Innovation

💻 Christopher Sebes leads the Technology Practice at Results Thru Strategy and advises startups like Hellometer, GoTab, Bite Ninja, and TRAY POS. In 2006, Sebes developed the first graphical drive-thru timer and sold it to Hyperactive Technologies. As an advocate for open standards, he serves on the Restaurant Technology Network's Board of Governors, promoting industry-wide standards to enable restaurants to integrate different tech solutions seamlessly.

🔥 Anacove, a developer of AI-enabled energy management solutions, introduced the Anacove Smart Thermostat for hotels to reduce energy costs and maximize guest comfort. The IoT device monitors room conditions, integrates with existing Wi-Fi and HVAC systems, and is maintenance-free with Internet updates. In tests with IHG Hotels, the thermostat proved effective, leading to a 50% reduction in HVAC energy usage. It's part of a suite including Staff Safety Alerts, Toilet Leak Detectors, and Asset Tracking Services. Hotels using Anacove products typically see ROI within 12 months, with the potential for a 6-month payback in high energy cost areas. Anacove aims to help hotels save on average more than $2 billion annually in the US.

📊 At the 30th anniversary MURTEC 2025, Hospitality Technology interviewed Niko Papademetriou, Co-Founder and SVP of Qu. They discussed AI, data, and restaurant industry challenges. Qu, with its slogan "beyond POS," focuses on unified commerce for mid-market and enterprise restaurant brands, enhancing fast casual and quick-service chains. Key discussions included restaurant challenges (50s), benefits of a unified data platform (2:20), system integration (2:30), implementation (4:00), and a case study on Golden Corral (4:55).

💻 TrustYou's Customer Experience platform is a product of their restructured Product & Engineering organization, aligning with innovative, fast-paced approaches. The "Temporary Team" (TTeam) concept, a major change in recent years, involves limited-lifetime, cross-functional teams with a clear purpose, capable of disbanding after a few weeks once their goal is met. TTeams differ from long-lived teams, which focus on local changes, long-term technology strategy, and operations. A practical example is the "Mark a Survey review as inappropriate" feature, which was built by a TTeam of four engineers in three weeks, resulting in a successful, timely release. While the TTeam approach has improved focus and flow, challenges like managing too many TTeams and poor initial planning were also faced. The concept continues to evolve within TrustYou as part of their "Test & Learn" core value.

📦 At ITB Berlin 2025, Cloudbeds' Amit Popat and Nikhil Shah introduced Revenue Marketing to increase hotel revenue by 15% without additional marketing spend or staff. Cloudbeds Intelligence processes four billion data points hourly using causal AI. Mercure London Paddington's case study demonstrated a rise in occupancy to 93% and RevPAR to £120 with Revenue Marketing, outperforming competitors' 64% occupancy and £79 RevPAR. Cloudbeds Intelligence predicts demand with 95% accuracy, automating rate and marketing in real time.

📊 At MURTEC 2025, Clark Matthews from El Pollo Loco, Tom Seeker of Ziggi’s Coffee, and Meredith Laurans of SPB Hospitality discussed leveraging real-time data for restaurant operations. El Pollo Loco uses real-time insights for labor compliance and sales competitions between locations. Krystal Restaurants aims for data standardization for a unified view, while Ziggi’s Coffee analyzes weather data for promotional planning. The panel highlighted the importance of data collection, standardization, and actionable insights for operational efficiency and profitability. AI and automation are tools for data analysis, with Ziggi's employing Microsoft-based automation for centralized data warehousing.

🍷 Enomatic, a leader in wine dispense and preservation, has been a UK distributor for over 15 years, with Italian R&D evolving the brand for 20+ years. Their wine serving systems preserve wine for up to 21 days using inert gas and patented technology. Based in Norwich, the UK team supports a range from Scotland to Cornwall and includes a full-time service desk available 7 days a week. Enomatic's systems suit any hospitality venue, aiming to reduce waste and boost profits. They offer customized options for different venues and have integrated their technology with various businesses, including M&S. Their latest product is a 'Bubbles' dispenser for sparkling wines.

📈 Smart hotels are capitalizing on banquet management software in 2025 to improve efficiency, minimize errors, and increase bookings. Digitization in the hospitality industry is seen as a key driver for revenue growth.