Briefing: Industry disruptors – Innovative hospitality business models

Hospitality is changing. Consumers have more and more options to choose from and increasingly original ways to purchase them. Innovative companies are creating new business models to maximise income from hospitality products. Consumers are even selling amongst themselves in the so-called “sharing economy”.

According to experts, disruptive plays and business model innovation are now more important than traditional strategies based around competition and internal efficiency. Accessibility via digital platforms means disruptors can build large market share within just a few years. Therefore every company must look at their assets and how they might innovate, even if primarily to defend their market.

Discussing these new hospitality business models are:

  • Frank Croston, Partner, Hamilton Hotel Partners on how consumers win in the competition with new wave hospitality

  • Preben Vestdam, Managing Director, HotelSwaps on a bartering programme based on hotel rooms

  • Stephen Balzer, Chief Executive Officer, Red Onion GmbH on what the sharing economy means for consumers

  • Sean Worker, Chief Executive Officer, BridgeStreet Global Hospitality on a company re-branding that responded to customer demand for transparency

 

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Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Women at the top

Although women have always accounted for over 50% of the hospitality workforce, this has typically been disproportionately towards the bottom of the pyramid. Things are gradually improving with women being promoted into C level roles, but there is still plenty of work to do to address the gender gap. In this briefing we speak to three women who have built successful hospitality careers about what the industry can do to bring more diversity at the top.

Comment from:

  • Kathleen Matthews, Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer, Marriott International Inc on why women are still disproportionately represented in the hospitality industry

  • Karen Friebe, Partner, Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, on why women need more role models in the industry

  • Wolfgang Wienz, Senior Technical Specialist, Hotels, Catering & Tourism, International Labour Organization on whether the industry can overcome gender gaps

  • Elizabeth Winkle, Managing Director, STR Global on how women in the industry would benefit from mentor relationships

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

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: ensuring customer loyalty in hotels

Customer loyalty is crucial for a successful hotel business. Small and boutique hotels need to offer something special to their customers in order to compete with the chains. Meanwhile international brands are rolling out increasingly sophisticated loyalty schemes to ensure that their customers return to them wherever they go in the world.

While loyalty schemes are not new, hotels are now connecting with customers on an individual level to make them feel appreciated and valued. These operations require careful management and the right technology. Comment from:

  • Mark Weinstein, VP – Strategy & Loyalty, Hilton Worldwide on why loyalty schemes are critical to business growth

  • Taras Ettl, VP – Development, Middle East & Africa, InterContinental Hotels Group on InterContinental’s loyalty programme

  • Andrew Boshoff, Head of Strategy & Development, Global Hotel Alliance on loyalty being the largest area of opportunity for hotels

  • Sinai Pedreschi, Director of Sales & Marketing, The Stafford London on The TNTs that make customers come back

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

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: innovation to reinvent, evolve and adapt to markets

In a changing world, products and operations must respond to disruptions and shifting markets. Business plans cannot be too rigid, especially when applied in new markets where the risk factors are unknown. Old technology and systems that are in place are not always appropriate to deal with new problems.

So what do businesses need to do to keep up to date? How can brands adapt to new environments? And how can smaller hotels compete with the resources of larger brands? This briefing has comment on all these issues:

  • Christine Hodder, General Manager, The Stafford London on balancing consistency with innovation

  • Simon Schwitalik, Director of Business Intelligence – EMEA, TravelClick on turning legacy systems into effective marketing platforms

  • Sanjay Tanna, Director – Commercial &  Investments, ADNEC on why constant reinvention and adaptability is the key

  • Peter Norman, SVP – Acquisitions & Development, Hyatt Hotels Corporation on why hotel brands must continually evolve

 

 

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

Video clips produced by ybc.hpgcms.wpengine.com for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

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