Innovation

📖 Entrepreneur Ellis Winstanley launched Axial Shift in 2017, a software incentivizing managers and employees. He owns restaurants, including Cain & Abel’s (since 1991) and Star Seeds Café (60 years old). In 2012, Winstanley and wife Paige bought El Arroyo, a Tex-Mex restaurant opened in 1975 in Austin, Texas. Post-Great Recession environment hindered rapid expansion. They focused on brand building, notably El Arroyo’s marquee sign, driving online engagement. By 2019, El Arroyo’s merchandise expanded to 350 SKUs, including seven volumes of “El Arroyo’s Big Book of Signs.” A 15,000-square-foot warehouse and sales team now support their retail business. Half of annual revenue comes from the holiday season. With the brand's growth, they plan to open six corporate restaurants by 2026, each expected to generate $7 million in revenue.

🎮 Predicted next year, fans will experience enhanced interaction with sports through streaming platforms, featuring personalized content, gamification, commerce, and sports betting. Engagement will include placing bets and purchasing tickets using remote controls or mobile phones, with interactive overlays directly on streamed games.

📊 Activate Consulting's 10th annual insight report on technology and media outlook is now available for download. This comprehensive report offers a deep dive into upcoming trends in technology, internet, media, entertainment, eCommerce, and sports, informed by large-scale consumer insights, industry and economic analysis, and Activate Consulting's proprietary expertise.

🎮 Rtfkt, a Web3 streetwear brand acquired by Nike in 2021, will cease operations by January 2025. Founders Benoit Pagotto, Steven Vasilev, and Chris Le announced the shutdown on Discord and X, calling it a "new chapter." Rtfkt, founded in 2020, reached $185.3 million in NFT sales revenue before its acquisition by Nike. A final website update and a product drop 'Mnlth X featuring the Blade' are scheduled for this month. The brand's future and its integration with Nike's digital strategy after the closure remain uncertain.

🏨 Düsseldorf's Zipper Hotel & Apartments, operational since November 2023 with only six staff members, leverages the "Like Magic" tool for efficiency. Despite the lean team, the hotel boasts ratings of 4.6 on Google and 8.8 on Booking.com. The platform, which consolidates operations and guest services into one system, helped rapidly train staff within one and a half days. Co-founders Lindner and Oberdieck claim an 80% smaller workforce with no compromise on service quality.

🍔 Bikky, a data platform for restaurants, partnered with Haven Hot Chicken, a fast-growing Nashville-style chicken brand founded in 2020 with nine locations. Haven leverages Bikky to understand guest behaviors across all outlets, influencing decisions from menu to marketing. Insights from Bikky enabled Haven to retain a strategic menu item and enhance their marketing precision. Haven is poised for ambitious expansion in 2025, with detailed demographic data to inform site selection and maximize ROI. Bikky's clientele includes fast casual brands like Dave's Hot Chicken and Bojangles.

🏨 HotelREZ Hotels and Resorts launches a new B2C platform, Best Loved Hotels, targeting corporate and leisure travellers with curated stays from independent hotels, aparthotels, and hotel groups. The platform, designed to enhance the presence of its partners globally, offers direct booking promotions and a dedicated GDS programme. CEO Mark Lewis emphasizes the reimagined approach to unique, characterful, and heartfelt hospitality experiences for discerning travellers. All HotelREZ distribution customers or consortia affiliate members are featured on the website, presenting a commercial opportunity for hotel partnerships.

📱 SIHOT updated SIHOT.KIOSK for hotels with new features to support upselling and enhance user experience. Now, guests can pay for early check-in depending on availability, and walk-ins can book rooms via SIHOT.WEB. Late check-outs are managed by directing guests to reception if they overstay. SIHOT.GO! pre-check-in users can collect key cards from kiosks. The update includes compliance data collection, QR code recognition for group bookings, and aims to reduce Front Desk and Reservations teams' pressure. Carsten Wernet, CEO of SIHOT, highlights revenue generation and better guest experiences through these enhancements.

🎢 Cheshire-based Inspire Europe reported a 400% growth in its cruise business over the past year. To capitalize, they launched a new website featuring 44 cruise lines, dynamic itinerary searches, and real-time availability. The site, developed with Travel Marketing Systems (TMS), includes amenities, deck plans, ports of call, and regional offers. With the peak booking season near, Inspire aims to streamline their cruise services and has renewed its CLIA membership for 2025.