rich siegel
Siegel Sez: Business Intelligence and Analytics: RIP Excel?
January 21, 2022
Siegel Sez January 21, 2022 Here we are in the third week of January. Doesn’t it already seem like the holidays were ages ago? I know it does for me. As we look ahead to 2022, there have been interesting conversations regarding what lies ahead. I talk to so many hoteliers and vendors, and it’s great that there’s a sense of controlled optimism. It’s refreshing after what we’ve all been through. Of course, there will always be those who are focused on the negative, but that will never be my focus. Think positive! Be positive! And great things will happen. I hope this is not just the dreamer in me. I’ve enjoyed all the inquiries...
Hospitality Upgrade Announces Recipient of the John Cahill Student Seat for the 2021 CIO Summit
The CIO Summit | August 10, 2021
Kennesaw State University Hospitality Administration Student Selected ATLANTA, GA – August 10, 2021 – Hospitality Upgrade Publisher and President Rich Siegel today announced the next recipient of the John Cahill student seat will be Alana Agcaoili, an undergraduate student of the Kennesaw State University School of Hospitality Administration. In its 19th year, the upcoming CIO Summit will be held Sept. 8-10, 2021, in Atlanta. The John Cahill Honorary Seat is awarded to one distinguished student from a selected university or four-year college with a hotel program. This student is recommended by his or her professors as an individual wi...
Siegel Sez: Get On Your Surfboard, The Next Wave Is Here!
July 30, 2021
Siegel Sez July 30, 2021 This has been one of my favorite weeks. Yes, we all must deal with COVID-19 updates, which seem to be all over the place and has people wondering about the impact on travel. However, perseverance seems to be driving the belief that the recovery will continue on a positive path. This is the week we have received many registrations for our 19th CIO Summit, which will be held in Atlanta. The registrations have led to conversations with the industry technology leaders, and that part, I just love. Everyone has a story to share, and I keep thinking how they will be shared over the course of our event September 8-10. We...
Siegel Sez: The Apple Changes Its Stripes
June 18, 2021
Siegel Sez June 18, 2021 Have you ever found yourself in excruciating anticipation because you’re so eager to share something? That is what the last 24 hours have been for me. Last week was our Executive Vendor Summit with a crowd of 88 from the vendor community, a half dozen or so CIOs from the hotel world, the leaders of HTNG, HFTP and HSMAI and some amazing speakers and staff for a crowd of 103 attendees. It was amazing. During our planning for EVS, I had this creative idea for our first-night ice breaker and even though my team thought I was nuts, I said we could pull this off. I know the vendors for the hotel industry are a somewhat ...
Siegel Sez: It’s Not Just a Room – Part 1
February 12, 2021
February 12, 2020 Sometimes it is nice just to take a moment to reflect. Unfortunately, right now I am reflecting how great my relationship was with my 6-year-old laptop which I am in the process of replacing. Honestly, is there anything more frustrating than getting a new laptop and trying to bring everything over? There are always a few surprises, like finding passwords and missing documents. But enough of my venting. As I reflect and sort through the old to transfer what I might need, I think about all the people from the industry who I have gotten to know. Over the years, we have produced 15 Executive Vendor Summits which brings the s...
Siegel Sez: Takeaways From HT-NEXT With Doug Rice
December 4, 2020
For the many of you who have commented on our latest HU High Five, thank you. Interviewing hotel tech leaders and creating these videos is fun, but this week it was nice to do one with an ex-tech industry leader. Page Petry who spent most of her adult life at Marriott tells us about starting as a front desk person and becoming the CIO for the Americas and most recently her retirement. If you have not seen it, please click here. I had to smile when she mentioned starting her career at the front desk of a hotel. I remember my first hotel job working the front desk at the Laurels Lake Hotel and Resort in the Catskill Mountains wanting to learn ...
Siegel Sez: When Tech Vendors Get COVID-19
August 7, 2020
Siegel Sez August 7, 2020 I have learned many things during this pandemic and one of them is how the government works. The AH&LA plays a major role in dealing with the government and of course nothing is easy and nothing happens without major challenges along the way. I have joined multiple Zoom calls with Chip Rogers the CEO and President of AH&LA and also with Kevin Carey the COO of AH&LA who have played an active role in making sure the voices of hoteliers and also the suppliers including technology vendors are not forgotten during these times of limited travel. This week Chip Rogers did a webinar with Pat Pacious the Pre...
Hotel Online’s Siegel Sez for March 6, 2020 Featuring Douglas Rice
March 6, 2020
Here we go … more thoughts on the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Nope, I would rather leave that to the Center for Disease Control to keep us informed (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html). But I warn you that I will add a link to the end that Mike Dickersbach posted on LinkedIn. The post said that maybe we need to balance our thoughts on the virus. From the business side we all are wondering what lies ahead especially after ITB Berlin cancelled three days out when many of the 160,000 attendees were already on their way to Berlin. Will more events be cancelled moving forward? Will attendance at some events be lighter? Will some ex...
