Latest news with #HITEC
Hospitality Net
03-07-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Innovation in Hotels Is about People, not Tech
Hotel innovation is a people problem before it is a tech problem. Since HITEC, I've been reminiscing less about the tech I saw and more about the people I met. Yes, AI was everywhere, literally everywhere, predictive analytics, plenty of stuff some good - but not only. But the biggest takeaway wasn't a product. It was this: success doesn't come from the tech, it comes from the people. Note, you could get insights, subscribe to my email: On day one, I got a demo of how to really turn the whole hotel tech stack into a mobile customer-first experience from Shiji⁺, I bumped into Richard from Mews and we had a long chat about how visionary Accor has been, but how much harder it is to actually scale vision, I had a chat with Josiah at Actabl on various marketing ideas, and discussed hotel to automate hotel chains with RobosizeME⁺. I got invited to an AI round table with Ideas, and had a great spontaneous dinner with LodgIQ⁺, some friends from Cendyn and HospitalityNET (and superb wine that we didn't get to drink). But after the conversations started, it quickly became clear (again) that innovation isn't about having the smartest system. It's about having the right people behind it. One conversation cemented this. We were discussing hotel automation, and I tossed out the usual question of "where to start?" (start with repetitive tasks and build from there, was my obvious response). But my counterpart from a hotel chain had a better take: start with the easiest thing. Something small, non-critical, that won't break too much when it goes sideways. Prove it works. Then build. I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Because the goal isn't just fixing problems, it's building trust. With the process, with the tools, and with your team. But then he added the key point, you need to find people who are curious, who like to test things, who don't freeze and stop everything when the first result breaks something. And I realized that's what I go to HITEC for, not the flashy demos, the people giving the demos, the hallway chats, the random introductions, the late-evening debates that remind me there amazing people in this industry who are excited to try something new. You could implement an AI concierge today. You could plug a custom GPT for your hotel into your booking confirmations. The tech is ready. But it only works if someone is willing to own it, improve it, and bring others along. So yes, technology is needed to innovate. But as far as I'm concerned, innovation is a people thing. Because the right people: the curious, the collaborative, the optimistic (who are OK to make a few mistakes as they try things) they are the ones who'll make that tech actually deliver. Thanks for reading. Subscribe for free to receive new posts. About me: I'm a fractional CMO for large travel technology companies helping turn them into industry leaders. I'm also the co-founder of a hotel news media that is unsensational, factual and keeps hoteliers updated on the industry. ⁺ for companies with current or past business ties View source
Hospitality Net
01-07-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
HSMAI's 2025 Commercial Strategy Conference Draws Record-Breaking Attendance and Accelerates Commercial Integration Across Hospitality Sectors
McLean, VA – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) successfully concluded its second Commercial Strategy Conference, which took place June 16–18, 2025, at the Indianapolis Convention Center. The event welcomed a record-breaking 950 commercial professionals from across the hospitality industry, underscoring the growing momentum behind the integration of sales, marketing, distribution, and revenue optimization. Held in conjunction with the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC) put on by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), the 2025 event expanded on its sold-out debut with enhanced programming and a broader mix of participants. Over the course of three days, attendees engaged in pre- and post-conference workshops, certification review courses, invitation-only roundtables, a robust partner showcase, and mainstage sessions featuring influential voices from within and beyond the hospitality sector. The 10% growth of the Commercial Strategy Conference in just its second year is a powerful reflection of the industry's hunger for collaboration, innovation, and unified commercial leadership. It's clear that the convergence of sales, marketing, revenue, and distribution isn't just a concept, it's the future. We're proud to provide a platform where hospitality leaders can come together to learn, share, and shape what's next. Brian Hicks, President & CEO of HSMAI This year's conference emphasized aligning strategies across disciplines to drive profitability throughout the customer journey, from acquisition to loyalty. Programming was designed to help commercial teams better leverage data, adapt to shifting consumer behavior, and embrace innovation across every function. Artificial intelligence (AI) emerged as one of the most prominent themes featured across both general sessions and breakouts. Attendees gained strategic and tactical insights from how AI is transforming the guest journey, to hands-on demonstrations of prompt engineering and workflow optimization. Speaker Benu Aggarwal, President & Founder of Milestone, Inc., spoke on AI's Impact on Hospitality Commercial Strategy, revealing the critical AI-driven insights commercial leaders need to know to drive revenue. Additional speakers showcased AI's ability to enhance collaboration, surface new revenue opportunities, and break down internal silos, offering a glimpse into how the technology is already reshaping the industry. From the moment a traveler dreams of their next getaway to the final booking confirmation—and even beyond—AI is revolutionizing every touchpoint of the consumer journey. Guests and meeting planners are using AI to discover brands, compare hotels, and design smarter, more personalized experiences for themselves. Whether it's planning a leisure trip or organizing a complex event, AI is reshaping the way decisions are made and how preferences are matched. Dr. Kelly McGuire, Principal, McRevenue and HSMAI Americas Board Member One of the most dynamic sessions was the return of Thunderclaps, a high-energy segment where industry leaders delivered rapid-fire, seven-minute presentations. Topics ranged from automation and SEO to revenue strategy, persuasive communication, and platform innovation—offering attendees fast, focused ideas they could immediately apply. The strength of the Commercial Strategy Conference lies in its leadership. Crafted by hoteliers, for hoteliers, the 2025 program was shaped by a dedicated planning committee of 38 professionals from HSMAI's Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization Advisory Boards, representing 44 industry-leading organizations. HSMAI gratefully acknowledges their contributions, along with the generous support of our 2025 conference partners: Preferred : IDeaS Revenue Solutions : IDeaS Revenue Solutions Platinum : Cendyn, Flexpay, FLYR Hospitality, Lighthouse, SiteMinder, Tambourine : Cendyn, Flexpay, FLYR Hospitality, Lighthouse, SiteMinder, Tambourine Gold : Amadeus, GCommerce x Metadesk, Kalibri Labs, Plusgrade, Revenue Analytics, Sojern, Venuelocity : Amadeus, GCommerce x Metadesk, Kalibri Labs, Plusgrade, Revenue Analytics, Sojern, Venuelocity Silver : Curacirt, Directful, LodgIQ, The MODIV Group, Lotus Marketing, RageGain, Sabre, Visiting Media, Wunderkind : Curacirt, Directful, LodgIQ, The MODIV Group, Lotus Marketing, RageGain, Sabre, Visiting Media, Wunderkind Bronze : Canary Technologies, Cvent, DerbySoft, Duetto, Expedia Group, The Guestbook, HFTP, Ideas Collide, Laasie, Milestone, Nuitee, Priceline Agoda, RoomPriceGenie, SHR (Access Hospitality), SOARR Services, STR CoStar, Triptease, Upstream Works, Women in Travel THRIVE : Canary Technologies, Cvent, DerbySoft, Duetto, Expedia Group, The Guestbook, HFTP, Ideas Collide, Laasie, Milestone, Nuitee, Priceline Agoda, RoomPriceGenie, SHR (Access Hospitality), SOARR Services, STR CoStar, Triptease, Upstream Works, Women in Travel THRIVE Media: Hospitality Upgrade The 2026 HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference will take place June 16-18, in San Antonio, Texas. Additional information on HSMAI's Commercial Strategy Conference can be found at About HSMAI The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners and is the industry's leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through programs such as the Marketing Strategy Conference, Adrian Awards, Sales Leader Forum, and HSMAI ROC. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is a membership organization comprising more than 5,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at
Hospitality Net
12-06-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Agilysys to Debut Game-Changing Innovations for Package Booking and Intelligent Guest Profiles, Plus Lead Executive Insight Sessions at HITEC 2025
ALPHARETTA, GA — Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of hospitality software solutions, today announced it will showcase revenue-enhancing innovations and executive-led insights at HITEC 2025, held June 16 – 19 in Indianapolis, Indiana. In Booth #1611, Agilysys will demonstrate ways hospitality operators can leverage technology innovations to elevate revenue, personalize guest journeys, offload repetitive tasks from staff so they can focus on guests, streamline operations, and boost profitability. New solutions and embedded technology featured include: Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. (Stay Package Entitlement, New Dynamic booking) Technology - A powerful new booking engine add on that enables properties to streamline how they promote and fulfill packages without burdening staff and enables guests who select a package to easily reserve all entitlements in one 'prompted' session without having to visit multiple sites or make multiple phone calls. Guests can reserve full experiences beyond their room selection, such as spa services, dining, golf tee times and course selection, and more in one seamless, guided journey. It brings together real-time inventory, pricing, demand and availability across all components, reducing complexity for staff while increasing convenience and satisfaction for guests. When any of the entitlements in a package is fully-booked, the system has the intelligence to remove that package from the promotional offers to prevent disappointing guests who might choose that package only to find an included entitlement no longer available to reserve. Intelligent Guest Profile – Technology that runs through all Agilysys solutions to facilitate the uniform sharing of guest preference and experience data among applications to continuously and intelligently build a guest's profile so that understanding and serving each guest can be consistent across a property's experiences and revenue centers. This unified data solution empowers staff to understand guest preferences across every touchpoint: pre-stay, on-property, and post-stay. Operators can deliver tailored offers, smarter upselling, and more personalized service at scale, improving both guest loyalty and revenue performance. IG Fly Mobile POS with FreedomPay Integration – A mobile, all-in-one ordering, payment and receipt printing solution that enables staff to serve guests anywhere on property while accepting secure EMV, contactless, and mobile wallet payments. IG Fly also will be showcased at the FreedomPay booth #1203, highlighting the power of integrated, on-the-go hospitality commerce. These innovations reflect Agilysys's continued leadership in delivering modern, connected hospitality experiences and will be featured in two executive-led sessions at HITEC 2025: Rohith Kori, SVP of Corporate and Product Strategy at Agilysys, will moderate a panel discussion among Jeffrey Parker (VP of Property Systems, Sage Hospitality Group), Michael Blake (VP of Information Technology, Kemper Sports), and Neil Smith (Director, Onsite Digital Products, Marriott International Inc.) during Technology Showcase Session 6 on Wednesday, June 18, from 3:15 - 4:05 PM (Location 124). The session, titled 'Beyond RevPAR: How Focusing on Revenue Per Available Guest (RevPAG) and Leveraging AI Unlocks Ancillary Revenue and Elevates Profits,' will explore how hoteliers can go beyond room-based metrics to optimize total guest value through technology that (1) aligns offers with guest preferences and behaviors and (2) curates at scale experiences that are both personal and profitable. Rohith Kori, SVP of Corporate and Product Strategy, will immerse the audience in a vacation adventure with his family, revealing how integrated technology and Intelligent Guest Profiles equip properties to deliver tailored offers at just the right moment, give guests choice, streamline operations and foster loyalty. We're excited to return to HITEC and showcase how our latest innovations are helping hospitality providers move beyond transactional service models toward truly personalized, experience-led relationships with their guests. Whether increasing guest spend through personalized booking or improving operational efficiency with intelligent data and AI, our solutions are helping properties turn every interaction into an opportunity for growth and loyalty. Terrie O'Hanlon, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Agilysys Visit Agilysys at Booth #1611 at HITEC 2025 to see Agilysys Book with S.P.E.N.D. Technology in action and learn how your property can enhance bookings, increase revenue, and deliver next-level guest experiences. About Agilysys Agilysys exclusively delivers state-of-the-art software solutions and services that help organizations achieve High Return Hospitality™ by maximizing Return on Experience (ROE) through interactions that make "personal" profitable. Customers around the world use Agilysys Property Management Systems (PMS), Point-of-Sale (POS) solutions, Food & Beverage Inventory and Procurement (I&P) systems and accompanying hospitality ecosystem solutions to consistently delight guests, retain staff and grow margins. The Agilysys 100% hospitality customer base includes branded and independent hotels; multi-amenity resorts; casinos; property, hotel and resort management companies; cruise lines; corporate dining providers; higher education campus dining providers; food service management companies; hospitals; lifestyle communities; senior living facilities; stadiums; and theme parks. Jen Reeves Director, Events & Communications
Hospitality Net
12-06-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Shiji Group and iPort Showcase Next-Gen Hospitality Tech at HITEC 2025
Indianapolis - Shiji Group, a global leader in hospitality technology, is set to make waves at this year's HITEC with a series of activations centered around mobility, personalization, and integrated digital solutions. In a joint session with iPort, Shiji will explore how iOS technology is transforming hospitality operations, showcasing forward-thinking approaches to property-wide tech investments. The session, titled 'How iOS Is Transforming Hospitality Operations,' will take place on Monday at 2:45 p.m. EST in room 124. In the video below, Christine Lising, Director of Solutions Engineering at Shiji Group, shares an inside look at what participants can expect. From reimagining hardware and infrastructure to enabling seamless mobile-first guest experiences through cloud-based, data-driven tools. Technology should not be confined to a single department or device. We are helping hospitality professionals rethink their approach by investing in solutions that support the entire property and create real improvements in operations and service delivery. Christine Lising, Director of Solutions Engineering at Shiji Group A central feature of Shiji's presence at the event is its strategic collaboration with iPort, which reflects a broader vision for open innovation and meaningful partnerships within the hospitality industry. As part of this collaboration, Shiji will host a networking event with refreshments at booth #1803 on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. EST, featuring live demonstrations and conversations with industry peers. Shiji's reimagined platform integrates mobile capabilities, cloud infrastructure, and intelligent data insights into a unified and modern technology experience. The goal is to inspire hospitality professionals by showing what is possible when the right tools are aligned with a forward-thinking operational strategy. To learn more, watch the video above or visit If you are attending the conference, be sure to visit booth #1803 to explore Shiji's solutions in person. About Shiji Group Shiji is a global technology company dedicated to providing innovative solutions for the hospitality industry, ensuring seamless operations for hoteliers day and night. Built on the Shiji Platform—the only truly global hotel technology platform—Shiji's cloud-based solutions include property management system, point-of-sale, guest engagement, distribution, payments, and data intelligence for over 91,000 hotels worldwide, including the largest hotel chains. With more than 5,000 employees across the world, Shiji is a trusted partner for the world's leading hoteliers, delivering technology that works as continuously as the industry itself. That's why the best hotels run on Shiji—day and night. While its primary focus is on hospitality, Shiji also serves select customers in food service, retail, and entertainment in certain regions. For more information, visit About Hospitality Net Acting as a 'neutral' broker and publisher of hotel business information, Hospitality Net is the #1 ranked global website for the global hospitality community. Hospitality Net enables all industry stakeholders to amplify visibility on its platform and connect with the industry globally through a membership business model, unlike any other publishing initiative in the industry. Members include actors throughout the hospitality spectrum - hotel groups, vendors/suppliers, associations, universities/schools, consultants, and event organizers. To learn more, visit To learn more, visit Jill Dassen Sales & Marketing Manager Hospitality Net
Hospitality Net
11-06-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
AVaStar Releases Free Guide to Help Hotels Identify Gaps in AV Operations Strategy
INDIANAPOLIS — AVaStar has published a free resource to help hotels and event venues better understand where their AV operations are falling short — and what can be done about it. 'Why AV Operations Are Overlooked' is now available for download by clicking here, and it is the ideal resource to help attendees of HITEC Indianapolis better prepare for shopping the show next week. Unlike other departments in a hotel, AV services often lack structure, documentation, and accountability. This downloadable guide helps venue teams identify the operational blind spots that arise when no formal AV management system is in place — questions about equipment purpose, maintenance, cost tracking, and staff responsibilities that too often go unanswered. AVaStar is the first and only AV operations platform designed specifically for hotels, conference centers, and event venues, and it helps properties manage inventory, track costs, train staff, and support AV across all departments, from meeting rooms to digital signage to public space sound systems. Many venues assume that having the AV equipment installed means they're ready. But without clear operational oversight, hotels risk lost revenue, inefficiencies, and guest dissatisfaction. This guide introduces what's missing — and why it matters. Eric Bracht, Managing Director at AVaStar The free guide explores: Common questions staff face without an AV operations plan Common questions staff face without an AV operations plan The risks and hidden costs of unmanaged or outsourced AV services How in-house AV, when properly managed, can rival room revenue Why traditional tools like spreadsheets and sticky notes fall short The advantages of implementing a centralized AV operations system AVaStar is offering a complimentary three-month trial of its platform (a $2,285 value) to HITEC attendees who visit Booth #908 or schedule a follow-up meeting by July 31, 2025. The trial includes full platform access, onboarding, and expert support. Schedule a meeting: About AVaStar and Electro-Media Design, Ltd. AVaStar, together with its parent company Electro-Media Design (EMD), provides a one-stop shop for all venue-related audiovisual consulting needs. From AV system design to evaluating current systems, developing technology master plans, overseeing system refurbishments, developing strong operational support programs, training and supporting on-site staff, finding a reliable AV provider or simply solving a recurring challenge our services cover the lifecycle of your venue's technology systems and operation. As independent consultants that do not sell or install equipment, our customers have peace of mind knowing we have their best interests at heart. And with over 35 years and more than 1,300 global projects of experience behind us we can design solutions that meet or exceed customer expectations as well as your goals and budget. The EMD team created AVaStar to serve the needs of venue management and operations in existing venues, while EMD continues to provide design consulting in audiovisual and acoustics for new construction and CapEx refurbishment projects. In addition to the consulting services listed above, AVaStar works with venue operators to create and support a strong and efficient AV service program, guided by industry experts and utilizing industry best practices. We take the burden off your staff by providing 'Know-How: When and Where You Need It.' About Electro-Media Design Ltd. Electro-Media Design, Ltd. (EMD) is an independent consulting and design firm with global experience on more than 1,000 projects since 1990. EMD is the leading industry-recognized global thought leader in in meeting, event, and entertainment technologies for hotels, conference centers, and institutional facilities. EMD are the go-to experts for hotel and facility management brands, as well as technology industry trade associations. EMD provides a full range of services in acoustics and technology consulting, from surveys and master plans to project/procurement management, commissioning, and training. EMD does not sell, install, or represent any manufacturers or products. Visit us at or call (301) 355-5050. Barb Worcester +1 (440) 930-5770
