Innovation

🔥 Bikky, a data platform for restaurants, partnered with Haven Hot Chicken, a rapidly growing Nashville-style chicken brand founded in 2020 with nine locations as of summer. The partnership enables Haven to analyze customer behavior and make data-driven decisions. Bikky's insights helped Haven retain a lower-selling menu item, the caesar salad, due to its influence on customer frequency. Haven plans to double store count in the next year, with Bikky aiding in expansion success measurement. Bikky also serves brands like Dave’s Hot Chicken and Bojangles.

🏨 Bethesda, Md. hosted a panel at the Hospitality Show in San Antonio where Stayntouch CEO Jacob Messina, Cloudbeds CEO Adam Harris, and others discussed hotel Property Management Systems (PMS). Cloudbeds transforms hotel operations with integrated platforms and AI, aiming to recover margins lost to data fragmentation. Stayntouch offers a cloud-based PMS, reducing IT costs and training time, with an interface that can be learned in just two days. Automation saves up to 69% of employee time, while multi-property management features can reduce new hotel onboarding time by 70%. Stayntouch provides over 1,200 integrations, enhancing hotel operations, revenue, and guest experiences. Cloudbeds, founded in 2012, has won multiple awards and serves properties in over 150 countries.

📰 STAAH's "Get Google" connects properties to Google’s hotel booking engine, increasing visibility and direct bookings while reducing OTA reliance. Appearing on Google Search, Maps, and Travel, it integrates with booking engines for seamless reservations. "Get Google" lowers commission costs and boosts competitiveness in the hospitality market. To integrate, STAAH partners activate the add-on, aiming for higher returns and improved guest relationships. More information and activation available through STAAH's website and sales team.

💰 Encore, a global event technology and production services provider with 12,000 team members across 20 countries, launched the ‘Overtime Savings Program’ in the U.S. to improve financial stability for its workforce facing seasonal business fluctuations. Utilizing UKG's payroll technology, the program allows employees to save overtime earnings and receive a company-paid match. Following its post-Labor Day launch, UKG Wallet™ usage surged tenfold. Additionally, the ‘Seasonal Leave of Absence Program’ offers flexible off-season breaks while retaining benefits and career status, with global expansion plans underway.

🏨 Independent hotels enhance guest arrival experiences using technology like property-management systems (PMS) and experience management systems (XMS) to improve communication and offer personal touches. Digital communication enables guests to inform hotels of late arrivals, allowing for staggered room preparation and extended check-in times. Contactless technology provides self-serve mobile check-in options or kiosk check-ins to expedite the process. Modern PMS capabilities also allow guests early access to amenities, increasing revenue and guest satisfaction.

🏡 eDreams, founded in 1999, became Spain's first unicorn with a 2014 IPO valuing the company at €1.6 billion ($2.2 billion). By then, eDreams had reached €4.3 billion ($5.9 billion) in bookings, €430 million ($589 million) in revenue margin, and €118 million ($162 million) in EBITDA. The company, initially without a clear product-market fit, pivoted to a flight booking engine after customer feedback. Innovations included combining low-cost and traditional carriers, introducing service fees, and leveraging Google AdWords early on. Founder-led until 2015, eDreams attracted global talent by overcoming local hiring challenges, creating a merit-based culture, and operating anti-consensus strategies.