Louisville, Kentucky Nearly Doubles Year-Over-Year Event Volume, Hits 94.9 Percent Growth in July
Knowland | August 21st, 2024
The End of Third-Party Cookies and What It Means for Your Hotel
Tina Markowitz | May 17, 2021
By Tina Markowitz Digital marketers are currently being faced with a once-unimaginable shift: the end of third-party cookies. Over the past few years, users have become more aware of how companies track their data, and they’ve started pushing back on an increasingly intrusive online experience. Regulators have even stepped in and enacted laws to protect users, including GDPR in Europe and the CCPA in California. At the same time, the rise of mobile has decreased the value of browser-based, desktop-focused cookies. As a result, marketers are scratching their heads as to how they will proceed. Meanwhile, experts are predicting that U....
CEO Tammy Gillis Named Finalist for Women in Sales Award
Gillis | April 29, 2021
Woman-owned business founder and CEO of Gillis nominated for Professional Services Sales award DALLAS — April 29, 2021 — Gillis, a consulting, training and sales performance partner organization for hoteliers, announced today that its CEO and founder, Tammy Gillis, was selected as a finalist in the Women in Sales Awards “Professional Services Sales” category. The Women in Sales Awards is a prestigious award that celebrates the achievements of women in sales in North America. Finalists will present to a panel of judges on May 12, 2021 and winners will be announced on June 17, 2021. Under the leadership of Tammy Gillis, Gillis disru...
Social Media for Hotels – Is It Worth It?
Ines Barreiros | April 27, 2021
By Ines Barreiros We all know the social media hype and have read plenty of articles of how important it is. And the truth is that your hotel needs to be where your guests are right? But the question here is, at what cost? Maybe you are considering working with an agency to help run your social media accounts. Perhaps you want to appoint someone as a community manager. Maybe you think that the time you spend managing these channels internally is enough. But how can you determine what is the right option for you and whether your efforts are generating a return on investment? This article will explore the rise of social media for hotel...
Lodging Interactive’s RFPAssist Generates SMERF Event Leads to Hotels
Lodging Interactive and Commingle:Engage | April 21, 2021
Lodging Interactive, a full-service digital marketing, social media engagement, and reputation management agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, today announced that, RFPAssist, its lead generation service now delivers SMERF (Social, Military, Educational, Religious and Fraternal) event sales leads to hotel sales teams. Originally developed to capture wedding sales leads, the service has now been enhanced to capture opportunities in other SMERF markets. “Our RFPAssist event lead generation service has proven to be extremely effective in driving wedding and catering leads to our hotel clients, generating on average 50+ new w...
Great Hotels of The World Launches #MICEBEAT
Knowland | April 15, 2021
Data-driven live-streamed talks focused on the Meetings & Events industry’s future Vaccines, ramped up testing, and universally agreed upon social distancing and safety measures are in place. The excitement with a return to travel is undeniable and, according to the March edition of the PULSE survey, partial re-openings in the UK and US caused hotel bookings to nearly reach pre-pandemic levels. A scan of the business travel and meetings and events segments, however, paint a different picture. Appetite for travel and pent-up demand is certainly there. It is clear that we shall meet again - safely - but the way forward seems, at thi...
PROVision Partners and Plan A PR Join Forces to Offer Comprehensive Marketing, Public Relations and Strategic Business Advisory Services to Hospitalit
PROVision Partners International, LLC | March 17, 2021
Hospitality industry marketing and advisory firms consolidate operations to expand service offerings to mutual clients in the B2B hotel technology sector worldwide New Smyrna Beach, FL and Winter Garden, FL — March 17, 2020 — PROVision Partners, a leading global strategic growth, marketing, technology, and commercial services advisory firm to the travel and hospitality industry (PROVision), and Plan A PR & Marketing, Inc. (Plan A PR), an established full-service public relations and marketing agency specializing in hotel technology providers, today announced that the companies have finalized an agreement to merge their operations. ...
Lodging Interactive Helps 2 & 3 Star Properties Thrive Online With Affordable Website Solutions
Lodging Interactive | March 3, 2021
Award-winning digital marketing and social media engagement agency, Lodging Interactive, announced the continued expansion of its HotelSiteXPRESS custom website and digital marketing programs tailored to meet the unique needs of 2 and 3-star properties. HotelSiteXPRESS offers an affordable mix of digital marketing services on a low-cost, monthly subscription basis with no long-term contracts and a website ownership program. “Since 2001 we’ve helped hundreds of full-service luxury properties capture increasing levels of online market share through our various technology and service offerings. And now, for properties with limited bu...
Tiered Marketing Approach to Hotel Recovery
Stephanie Smith | February 18, 2021
By Stephanie Smith Hotel markets across the US are behaving differently. They are rebounding at a different pace. Even hotels within the same market are not seeing the same patterns. While you cannot predict the future, you still need a plan. A tiered plan will give you what you should be doing now, then when there are positive signals demand is returning, have that plan ready. Here is a 3-step approach to creating a plan that works for your specific situation. 1 – Analyze the Data While your own hotel reports will show you what segments are traveling to our hotel and your direct competitive set, that may not be forward looki...
Lodging Interactive Launches DiningClick – ADA Compliant Catering Menu Services to Replace PDFs
Lodging Interactive | February 8, 2021
PARSIPPANY, NJ - February 8, 2021 - Lodging Interactive, an award-winning digital marketing and social media engagement agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, today announced the launch of DiningClick an online menu management and publishing system for hotels and restaurants. DiningClick was developed to assist hotels and restaurants with their efforts to remain compliant with the various global website requirements for serving the visually impaired. “As the hospitality industry continues to invest heavily to ensure hotel and restaurant websites are fully ADA and EAA/EN 301549 compliant for the visually impaired, most ope...
A Novel Loyalty Solution Empowering Hotels to Grow Revenue Profitably
Laasie | February 4, 2021
Laasie introduces a proprietary AI powered loyalty platform designed to increase brand affinity and net revenue. New York, NY. February 4, 2021 - Laasie, the leading loyalty platform trusted by thousands of brands, launched a loyalty solution for the hospitality industry: Laasie Retain. The new solution looks at the entire customer journey, provides personalized and contextually relevant rewards, and foregoes tiers. Loyalty programs have the promise of being an extremely effective retention & marketing tool, but many fall short of their intended goals. Laasie uses data intelligently to power consumer engagement, reinventing...
Enchantment Group Selects GCommerce as New Digital Media Partner
GCommerce | February 4, 2021
Park City, Utah – February 4, 2021 – Enchantment Resort, The Tides Inn and Mii amo have partnered with GCommerce for digital marketing services. The three properties add to the growing list of luxury resorts with which GCommerce has been engaged to enhance digital marketing strategies and generate direct bookings. “We believe GCommerce will be a valuable partner in helping us to achieve our communications goals, stated Danielle Granillo, Executive Director of Marketing & Communications Enchantment Group. We look forward to working with them to convey to a broader audience the stories, experiences and special qualities that make...
Top Management Company Turns to Knowland to Accelerate Group Sales
Knowland | January 25, 2021
Knowland works outside the box to deliver a multifaceted prospecting program ARLINGTON, Va. — Jan. 25, 2021 — Group business is key to hotels returning to profitability. Today Knowland, the leader in hospitality group data analytics, announced the completion of a project with long-term partner, award-winning hospitality management company, Davidson Hotels & Resorts, that helped develop and implement a multifaceted prospecting program to re-invigorate sales teams and accelerate sales into recovery. Using the Knowland platform, properties uncovered approximately $100k in new business for 2021 within two weeks. Advantages of the Kn...
Top 5 Things You Need to Know Now in Hotel Digital Marketing: January Edition
Margaret Mastrogiacomo | January 20, 2021
By Margaret Mastrogiacomo As hotel marketers embark on 2021, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve with the latest digital trends. This month, Yelp launches a new rating feature for COVID-19 compliance measures, YouTube launches audio ads, and web design takes inspiration from nature. From Search to Social Media and Design, here are the top 5 things you need to know now in hotel digital marketing. 1. Search: Yelp launches new rating feature for community to leave feedback on local business social distancing and mask compliance. Yelp now lets users leave feedback on local businesses’ health and safety compliance around COVID-19...
5 Steps to Building a Successful Hotel Marketing Plan in 2021
Amadeus | January 18, 2021
As hoteliers hope to rebound from the lingering effects of COVID-19, they are presented with the challenges of repositioning, retargeting, and reviving their respective brands to meet the needs of emerging demand in 2021. To capture the most opportunity moving forward, hoteliers will have to look to multi-channel marketing strategies to drive bookings and optimize their property’s ability to return stronger this year. Here are 5 key steps to consider: 1. Take a Data-Driven Approach to Evaluate Market Conditions As each region recovers at its own pace, hotels are now required to have a more in-depth understanding of their feeder markets...
RFPAssist Continues to Drive New Event Sales Opportunities for Hotels
Lodging Interactive | January 11, 2021
Lodging Interactive, an award-winning digital marketing and social media engagement agency exclusively serving the hospitality industry, announced today that it continues to see increasing demand for group and social event bookings through its recently launched RFPAssist lead generation service. “Our RFPAssist lead generation service is delivering an average of 37 new group RFP’s for our hotel clients on a monthly basis,” stated DJ Vallauri, Founder, President & CEO of Lodging Interactive. “This comes in a time where properties continue to struggle to generate new event revenue opportunities.” Lodging Interactive’s RFPAs...
How Hotel Salespeople Are Using Tech to Put People Back in the Sales Process
Doug Kennedy | January 11, 2021
By Doug Kennedy In recent years, sales conversations between buyers and suppliers have moved to digital formats such as email and in-app platform messaging in CVENT, The Knot, and CVB apps. Too many salespeople mistakenly believe two urban legends: that planners exclusively prefer digital communications, and that the most important factor is simply being the first to respond. On top of it all, the 10+ years of surging demand in the pre-pandemic era caused the sales culture at many hotels to devolve into an “order-taking paradigm” and set the stage for what I call the era of “silent selling.” On the other side of this equation, p...
Top 5 Things You Need to Know Now in Hotel Digital Marketing: December Edition
Margaret Mastrogiacomo | December 23, 2020
By Margaret Mastrogiacomo With hotel marketers around the world ready for a reset, 2021 can’t come soon enough. If you haven’t already, now is the time to finalize your 2021 marketing plan and ensure your strategy is ahead of the curve. This month, Google debuted a trio of new tools to help destinations and hotels use search data to identify and analyze travel demand, Instagram expands new Guides feature to all users, and retro fonts make a comeback in web design. From Search to Social Media and Design, here are the top 5 things you need to know now in hotel digital marketing. 1. Search: Google launches ‘Travel Insights with Goog...
Knowland Releases 2020 Meeting Planner Survey Data
Knowland | December 22, 2020
76 percent of meeting planner respondents are now rebooking meetings, but cite that flexible low-risk hotel contracts are extremely important ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 22, 2020 — Today, Knowland, the leader in meeting and events analytics, and ConferenceDirect, a full service in-person, virtual, and hybrid meeting solution company, announced the results of a survey entitled, 2020 Planner Survey: The State of the Meeting Industry, designed to help industry professionals understand the planner and event manager perspective on recovery. The inability to meet, collaborate and ideate as a group has substantially impacted businesses during this di...
5 Things to Share This Holiday Season on Social Media
Pipeline Social Media | December 21, 2020
By: Maiya Wall / Pipeline Social Media The holiday season is here, and unfortunately, so is COVID-19. People are feeling anxious to travel again, undecided if it is wise to do so, and discouraged about missing out on holiday traditions. Travelers are wondering “How can I know for certain that I will have a safe stay?” One solid answer to this question is still hard to give with so many differences in opinions about how to best respond to this pandemic. From a digital marketing perspective, we advise you to focus on what you can do to alleviate guest concern this holiday season. Shift your thinking from “When will this virus end...
Hotel Sales Training Insights From a Professional Third-Party Meeting Planner
Doug Kennedy | December 9, 2020
By Doug Kennedy As a hotel sales trainer, I often rely on conversations with top-producing sales leaders when designing the latest “best habits” for hotel sales success for our newest KTN workshops and webinars. Recently, while in Park City, UT to conduct sales training, I caught up with Deanne Vigil, Regional Vice President with HelmsBriscoe over coffee. I first met Deanne over a decade ago as a training client, when she was VP of Sales & Marketing for Hardage Hotel Group. Soon thereafter she switched to the buyer side of the business and I have since watched her career soar as a travel intermediary broker of meetings and event...
The Story Tells The Story
Shep Hyken | December 3, 2020
By Shep Hyken What’s your story? What reasons compel your customers to do business with you? What gets them excited about doing business with you? Consider this. If you’re selling a trip to Hawaii, you probably try to paint a vision of a day on the beach, an amazing luau and a beautiful oceanfront balcony that includes a gorgeous sunset. The story you don’t tell—at least I hope you don’t—is the one that includes the technical specs of the engine on the plane that’s flying you to that exotic location, the type of tires on the resort’s van that will be waiting at the airport or the number of parking spaces in the resort’...
Ending Seasonality One Week at a Time
Larry Mogelonsky | November 18, 2020
By Larry Mogelonsky, MBA, P. Eng. (www.hotelmogel.com) The seasonal ebbs and flows of occupancy are real, especially in the face of such uncertainty as a result of COVID-19. While rural resorts endure this and must make grand adjustments in staffing to accommodate budgetary fluctuations – no matter the short-term benefits from the influx of domestic travel of late – numerous other properties are still affected with double-digit dips and last-minute nightly rate tweaks, all to stay relevant with the various macro-forces at work in any given territory. But while necessary measures must be enacted, wouldn’t it be great to instill wit...
Top 5 Things You Need to Know Now in Hotel Digital Marketing: November Edition
Margaret Mastrogiacomo | November 16, 2020
By Margaret Mastrogiacomo With Cyber Monday and 2021 around the corner, it’s important to keep a pulse on the evolving digital landscape to elevate your digital strategy and maximize revenue. This month, Microsoft Ads makes promotion extensions available in time for the holidays, leverage CRM to drive ancillary revenue, and Facebook adds new shopping audiences. From Search to Social Media and Design, here are the top 5 things you need to know now in hotel digital marketing. 1. Search: Microsoft Advertising rolls out promotion extensions. Promotion extensions are now available for Microsoft Advertising accounts in the U.S. These are ...
“Generation Clean” Is a Driving Force Along the Evolving Traveler Journey
Amadeus | November 16, 2020
Hospitality leaders that identify “Generation Clean” as an engine for formulating marketing and operational strategies will be best positioned for success in a COVID-19 era. Hoteliers around the globe prepare to enter the holiday season and the new year with continued uncertainty. Paradigm shifts in travel due to the health crisis have affected guest expectations, requiring hoteliers to rethink operational procedures and communications. Although no one has all the answers, we know one thing for sure - safety and cleanliness continue to be the top consideration and potential barrier to travel. Hotels that best position their mark...
