Louisville, Kentucky Nearly Doubles Year-Over-Year Event Volume, Hits 94.9 Percent Growth in July
Knowland | August 21, 2024
Sales & Marketing
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...
Nashville Sees Highest Growth in Meetings and Events in April, Up 38 Percent Year-over-Year
KNOWLAND | May 9, 2024
National Associations lead the charge heading into a busy group business season, Knowland reports ARLINGTON, Va. — May 9, 2024 — Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, reported that Nashville saw an uptick in meetings and events in April, growing 38.0 percent year-over-year (YoY). Las Vegas continued a steady climb with 22.8 percent YoY growth. This data is sourced from Knowland’s sales intelligence platform and designed to help hoteliers protect and grow their revenue base. Overall meeting volume growth was flat for the industry at a 1.3 percent increase...
Lodging Interactive Launches Subscription-Based Hotel Website Development and Marketing Services
Lodging Interactive | May 7, 2024
Company launches innovative 'Pay-As-You-Go' hotel website development and marketing service. Lodging Interactive, a leading digital marketing agency specializing in the hospitality industry since 2001, is excited to announce the launch of its innovative 'Pay-As-You-Go' hotel website development and marketing service. This service offers hotel operators the flexibility to minimize upfront costs while benefiting from comprehensive website development and marketing solutions. "At Lodging Interactive, we pride ourselves on crafting websites that not only captivate but convert," said DJ Vallauri, Founder and CEO of Lodging Intera...
Navigating the Future of Extended-Stay Hotels: Opportunities and Challenges
Ned Washburn | May 2, 2024
By Ned Washburn The extended-stay hotel sector has experienced a remarkable evolution over the past decade, emerging as a significant component of the hospitality industry. This growth is driven by a unique blend of benefits for both guests and investors, strategic design elements, and its adaptation to the changing dynamics of travel and work. However, like any burgeoning sector, it faces its own set of challenges and opportunities, particularly in the contexts of economic development, rising costs, and global industry impacts. Extended-stay hotels offer a distinct value proposition to guests, providing a home-like environment with ame...
Is AI-Generated Content the Spam of Our Time?
Daniel Craig | May 1, 2024
By Daniel Craig Lately I’ve been coming across a lot of content online that appears to be AI generated. I’ve seen it in articles, blogs and whitepapers, on news sites and social media, and in email, product marketing, and media releases. It makes me wonder, has the use of generative AI to write marketing content become an accepted business practice? I’m not referring to using AI to enhance our writing. I’m talking about publishing content that is written predominantly by an AI chatbot like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini. I would share examples, but I don’t want to shame anyone. We’re all experimenting with AI. There’s ...
GCommerce Partners With Inntopia as Its Trusted Metasearch Provider
GCommerce | May 1, 2024
Metadesk, a GCommerce platform, has partnered with Inntopia, establishing Metadesk as the preferred provider for best-in-class metasearch management. Inntopia helps resorts and hotels with multiple systems to sell every product their guest needs in a single booking engine and unify data into a central guest database to improve booking revenue, marketing performance, and guest service. Expanded Partnership Benefits: Holistic Marketing Strategy: Leveraging Inntopia's innovative platform and Metadesk's customized approach, guest data, inventory management, and marketing initiatives are seamlessly integrated. This creates a unified...
DO’s and DON’Ts of Selling Tech to Hotels
Terence Ronson | April 29, 2024
By Terence Ronson INTRODUCTION This DOCUMENT outlines challenges CIOs and CTOs face when approached by tech vendors, highlighting communication issues that lead to frustration. It provides DOs and DON’Ts to help tech sellers effectively engage with decision-makers. This advice is backed by Martin's 35 years of International experience, where he managed tech deployment across hotels in the APAC region. His insights are valuable for vendors aiming to successfully market to the hospitality industry, emphasizing best practices for positively impacting guest experiences through technology. These do’s and don’ts are by no means an exhaus...
Google Trailing Behind Instagram, TikTok: How Social Media Is Changing the Travel Search Landscape
Lodging Interactive | April 29, 2024
Recent studies highlight a significant trend: Gen Z (aged 18 - 24) is turning to social media for their travel searches. This age group bypasses Google in favor of visually-driven platforms like Instagram (67%) and TikTok (62%) to find places to stay. It used to be that you’d find the perfect hotel by contacting local travel agencies or searching on good old Google. But a new report shows that search methods are changing, especially for Gen Z consumers. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are becoming increasingly popular for discovering hotels. Why the Shift? Recent studies highlight a significant trend: G...
HSMAI Takes Commercial Strategy to the Next Level With Commercial Effectiveness Organizational Assessment
HSMAI | April 23, 2024
McLean, VA (April 23, 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 impleme...
U.S. Group Business Delivers Higher Q1 Performance Year-Over-Year According to Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index by Knowland and Amadeu
KNOWLAND | April 23, 2024
Larger events and other business segment improvements promote stability ARLINGTON, Va. — April 23, 2024 — Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, and Amadeus, a leading technology provider for the travel industry, today present the metrics from the companies’ Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index (the “Index”). Beginning with the first quarter of 2024, the Index now focuses on year-over-year (YOY) performance. This first report shows the group health index is 102.3 percent YOY and six of the top 25 U.S. markets have achieved 110 percent compared ...
Sojern Introduces New Members to Destinations Advisory Board in New York City
Sojern | April 18, 2024
SAN FRANCISCO – April 18, 2024 – Sojern, the leading travel marketing platform, is excited to announce the latest members of its esteemed 2024 Destinations Advisory Board. This board, composed of influential leaders in North America, has expanded with exceptional new members and convened in New York City yesterday. Marking the first-ever 2024 meeting in NYC, Janette Roush, EVP of Marketing & Digital at New York City Tourism + Conventions, shared, “We are pleased to host and gather influential leaders for insightful dialogues, valuable exchanges, and progressive growth to meet the evolving demands of destinations. For several y...
Hotel X Supercharges Marketing With Automation and Dynamic Content
Hapi | April 11, 2024
The 404-room resort in Toronto implemented Salesforce Sales and Marketing Cloud for rich guest profiles and personalized guest journeys, but needed Hapi’s experienced hospitality team to access the necessary data. Located on Lake Ontario just five minutes from bustling Union Station in downtown Toronto, it’s hard to imagine there’s room for a full-service luxury resort. But stroll the 6-acre grounds of Hotel X, which opened in March 2018 as part of the Library Hotel Collection, and you’ll find multiple restaurants, a 90,000-square-foot fitness facility, a spa, a kids play center, cinema screening room, tennis, squash and pickleball...
HSMAI Americas Announces 2024 Rising Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization Leader Councils
HSMAI | April 8, 2024
McLean, VA (April 8, 2024) – The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is proud to introduce the 2024 Rising Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization Leader Councils. Each council, with a tenure of 2-years, is comprised of emerging professionals from various roles within the hospitality industry. Participants benefit from a structured mentorship program with Advisory Board members, collaborative small-group projects, annual in-person meetings, exclusive networking opportunities, and access to leadership development resources. These councils, which consist of industry professionals under 32 years old, represe...
St. Louis Leads in Growth for Meetings Madness in March, According to Knowland Data
KNOWLAND | April 4, 2024
An early Easter and the accompanying spring breaks bring a decrease of 8.1 percent in March meetings ARLINGTON, Va. — April 4, 2024 — Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, reported that the St. Louis, Mo.-Ill. market led the top 25 markets in March for meetings and events growth with 24.3 percent year-over-year growth. Las Vegas came in second with 20.9 percent growth. National Association and Education groups led in four of the five top markets. This data is sourced from Knowland’s sales intelligence platform and designed to help hoteliers protect and grow th...
HSMAI South Florida DMO Achievements & 2024 Forecast Luncheon Highlights Successes and Strategies for Tri-County Tourism Promotion
April 2, 2024
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - April 2nd, 2024 -- On Thursday, March 28th, the HSMAI South Florida Chapter hosted the Annual South Florida DMO Achievements & 2024 Forecast Luncheon at the Hyatt Centric Las Olas Fort Lauderdale. The event brought together a diverse audience of sales, marketing and revenue management industry leaders seeking insights into the future of the Tri-County tourism promotion.Christina Davis, Co-President of HSMAI South Florida, served as the event's host, while Dr. Peter Ricci, Co-President of HSMAI South Florida, expertly moderated the panel of speakers. The panel featured distinguished representatives from leading Destin...
Are You Leaving Money on the Table? Turning Casino Resorts Into Go-To Venues for Profitable Groups and Events
Mike Pavicich | March 28, 2024
By Mike Pavicich Technology becomes the key to maximizing your venue’s revenue potential by getting more out of every square foot of floor space Historically, Las Vegas was a gaming-centric market, with 61% of revenues coming from the casino category in 1990. Although gaming continues to serve as an economic engine in Las Vegas, according to CDC Gaming, food, beverage, and other departments accounted for a record 73.4% of total revenue, up from a combined 69.6% year over year. This trend is not limited to Las Vegas; it is being observed in casino markets worldwide. A shift in consumer preferences drives this trend, with guests look...
Knowland Partners With Thynk to Expand the Hospitality Ecosystem
KNOWLAND | March 27, 2024
Partnership enables hoteliers to gain market insights, expand distribution options, grow guest loyalty, and strengthen meeting and event management ARLINGTON, Va. — March 27, 2024— Knowland, the leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, and Thynk, provider of the next-generation hospitality commercial platform powered by Salesforce, announced today a strategic partnership to connect the hospitality technology ecosystem better. The partnership will integrate data from Thynk's hospitality CRM solution with Knowland’s world-class meetings and events database for Knowland and Thynk customer...
Unlocking the Secrets: The Unseen Forces Behind Hospitality Brand Success
Cory Falter | March 20, 2024
By Cory Falter Forget everything you thought you knew about branding. Unfortunately, there is a common misconception about what branding actually means. While a logo and color scheme are undoubtedly crucial branding elements, this surface-level understanding overlooks the deeper, more impactful layers of brand strategy, especially in a sector as dynamic and creative as hospitality. Let’s dive into the importance of a brand strategy and explore whether it’s time to consider working with a hospitality branding agency. The Heart of Hospitality B2B Brand Strategy Branding is more than skin deep. It’s the foundation of your ident...
Knowland Reports Tampa-St. Petersburg Florida Market Sees 20 Percent Year-Over-Year Growth in February
Knowland | March 13, 2024
National Associations and Technology groups lead in four out of five markets ARLINGTON, Va. — March 13, 2024 — Knowland, the world’s leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, reported the Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. market led in meetings and events growth for top 25 markets in February with 20 percent year-over-year growth. Denver and Boston came in second and third, while National Associations and Technology groups led in four of the five top markets. This data is sourced from Knowland’s sales intelligence platform and designed to help hoteliers protect and grow their revenue base. ...
SalesAndCatering.com Launches New Data Intelligence Suite for STS Cloud
SalesAndCatering.com | March 12, 2024
Single and multi-property operators speed group sales, drive revenue with actionable intelligence and insightful visualizations to address performance, trends, pipeline gaps and hit forecasts Charleston, SC – (March 12, 2024) –SalesAndCatering.com, a leading provider of sales and catering software solutions, announced today the launch of their new Data Intelligence Suite for STS Cloud. This groundbreaking suite brings advanced data analytics capabilities to the STS Cloud platform, empowering single and multi-property operators with valuable insights that drive informed decision-making and efficiently close more profitable group busines...
Best Habits for Hotel Sales Site Tours: Stand Out When They Stop By (Whether in Person or Virtually)!
Doug Kennedy | March 7, 2024
Doug Kennedy’s Next Training Webcast - Complimentary Registration Now Open 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, March 18, from Noon – 12:45pm EST. REGISTER HERE “While many group and event bookers go through the buying cycle without ever visiting the hotel in person, there are still plenty who prefer a site tour,” said KTN President Doug Kennedy. “And smart salespeople always offer to conduct live virtual site tours for those who cannot visit.” Ty...
AI vs. Google Search: Is Your Website Traffic Taking a Hit?
Lodging Interactive | March 4, 2024
Gartner predicts that users will seek answers from generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini rather than Google Search. The hospitality industry thrives on providing exceptional experiences, and a vital element of that experience starts online. Potential guests often begin their journey with a simple search: "Best family hotels near [destination]?" or "Luxury beachfront resorts in [location]?" Traditionally, this has led them straight to hotel websites, where they can explore offerings, book rooms, and get a feel for your unique property. However, the search landscape is evolving rapidly. The rise of AI assistants like Gemini, ChatGPT...
Create Your Hotel Digital Marketing Strategy Before Jumping Into Tactics
Stephanie Smith | March 1, 2024
By Stephanie Smith Owners and operators know the importance of online presence, however, they don’t always know how to efficiently and effectively impact revenue-generating change. Guests in the pre-booking phase, either transient or group, have so many touchpoints throughout their journey, where do we, as marketers, start? Understanding the Entire Online Space While we ideally want all guests to book direct on the first visit, there are many other places influencing their hotel selection process. Other realms are common, like OTAs (online travel agencies), social media, and Google. When you dig deeper, there are travel agencies, CVBs,...
Knowland Reveals a Significant Lift in Data Usage by Conference and Convention Centers
KNOWLAND | February 29, 2024
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