Hospitality industry leader Ed Fuller shares his expertise on the importance of hotel safety and security preparedness in today's tumultuous times. The need for hotels, both large and small, to have crisis management and a crisis communications management plan in place at all times has never been more urgent. Hopefully, hotel executives will never need to activate these plans but being prepared is paramount. Additionally, Fuller highlights several news stories that sparked a media relations nightmare for several national brands offering readers insight on how local incidents can become front page news thanks to people's smart phones. READ MORE

Do you want to have a quantum leap in success? Do you want to attract and retain top talent? Do you want to be known as a class of one in a very crowded field? Today's successful businesses develop and execute well-planned strategies in the midst of rapid fire and constant change. They have a crystallized and shared vision, mission, and values. Don't rely on luck! If your competitors are spending time assessing the environment and writing detailed plans, who do you think will be most successful? READ MORE

Sustainability is a priority in the hotel industry. Hotels work hard to reduce their carbon footprint and address their guests' growing concerns for hotels to be more environmentally friendly. However, as hotel executives introduce sustainability initiatives, they should work with their risk managers to identify how those policies can affect their workforce and workers' compensation costs. With the job market shift of an aging workforce coupled with less experience, it is imperative to identify sound claim practices to navigate the claims landscape, limit costs, and ultimately, return the employee to work to safely service your clientele. READ MORE

Today's new workforce is in a state of rapid transformation. The influx of the millennial generation has forced many companies and leaders to change their approach regarding retention efforts as best practices continue to evolve and long-term employment becomes a thing of the past. What does it take to be a sustainable organization moving forward, amidst the shift to a shorter-term employer-employee relationship? For managers, it takes a mindset shift around how to lead employees, plan for the future, and operate a department. For greater staffing stability and for creating a culture where employees want to stick around, here are six management strategies on which to focus. READ MORE

The definition of work/life balance has a different meaning to the newer generations entering the workforce. The hospitality business has always been a time intensive one for the leaders and colleagues working in our hotels. Work/life balance is now expected in other ways. While the newer generations are always available on their phones, responding to emails and texts at any time of day and night, they also expect to have flexibility in when and where they work. Working remotely and taking personal time are some of the concessions that need to be implemented to keep these employees engaged and motivated. READ MORE

As technology continues to permeate households across North America, consumers are looking for hospitality settings to mirror these conveniences for a premium guest experience. However, in addition to remaining attractive to discerning guests, hospitality executives will find a compelling business benefit to incorporating tech upgrades into hospitality spaces: hotel properties that incorporate Internet of Things technology and high-quality, tech-forward tools experience significant reductions in energy consumption, saving resources, money and time to increase net profits. Nancy Snyder, Sales Manager at Legrand, explores ways hotel decision makers can incorporate IoT to enhance the guest experience and, ultimately, improve the bottom line. READ MORE

New hotel brands are being developed on an almost daily basis, to the point that it becomes confusing for guests and the public to identify what brand belongs to whom. In some instances, hotel groups are buying out existing brands to get their reservations book, while in others they are building new brands from the ground up. Is there a solid business case to be made for the proliferation in new brands, or is it overkill? Court Williams, CEO of HVS Executive Search analyses the benefits and disadvantages to all stakeholders, to determine whether this state of affairs is good for the hospitality industry over the long-term, or simply a short-sighted strategy without a future. READ MORE

Regardless of how technologically driven or popular a hotel brand is, customer service can truly make or break a hospitality experience. While our homes and daily lives can be reliant upon Alexa, hotel experiences still require personal touches and a "ready to serve" experience. What can we do to consistently deliver high customer satisfaction rates? This article takes a deeper dive into a variety of different approaches which hotel management can implement to continually motivate their employees leaving customers feeling positive, satisfied and fulfilled from the overall experience. READ MORE

Those who don't have an Amazon Alexa or similar smart device in their homes likely know family or friends who do. These new smart speakers and their Google and Apple counterparts are quickly becoming a part of daily routines as many go to their smart speakers first to check the weather, set alarms or play their favorite songs. Now, hotels are adopting this and other new technologies to help guests stay connected through the technology they have become accustomed to at home. Although providing this new level of service can be a win-win for many hotel owners and operators, hotels who implement this new technology could be increasing their exposures to new risks. READ MORE

This article explores the relationship between hospitality academia and the hospitality industry. It discusses past trends in Hospitality Resource Management and ways in which talent has previously been identified, recruited, and retained, with a particular focus on the way in which hospitality students were evaluated. This article also identifies contemporary trends among university hospitality programs and the relationship with industry, including a discussion on the importance of work experience and internships. Finally, the article highlights future areas that both hospitality educators and industry practitioners should consider including technological shifts in the landscape and work-life balance. READ MORE

Depending on who you are, the idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the hiring process is either a plus, or a minus. For overburdened human resource managers, the promise is that it will be a boon for productivity. If you are on the other end of the process-a candidate, looking for work-it means your chance to be identified for anything more than just metrics, diminishes. Dennis P. Rizzo, a recruiter in the hospitality sector for more than 4 decades, gives his take on the present and the future of AI-assisted hiring. READ MORE

Hospitality programs seek to offer sound educational curriculums that provide relevant educational experiences to students, alumni, and industry partners. In the new work world, educational programs need to offer both academic and experiential forms of education and, more specifically for the hospitality industry, do so by utilizing the industry as a classroom in hotels, restaurants, resorts and all shapes and sizes of hospitality and tourism businesses. READ MORE

This article provides a different perspective on resiliency and why it is critical in these 24-7, constantly changing times. Discover four resiliency skills and what it will take for leaders to begin to cultivate them in themselves and their organization. Discover the danger of arrogance in leaders and how it can kill organizational resiliency. Lastly, consider the role of purpose and legacy as a foundation for attracting and keeping both employees and customers. Remember, resiliency is a life skill-not just a skill for times of chaos. READ MORE

How your hotel handles the guest relationship is one of the most critical components to running a successful property. Often, the approach that is taken with guests while they are on property is mirrored in the manner in which your property responds to online reviews. In this article, we break down some of the good, the bad, and the ugly responses that real hotels have made to negative online reviews and we discuss ways to limit the damage the original review may have caused, while also avoiding making things worse. READ MORE

The business of hotels is always in flux, consistently aiming to meet the growing needs of their guests, build loyalty and stand out from the crowd of competitors. With food expectations mounting, made popular via social media frenzy, the growing importance of food-rating apps and the heavy use of "top lists," providing round-ups of the best burger, ice cream cone or brunch in a state, city or neighborhood, travel destinations have had to tout their local food scene as a means to gain visitors. With hotels offering food and beverage options in highly-competitive markets, brands need to shift their restaurants to cater to the growing food culture. READ MORE