Lodging Leaders

John Matson is the Managing Director of Voyager HQ, a club bringing together startup founders, corporate partners, and investors in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. Since their start in the summer of 2016, Voyager HQ has grown to a community of over 1,000 members, dozens of partners, and hundreds of investors in over 55 countries.

When he is not connecting the travel industry, John is the Programming Chair and Co-Founder for the NYC Innovation Collective, a nonprofit alliance of NYC’s top technology organizations working together to support program leaders of incubators, accelerators, and startup communities, along with the Co-Director of Startup Grind chapter in NYC, a monthly speaker series to educate, motivate, and connect entrepreneurs in over 300 cities around the world.

In his spare time, John co-hosts two podcasts, Travel is Your Business, focusing on the intersection of travel, business, and technology, and 5to9, a podcast interviewing people who pursue passions through side projects outside their 9 to 5 jobs.

In This Episode, John Reveals …

* The vision behind Voyager HQ, the service they provide, and who their ideal customer is

* Some of the pitfalls to avoid with startups, and some common red flags folks should look out for

* How to spot a good deal, both as an investor and as a customer

* His podcast, ‘Travel is Your Business’

Resources & Links

John Matson

* Email: [email protected]

* LinkedIn

Voyager HQ

* Website

* Facebook

* Twitter

* Instagram

* LinkedIn

Gary Gibb is Founder and President of AutoClerk, Inc. – a Northern California based software company that provides powerful hospitality technology solutions for independent properties, management companies, and hotel chains.

Gary is a graduate of the University of California San Diego with a degree in Applied Physics & Information Sciences. Prior to founding AutoClerk, he worked as a programmer for the operating systems software company, Network Consulting of Vancouver, BC, Canada, as well as a hotel management company, Thunderbird Management, of Oakland, California.

In This Episode, Gary Reveals …

* What a hotel Property Management System (PMS) is, what it does, and how it has evolved over the years.

* What makes a PMS great, including powerful integrations to other systems to provide a complete solution.

* The differences between an interface vs integration, and why you should care.

* The security issues you should be aware of, and the difference between premise-based systems versus cloud-based systems.

* What the future looks like, and as you heard in the opening soundbite, Gary feels blockchain is where it’s all gonna go.

Resources & Links

Gary Gibb

* Email: [email protected]

* LinkedIn

* mobile: (925) 324-1729

AutoClerk, Inc.

* AutoClerk Website

* myHMS Website

* LinkedIn

Gino Engels is co-founder and CCO of OTA Insight, where he leads the delivery and continued development of OTA Insight’s dashboard and reporting capabilities to enable hoteliers to support a profitable revenue and distribution strategy. Gino’s customer-focused objective is to deliver affordable revenue tools to hotels and continuously develop new solutions to help those in the hospitality sector overcome technological barriers.

Gino regularly contributes his expert knowledge on the hospitality sector to articles on current trending topics for publications including The Washington Post and also frequently speaks at industry events across the globe such as the SmartGuest Analytics and Best Western International Revenue Conferences in the US, HSMAI and Revenue Forums across Europe and Fastbooking Digital Labs across Asia.

In This Episode, Gino Reveals …

* What rate parity is, and why it’s important for hoteliers to know about it.

* How parity can become an issue for hoteliers, the consequences for being out of parity, and who is impacted more; major hotel chains or independents.

* What rate loss issues are, and Gino shares some stats that might surprise you.

* Some steps that you can take to combat these issues so you can make smarter pricing and distribution decisions.

Resources & Links

Gino Engels

* LinkedIn

OTA Insight

* Website

* Twitter

* YouTube

* LinkedIn

A die-hard Saints fan, Phil knows a thing or two about loyalty. Over the course of his over 25-year career, he’s blended his education, experience and innovation to evolve the way businesses identify, retain and expand the value of their best customers. An impeccable leader with passion to spare, Phil founded the loyalty practice at Loyaltyworks, and led the spin-off and formation of rDialogue. Before all that, he was Group VP and General Manager at The Lacek Group—the loyalty marketing firm that is now a part of OgilvyOne.

Through the years, some of the world’s smartest companies including Delta Air Lines, American Express, Nike, Nordstrom, Citigroup, Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Cox Communications, Macy’s, Sprint and Brooks Brothers have sought Phil’s expertise and it’s no surprise why. He’s fiercely loyal to his craft, his clients, and his teams (both rDialogue & the Saints) and he’s managed to build a team of high-caliber marketers who share his integrity and dedication.

In This Episode, Phil Reveals …

* Why loyalty programs came about, and their evolution over the last 25+ years.

* What’s unique about Hospitality loyalty programs that requires a different approach than other industries and categories, and Phil gives examples of brands that are getting it right.

* What loyalty marketing is, and going beyond the transactional data to create an experience that resonates with the guest on an emotional level.

* Where small chains and independents fit in, and some of the opportunities and advantages they have over big brands.

* How consolidation could ultimately impact the guest experience.

Resources & Links

Phil Rubin

* Email: [email protected]

* LinkedIn

* Twitter

rDialogue

* Website

* Facebook

* Twitter

* Instagram

* LinkedIn

* Phone: 404.475.5800

Isaac is one of the founders of ConveYour.com, the #1 Microlearning platform for learner engagement.

He’s a tech entrepreneur and futurist at heart, on a mission to enable brands to align their training with human behavior leading to breakthrough learner engagement.

His success come from understanding the relationships between human behavior, business, and technology. This expertise has helped celebrity influencers and companies transform their training programs.

In This Episode, Isaac Reveals …

* The vision behind his company, ConveYour.com, what makes them unique and who they serve.

* What “Learner Trust” is, and what the right ingredients are to improve it.

* What microlearning is, why it creates a deeper learning experience for employees, and what the new data says about microlearning learner completion in companies like Capital One.

* Some best practices to improve engagement and boost employee performance.

Resources & Links

Want to see ConveYour in action?

* text #corporate to 541-516-1882

(it will then send you a link to a course entitled “Microlearning Blueprint”)

Isaac Tolpin

* Email: [email protected]

* LinkedIn

* Twitter

* Facebook

ConveYour.com

* Website

* Facebook

* Twitter

* LinkedIn

* Phone: 210-446-5200

Chris is a digital marketing entrepreneur, speaker, and neuromarketer who gets excited about helping businesses learn what their users want on their website, using psychology based testing and analytics. He started his Conversion Optimization agency Dayley Conversion in 2014, which he later merged with Disruptive Advertising, where he currently works as VP of site testing and optimization.

In This Episode, Chris Reveals …

* What conversion is, why it’s important, and why businesses struggle with it.

* The elements on a website or landing page that hoteliers need to be aware of when sending traffic to a page.

* Why companies need to think about mobile traffic differently than desktop traffic.

* The top 2-3 things he looks for when he helps a business optimize their website.

Resources & Links

Chris Dayley

* Email: [email protected]

* LinkedIn

* Twitter

Disruptive Advertising

* Website

* Facebook

* Twitter

* LinkedIn

* Google+

* Instagram

Morgan Sickles is a senior vice president of Aries Conlon Capital’s originations and business development team. He specializes in arranging high-leverage, non-recourse, bridge and permanent loans with cash out for hotel and commercial real estate properties nationwide. Prior to joining Aries Conlon Capital, Morgan founded Atlantis Advisors, a nationwide hotel services provider.

About Aries Conlon Capital:

Aries Conlon Capital is a Chicago-based international full-service commercial mortgage and real estate investment banking firm. As a boutique firm, they offer best-in-class debt placement, equity arrangement, tax credit syndication, real estate brokerage and advisory through a high-touch, disciplined approach that leverages our extensive lending relationships and deep-rooted client and equity sponsors.

In This Episode, Morgan Reveals …

* His thoughts on the state of the current economic cycle, and his take on Jamie Dimon and Warren Buffett’s statement that “we’re in the 6th inning.”

* How hoteliers can take advantage of the 2018 Tax Reform, including completing a 2021 PIP by 2019, and replacing an HVAC system in 2018 to cash in on Section 179 expansion.

* Some advice for hotel investors now with respect to increased incentives for acquisitions and capex investments.

* What happens next to the hotel investment cycle, after this somewhat artificial stimulus tapers out.

Morgan created an amazing refi calculator which he agreed to share with my audience.

This easy-to-use Excel file enables hoteliers to quickly input the parameters of their current loan to see if a refi makes sense.

Download the FREE Refi Calculator

Find out if a refi makes sense for you.

DISCLAIMER: Morgan Sickles and Aries Conlon Capital do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

Resources & Links

Mentioned in this episode:

* Podcast Episode: 028 | 6-Figure Income Tax Savings through Cost Segregation with Todd Strumpfer

* Free Download: Morgan Sickles’ Refi Calculator

* Lodging Magazine article: How Hoteliers Can Take Advantage of 2018 Tax Reform

* Hotel News Now article: Exceeding Brand Standards Key to Select-Service Success

* Book: Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business by Danny Meyer

* Book: Be My Guest by Conrad Hilton

RCA Reports (courtesy of Monica Wolfson)

* RCA Hotel Capital Markets Report May 2018

Stanley Turkel is a recognized authority in the hotel industry. He operates his consulting practice serving as an expert witness in hotel-related cases and providing franchise consultation and asset management.

Prior to forming his hotel consulting firm, Turkel was the Product Line Manager for Hotel/Motel Operations at the International Telephone & Telegraph Co. overseeing the Sheraton Corporation of America. Before joining IT&T, he was the General Manager of the Summit Hotel (762 Rooms), General Manager of the Drake Hotel (680 Rooms) and Resident Manager of the Americana Hotel (1842 Rooms), all in New York City.

Stanley Turkel is one of the most widely-published authors in the hospitality field. More than 275 articles on various hotel subjects have been published in the leading hotel magazines and posted on the Hotel-Online, BlueMauMau, Hotel NewsResource and eTurboNews websites. Two of his hotel books have been promoted, distributed and sold by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute. A third hotel book was called “passionate and informative” by the New York Times. His fourth hotel book, “Hotel Mavens: Lucius M. Boomer, George C. Boldt and Oscar of the Waldorf” was published in October 2014.

Stanley Turkel has been designated the 2014 and 2015 Historian of the Year by Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

In This Episode, Stan Reveals …

* His hospitality journey, from his early beginnings in the back of the house, to General Manager at multiple New York City hotels.

* How he made the transition from GM to hotel consultant, and some of the opportunities he had along the way that gave him this foundation.

* Where his passion began for historical hotels, and his Built to Last book trilogy which describes 183 hotels in the United States that are each more than a hundred years old and fifty rooms or larger.

* Several stories about notable hotels, hoteliers he admires, and why.

Resources & Links

Stan Turkel

* Website

* LinkedIn

David “Rev” Ciancio serves as Director, Industry Insights for Yext, where he works to ensure customer success as they deploy the Yext Knowledge Engine on behalf of their businesses. Over his 20+ year career, he has managed business development, digital marketing, and social media strategies for a wide range of entertainment and hospitality companies. When not preaching the gospel of Digital Knowledge Management, you can find this expert burger taster discussing the virtues of what makes a truly great hamburger on his Instagram account, @revciancio and hospitality marketing tips on his blog, burgerconquest.com.

In This Episode, Rev Reveals …

* What digital knowledge management (DKM) is, and why businesses need to care about it.

* The impacts of reputation management for businesses.

* What kind of digital marketing is necessary for hotels, restaurants and agencies this year and beyond, and what to do to stay ahead of the competition.

* How to run an effective influencer marketing campaign and some of the rookie mistakes businesses often make.

* What small businesses can do to market their business like the biggest of brands without need for the biggest of budgets.

Resources & Links

Rev Ciancio

* [email protected]

* LinkedIn

* Twitter

* Instagram

* Google+

Damian ten Bohmer currently serves as IHG Senior Director of Commercial for the Middle East. He possesses a proven track-record of success in on-property, regional sales, marketing, brand management, digital marketing and channel management. Over the years, Damian has demonstrated the ability to build productive relationships with both internal and external partners, and create teams which are efficient, productive and inspired to over-achieve.

In This Episode, Damian Reveals …

* His hospitality journey, where it all started for him, and what he does in his current role with IHG.

* We talk about working in the Middle East, some of the challenges he’s faced, and what it’s like living in Dubai.

* We talk about mentorship, and Damien reveals an important lesson he learn from a mentor years ago, that is still ingrained in him.

* And we talk about teams, how to build a great one, and why you should lead from the front.

Resources & Links

* LinkedIn

* Twitter

* +971 56 603 5243