Top Floor

Jody Merl is an entrepreneur and luxury travel expert. If that sounds glamorous, you should hear about one of her first jobs - as assistant to the director of famed Olivia Newton John roller skating film, *Xanadu*. Jody carved out a unique space in hospitality when she founded her company, Innovative Travel Marketing, and she works with hotels and media companies to maximize unused space. Susan and Jody talk about orange juice, dry shampoo, and marketing budgets.

Part two of Susan's conversation with Ira Vouk, author of Hospitality 2.0.  In this episode, Ira explains how she teaches hospitality tech and makes the case for data standardization.  If you missed part one, you can find it at topfloorpodcast.com/episode/32, along with definitions and explanations of some key terms.

Let's face it: Susan is one of the nerdiest people you've ever met, so when she meets her match in Ira Vouk, you know something special is happening. Ira is the author of Hospitality 2.0, about the digital revolution in hospitality. This conversation is long and interesting, so stay tuned for part two next week. And, if these technical conversations leave you scratching your head, go to topfloorpodcast.com/episode/32 for definitions and explanations of some key terms. 

We got to record loading dock stories at the 33rd Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, and wow!  From million-dollar PhDs to HazMat interventions, the seven storytellers in this episode have seen a lot.  Listen in on some of the secrets behind the glamour of hotel life, and stay tuned for seven more stories in episode 31.

Marc Eliot is an established veteran of the New York City event design world and has worked with clients like The White House, high profile heads of state, Fortune 500 entities, and institutional organizations to create high-end, luxe events.  Marc is also an established song writer, vocalist, and author. Susan and Marc talk about how to recarpet a ballroom, which flower best embodies the Pantone color of the year, and how to catch the creative breeze.

Lenny Moon specializes in disruption. A leader in multiple start-ups, he is CEO of FlyCoin, a cryptocurrency travel rewards program that promises to turn the points-and-miles game on its head. Susan and Lenny talk about business school, squirrel pelts, baseball cards, and a particularly memorable Metro ride in this episode.

Susan Barry has slept on a coffee table after locking herself out of a hotel room, but that's not entirely what this is about. In this solo deep-dive episode, Susan wonders if hotel sales teams are pushing boulders uphill while they swim against the tide. She muses here if hotels should try harder to meet buyers where they are and spend more money on marketing. Hot tip: This is a controversial one, so don't listen with diehard hotel sellers in the car.