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Heading
to Nashville for Hotel Data Conference?
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Don't
Miss These Five Sessions
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By Alan E. Young, Co-Founder,
Puzzle Partner
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Toronto,
ON & Nashville, TN – August 2018 | Newsmaker Alert | Nashville
is known for many things; live music, nightlife, food, and from August
15th until 17th that list expands to include the Hotel
Data Conference (HDC) hosted by STR. A yearly, sold-out event staple
in the hospitality industry, the conference covers over 20 exciting, insightful
presentations, industry outlooks, tips, trends, and so much more.
Taking
place at the Omni Nashville Hotel, attendees can expect to join in on conversations
with industry leaders and panelists and leave with data-backed insights
to enhance their hospitality offering in 2018 and beyond. After all, with
the trend of hyper-guest personalization continually gaining traction across
our industry, the intelligent utilization of data is quickly becoming the
key to a hotel’s success and longevity.
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With
hoteliers from across the globe getting ready to board their flight to
Nashville as we speak, we’ve compiled a list of five can’t-miss sessions
to check out while attending HDC this year.
1.
Life stage, not age: Demystifying guest psychographics
When:
August 16th 10:45 - 11:45 AM
What:
Millennials. That seems to be the latest industry buzz-word on everyone’s
lips as hoteliers race to get ahead of emerging trends relating to guest
expectations. While the millennial generation has no shortage of buying
power and, without a doubt, represents a major travel segment — guest behavior
and expectations have much more to do with life stage than age. It’s not
a matter of lumping guests into presumed behavioral brackets based on their
age; but rather, indicators are shown by their life stage and those subsequent
experiential expectations.
Why
You Should Attend: This panel will share best practices on how to identify
your guests by their life stage and what that means for service, marketing,
technology, amenities and more.
Panelists:
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Dave Rubin,
Greystone Hotels
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Jeff Senior,
KSL Resorts
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Kathleen
Hodge, Hilton Worldwide
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Robert
Arnold, Vizergy
2.
Fee for all: How hotels are maximizing ancillary charges
When:
August 16th 10:45 - 11:45 AM
What:
Leave no revenue opportunity under-maximized. As we speak to revenue drivers
for hotels, ancillary charges such as cancellation and resort fees are
becoming a focal point of the conversation.
Why
You Should Attend: Panelists will discuss the risk/reward of instilling
ancillary fees within your property, the best way to structure those policies
and communicate them to guests, and how ancillary revenue can affect your
revenue management strategy and guest satisfaction.
Panelists:
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JB Cooke,
Ashford
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Linda
Gulrajani, Marcus Hotels & Resorts
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Paul Mengacci,
Prism Hotels & Resorts
3.
Increase revenues with review data
When:
August 17th 10:50 - 11:15 AM
What:
We have long-since entered the age of social sharing and feedback. With
so many open networks, reviews can become the defining factor in the success
of a business. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that 96% of guests have
left a review for a hotel, and 95% of travelers read reviews before booking
accommodations.
Why
You Should Attend: This session will provide an overview of the top
review sources by channel over the past five years, helping hoteliers to
understand better operational improvements inspired by trending categories
of positive and negative reviews. With this information, hotel properties
can better adhere to guest expectations and increase revenue.
Presenter:
Valerie Castillo, Vice President of Marketing, TrustYou
4.
Non-traditional revenue management
When:
August 17th 12:00 - 12:25 PM
What:
The question on every hotelier’s mind: How can we continuously increase
revenue? Are we truly maximizing the revenue opportunity of every hotel
room and service? Or are we leaving untapped potential from ancillary revenue
streams?
Why
You Should Attend: This session will explore the topic of "non-traditional"
revenue management, focusing on a Las Vegas Strip Resort case study to
exemplify how even some straightforward strategic and operational changes
can drive strong results.
Presenter:
Dan Skodol, Vice President, Revenue Analytics, Rainmaker
5.
Independents: No flag, no problem
When:
August 17th 10:15 - 11:15 AM
What:
As guests continuously express a desire for hyper-personalized, unique
experiences within the hotel’s they frequent, independent hotels have the
opportunity to capitalize on their boutique model. With independent hotels
representing nearly 30% of the U.S. hotel room inventory, this segment
has no shortage of unique challenges and opportunities.
Why
You Should Attend: This panel will discuss the modern hospitality landscape
and the opportunities it presents for unaffiliated hotels, making note
of independent key performance indicators, measurements of profitability,
distribution options and competing in a highly competitive industry.
Panelists:
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John Davis,
Woodbine Development Corporation
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Raj Contractor,
Host Hotels & Resorts
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Stacie
Bushaw, NAVIS
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Tim Franzen,
AJ Capital Partners
This is
my first time attending this event, and I am genuinely looking forward
to learning new things, meeting new people and seeing old friends. Our
industry is at an exciting time related to technological adoption, and
data will be the foundation of every hotelier's decision-making process.
It’s
not the data that matters; it’s how we use it. See
you in Nashville.
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About
Alan E. Young
 Alan
E. Young is the Co-Founder and President of Puzzle
Partner, the leading agency specializing in hospitality and travel
technology marketing. Previously, Alan has held executive level positions
with start-up companies such as Newtrade Technologies, (acquired by Expedia),
Hotel Booking Solutions (acquired by IBS Software) and TrustYou. Alan is
past Chair of The Board of Directors of The OpenTravel Alliance and been
very involved with other industry associations most notably AHLA, HEDNA,
and HTNG. With over two decades of experience in the travel and hospitality
technology world, Alan specializes in helping innovative companies achieve
winning performance and dramatic growth. You can connect with Alan on LinkedIn.
About
Puzzle Partner
Puzzle
Partner is the most trusted marketing agency focused exclusively on complex
B2B initiatives for the travel and hospitality technology industry. We
are experts at combining strategy and tactical execution in a way that
doesn’t just maximize a company’s potential; it redefines it. By delivering
influential content, marketing services, and public relations rooted in
the skills of our team and tested through real-world experience, we help
our clients gain visibility, raise their profile and ultimately increase
their sales revenues. To learn more visit PuzzlePartner.co.
Media
Contact:
Puzzle
Partner Ltd.
Ivana
Johnston
647-338-2549 |
