Innovation

💰 On August 23, 2024, a seven-person startup, Otto, led by CEO Michael Gulmann (former Expedia executive), unveiled an AI-powered virtual assistant for business travel booking, designed to assist travelers in booking flights and hotels. Using OpenAI's GPT-4, Otto's chatbot learns user preferences and suggests options based on calendars and specific criteria. It can also process payments, targeting business travelers who manage their own bookings instead of relying on travel management companies.

🚬 OTA's Marnie Wilking reported a 500-900% increase in travel scams due to AI, with a rise in phishing over the last 18 months. At Toronto's Collision technology conference, Wilking urged the use of two-factor authentication to combat phishing. AI helps Booking.com remove fake hotels. Full story on BBC.

🍻 Throw Social in Delray Beach, Fla., debuts a new self-serve tap wall with 20 taps including 7 cocktails, 7 beers, 5 wines, and 1 hard seltzer. Utilizing RFID technology by Pour My Beer, customers use a tap wall card linked to their credit card, charged by volume poured. Throw Social plans a Miami location in Q1 2025 and further expansions to Orlando and Nashville. The concept is part of a broader trend of self-serve technology in restaurants and entertainment venues.

🍽 Grubhub expands its Campus Dining to over 60 schools, reaching an additional half a million students, totaling over 4.5 million served. The expansion includes University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Tampa, University of Missouri, Howard University, and Tulane University, increasing its reach to more than 360 universities, a 21% increase from the previous year. Partnering with Cartken, Kiwibot, and Starship, Grubhub brings robot deliveries to campuses like the University of Mississippi and University of Houston, now over 20 campuses with hundreds of thousands of robot-delivered orders. Meanwhile, campuses like Ursinus College and the University of Virginia are implementing Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, allowing contactless shopping tied to meal plans. Sustainable efforts include a partnership with Topanga.io for reusable packaging, with Virginia Tech and SUNY New Paltz newly adopting the technology. Grubhub Campus Dining offers flexible solutions and Grubhub+ Student with $0 delivery fees and other perks for students at partnered schools.

📦 Grubhub's Campus Dining has expanded to over 60 schools, now serving more than 4.5 million students, with a 21% increase from last year. Grubhub now partners with over 360 universities. Automated robot delivery, in collaboration with Cartken, Kiwibot, and Starship, is rolling out to nearly a dozen new schools, adding to the 20+ campuses like The Ohio State University where it's established. Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology is launched at Ursinus College, University of Virginia, and Lindenwood University, allowing students to skip checkout lines. Grubhub+ Student offers $0 delivery fees, 5% back on pickup orders, and exclusive deals. Virginia Tech and SUNY New Paltz are implementing Topanga.io's reusable packaging this semester.

🍽 Grubhub expands its Campus Dining to over 60 schools, reaching 500,000 new students, totaling over 4.5 million. Partnerships include University of Alabama at Birmingham and Howard University, among others, marking a 21% increase from last year. Robot delivery services, through Cartken, Kiwibot, and Starship, extend to nearly a dozen more campuses like University of Mississippi, with over 20 campuses already served. Ursinus College and the University of Virginia implement Amazon's Just Walk Out technology for checkout-free shopping. Grubhub’s partnership with Topanga.io introduces reusable packaging via the ReusePass program at Virginia Tech and other universities. Grubhub+ Student offers $0 delivery fees and additional benefits for partnered school students.

🍴 Grubhub now serves over 4.5 million students, expanding its Campus Dining to more than 60 schools, reaching half a million new students. The service integrates with campus meal plans and includes the University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Tampa, University of Missouri, Howard University, and Tulane University, representing a 21% increase from last year. Grubhub partners with Cartken, Kiwibot, and Starship for robot delivery on college campuses, now on over 20 campuses with hundreds of thousands of orders delivered. Ursinus College, the University of Virginia, and Lindenwood University implement Amazon's Just Walk Out technology, joining Stevens Institute of Technology, Montclair State University, and Loyola University Maryland. Grubhub collaborates with Topanga.io for a sustainable dining solution with reusable containers, already in use at Virginia Tech, SUNY New Paltz, California Polytechnic State University, Ohio State University, Colorado State University, Boston University, University of Delaware, and Brandeis University. Grubhub+ Student offers free membership to students at partnered schools, including $0 delivery and lower service fees.

📱 Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems in hospitality enable teams across locations to access tools and resources, enhance guest loyalty with personalized experiences, and streamline sales and marketing with centralized content. Boston Harbor Hotel, with Marketing Manager Christine Whitnel and Social Media Coordinator Marc Gonzalez, improved operations with a new DAM, facilitating AI-powered search, tagging, sharing, and rights management, leading to more efficient campaigns. DAMs are integrating AI and ML to become more sophisticated, proving essential in the competitive hospitality market. PhotoShelter CEO Andrew Fingerman highlights nearly 2,000 brands using their DAM software.

📝 FAQ Insights in the Console helps optimize guest communication by showing unanswered questions, negative scores, and topics for chatbot response improvement. Dashboard section provides quick general insights. The Reports section offers detailed data and performance metrics, with access to top 25 priorities for optimizing FAQ topics. Direct access for optimization is available through the platform and a question mark icon next to chatbot responses in conversations. Weekly email reports and Console notifications alert users to unanswered FAQs.