate,” in which presenters debated two timely topics for the hospitality industry: the role of AI and the effectiveness of loyalty programs, respectively. Live polling and candid comments from audience members made for engaging discussions of both subjects.

Throughout the day, a host of breakout sessions delved into AI, loyalty, and other key issues for hotels and revenue optimization, including personalizing paid advertising, leveraging social media, harnessing metrics and analytics, and maximizing non-room revenue opportunities.

For the third year in a row HSMAI’s ROC Americas drew more 600 attendees. In addition to plentiful education and networking opportunities, the conference showcased 42 partner companies serving the revenue management industry, including consultants, technology vendors and companies providing products and services in revenue management, execution, and reporting.

The day ended on a high note with an entertaining game of “Revenue Feud,” inspired by the television gameshow Family Feud.