HITEC education session titled “Mobile Apps – Embracing Modern Technology” to spotlight how mobile apps are changing the customer experience and improving hotel-to-guest communications
Visit Intelity in Booth #722 at HITEC, June 27 to 29, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
[Orlando, Fla. – June 21, 2017] — With HITEC (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference) on the horizon, technology for hotels is top of mind. But, are hoteliers really embracing the technologies that today’s modern travelers are expecting? According to the 2017 Lodging Technology Study, about a third of hotels (33%) plan to upgrade their current mobile app this year, and a few more (7%) will roll out an app for the first time. This begs another question, “what is the other 60% doing to meet guests’ growing demands for mobile interaction?”
In a concurrent session titled “Mobile Apps – Embracing Modern Technology,” a panel of hospitality experts will discuss how mobile apps are changing the customer experience and allowing guests a convenient alternative for those who prefer a self-service interaction. Moderated by Ted Horner, Owner of E Horner & Associates, an information technology and services consultancy, this session will analyze which apps are best suited to meet guests' needs, identify how hotels can modernize services and increase revenues with a mobile app platform, and spotlight best practices where apps are bridging the communications gap between guests and hotels before, during and after their stays.
“Mobile Apps – Embracing Modern Technology” will be held on Wednesday, June 28, from 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. On the panel are Gregg Hopkins, chief sales and marketing officer at Intelity; Jai Govindani, CTO at Red Planet Hotels; Alexander Shashou, co-founder and CEO at ALICE; and Lyle Worthington, CIO at The Student Hotel and the current HFTP Global President.
“This session will inform hoteliers about the value of mobility as a key component to delivering on what guests are expecting,” Hopkins said. “Apps are not going anywhere. However, that doesn’t preclude additional, new channels from entering the marketplace. At a minimum, an app should serve two primary purposes: 1) serve as an information resource for travelers, and 2) serve a channel to enable one-to-one communications between the hotel and guest.”
Apps have evolved from a marketing tool to an operations tool, he said. Today, they are facilitating reservations, mobile check-in and check-out, service requests, in-room dining and much more.
“The key role of a mobile app today is to create frictionless guest experiences, whether they are confined to the guestroom or property or follow the guest throughout their journey,” he says. “Mobile apps make booking easier and they streamline the check-in/-out process. They help track loyalty rewards and increased options and choices for users before/during their stay and for future stays.”
Hopkins brings more than 30 years of varied international experience in hospitality and technology. A co-founder of Libra OnDemand, a hospitality-specific CRM solution, he worked with various hospitality enterprise property management, sales and catering, CRM, central reservation system providers, online travel agencies, and destination vacation portal solutions. He is also involved on committees or as a board member of select industry associations (MPI Foundation, HFTP, Rosen College of Hospitality Management).
“When it comes to mobile apps, Intelity is a leader in delivering solutions that strengthen the relationship between hotels and their guests,” Hopkins said. “In this session, hoteliers will learn why mobile apps are becoming ‘the new standard’ for guest service. Whether its enabling guests to personalize and define their own experiences . . . providing a constant, direct line of communication between travelers and properties . . . or delivering back-end management tools for driving business intelligence and staff controls, mobile apps are here to stay.
“If you’re among the 60% of hoteliers not leveraging mobile apps at your properties or using a mobile app with limited functionality, I encourage you to attend this session,” he added. “To see the depths of what mobile apps can do for your hotel, including providing a single, complete platform, stop by the Intelity Booth #722. We’ll make you believers.”
For more information about Intelity’s solutions for the hospitality industry, click here.
