Data is shifting the way gaming and hospitality venues are able to create a once in a lifetime experience for their guests.

Shaun Neal, Director of Digital Experience at EVOTEK came on the latest episode of People in Places to tell us how. Here are some of our key takeaways.

Focus is shifting towards using data to create more human-like experiences for guests. Data can be used to identify when a guest is in the lobby, so by the time they make it up to their room, their favorite music is playing and the blinds or open or closed according to their preferences.

Venues are bringing together multiple data sources to create much richer profiles of guests. We're not talking about just using form fills and wifi registrations. Instead, pair those with data points like dwell time and location analytics to create a better experience.

Any organization that's able to pull these points together is able to create a unique, once in a lifetime experience for its customers.

Your brand needs small data.

Without it, you're probably missing opportunities to gain key insights to inform your marketing decisions. You're also probably not as customer centric as you'd like to be.

On our latest episode of People In Places, Pip Stocks, Founder and CEO at BrandHook, shared her expertise of small data and customer intimacy. Here's a snapshot of what she had to say.

Small data allows you to glean insights that big data can't give you. By spending time with your customers, you'll understand the nuances of their decision making behaviors.

Small data also allows you to stay empathetic. Business has become very rational. The way we think about customers has become very rational. We've lost the emotion and intuitiveness about our customers that only comes from seeing them.

"When you work together as a team, digital and brick-and-mortar, you can increase your value in the market, not only as a strong competitor, but also for the consumers."

In Episode 13 of People in Places, Leticia Espinosa Vera talked with us about how Walmart teams work together to create a stellar customer experience, both online and in-store.

Head of Walmart.com in Mexico, and in leadership on the digital transformation team, Leticia shared lessons she learned from her experience helping Walmart bridge the divide.

Here's the truth: Only 10% of retail is purchased online.

Yes: 90% of retail is still happening at brick-and-mortars.

(It's hard to believe, we know.)

But that's what James shared on our People in Places podcast.

He then shared the 6 dimensions research has shown that every retailer needs to consider to maximize the experience for their guests:

He breaks down intuitive, human, meaningful, immersive, accessible, and personalized, and shows how each of these 6 dimensions should be the bedrock of your in-store value proposition to your customers.

James Cook is the Americas Director of Retail Research at JLL, and has been studying retail experience for 20 years.

"Why would a retailer go with a technology partner who can only design the WiFi?"

That didn't come from us. That came from Mark Brackley, the Managing Director at Jade Solutions, a company dedicating to connecting retail outlets to their customers using the power of WiFi. Here's what he talked about on the 9th episode of our People in Places podcast:

Start with the right technology partner, who can provide you with an open API and a variety of data points on the users of your WiFi.

Drive innovative connection: Mark shared a variety of stories how his clients are leveraging their WiFi: One retailer ensures customers login to the WiFi only by using their loyalty credentials. Others are recognizing users when they return to the store by re-playing their favorite song from their last visit.

In this episode, we recap the 10 takeaways from our first 10 thought leaders from the show:

1. Tim Weale: Tech enables you to understand customer pain points from all angles.

2. Özer: Wireless networks have evolved to the core part of a businesses data strategy.

3. Katie Meyer and Mike Grogan: The right partnership approach is key to implementing a data strategy for smart cities.

4. Max Ryerson. CRE groups must find new ways to create value for their tenants, and that starts with data.

5. Rachel Elias Wein: Grocery is about to change dramatically, as inventory, accounting, and customer data will be streamlined across offline and online channels.

6. Natasia Malaihollo: Customers don't only select airports based on price or convenience — they also choose them based on experience.

7. Gabriel Bedoya: Location-based marketing is based on respect.

8. Robbie Jones: Guest experience isn't only inside your venue — it's a culmination of small touchpoints with your brand over time.

9. David Bonthrone: Don't start by choosing tech — Consider what issues are causing bottlenecks, and then make technology choices.

10. Michael Beckerman: Data science is going to change the way businesses operate.

Michael Beckerman has made a career of being on the bleeding edge of what's new and exciting in commercial real estate. He shares his tips for how to anticipate the next big thing.

• Stay close to your comfort zone - "I was looking around for the next big opportunity, and I only knew commercial real estate."
• Watch for trends - He realized that technology was impacting every other industry in a profound way. Why not CRE?
• Get in on the ground floor - He was the first to create a news funnel to help people get curated CRE news.
• Bigger is better - Beckerman noticed an even bigger opportunity, bringing technology to the CRE industry at large. That's what he's been doing since then.

Listen in to People in Places! 

"I think we're still looking for that 10 word definition of what AI is."Examples like, facial recognition at the door, cameras that predict out of stock items, and cameras that fix in-store traffic flow.

David Bonthrone is the Chief Revenue Officer of Remark Holdings, the builder of one of the world's largest data-driven suites of AI solutions.David joined me on People and Places to talk about how AI is changing the future of retail, consumer reception in high technology driven environments, education of the consumer, and how retailers should approach getting started.

The customer is always right.

Whether or not that's actually true, your guests are forming opinions of you and your business, whether you're a retail establishment, theme park, or restaurant.

Robbie Jones has a very simple, 3 piece approach to the guest experience. Listen in to today's episode to understand why a great guest experience simply isn't optional. 

Wifi is no longer a commodity. It's an atmosphere. When your business offers wifi, you're covering your space with a communication shield. A unique vehicle to receive and distribute information and to learn about those who log on.

It's what giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon have been doing for a long time. Non-giants can convert customers in a similar way if we know how to use the information gathered from our wifi networks.

Gabriel Bedoya, who leads consumer insights and strategy at The Insights Company, has been doing this for years. He walks us through how location-based marketing can grow your business and how to start implementing strategies today.