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Josiah Mackenzie

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Applying the “Amazon Prime Playbook” to Hotels – Ernest Lee, citizenM

🏨 Ernest Lee, Chief Commercial Officer at citizenM, discusses the "mycitizenM+" paid loyalty program, akin to Amazon Prime, on Aug. 22, 2024, highlighting benefits for customers and the company. The program offers travel, social, and professional perks, reflecting post-pandemic workforce changes with increased flexibility. It impacts key metrics like average order value, customer lifetime value, repeat frequency, app usage, and Net Promoter Score (NPS).
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The Jeff Bezos/Amazon Approach to Hotel Tech – Martin Soler

📢 Martin Soler, former hotel general manager turned fractional CMO and co-founder of 10minutes.news, shares insights on hotel tech on Aug. 21, 2024. Soler emphasizes the importance of prioritizing guest needs over fleeting tech trends, focusing on what won't change, such as the desire for connectivity, personalization, reduced wait times, and more services. This approach echoes Jeff Bezos' philosophy of distinguishing the essential from the transient in the hospitality industry.
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  • 11 min

The Big Tech Shift Coming to Hotels In Next 24 Months: My Unfiltered Thoughts on Personalization in Hospitality – Martin Soler

📌 In the hospitality industry, only 9% of hotel guests are likely to return. Martin Soler, a hospitality consultant with experience as a hotel general manager, emphasizes the importance of hyper-personalization to improve guest experience. A significant tech shift is expected in the hotel industry within the next 24 months, with the potential to enhance personalization at scale. Key challenges include integrating various technology systems and the limitation of property management systems (PMS) that focus more on rooms than on guest profiles. Solutions like customer data platforms and modern, cloud-based PMS are suggested for better data management and guest experience. Hospitality professionals should consider collecting relevant guest data now for future personalization capabilities.
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Hospitality Starts In Your Office – Katharine Ames, The Indigo Road Hospitality Group

🎉 Katharine Ames, Chief Marketing Officer at the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, featured in a podcast episode on Aug. 19, 2024, shared experiences of exceptional hospitality within her organization. She highlighted a personal milestone birthday celebration at Oku Atlanta with personalized touches (01:14, 02:05) and a warm office welcome in Charleston for her children (03:40). The episode emphasizes the culture of "Surprise and Delight" at Indigo Road Hospitality Group, showcased on a private company Instagram feed (06:05).
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My Journey to Chief Marketing Officer – Katharine Ames, The Indigo Road Hospitality Group

📚 Katharine Ames, Chief Marketing Officer at Indigo Road Hospitality Group, details her career journey from college to CMO. She shares insights on hospitality passion (06:02), importance of attention to detail (09:54), agency vs in-house perspectives (11:38), personal connection in marketing (13:11), and finding inspiration (14:56). Episode aired Aug. 18, 2024. Hospitality Daily podcast invites listeners to follow on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram, offering summaries and insights via email subscription.
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The Power of Diversity in Hospitality – Stuart Greif, Forbes Travel Guide

🏩 On August 18, 2024, Stuart Greif, EVP and Chief Strategy, Innovation, and Operating Officer at Forbes Travel Guide, discusses the importance of diversity in hospitality. Studies from Harvard Business School support that diverse teams lead to better business outcomes. Greif emphasizes executive responsibility in fostering diversity and acting now, despite the younger generation's openness to change. He also supports a book project on the history of Black and African American hoteliers.
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  • 6 min

What I Learned At Chip Conley’s Modern Elder Academy About The Power of Travel And The Art of Living – Stuart Greif

📖 Stuart, 52 and a half years old, reflects on the Modern Elder Academy and Chip Conley's influence in the hospitality industry, drawing from a quote by David Viscott about life's purpose. He highlights life transitions and the importance of self-discovery and fulfillment through various stages. Stuart shares insights from Pico Iyer, a travel author who attended the program with his wife, Hiroko, emphasizing the internal journey and growth. The gathering involved 20 individuals from diverse backgrounds who experienced significant bonding over five days. Stuart notes the "u-shaped curve of happiness" and the transformation and clarity gained from the academy experience. Josiah, conversing with Stuart, remarks on the participants' diverse ages, backgrounds, and careers, underscoring the opportunity for travelers and hospitality providers to facilitate human connection.
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Delighting Guests: Easier Than Ever? (Bashar Wali, Practice Hospitality)

🔔 Bashar Wali, founder and CEO of Practice Hospitality and This Assembly, discusses building guest relationships in the hospitality industry on his podcast episode dated Aug. 16, 2024. He believes it's easier than ever with social media and low expectations. Key points include the significance of emotional intelligence and employee culture in enhancing guest experience, illustrated by a story of a simple welcome gesture (03:37). The episode is supported by Sojern's report, "Unlocking Revenue - How Hoteliers Build Profitable Guest Relationships.
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