Sales & Marketing
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
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Knowland Reveals a Significant Lift in Data Usage by Conference and Convention Centers
KNOWLAND | February 29, 2024
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Why Hotels Shouldn’t Rely on ROAS to Measure the Success of a Campaign
Tina Markowitz | February 28, 2024
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France Experiences Surge in Travel Demand Ahead of 2024 Summer Olympics With Americans Leading the Charge
Sojern | February 27, 2024
SAN FRANCISCO – 27 February 2024 – Sojern, the leading digital marketing platform built for travel, today shares its latest travel data* ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Slated to be held in Paris, France from 26 July - 11 August 2024, the summer Olympic games will bring together 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) that represent nations from all over the world. The games will be the biggest event ever organized in France. Between the Super Bowl, Olympics, European Championship, and other major sporting events, ad spending is projected to reach $61 billion this year alone. Not only do these events bolst...
SOCi Report: 52% of Marketers Cite Privacy as Top Concern in AI Adoption for Hotels
SOCi | February 22, 2024
Study of nearly 320 marketers finds 40% have no “clear and actionable plan” in place for AI integration SAN DIEGO – February 22, 2024 – SOCi Inc., the leading CoMarketing Cloud Platform for multi-location enterprises, today released Part IV of its AI Marketing Transformation Index. The comprehensive report offers insights into the current implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and forecasts its trajectory in the marketing industry. SOCi's commissioned study of more than 300 digital marketers provides further understanding of AI utilization in marketing and future plans for its use. Part IV focuses on whether or not clear...
Commingle360 Converts Social Media Posts into Hotel Revenue
Lodging Interactive | February 21, 2024
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AI + Hotels = A Digital Marketing Machine
ShiftDigital | February 20, 2024
AI is poised to help hoteliers make the complex engine of digital marketing a more efficient, proactive, well-oiled system. Managing a hotel is a balancing act of daily operations, guest satisfaction, and revenue growth, further complicated by a fast-paced digital marketing landscape. With countless strategies and channels to master, keeping up becomes a daunting challenge for even the savviest digital marketers. That’s why forward-thinking hotel marketers are embracing artificial intelligence (AI). Serving as a multi-purpose tool, AI helps streamline digital marketing efforts—from enhancing customer personalization to generating b...
Google Hotel Ads Bid Strategies Update: How Will It Impact Your Campaigns?
Cendyn | February 19, 2024
In the ever-evolving landscape of online advertising, staying ahead of the curve is paramount for businesses looking to maximize their revenue while also adapting to changes in user privacy expectations. With Google’s recent announcement regarding updates to its Hotel Ads bidding models, hoteliers face a pivotal moment in their metasearch advertising strategies. Let’s delve into what these changes mean and how hotels can navigate this transition effectively. Google Hotel Ads commission-based models to sunset The upcoming changes, slated to take effect on April 30, 2024, mark a significant shift away from commission-based bid strate...
Lodging Interactive Announces 2023 Hotel Christmas Tree Competition Winner
Lodging Interactive | February 15, 2024
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StudentUniverse Releases Their Annual State of Student Travel Report Revealing Key Trends Amongst Gen Z Travelers
StudentUniverse | February 14, 2024
This Year StudentUniverse Delves into the Importance of Traveling for One’s Mental Well-Being, the Impact of AI, Top Destinations for 2024, Embracing Sustainability, and Inspirational Travel Platforms Waltham, Mass. (February 14, 2024) – StudentUniverse, a Flight Centre Travel Group company and the world’s largest student and youth travel marketplace, today released its annual The State of Student & Youth Travel Report delving into the latest travel sentiments amongst those aged 18-25. The report reveals some interesting trends amongst Gen Z travelers including a preference for taking “dry vacations” and a concern for the...
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