Meeting data and technology have evolved considerably since the days of the bulky ,expensive mail ordered meeting planner guides and hotel catalogues. The ways in which hotels find and book groups is far different than the antiquated methods of not so long ago. As better technology surrounding meetings and events becomes available , hotels appetites for group business seems to also increase at a parallel pace making the need to keep the related technology evolving even more paramount. The companies that provide hotels with this meeting intelligence are continually developing new and more advanced methods of gathering this sought after data to keep up pace with the demand. READ MORE

There is a new innovative way to pay for hospitality construction projects: Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing. PACE, adopted as enabling legislation in 32 states and with active programs in about half of them, is gaining momentum as a flexible, available and creative tool in which to finance almost any technology that saves energy and/ or water. PACE can take the place of expensive loans or additional owner equity to finance construction projects that can be repaid long term from those very same energy and water savings. This article will explain Property Assessed Clean Energy, who pays for PACE, some common building systems ripe for PACE financing, who is using PACE and why. READ MORE

What is it exactly that millennials want? For hotels, this question is more pertinent than ever as Generation Y becomes the largest share of the American workforce. As millennials take more positions as meeting planners, our focus should shift to how to incorporate millennial meeting trends and keep hotel meeting spaces on the cusp of innovation and competition. Mr. Beaubien made a great step towards answering that question in his article on "The Rise of Generation C and Small Meetings," featured on Hotel Executive. In his answer, he focused mainly on technological aspects like online bookability and payment options. From the experience I have with Spacebase, an online booking platform for unique meeting and workshop venues, I can confirm this 100%. Our customer base is mainly young and part of Generation Y. READ MORE

In some ways, running a successful hotel comes down to a proposition both simple and sometimes complex: delivering service that exceeds the expectations of your guests. You need to provide comfort and hospitality, but also something extra to set yourself apart from other properties. Without differentiating yourself in the market, you risk becoming just one of many hotel options, rather than the preferred choice for your market. One valuable way to set yourself apart from your competition is through embracing technological opportunities available to hotels. If you leverage mobile technology, a wealth of options are emerging that can deliver new conveniences and services that enhance the guest experience. READ MORE

It's no secret that mobile technology has reshaped the consumer travel experience. Today's traveler can check in and out of a hotel without ever speaking to a human being. That lack of human interaction and direct communication is both a good and bad thing for the hospitality technology industry. From booking a reservation to leaving a review, mobile use continues to rise in the hospitality technology sector, and is not slowing down any time soon. Today, nearly 60 percent of travelers book hotels using a mobile device while 81 percent of travelers find user reviews important when considering which hotel to book. READ MORE

There's only one way to view this - we live in a mobile world. Almost any consumer product or service developed today, is most likely created with a mind-set that one day it will somehow be used in a mobile manner. Consigned to oblivion are the days when we need to return to a desk to do email, go to a fixed line to make a phone call, plug into a network port for internet connectivity, have a hard-wired antenna to watch TV, or wear a wired headset to listen to music. READ MORE

For many hotel guests, the most appealing hotels are the properties that offer instant connectivity with the bandwidth capable of supporting multiple devices. As our need for faster speeds and higher quality content continues to grow, hotel guests now expect uninterrupted service putting more pressure on hotel IT building designs. As more guests shift to the "always connected" mindset, hotels must be able to deploy technology solutions with minimum downtimes that can grow with the increasing dependence on mobility. Hoteliers must now meet today's guest technology expectations while preparing for tomorrow by installing an infrastructure in which the bandwidth and technology can be expanded. READ MORE

There's nothing like warmth, when it comes to hospitality, that blanket of welcome that surrounds a guest or customer when caring and proactive efforts cause greater comfort to happen while making frigid moments forgotten. As guests contemplate their seasonal choices for leisure and business travel in the new year, global warming may be a genuine environmental concern but global warming takes on new meaning when through the eyes of hospitality and a meaningful service emphasis. In this case, warming the hearts of guests and customers is a weather proof strategy for all seasons in the arena of Guest Experience Management. READ MORE

The Green Lodging Trends Report 2016 launched last month with the objective to catalyze green practices and innovation across the hotel industry worldwide. The report is a result of a survey open to all hotels around the world regardless of service type, location, segment or size. One of the main benefits to the participants was the ability to benchmark against its peers on over 100 sustainability related best practices. Each participant received a confidential compare report showing the uptake of best practices, segmented by global, region, country, city, service type and hotel type, where applicable. The result was the production and release of the Green Lodging Trends Report 2016, which summarizes data collected from 2,161 hotels located in 44 countries. READ MORE

There's a big red bulls eye in the hotel industry. In fact, accommodation and food services ranks #1 in sheer volume for wage and hour prosecutions by the Department of Labor. That's 24.4% of all the cases that have been brought since 1985. To put that number into perspective, hotels, restaurants, and bars—from the behemoths to the holes in the wall—have been required to pay more than $276 million in government prosecutions alone, with an average payout of $9.5k for every business affected. READ MORE

Cyber threats have seized the spotlight in 2016. From enterprise data breaches costing millions, to the emergence of fraud and hacking as an on-demand service, to the politically-inspired interception and disclosure of the US Presidential campaign's emails and, some have alleged, the hack of the election itself, cybercrime emerged from the realm of cyberpunk fiction and established its place as a mainstream social, economic, and political force in 2016. The rise of hacking has been driven by three factors: the pervasive use of network driven technology, the use of aggregated electronic data by companies, and the fluid resale market for stolen personal, financial, and healthcare information. READ MORE

Imagine for a moment, passing guests in queue at the hotel front desk waiting to check-in while you're heading straight to your room instead, or securing your favorite table and skipping the wait list, all without having to talk with a single staff member. No, you're not dreaming. The day of frictionless guest service is here. Guests are demanding it. How well is your hotel embracing it? The rapid evolution in mobile, social and cloud technologies combined with a monumental shift in guest expectations has launched us into what is one of the most pivotal transformations in hospitality. READ MORE

It used to be that a General Manager was tied to the front desk in order to solve issues or keep track or manage a hotel. With a cloud-based PMS, a GM can technically run the hotel from anywhere on a phone or tablet. A 100% we-based system allows two way communication at the hotel, and management can stay informed on operations from anywhere. The difference between cloud-based systems and server-based networks is as dramatic as the difference between an iPhone and a land-line. Traditional phones are like anchors—they're tied to a specific place, your home or office. READ MORE

Hotel technology is constantly trying to catch up and accommodate guests' interests compared to what they use at home. Each year, hotel properties are faced with evaluating and upgrading to the latest and greatest technologies to accommodate their guests, but at what cost? In an increasingly complex world, businesses need to adapt with shifting trends and technologies. The hotel industry's landscape has responded with corporate solutions that allow for minimal capital expenditures. Previous models required capital budgeting techniques to adjust to a larger margin when it comes to acquiring critical technologies. READ MORE

Managing mobile connectivity at hotels has become a cumbersome affair. From soaring mobile data trends to the growing number of devices guests bring on trips, winning over the hyper-connected consumer presents more challenges than ever before. By the numbers, mobile data traffic is forecasted to increase eightfold by 2020; 81 percent of the traffic will be done via a smartphone and 80 percent of data will be consumed on Wi-Fi. This analysis flags two key takeaways for the hospitality industry: the demand for seamless hotel connectivity will only continue to expand and Wi-Fi is a sure bet for powering digital experiences. READ MORE