Quoting Higher Rates and Overcoming Objections Regarding Rate/Availability Restrictions
Doug Kennedy | February 6th, 2024
Complimentary Registration Now Open For Doug Kennedy’s Next Training Webcast: Contemporary Approaches for Upselling at Check-In
Doug Kennedy | January 8th, 2024
The Impact of Advanced Technology on Employment
Christopher Martinez | July 11, 2024
As our world has evolved, so has companies' hiring process across the workforce. Advancements in technology, including artificial intelligence or AI, have changed how employers review applications. Many employers have become reliant on technology and AI to identify quality candidates, and such a practice has negatively impacted applicants, as the usage of AI technology to review applications has significantly decreased individuals’ chances for employment. With algorithms and AI being used to review submitted applications and evaluate applicant responses in online assessments, qualified individuals who apply for open positions can be reje...
Preparing an Inclusive Next Generation of Hospitality Professionals, Innisfree Hotels Partners With Project SEARCH To Train Young People with Disabili
Innisfree Hotels | July 11, 2024
Innisfree Hotels’ Project SEARCH programs in Florida have graduated over 50 student interns and hired nearly a dozen for full-time employment. GULF BREEZE, Fla. — Innisfree Hotels (innisfreehotels.com) prides itself on being an Employer of Choice in the communities across the Southeastern U.S. where it owns and manages properties. One of the ways it stands out is through an inclusive partnership with Project SEARCH (projectsearch.us), a nationwide program that prepares young people with significant disabilities for success in competitive integrated employment. Innisfree Hotels has hosted Project SEARCH sites since 2018, with current ...
The Heart of a Leader
Dr. Bryan K. Williams | July 11, 2024
Why should anyone follow you? Anywhere? Seriously, that is the question that leaders must ask themselves. John Maxwell wrote, "If you think you are leading, and no one's following, then you’re just taking a walk. A cynic might ask, "who do you think you are to believe that YOU are worthy to be followed?" And if you're not careful, you might believe that only those who have been anointed with special degrees and certifications are "worthy" to lead. You might think that you're too young to lead. You might accept that you're too inexperienced to lead. You might even think that you're not competent enough to lead. All of those thing...
Why Soft Skills Are the New Hard Skills in Hospitality
Benjamin Robert | July 10, 2024
By Benjamin Robert What is more important for your career progression today? High-tech skills for working with AI and Big Data or learning to work well with others and solve problems? The answer may surprise you. While it’s true that learning to use the latest technology is a big focus for upskilling these days, the skills that matter most for the future of work are not hard skills; they are people skills and cognitive skills known as soft skills. With technological advances shaping the future of the workforce landscape, the definition of essential skills is changing rapidly. Where technical abilities once reigned supreme, soft skills...
Third Annual International Society of Hospitality Consultants’ Celebrating Diversity Scholarship Awarded to Jessica Duan of Georgia State Univer
ISHC | July 10, 2024
New York — July 10, 2024 — The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) in conjunction with the authors of Hotel Investments – Issues & Perspectives, NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference. and AHLA Foundation have awarded the third annual Celebrating Diversity Scholarship to Jessica Duan of Georgia State University and Osman Milla of the University of the District of Columbia. The Celebrating Diversity Scholarship was established in 2022 to pave the way for two students to attend the annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, operated by Questex in partnershi...
Dr. Bryan K. Williams Inspires HITEC Charlotte Attendees With Engaging Keynote
Dr. Bryan K. Williams | July 10, 2024
Washington DC (July 10, 2024): HITEC North America recently held its conference and exposition on June 24-27 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte. It attracted over 5,900 industry professionals, making it the largest event of its kind in the world. Dr. Bryan K. Williams was the opening Headliner speaker and challenged all attendees to always set high standards, and create an engaging service culture on their teams. The topic was "Be a Mountain Climber: Tips to Overcome Any Barrier." The keynote focused on leaders who want to refocus themselves and their teams to provide a consistently engaging customer experience. Williams’ bi...
Executive Education: What Happens When Leaders Stop Learning?
EHL | July 9, 2024
With days filled with back-to-back meetings and their sights trained firmly on the organization’s short-term and long-term goals, leaders often forget to make time for their personal development and learning. Externally and at every level of the business, everything is changing and evolving, and without investing time in your learning, you risk being left behind. In the last few years alone, we’ve seen a significant shift in the must-have executive skills, with many of the crucial soft skills taking time and training to master. That’s why executive education programs and management upskilling courses are so valuable. They help yo...
How To Train Your Guest Service Staff To Turn Every Conversation Into a Sales & Marketing Opportunity – Complimentary Registration Now Open
Doug Kennedy | July 8, 2024
Sponsored By Travel Outlook, Better Talent, and Track Hospitality Software Register your team and participate live, or view the recording, of Doug Kennedy’s next 40-minute training webcast scheduled for Monday, July 22, from Noon – 12:45pm EST. REGISTER HERE As tech solutions continue to replace “touch points” in the guest’s “cycle of service,” each remaining “conversation” becomes ever more important, especially since guests are more likely to reach out to our humans either when things go wrong, or when they have a special request or need. “With so many guests booking online, often through third parties, with an ev...
Avoid Sales “CRM Overwhelm”: Focus on the Three Most Important Things Your Sales Tracking Tech Should Do
Doug Kennedy | June 26, 2024
As I make the rounds conducting hotel sales training, I am afforded the opportunity to peek into how hotel group and event salespeople are using a wide variety of what I collectively call “Sales CRMs.” This is because as part of our pre-training assessment, I get to preview the clients’ sales tech, and when time allows, we have participants do workshop activities in their sales CRMs. As a result, I have seen more if not all of the sales CRM systems offered (or endorsed) by top-tier brands, including legacy systems that have been “rolled up” by tech conglomerates. Additionally, having started in the hotel training field in my lat...
HSMAI Foundation Announces 2024 Mike Dimond Student Career Success Grant Recipients and Global Collegiate Case Competition Winners
HSMAI | June 25, 2024
McLean, VA (June 25, 2024) – The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Foundation is proud to announce this year’s Mike Dimond Student Career Success Grant recipients, Daniel Ruppenicker, Grace Rucker, Bailey Jacque, and Tre Wilke, and the Global Collegiate Commercial Strategy Case Competition winner, Brigham Young University, Hawaii, with honors also to Republic Polytechnic and University of Macau. “We’re honored to recognize both the recipients of this year’s Mike Dimond Student Career Success Grant and the Global Collegiate Commercial Strategy Case Competition winner,” said Lori Kiel, CHDM, HSMAI Found...
From Industry to Education: Hospitality Pros Shape the Next Generation
EHL Insights | June 18, 2024
In today's complex business environment, schools play a crucial role in preparing graduates to overcome the challenges of the future. As specialists in their field, visiting professors and lecturers bridge the gap between industry realities and trends and the specialized academic curriculum in educational institutions. Professional teachers greatly enhance the learning experience for students while also drawing personal satisfaction from shaping the next generation of leaders for their beloved industry. It’s a win-win solution for business programs focusing on one sector, such as hospitality management education. This article explores...
Human-Centric Hospitality: The Key to Thriving in the Industry
EHL GRADUATE SCHOOL | June 14, 2024
In the hospitality industry, success lies in the ability to integrate strategic business practices with the unique demands of the sector. A people-centric approach should lie at the heart of everything you do, both in terms of delighting your guests and attracting and retaining the best talent. However, all too often, the demands of running a business can get in the way. In this article, we explore the key challenges hospitality businesses face and the strategies they can implement to align corporate culture and human values. We also discuss some of the benefits you can realize by successfully navigating the transformation to become a...
Train Your Entire Guest Services Staff To Elicit Kama Muta (Commonly Called That “Warm, Fuzzy” Feeling); Complimentary Registration Now Op
Doug Kennedy | June 11, 2024
Sponsored By Travel Outlook, Better Talent, and Track Hospitality Software Register your team and participate live, or view the recording, of Doug Kennedy’s next 40-minute training webcast scheduled for Friday, June 21, from Noon – 12:45pm EST. REGISTER HERE “I’m especially excited about this month’s webcast, in which I’m going to share a new word for a feeling that pretty much everyone who has worked in guest-facing hospitality jobs has had, “said KTN President Doug Kennedy. “It happens when we make an authentic, personalized, and heartfelt connection with another human. It is a mutually experienced feeling, felt acro...
University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership To Launch Online Bachelor of Science and Doctorate at HITEC 2024
HFTP | June 4, 2024
The University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership, one of the world’s leaders in hospitality and tourism education, announced today that it will sponsor and exhibit at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) 2024, the world's largest and most influential hospitality technology event. The College will use this opportunity to launch its online Bachelor of Science in Global Hospitality Leadership and online Doctorate in Global Hospitality Leadership. These new additions align well with the existing online Executive Master of Hospitality Management. The online BS degree serves a...
HSMAI Global Launches Certified Hotel Sales Leader (CHSL) Certification
HSMAI Global | June 4, 2024
McLean, VA (June 4, 2024) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Global is proud to announce the launch of its Certified Hotel Sales Leader (CHSL) certification. This new program is designed to recognize the expertise of hotel sales leaders, emphasizing the most up-to-date sales and commercial principles, practices, and strategies. The CHSL certification is tailored for hospitality sales leaders who are proficient in leading high-performing teams, demonstrating overall commercial acumen, applying best practices in hotel sales to drive revenue growth, and more. The certification covers a wide range of top...
Radisson Academy Celebrates 5th Anniversary With Continued Robust Investment in Training & Talent Development
Radisson Hotel Group | May 31, 2024
Radisson Academy, Radisson Hotel Group’s leading Learning and Development hub, marks its fifth anniversary as it continues to innovate and strives to be the best ‘Academy’ to upskill talent joining the industry. Since it’s inception in 2019, Radisson Academy has expanded its offer to +2,500 training programs and has become a cornerstone of both employee development and enabling strategic business success. Over the past five years, Radisson Hotel Group has implemented a significant investment in its diverse team of Moment Makers across +95 countries as part of the Group’s strategic transformation plan. The objective of Radisson ...
HSMAI Foundation Releases Special Report on The Transformational Power of ‘Commercial’
the HSMAI Foundation | May 24, 2024
McLean, VA (May 24, 2024) – The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation has released a special report, “From Solos to Symphony. The Transformational Power of ‘Commercial’,” which outlines the findings of the HSMAI Foundation’s study on how industry professionals conceptualize the role and scope of commercial strategy within the hotel industry. The report is authored by Breffni M. Noone, Associate Professor at The Pennsylvania State University, and Chris Boyd, Revenue Management Specialist at Hilton. As ‘Commercial’ and ‘Commercial Strategy’ are relatively new additions to the ho...
Understanding California’s New Hotel Industry Legislation and Its Impact
Cendyn | May 23, 2024
California’s hotel industry is gearing up for significant changes with the introduction of two pivotal laws: California Senate Bill 644 and California Assembly Bill 537. While the former focuses on cancelation policies, the latter emphasizes pricing display transparency. In this blog, we’ll delve into the key aspects of each bill and explore their potential impact for hoteliers. California Senate Bill 644 was officially endorsed by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on October 10, 2023, and mandates hotels in California to allow penalty-free cancelations within 24 hours after the confirmation if reservations are made at...
HSMAI Takes Commercial Strategy to the Next Level With Commercial Effectiveness Organizational Assessment
HSMAI | May 23, 2024
McLean, VA (April 22, 2024) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has announced the launch of the Commercial Effectiveness Organizational Assessment, a tool providing a structured framework for assessing where a hotel organization’s commercial structure is strong and where improvements are needed. The tool and accompanying report, Taking Commercial Strategy to the Next Level, are a free member benefit for HSMAI members and available to the industry for purchase. The goal of the HSMAI Commercial Effectiveness Organizational Assessment is to allow a hotel organization to assess and score their implem...
Reservations Sales Agents: It Is NOT Our Job To Tell Them What’s Available; It IS Our Job To Help Them Decide! Complimentary Registration Now Open f
Doug Kennedy | May 9, 2024
Sponsored By Travel Outlook, Better Talent, and Track Hospitality Software Register your team and participate live, or view the recording, of Doug Kennedy’s next 40-minute training webcast scheduled for Friday, May 17, from Noon – 12:45pm EST. REGISTER HERE “As evidenced by the pre-training mystery shopping our team provides for new clients, an awful lot of reservations sales agents do little more than find out the caller’s dates and number of people, and then quote them the same rates the caller has already seen online prior to calling,” said KTN President Doug Kennedy. “When you think about it, this approach is like treatin...
Wait Lines May Boost Perceived Popularity of Restaurant Brands
Penn State School of Hospitality Management | April 25, 2024
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Restaurants can benefit from keeping their customers waiting, according to a new study from researchers in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. The research, led by Associate Professor of Hospitality Management Breffni Nooneand published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, found that the presence of a pre-process wait line, such as waiting to be seated at a restaurant, can increase perceived brand popularity of the business among first-time customers. This effect is increased when paired with a brand popularity statement from an organization that is independent of the restauran...
Accor Launches Hotel Traineeship Targeting Young Indigenous Talent
Accor | April 22, 2024
Accor, the largest hotel operator in Australia, today announced its new Accor Indigenous Hotel Traineeship to provide career pathways and development opportunities for young Indigenous talent. Designed in collaboration with various community and higher education partners, including Yugambeh Regional Aboriginal Corporation Alliance and Busy @ Work, whose contributions have been instrumental in shaping the program, the Accor Indigenous Hotel Traineeship is set to redefine career prospects for Indigenous youth in the hospitality industry. Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer PM&E, Adrian Williams, said: "Our Indigenous Hotel Trainees...
Early Career SHM Alumni Pay It Forward
Penn State School of Hospitality Management | April 18, 2024
Recent SHM Alumni have provided their alma mater with new student support options UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – The School of Hospitality Management (SHM) in Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development (HHD) has received a series of gifts from recent alumni, bolstering the support available to students. In this series, we spotlight recent alumni who have decided to give back to their alma mater, supporting students following the path they helped to trailblaze. As one of the longest-running hospitality programs in the nation, SHM equips students with the technical knowledge and interpersonal skills necessary to meet the needs of an ...
Hospitality Students Creatively Solving Problems With Lego Learning Initiative
Penn State School of Hospitality Management | April 17, 2024
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — From constructing towers to landscapes, Penn State students are building physical representations of business strategies and practicing creative problem-solving as part of the “Lego Learning Initiative for Hospitality Management Education.” Michael Tews, associate professor in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management, leads this learning initiative. He received a 2023-24 Teaching Transformation and Innovation Grant from the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence to experiment, test or implement a teaching innovation that addresses an important instructional concern. "This approach is hands-on, vi...
