TOP NEWS

📌 Kristie Goshow, Chief Commercial Officer at KSL Resorts, discusses advancement in hiring women in hospitality, with Marriott and Accor having 40% and over 50% women in leadership respectively. She stresses merit over quotas for leadership roles. A 2023 Korn Ferry Institute study found 1 in 4 women affected by menopause consider quitting, highlighting gender disparities in career advancement. Goshow advocates for greater recognition of women's potential in executive recruiting, emphasizing the use of predictive tools and AI to aid the process. Women in hospitality features will continue until boards reflect guest demographics and more women become CEOs. Key trends include AI integration, agility in teams, personalized brand experiences, and innovative revenue management. 🏨

🏨 Multi-user systems in hotels allow various departments to collaborate, breaking down operational silos and enhancing guest experiences. Demand Calendar exemplifies these systems, with daily logins from 5 to 10 users across roles such as marketing, sales, revenue management, and operations. This approach promotes real-time data sharing, seamless communication, and data-driven decision-making. Multi-user platforms are essential for hotels to adapt, innovate, and maintain a competitive edge in today's market.

🂱 Nevin Reed, Senior Director of Casino Services, emphasizes the importance of a casino-centric revenue management strategy, including technology for analyzing supply, demand, worth data, and total profit. Key strategies involve segmentation, forecasting, open pricing, leveraging loyalty programs, and dynamic reinvestment to optimize each booking and maximize revenue. Casinos can increase profitability by adjusting offers for various customer segments and dynamically customizing rates based on total customer value, ultimately enhancing the guest experience.

💰 Airobot, founded in 2018, simplifies airline and airport ancillary sales for travel agencies and airlines with services like Automated Check-in, boosting ancillary revenue. They will attend the Phocuswright Conference in Phoenix, November 19-21. Virgin Atlantic considers separate loyalty programs for US and European customers, addressing the high point accumulation from US credit cards and the need for fixed points for European customers. McKinsey highlights Travel Tuesday's growth, after Cyber Monday, as a prime time for travel deals. Booking Holdings, Expedia, and Airbnb report Q3 results with room night bookings up by 8%, 9%, and revenue growth by 10%, respectively. Paid services to skip lines at theme parks and airports are on the rise, with GetYourGuide noting a fivefold increase in sales of such experiences since 2019. Phocuswright's top 25 travel startups to watch in 2025 include companies recommended by Travel Investor Network in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Travel Tech Essentialist Job Board lists positions like Senior AI Engineer in New York City with a salary range of $185k - $220k plus equity. Newsletter sponsorship opportunities for 2025 are now open for travel tech professionals.

📌 Hospitality Hued, led by founder Ashli Johnson, aims to elevate Black and Brown leaders into positions of leadership and ownership in the hospitality industry. The initiative provides hospitality professionals with tools, networks, and insights for success. Ashli emphasizes the transferability of hospitality skills to other industries, noting the sector's attractiveness for its mix of business and heart. She credits the late Ray Bennett of Marriott International as a formative influence, highlighting his dedication to accessible leadership and creating opportunities for others. Hospitality Hued is actively changing recruitment strategies to address the lack of diversity in hotel executive leadership. Ashli Johnson's work exemplifies a commitment to a more inclusive and equitable hospitality industry.

🍴 Northcote's Obsession, a gourmet festival in Europe, marks its 25th year from January 24th to February 9th, 2025. Featuring 21 chefs with a combined 27 Michelin stars, the event will unfold over 17 nights at the luxury Lancashire hotel, Northcote. Chefs from around the world, including Singapore and South Africa, will participate. Obsession began in 2001 and continues to offer guests memorable culinary experiences. Tickets for Obsession25 go on sale on November 13th, priced at £220 per person, with optional wine flights from £70.

🏨 Global hotel RevPAR rose 13% in Q3 2024 compared to Q3 2019, attributed to events like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and the Paris Olympics according to JLL. Asia Pacific demand was unstable, influenced by China's economic slowdown. Cross-border investment surged, with U.S. private equity focusing on Europe and Asia. International travel nears full recovery, urban RevPAR outperforms 2019. Transactions in Q3 2024 reached $42.1 billion, 953 in total, with luxury trades exceeding $2 million each. Top markets were London ($2.1 billion), New York ($1.6 billion), and Osaka ($1.4 billion).

🔔 Gianni Di Fede, Senior Vice President at Radisson Hotel Group since 2017, aimed to enhance revenue operations. Radisson has structured global revenue management that extends from global to local levels. The Revenue Club, with technology partner Duetto, held its first post-pandemic meeting in Gran Canaria in June. Radisson's Corporate Support Office comprises teams for revenue management, distribution, and business intelligence, with specialized units like rate loading, five-year planning, and revenue operations. Madri, St Petersburg, and Dubai serve as Global Centres of Excellence for their respective regions. EMMA, Radisson's technology platform, integrates core functions and utilizes Duetto. Cluster operations help manage revenue in multi-hotel cities by applying unified strategies, while local input involves flexibility and empowerment at the hotel level.