The Yin and Yang of Social MediaThe Yin and Yang of Social Media was the theme of my luncheon keynote presentation at the 2012 Receptive Services Association of America Summit conference held February 7, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. Many thanks go to Best Western International for their sponsorship of the event. For most, few topics are as confusing as social media, so I decided to incorporate...
2011 PhoCusWright Travel Innovation Summit PredictionsThe PhoCusWright Travel Innovation Summit offers thirty travel technology companies the opportunity to pitch a panel of judges comprised of industry leaders on their customer value proposition, technology platform and business model. photo credit: Louish Pixel Based on the number of punks trying to stuff the ballot box, there's big money to...
Handicapping 2011 PhoCusWright Travel Innovation SummitEach year, PhoCusWright presents The Travel Innovation Summit where travel technology companies showcase their latest applications for an audience of influential travel industry leaders and investors. photo credit: c.a. muller PhocusWright picked Travel's Battle Ground as the theme for 2011's Travel Innovation Summit. Cool - I hope they let...
A Faster Way to Search Google Flights – Cut and PasteGoogle Flights heralds Google’s formal entry into the travel meta-search arena. Much has been made of the absense of intermediaries such as online travel agencies and meta-search competitors in lieu of direct booking with the airlines. Unquestionably, the game has changed. Since the announcement of Google's acquisition of ITA Software,...
What are Most Trusted Sources for Hotel Reviews and Ratings?Hotel reviews and ratings are a hot topic of discussion and it’s getting hotter. Recent PhoCusWright research finds 43% of travelers are influenced by social media and that two-thirds of hotel reviews are submitted on Online Travel Agency sites, with the remaining 34% posted on travel review sites. However, various groups are also accusing...
SuperShuttle in New York – Make that Super ShittleI am a fool. I wasted three hours of my older daughter’s life that she will never be able to recoup – Thank you SuperShuttle. This is a story about brand loyalty, shifting business models and what happens when a company completely loses focus on the customer experience. photo credit: Richard Elzey Super Shuttle's New York operation...
Transforming Hotel Industry Growth StrategyIt is not often that one is able to corner three hospitality industry leaders and ask them about the challenges facing the industry – specifically how marketing, information technology and distribution can be better aligned to satisfy hotel brand growth objectives. Industry Expert Panel: Video of HITEC panel discussing the 'Transform Your Growth...
TRAVEL – The Less You Take, The More You GetTravel is an inherently social, yet intensely personal pursuit. Often, the greatest rewards are the indelible memories captured in the process. While many people concoct extravagant plans for their journeys, it invariably seems that the most gratifying travel experiences are those that arise from unanticipated surprises – the impromptu events...
Social Commerce – Yesterday, Today and TomorrowBelow is a copy of my presentation on Social Commerce for the June 29, 2011: “Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going” webinar sponsored by Tnooz & Amadeus IT Group. It was great to have over 600 people register for the event. The panelists and the topics that were covered included: Brian Beard, Travel Technology Executive...
Seven Travel Planning Steps – Impact on Hotel Distribution StrategyWhen it comes to moderating a panel, there is no greater pleasure than having a group of outstanding panelists to simplify the task at hand. This is particularly true when the event is promoted as a “Super Session”, there are 90 minutes to fill, and it immediately precedes happy hour… For the Hospitality Financial...