Innovation

📈 Forte, aiming to simplify restaurant tech, launched its first production release in Spring 2025, with a Summer 2025 update underway. Operators benefit from financially accurate sales and labor data, automated reconciliation, and real-time communication. Early adopters report saving hours weekly, improved compliance, and operational enhancements. Forte plans to expand integrations, automate workflows, and enhance features. The RTN Start-Up Alley 2026 at MURTEC will open applications later in 2025.

📈 In March 2025, 13.14% of U.S. searches triggered Google’s AI Overviews, up from 6.49% in January. This resulted in an 83% drop in click-through rates for these queries. High-trust areas like health and education, along with travel, are most impacted. AI Overviews, primarily in informational searches (88%), reduce website visits and complicate audience behavior analysis. Businesses should focus on comprehensive content, commercial keywords, and diversify their marketing strategies to adapt to this shift.

💻 Knowlton and Goshow emphasize AI integration's importance in hospitality, stressing a unified data architecture to overcome fragmented systems. Deliberate AI implementation is advocated, with patience in adoption and ensuring proper structures. AI is seen as empowering staff by automating mundane tasks, improving strategy, and enhancing guest focus. Emphasizing data ethics, the recurring question is about vendors using client data for model training. The dialogue centers on evolving with AI while maintaining human-centric operations.

💻 In 2025, Mews achieves 99% uptime using Microsoft Azure's multi-availability zones for resilience and zero downtime during major transitions. Security enhancements include bug bounty programs and Passkeys, resulting in zero phishing. Mews deploys features twice daily, supporting scalability without compromising stability. The platform serves both boutiques and international chains with the same standards. Over 300 engineers ensure systems run seamlessly and are future-ready. Watch episode 34 of Matt Talks for more insights from Ryan Tomlinson.

🎰 Casino resorts relying on Dynamic Rate Engine (DRE) see a 10-12% revenue increase and 20-25% lift in the first year. DRE personalizes pricing by evaluating guest value, such as historical spend and gaming habits, enhancing profitability and guest satisfaction. It automates pricing, reducing manual adjustments and call center volume by 40%. DRE achieves a 6% cash revenue boost and 14% theo increase, leading to a 13% revenue rise. 1 in 3 US casino resorts use DRE.

📈 2025-07-14, UK — Vanshikha Dhar discusses alternatives to StayNTouch for mid-sized hotel chains seeking cloud PMS solutions. These alternatives offer multi-property dashboards and OTA integration, addressing the challenges faced by hotel groups when StayNTouch isn't meeting their needs. This article is a part of the Hotelogix Blog, focusing on hospitality tips and trends.

📈 Hybrid Revenue Management combines AI and human insight for superior outcomes. Key features include pre-emptive event insights and manual price adjustments to leverage local expertise and real-time control. This dynamic approach, exemplified by platforms like Atomize, transitions hospitality from rigid models to flexible, context-aware pricing strategies, empowering revenue leaders. Embracing this model enhances competitiveness by balancing automation with human intervention, optimizing revenue, and improving guest interactions through advanced AI capabilities.

📰 Marketing platform Sojern partners with PubMatic to enhance targeted advertising. Agencies and advertisers can now utilize Sojern's real-time travel data insights with PubMatic's inventory, offering precise and privacy-compliant targeting. This collaboration employs a multi-ID approach for creating personalized campaigns using Sojern's travel segments and premium inventory. Curation optimizes in real-time, improving transparency and performance, while maintaining privacy and brand safety, according to Josh Beckwith of Sojern and Mark Williams of PubMatic.

✈️ Shell Aviation, Accenture, and Amex GBT announced the evolution of Avelia to a multi-supplier model, enhancing access to SAF's GHG benefits. By 31 March 2025, over 57 corporations and airlines participated, executing 900 retirements. This led to 33 million gallons of SAF injected globally, reducing over 300,000 tonnes of CO2e. SAF could cut emissions by 80%, but only 0.7% production is expected by 2025. Avelia aims to aid the aviation sector in reaching climate objectives.