techtalk.travel

Automated Personalization, Insights on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in Hospitality - How can AI and ML assist in personalization in the hotel industry? What can usage and examples look like? What are the key challenges? That's discussed in this COLLECTIVE #automatedpersonalization session, which was streamed live on Linkedin and Youtube on 20th January 2022.

Michaela Papenhoff (h2c GmbH), Oliver Stotz (Lindner Hotels AG), Lijeesh Rajan (Rotana Hotels & Resorts), and Christin Haensel (h2c GmbH) join host André Baljeu (techtalk.travel) to discuss the findings and implications of h2c's recent Global Automated Personalisation Study.

If you prefer watching the video version of this session, find it here. Find the original Linkedin Live Video, including all comments and questions from the audience here.

The COLLECTIVE sessions are co-hosted by techtalk.travel and our members. The hotel industry's open sessions for all industry stakeholders facilitating exchange, relationship-building, and knowledge transfer, inviting the community to actively take part by adding their questions and views, too.

About COLLECTIVE #HotelierPULSE, co-hosted with Guestcentric and Great Hotels of the World

About COLLECTIVE #MICEBEAT, co-hosted with Great Hotels of the World

To all COLLECTIVE sessions Video l Podcast

Tune in to this episode [in German] all about Revenue Management, the job profile and responsibilities of a Revenue Manager in the hotel industry, and more.

HSMA Revenue Management Expert Circle members Steffi Breitsprecher, Director of Revenue & Distribution at Meininger Hotels, and Bastian Däullary, Senior Expert Revenue & Capacity Management at Deutsche Hospitality, join Christian Meissner, Senior Director Commercial Systems, Hotel Applications & CRM at Deutsche Hospitality and member of the Revenue Management, E-Commerce, CRM & Marketing und Distribution advisory board at HSMA Deutschland e.V to share their knowledge and insights.

Darüber sprechen Steffi, Bastian und Christian in dieser Folge:

The HSMA Happy Hour [In German] - that’s the podcast series that we are co-hosting together with our friends from HSMA Germany - the hotel association with more than 1.500 members from the German-speaking hotel market.

HSMA will use this format to regularly discuss current trends and developments in the hotel industry, and share exclusive insights and knowledge from their various expert circles and best practices from their members. Also, tune in to the first Episode discussing the job profile and responsibilities of a hotel digital marketing manager.

Visit hsma.de for more.

EXPLORE FURTHER.

Tune in to this on-demand podcast episode with the recording of the COLLECTIVE #hotelierPULSE live session we streamed live on LinkedIn and Youtube on 02 December 2021. With special guest Nadja Dahlmann, Head of PR & Marketing at the Empire Riverside Hotel and the Hafen Hotel Hamburg, and member of the expert circle advising on Digital Marketing, CRM, and eCommerce at HSMA Deutschland e.V.

Nadja joins Pedro Colaco, CEO at Guestcentric and Great Hotels of the World, and our André Baljeu to discuss together with the community the findings of the 19th edition of The Hotelier PULSE Report and its implication for the hotel and travel markets. Nadja shares what implications she sees for commercial strategies for hotels, what best practices there are in terms of digital marketing, and guest engagement, and what market developments she is anticipating. 

If you prefer watching the video version of this session, find it here. Find the original live broadcasting Linkedin link, including all comments and questions from the audience, here.

The techtalk.travel COLLECTIVE #hotelierPULSE sessions are co-hosted by Pedro Colaco, CEO at Great Hotels of the World and Guestcentric, and André Baljeu, Founder at techtalk.travel. 

Pedro and André discuss with their changing guests the latest findings of The Hotelier PULSE Report and its implications for the respective markets represented and overall market developments impacting the hospitality and travel industry.

Read more about the COLLECTIVE #hotelierPULSE live sessions here and make sure to join the upcoming ones too.

Also, find all past COLLECTIVE #hotelierPULSE sessions here.

MICE & Group Sales of tomorrow & Technology - What has fundamentally changed in Group Sales? What are the implications for Marketing and Sales strategies for convention hotels and venues, and how to leverage technology best? - That's discussed in this podcast episode with the recording of the COLLECTIVE #MICEBEAT session, which was streamed live on Linkedin and Youtube on 7th December 2021.

The Collective #MICEBEAT sessions are data-driven live think tanks focusing on the Meetings & Events industry’s future. Taking stock of where we as an industry are, where we need to go, and how we will get there, co-hosted by Rita Machado, Vice President Sales and Marketing at Great Hotels of the World, and Lea Jordan, Co-Founder at techtalk.travel. Providing a platform for the hospitality industry to exchange knowledge, pollinate ideas and connect.

If you prefer tuning in to the video version of this session, find it here and on all leading podcast streaming platforms. Find the original Linkedin Live Video, including all comments and questions from the audience here.

Read more about the COLLECTIVE #MICEBEAT live sessions here, and make sure to join the upcoming ones too.

You might also find interesting:

Tune in to this episode [in German] all about the job profile and responsibilities of a digital marketing manager in the hotel industry.

HSMA Digital Marketing Expert Circle members Nadja Dahlmann, Head of PR & Marketing at Hotel Empire Riverside and Hotel Hafen in Hamburg, and Alexander Schuster, Head of Digital at opensmjle join Anna Heuer, Managing Director at HSMA Deutschland e.V. to share their knowledge and insights.

The HSMA Happy Hour [In German] - that’s the new podcast series that we are co-hosting together with our friends from HSMA Germany - the hotel association with more than 1.500 members from the German-speaking hotel market.

HSMA will use this format to regularly discuss current trends and developments in the hotel industry, and share exclusive insights and knowledge from their various expert circles and best practices from their members.

Visit hsma.de for more.

EXPLORE FURTHER.

Tune in to this podcast version of the COLLECTIVE #golfresorttech live session we co-hosted together with techtalk.travel member Concept. It was streamed live on LinkedIn and Youtube on 30th November 2021. 

How to select technoloygy and software solutions for Golf and Resort Hotels. What aspects to consider?

How to fit a golf resort management technology nicely into the existing hotel technology stack of the enterprise?

How to increase ancillary revenues per customer? What opportunities are there for yielding?

How to digitize the booking process, how to best manage guest data?

How to best manage guest data and preferences?

How to optimize guest service across all areas on a resort, how to manage memberships and activities?

What best practices can be shared?

If you prefer watching the video version of this session, find it here. Find the original live broadcasting Linkedin link, including all comments and questions from the audience, here.

59club was established in the UK in 2007 by current CEO Simon Wordsworth and is now the market leader in providing bespoke performance measurement and management programs for the golf, leisure, spa, events, F&B, and hotel industries.

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Christopher Reeve was appointed Director of Golf in 2017. Most recently, Reeve was the director of golf at the Foxhills Club and Resort in Surrey. Before this, he managed the Marbella Golf Coaching program before becoming the academy manager at the Burhill Group, running 22 courses across several regions. 

The Belfry is home to the Professional Golf Association (PGA) and has hosted four Ryder Cup tournaments, more than any other venue in the world. Located near Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, right in the heart of England, The Belfry is one of the most sought-after golf resorts in the UK. It offers excellent golf packages, including golf days and overnight stays, custom fitting, and a very own golf shop.

Connect with Christopher on Linkedin.

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Bruno Martins is an experienced IT professional who has spent 24 years in the hospitality technology industry. With an educational background in information technology and economics, Bruno began his career as an IT specialist at Escola Secundária de Loulé. After a stint in the Portugal Army in 1996, Bruno started his career in the hospitality technology industry, working with the team that would become Conceptek. Starting as an IT administrator, Bruno quickly moved through the ranks to become a Product Specialist for Conceptek solutions.

Shiji Group acquired Conceptek in 2018, which led to Bruno’s promotion to Senior Product Manager. In this role, Bruno oversees the development of the Concept Spa & Golf software line. Driven by a love of building technology, Bruno has grown in and with the hospitality technology industry. Bruno currently resides in the Algarve region, where he has spent the majority of his life.

Connect with Bruno on Linkedin.

Concept provides golf and activity reservation management software solutions for enterprise hotels and resorts with locations worldwide. With over 25 years of experience and installations in 58 countries, Concept has developed a comprehensive reservation management product that includes solutions to manage every aspect of a Golf, Spa, or Leisure operation.

Concept is a Contributing Member at techtalk.travel.

The COLLECTIVE sessions are co-hosted by techtalk.travel and our members. The hotel industry's open sessions for all industry stakeholders facilitating exchange, relationship-building, and knowledge transfer, inviting the community to actively take part by adding their questions and views, too.

About COLLECTIVE #HotelierPULSE, co-hosted with Guestcentric and Great Hotels of the World

About COLLECTIVE #MICEBEAT, co-hosted with Great Hotels of the World

‘A smart hotelier is a data-driven hotelier who understands the value of open technologies, integrations, and a single source of truth for guest data.’ - states Michael Kessler, CEO at ReviewPro, in this interview.

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Time stamps: 

00:25 - Michael’s Career Journey.

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To all techtalk.travel editorials.

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Also, find these interviews with inspiring hospitality industry professionals and leaders:

Season 4

Interview episodes with Philip Ibrahim, General Manager at The Student Hotel Berlin; Grit Pauling, General Manager at The 25hours Hotel The Circle Cologne; Kevin King, COO at Shiji Group, Inès Blal, Managing Director & Exec. Dean at EHL Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, and Guillermo Gaspart, Founder & CEO at BYHOURS.

Season 3

Interview episodes with Pontus Berner and Lars Becker from berner+becker revenue management; Leif Jägerbrand and Alexander Erdström from Atomize; Thibault Gence and Florian Montag when with Hotelhero; Moritz Klussmann from Customer Alliance; Kristian Valk from Hotelchamp; John Burns; Connie Reams when with Beekeeper; Mark Fancourt & Cheyne Cole from TRAVHOTECH & Testbeds Vegas; Mike Ford from SiteMinder; and Adam Harris and Richard Castle from Cloudbeds.

Season 2

Interview episodes with Michael Curtis when with Airbnb; Yannis Moati from HotelsByDay; Sarah Fults from MGM Hotels & Resorts and when President at HEDNA; Erik Tengen from Oaky; Maarten Plesmann when with Revinate; Brendan May from HERA Hotel Res Bot; Ben Stephenson from Impala; Martin Stockburger from Concept Hotels; Ulrich Pillau and Martin Reichenbach from apaleo; Iris Steinmetz when with Snapshot; and Ricco de Blank from SHKP

Season 1

Interview episodes with Ullrich Kastner from Myhotelshop; Johannes Thomas when with Trivago; Robin Rossman from STR; Rajesh Vohra from Savora Hotels in UK; Steve Rubin from TRI Hospitality; Mike Keriakos from Curacity; Kurien Jacob from Highgate Ventures; Maximilian Waldmann when with Conichi; Wilhelm K. Weber from SHS Swiss Hospitality Solutions; and Erik Munoz when with Vertical Booking.

'In my opinion, there are three main challenges for the hotel industry in the coming years: To respond to the heightened need for Personalization, Flexibility, and the adoption of the Pay-per-Use Concept.' - states Guillermo Gaspart, CEO & Founder at BYHOURS, and Co-Founder & Partner at Atiram Hotels in this interview. 

In this episode, Lea Jordan sat down with Guillermo Gaspart at the BYHOURS office in Barcelona to hear more about his background and career journey; why he founded BYHOURS; micro hotel stays and the pay per use model in the hotel and travel industry; overall trends in travel, the travel technology start-up scene in Barcelona, and more.

00:36 - Who is ByHours, and what are they about?

01:34 - About Guillermo’s background and career journey.

02:34 - Why ByHours?

04:53 - Removing the stigma.

09:40 - Opportunities from the crisis.

13:07 - Where is the growth coming from?

15:38 - Market demands.

16:53 - Travel industry trends.

19:53 - Pay-per-use acceptance in the hotel industry.

21:20 - Guilermo’s learnings from the crisis.

23:25 - How did the hotels adjust during the pandemic?

25:06 - Barcelona’s travel tech start-up ecosystem.

26:54 - 2 stand-out travel technology start-ups from Barcelona.

28:43 - Guillermo’s favorite travel experience.

29:55 - Guillermo’s favorite restaurant.

If you prefer watching the video version of this conversation, find it here and on our Youtube Channel.

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Companies mentioned in the conversation:

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Also, find these interviews with inspiring hospitality industry professionals and leaders:

Season 4

Interview episodes with Philip Ibrahim, General Manager at The Student Hotel Berlin; Grit Pauling, General Manager at The 25hours Hotel The Circle Cologne; Kevin King, COO at Shiji Group, and Inès Blal, Managing Director & Exec. Dean at EHL Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne.

Season 3

Interview episodes with Pontus Berner and Lars Becker from berner+becker revenue management; Leif Jägerbrand and Alexander Erdström from Atomize; Thibault Gence and Florian Montag when with Hotelhero; Moritz Klussmann from Customer Alliance; Kristian Valk from Hotelchamp; John Burns; Connie Reams when with Beekeeper; Mark Fancourt & Cheyne Cole from TRAVHOTECH & Testbeds Vegas; Mike Ford from SiteMinder; and Adam Harris and Richard Castle from Cloudbeds.

Season 2

Interview episodes with Michael Curtis when with Airbnb; Yannis Moati from HotelsByDay; Sarah Fults from MGM Hotels & Resorts and when President at HEDNA; Erik Tengen from Oaky; Maarten Plesmann when with Revinate; Brendan May from HERA Hotel Res Bot; Ben Stephenson from Impala; Martin Stockburger from Concept Hotels; Ulrich Pillau and Martin Reichenbach from apaleo; Iris Steinmetz when with Snapshot; and Ricco de Blank from SHKP

Season 1

Interview episodes with Ullrich Kastner from Myhotelshop; Johannes Thomas when with Trivago; Robin Rossman from STR; Rajesh Vohra from Savora Hotels in UK; Steve Rubin from TRI Hospitality; Mike Keriakos from Curacity; Kurien Jacob from Highgate Ventures; Maximilian Waldmann when with Conichi; Wilhelm K. Weber from SHS Swiss Hospitality Solutions; and Erik Munoz when with Vertical Booking.

'What we really need is that next evolution and technology to make travel seamless and really easy.' - states Jan-Frederik Valentin, Partner at HOWZAT ennea Group in this interview episode.

In this podcast episode, André Baljeu sat down with Jan-Frederik Valentin to hear more about his background, what HOWZAT ennea Group is about, how they identify potential investment success stories, the role of higher education in entrepreneurship, what the challenges and opportunities for disruption in travel are, and more. 

Time-stamps:

00:34 - Jan’s career progression

04:15 - What is it HOWZAT ennea Group (HEG)does, and how are they structured?

05:21 - A typical day in Jan’s life

06:46 - How to determine potential investment success stories?

08:41 - How is the current investor sentiment?

12:08 - Jan’s take on investor commitment

14:16 - How can higher education support young entrepreneurs?

16:47 - What are the pain points and opportunities for travel disruption?

20:05 - Jan’s advice for entrepreneurs wanting to break into travel

22:40 - What were the biggest surprises from investments so far?

24:40 - Jan’s most memorable travel and hotel experience

26:07 - Jan’s favorite restaurant

If you prefer watching the video-version of this conversation, find it here and on our Youtube Channel.

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Companies mentioned in the conversation:

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Industry Terms and Abbreviations used in the conversation:

GAFA - Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, also known as Big Tech or the Tech Giants, Big Four, or Big Five (if Microsoft is included), the four or five largest and most dominant companies in the information technology industry of the United States.

SPAC - Special Purpose Acquisition Company

Metas - Meta Searcher. Find this techtalk.travel editorial about Meta Search in Hospitality

LPs - Limited Partner. The term refers to investors who become members of a fund or SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) by making a capital contribution, i.e., an investment.

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HOWZAT ennea Group is an European investment and consultancy firm and partners with excellent founders and teams to build, scale and establish outstanding technology companies. Through its venture capital arm HOWZAT Partners, it invests globally into seed and mid-stage start-ups, with a primary focus on Europe. Through its advisory arm, ennea Capital Partners, it provides M&A advisory and strategic consultancy services to growth companies as well as established corporations, leveraging years of expertise within this field.

Make sure to connect with HOWZAT ennea Group on Linkedin, Twitter, and Medium.

HOWZAT ennea Group is a Founding Member of techtalk.travel.

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Also, find these interviews with inspiring hospitality industry professionals and leaders:

Season 4

Interview episodes with Philip Ibrahim, General Manager at The Student Hotel Berlin; Grit Pauling, General Manager at The 25hours Hotel The Circle Cologne; Kevin King, COO at Shiji Group, and Inès Blal, Managing Director & Exec. Dean at EHL Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne.

Season 3

Interview episodes with Pontus Berner and Lars Becker from berner+becker revenue management; Leif Jägerbrand and Alexander Erdström from Atomize; Thibault Gence and Florian Montag when with Hotelhero; Moritz Klussmann from Customer Alliance; Kristian Valk from Hotelchamp; John Burns; Connie Reams when with Beekeeper; Mark Fancourt & Cheyne Cole from TRAVHOTECH & Testbeds Vegas; Mike Ford from SiteMinder; and Adam Harris and Richard Castle from Cloudbeds.

Season 2

Interview episodes with Michael Curtis when with Airbnb; Yannis Moati from HotelsByDay; Sarah Fults from MGM Hotels & Resorts and when President at HEDNA; Erik Tengen from Oaky; Maarten Plesmann when with Revinate; Brendan May from HERA Hotel Res Bot; Ben Stephenson from Impala; Martin Stockburger from Concept Hotels; Ulrich Pillau and Martin Reichenbach from apaleo; Iris Steinmetz when with Snapshot; and Ricco de Blank from SHKP

Season 1

Interview episodes with Ullrich Kastner from Myhotelshop; Johannes Thomas when with Trivago; Robin Rossman from STR; Rajesh Vohra from Savora Hotels in UK; Steve Rubin from TRI Hospitality; Mike Keriakos from Curacity; Kurien Jacob from Highgate Ventures; Maximilian Waldmann when with Conichi; Wilhelm K. Weber from SHS Swiss Hospitality Solutions; and Erik Munoz when with Vertical Booking.

'What we really need is that next evolution and technology to make travel seamless and really easy.' - states Jan-Frederik Valentin, Partner at HOWZAT ennea Group in this interview episode.

In this podcast episode, André Baljeu sat down with Jan-Frederik Valentin to hear more about his background, what HOWZAT ennea Group is about, how they identify potential investment success stories, the role of higher education in entrepreneurship, what the challenges and opportunities for disruption in travel are, and more. 

Time-stamps:

00:34 - Jan’s career progression

04:15 - What is it HOWZAT ennea Group (HEG)does, and how are they structured?

05:21 - A typical day in Jan’s life

06:46 - How to determine potential investment success stories?

08:41 - How is the current investor sentiment?

12:08 - Jan’s take on investor commitment

14:16 - How can higher education support young entrepreneurs?

16:47 - What are the pain points and opportunities for travel disruption?

20:05 - Jan’s advice for entrepreneurs wanting to break into travel

22:40 - What were the biggest surprises from investments so far?

24:40 - Jan’s most memorable travel and hotel experience

26:07 - Jan’s favorite restaurant

If you prefer watching the video-version of this conversation, find it here and on our Youtube Channel.

-

Companies mentioned in the conversation:

-

Industry Terms and Abbreviations used in the conversation:

GAFA - Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, also known as Big Tech or the Tech Giants, Big Four, or Big Five (if Microsoft is included), the four or five largest and most dominant companies in the information technology industry of the United States.

SPAC - Special Purpose Acquisition Company

Metas - Meta Searcher. Find this techtalk.travel editorial about Meta Search in Hospitality

LPs - Limited Partner. The term refers to investors who become members of a fund or SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) by making a capital contribution, i.e., an investment.

-

HOWZAT ennea Group is an European investment and consultancy firm and partners with excellent founders and teams to build, scale and establish outstanding technology companies. Through its venture capital arm HOWZAT Partners, it invests globally into seed and mid-stage start-ups, with a primary focus on Europe. Through its advisory arm, ennea Capital Partners, it provides M&A advisory and strategic consultancy services to growth companies as well as established corporations, leveraging years of expertise within this field.

Visit howzat-ennea.com for more information and make sure to connect on Linkedin, Twitter, and Medium.

HOWZAT ennea Group is a Founding Member of techtalk.travel.

-

Also, find these interviews with inspiring hospitality industry professionals and leaders:

Season 4

Interview episodes with Philip Ibrahim, General Manager at The Student Hotel Berlin; Grit Pauling, General Manager at The 25hours Hotel The Circle Cologne; Kevin King, COO at Shiji Group, and Inès Blal, Managing Director & Exec. Dean at EHL Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne.

Season 3

Interview episodes with Pontus Berner and Lars Becker from berner+becker revenue management; Leif Jägerbrand and Alexander Erdström from Atomize; Thibault Gence and Florian Montag when with Hotelhero; Moritz Klussmann from Customer Alliance; Kristian Valk from Hotelchamp; John Burns; Connie Reams when with Beekeeper; Mark Fancourt & Cheyne Cole from TRAVHOTECH & Testbeds Vegas; Mike Ford from SiteMinder; and Adam Harris and Richard Castle from Cloudbeds.

Season 2

Interview episodes with Michael Curtis when with Airbnb; Yannis Moati from HotelsByDay; Sarah Fults from MGM Hotels & Resorts and when President at HEDNA; Erik Tengen from Oaky; Maarten Plesmann when with Revinate; Brendan May from HERA Hotel Res Bot; Ben Stephenson from Impala; Martin Stockburger from Concept Hotels; Ulrich Pillau and Martin Reichenbach from apaleo; Iris Steinmetz when with Snapshot; and Ricco de Blank from SHKP

Season 1

Interview episodes with Ullrich Kastner from Myhotelshop; Johannes Thomas when with Trivago; Robin Rossman from STR; Rajesh Vohra from Savora Hotels in UK; Steve Rubin from TRI Hospitality; Mike Keriakos from Curacity; Kurien Jacob from Highgate Ventures; Maximilian Waldmann when with Conichi; Wilhelm K. Weber from SHS Swiss Hospitality Solutions; and Erik Munoz when with Vertical Booking.