Briefing: Aligning modern innovation with business

Consumers are now associating themselves with brands like never before, therefore new product that comes to the market needs to have something to lure them to it. Innovations in design and technology allows businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors and consequently appeal to different audiences.

Some hotels are embracing new ideas to gain further market share. They are really seeing the benefit of doing something alternative and contemporary. Design and hotel features has arguably, in the past, been viewed as irrelevant but there are companies now working within hospitality whose key differentiator is this component – and they are seeing great success.

Experts this week discuss innovations and the modern day technologies that can be used to compliment their operations. Including:

  • Chris Boulton, CEO of yoo, on bringing design to the hospitality world.
  • Gordon Drake, CFO of Kingdom Hotel Investments about the multiple sources of income some of their hotels enjoy
  • Mark Wynne-Smith, Global CEO of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels on the investment needed for innovation
  • And Ewan Cameron, CEO of Lonrho Hotels, about the correlation he sees with hotel development and social media.
 


If you’ve been sent to this page but you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by yBC.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the most recent IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Contemporary decision-making

Technology provides businesses with a plethora of opportunity. Most prevalent perhaps is the speed in which we can communicate, understand and react to new things at the click of a button. Without the invention of email, and other technologies, it would feel like we are all standing still.

Data being created every day now needs to be understood, and using software that is available to make sense of this is now essential. Modern day decision-making can be faster than ever before. This has both positives and negatives which are discussed in this briefing, including comment from:

  • Ed Fuller, former President & MD of Marriott International on how he managed the decisions he had to make.
  • David Scowsill, CEO of the WTTC, on the velocity of new mobile and social technologies
  • Sir Nigel Knowles, co-Global CEO of DLA Piper on the caution to be taken when making decisions quickly.
  • And Prof. Ian Goldin, of Oxford University on digesting the instantaneous online platforms.
 


If you’ve been sent to this page but you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by yBC.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the most recent IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: The changing face of the consumer

Growing complexities in the contemporary environment don’t help in trying to paint a picture of your consumer. Technology, and more specifically the Internet, has opened up a wealth of opportunities but, some would argue, also a plethora of headaches.

Consumers are being seen to completely change the way they purchase everything. Hotel brands have to be malleable to this in order to retain loyal customers as well as attract new ones.

Experts this week discuss this change in the way consumers behave and the new ways of appealing to them:

  • Sir Nigel Knowles, co-CEO of DLA Piper on the fundamental shift consumers have taken, away from traditional behaviours.
  • Ed Fuller, former CEO & MD of Marriott International on appealing to a consumer with multiple brands.
  • Kingsley Seevaratnam, of Westmont Hospitality Group, on the new found sophistication consumers bring to the table.
  • And Prof. Ian Goldin, of Oxford University on the fine line organisations walk when using technology.
 


If you’ve been sent to this page but you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by yBC.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the most recent IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: opportunity in Africa

The African continent is vast and one where there is a wealth of opportunity. Risks associated with the continent means many approach investing in the area with trepidation. However, many believe we are seeing its final dawn.

Some countries don’t have a branded hotel located within it, others are resource heavy and with a growing middle class the chance to really make headway is apparent.

Experts this week include:

  • Gordon Drake, CFO of Kingdom Hotel Investments, on a resource-laden continent
  • Timothy Lloyd Hughes, of Deutsche Bank, on Africa being another arrow in the BRIC bow
  • Peter Norman, of Hyatt International, on the inevitable chance there is now with Africa
  • And Nick van Marken, Hospitality Leader of Deloitte, on how Africa’s fragmentation resulting in opportunities for many.
 


If you’ve been sent to this page but you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by yBC.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interviews from industry conferences such as the most recent IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Chat Button