Innovation

```html 📢 ``` In a Jan. 23, 2025 podcast episode, Michael Levie discusses innovation in hospitality, advocating for "importing" ideas and cross-industry skills. Supported by Shiji Group, a global hospitality technology leader, the episode encourages implementing ideas for business enhancement and improving guest experiences. Music provided by Bespoke Sound, specializing in Music Identity Design for hospitality brands.

🏨 Sean Seah, SVP of Strategy, Technology and Innovation at Langham Hospitality Group, emphasizes innovation tailored to specific problems in hospitality. Langham plans to grow from 32 to 100 hotels in ten years, focusing on customer experience and digital transformation. CEO Bob van den Oord, appointed in 2023, tasked Seah with disruptive ideas and innovation. Langham's move to a cloud-native property management system aims to centralize customer data for enhanced personalization. Seah is leveraging AI for targeted customer offers and operational efficiency, with pilot projects like Microsoft's AI co-pilot for back-office improvements. The first hotel cloud migration took six months, prioritizing learning and scaling with empathy. The overarching mission is to maintain Langham's luxury essence while innovating at scale, serving property owners, customers, and the team.

💻 Stable Kernel launched a Data & AI Practice led by Ben Manning, Ph.D., featuring Agentic AI, which enables autonomous decision-making and adaptation. Agentic AI is transforming industries including foodservice and retail by streamlining operations and enhancing customer experiences. A quick-service restaurant (QSR) saw an 80% faster time to market, reducing promotion rollout from 3 weeks to 3 days. For a video-on-demand (VoD) platform, Stable Kernel's solutions scaled operations and forecasted peak demand, supporting competitive market presence.

🥣 Lauren Kennedy and Derek Hannum discussed food safety tech at NRF 2025 in NYC, addressing FSMA 204 compliance for high-risk foods like seafood and fresh produce, effective January 2026. Companies must record Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) for such foods; this is vital as the FDA recalls over 100 million units of food quarterly. The ReposiTrak-Upshop partnership enhances traceability, reduces waste and improves operations. Businesses are advised to prepare now, audit supply chains, adopt traceability solutions, and plan for scalability.

📌 In a podcast recorded in January 2025, Tim and Dan from Revenue Generation discussed the evolving landscape of the hotel industry, focusing on revenue and profit optimization, and the pivotal role of data science and AI. Tim narrated his career journey, starting as a reservation agent in Omaha, Nebraska, progressing through roles at Starwood Hotels and Host Hotels, and eventually founding Revenue Generation. Dan, with a background in revenue management across casinos and multifamily sectors, emphasized the importance of data-driven decisions and highlighted his work in predictive analytics. Both highlighted the need for a single source of truth for data, the importance of understanding and defining data elements, and the role of technology in accelerating decision-making. They stressed the significance of clean data, business intelligence tools like Power BI, and the potential of AI in enhancing revenue management strategies. Summary: Tim and Dan from Revenue Generation, with extensive careers in hotel revenue management, discuss the industry's challenges and the potential of data science and AI for revenue and profit optimization in a podcast recorded in January 2025. They advocate for clean data, strategic use of business intelligence tools, and adopting AI to drive efficient and faster decision-making. For more details from their comprehensive discussion on the future and current state of revenue management in the hotel industry, including the evolving use of AI, listen to the full podcast.

🏨 At Charlestowne Hotels, AI systems are employed to consolidate guest data—such as anniversary bookings or room preferences—into one dashboard, enhancing the personal touch in hospitality without replacing human staff. This AI use aims to accentuate human connection, backed by privacy-respecting techniques like federated learning and differential privacy in line with GDPR. Looking forward, tools for translating guest feedback and analyzing online sentiment will further support staff in providing empathetic, personalized service.

📡 Michael Levie, co-founder and former COO of citizenM, discussed building productive tech partnerships in hospitality on Jan. 22, 2025. Highlighted the support from Shiji Group, a global hospitality technology leader known for exceptional implementation support and solutions adopted by major brands. Episode included music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound.

🏖 Bergdorf Priesteregg and Mama Thresl, Alpine resorts in Salzburgerland, partnered with Shiji for advanced technology solutions; Shiji's PMS to enhance guest experiences and operational efficiency was announced on January 22, 2025, in Berlin, Germany. The resorts, with 18 chalets and 51 rooms respectively, sought Shiji for its flexibility and innovation. Shiji, founded in 1998, now serves over 91,000 hotels worldwide. Priesteregg expanded in summer 2024 with lakeside cabins, adding to its wellness offerings, including an infinity pool and yoga platforms.

🏖️ Agilysys, Inc., a leading hospitality software solutions provider, is chosen by Kiva Dunes resort to enhance operational efficiency with 13 integrated solutions. Kiva Dunes, acclaimed for its private beachfront, tennis, and award-winning golf course, faced challenges with legacy software, which prompted the shift to Agilysys' seamless, cloud-native systems. The aim is to improve guest experiences, simplify transactions, and boost productivity. Key offerings include a comprehensive PMS, POS, Golf, Membership and Residence Management software, automating tasks and streamlining operations across sales, marketing, and catering. The transition enables better data sharing, mobile transactions, efficient check-ins, and personalized guest interactions, promising a refined end-to-end experience.