2023: The Year We Take Back the Meaning of In-Person Events
As we begin a New Year with new and returning board members, and I take the position of Chapter President at The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Boston Chapter, we are ready with a packed agenda and a great outlook with guest speakers, panels, and social/networking events along the way. This can only be successful with the support of our local hoteliers for event space and sponsorship, and our local photographer. I couldn’t be more thrilled to lead a wonderful team of hospitality professionals. Our mission statement has strengthened over the years and even more after two years of online meetings. This is the year we take back the meaning of in-person events and bring networking to the next level.
The word on the street is that after the last several years we have realized as an industry the need to advance the current tech stack for hotels and resorts. The focus for 2023 and beyond is on innovation and technology. The days of legacy systems, long-term contracts, and dishing out a ton of cash are over! Let's face it, there are limited cloud-based platforms out there that align themselves with operators that want to help grow your business and increase revenues while providing a better guest experience.
Not knowing where to begin with implementing new systems, we go on the search for “what's new”. We look to our peers and read all the case studies and press releases on new and upcoming products. So many times I’ve heard “I know we need to upgrade, but I just don’t have the time or the resources to start the process” Yes, it can get overwhelming and confusing to know what you need and what you want. We find organizations will stick with what’s already in place vs. what’s better for business but those properties will be left behind as technology continues to enhance operational efficiencies, reduce operating costs and assist with the consistent labor shortages our industry continues to experience. It's a large project to take on but long term it's a project that needs to take place sooner rather than later.
With the guest in mind when searching for new products, travelers are more likely to book your hotel or resort when they can control their own experiences. We have to give them what they don’t have at home. No longer are the days of the flat-screen TV or the iPod docking stations in the guest rooms, they are no longer a luxury, it's a basic requirement. Guests want the convenience of ordering what they want when they want it and they want to control the process on their own personal devices. How many of your guests are ordering through third-party ordering apps from their guest room because your In-Room Dining order taker called out sick and no one is picking up the phone or when your restaurant is closed, or short-staffed and they don’t want to wait for a table or to stand in line? You would be surprised if you had the time to stand in your lobby during peak dining times and watch how many deliveries your doorman or front desk accepts.
Adding a solution like the GoTab platform will boost your food and beverage revenues, enhance the guest experience, and give you a competitive edge over your comp-set. Empowering your guest to open, and share tabs, one tap ordering anywhere throughout your hotel or resort, provides you the opportunity to collect guest preferences and tailor their experience around their ordering patterns and behaviors. This is taking it to the next level, guests want that magical moment and by creating their own experiences they are going to remember.
GoTab Inc offers a point-of-sale, on-demand ordering and payment system, RFID ordering, and kitchen display with two-way communications between operator and guest to streamline efficiencies and enhance service. GoTab allows you to take the transactional tasks out of the hands of your server and adds hospitality back into your daily service while growing your revenues by 30%, turning tables faster, and increasing staff tips by 20%. Going with GoTab will be the new norm.
Photo Credit: David Fox
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