It’s that time of year again: HITEC 2016. For those with an interest in hospitality technology trends, it’s an exciting time that promises to be very interesting judging from recent headlines.

Anyone who has previously attended HITEC knows it can be an ideal environment to see the newest hotel technology, attend presentations by key thought leaders, and meet a variety of up and comers. Here are some tips to ensure that your experience is a smooth one.

Follow Industry Announcements in Advance

During the days leading into HITEC 2016, as well as throughout the trade show itself, there is a flood of news announcements from various companies. To stay on the pulse of what’s going on, here are a few industry news sources you can check:

• EyeforTravel
• HITEC Bytes
• Hospitality Technology
• Hospitality Upgrade
• Hotel Business
• Hotel Management
• Hotel News Now
• Hotel-Online
• Next Big Thing
• Skift
• TendanceHotellerie
• Tnooz

Walk the Entire Exhibition Hall

There are more than 300 exhibitors who participate in HITEC, from larger companies to innovative start-ups. Each of them is eager to speak to you and educate you on the current happenings in hospitality technology. Exploring the full exhibition floor will allow you to become familiar with what’s currently available, as well as get a sense of the direction that hotel technology is heading in for future investment.

Schedule Meetings

Just stopping by a booth will only provide you with a cursory introduction to the various offerings by exhibitors. If you’re looking to make a hospitality technology purchase in the future, or if you have a strong interest in a particular type of technology, it’s recommended to schedule time in advance with the vendors in these areas. You’ll get to have a more in-depth conversation focusing on your specific questions and concerns. Having a plan in advance can also help you be more efficient with your time management.

Take Time to Enjoy the Social Scene and the City

Attending HITEC can seem like a reunion, as many familiar faces within the hospitality and hotel technology industries make an appearance. It’s a great opportunity to meet and network with some of the movers and shakers, and take advantage of the exciting social events. In addition to party hopping, why not see what the beautiful and culturally rich city of New Orleans has to offer? For those who have never been to New Orleans or are looking for concierge recommendations on what to see while there, download the Intelity Hotel Tech app.

To schedule time with the Intelity team to get more information on hotel mobile key technology, in-room tablet hardware, or how to improve the mobile guest experience, visit our HITEC page.

Hoteliers know there’s value in collecting guest data, and hotel technology and use of mobile have made it more efficient for the hospitality industry to gather it. But with the benefits are also risks and challenges.

Chris Oberli, VP of e-commerce and interactive at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, said, “We would like to get as much information as possible, but it has to be very subtle to the customer. It’s a consumer’s choice whether he or she wants to provide that data.”

He added that the main goal of collecting big data in hotels is to improve guest service and, in turn, increase guest satisfaction.

“As the hotel stay has become more of an experience, (guests) are more willing to give you the information,” said Dennis Morris, Meyer Jabara Hotels director of revenue development.

Despite the priority placed on receiving guest data and feedback, hoteliers have expressed difficulty in leveraging guest data to gather actionable insight to improve business operations and guest relationships. Only 13 percent of hoteliers report a high level of maturity in their ability to analyze and use Big Data. Most use it for generating comprehensive reports and identifying upcoming trends, while a smaller number say they use it for forecasting.

Another large issue surrounding collecting big data in hotels is security. Guests have increasingly reported willingness to share their information but also express concerns about privacy and management of their provided data.

Only 13 percent of hoteliers report a high level of maturity in their ability to analyze and use Big Data.

Dr. Agnes DeFranco, University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, said, “Guests weigh the risks and benefits of information disclosure and are willing to disclose personal information to apps if the hotels make the personalization benefits clear to them and design apps that stimulate positive emotions, such as joy, pleasure, and excitement. Hotel apps should be conducive to trust, and allow guests to reduce their search time and conveniently find/personalize services that are relevant to their consumption.”

Here is a list of questions every hotelier should consider when it comes to hotel guest data security:

1. Are you aware of all applicable state and federal privacy laws and notification requirements related to guest data?
   

   ---

2. Is the guests’ personal or confidential information stored digitally or on paper? How securely is it maintained?
   

   ---

3. Who has access to confidential hotel and guest data?
   

   ---

4. Are all employee laptops and devices encrypted? What is the bring your own device (BYOD) policy for employees’ personal devices while on-premise?
   

   ---

5. Is there a strong internal standard for passwords in use by all employees?

Connected living is quickly becoming a reality. Nearly every aspect of our lives involves devices of some sort. The number of new connected devices is expected to surge by 30 percent from last year to 6.4 billion as part of the rising Internet of Things trend, per Gartner.

The expansion of the hotel technology trend certainly correlates to this, as the hospitality industry looks to accommodate guests’ digital expectations through various forms of innovation such as hotel room tablets, mobile key, and hotel apps. Increase of hospitality technology has also grown the need to consider security and privacy standards when it comes to sensitive hotel and guest data.

“IoT is all about making the things in your life smarter,” said Cameron Coursey, AT&T Vice President, Product Development. “Security is paramount to something that touches and influences our lives as deeply as IoT.”

With the cost of a single data breach reported to be over $6 million ($204 per data record), implementing sound hotel data security policies is crucial.

A single data breach can cost over $6 million.

Hundreds of hotels have been impacted by a data breach caused by malware attacks or cybercriminal activity, primarily against point-of-sale and payment processing systems. At the end of 2015, three major hotel industry companies announced breaches within only 34 days. Despite how extreme this sounds, hotel companies only represented 6 percent of total companies reporting hacking or malware breaches on POS systems last year.

The business of protecting customer data and enabling sufficient hotel data security measures can be complex, especially with regulations coming from different sources. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is the most widely recognized by the hospitality industry and PCI compliance is a first step toward securing guest data.

The government also plays a role in the issue. Nearly all of the individual 50 states have varying laws regarding data breach and appropriate incident responses, which makes it even more difficult for a hotel to manage communication regarding security issues with travelers of different origin.

The GSM Association, a group representing the interests of global mobile operators and organizer of the largest annual event in the mobile industry, the GSMA Mobile World Congress, released new security guidelines addressing IoT earlier this year.

The guidelines mark a unified effort by the entire IoT industry to educate, reinforce and simplify security as connectivity moves forward to encompass more items around us. They will certainly have an impact on the hotel Internet of Things as device manufacturers and hotel technology vendors collaborate to adhere.

“As billions of devices become connected in the Internet of Things, offering innovative and interconnected new services, the possibility of potential vulnerabilities increases,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer, GSMA. “These can be overcome if the end-to-end security of an IoT service is carefully considered by the service provider when designing their service and appropriate mitigating technology is deployed.”

Adoption of hotel technology is the talk of the industry. About 54 percent of hoteliers plan to increase hotel technology budgets this year, and 19 percent plan to invest at least 9 percent or more of revenue on hotel IT needs. However, many in the industry express concern or frustration with the demands of expanded technological needs. A recent survey of hoteliers revealed the following hospitality technology challenges:

• Keeping pace with guest expectations: 43%
• Shortage of internal IT talent: 31%
• Not finding technology sufficient to meet needs: 19%

Our company is the leading hotel app developer and provider of sophisticated software to the hospitality industry. With leadership that has experience in both hotel and IT management, we’re able to understand the unique needs of this industry to deliver results that matter. It’s no wonder Intelity is trusted by more hotel brands and individual properties around the world than any other company in this space.

“Intelity is the leader in bridging the gap between technology and hospitality.”

Our company is the leading hotel app developer and provider of sophisticated software to the hospitality industry. With leadership that has experience in both hotel and IT management, we’re able to understand the unique needs of this industry to deliver results that matter. It’s no wonder INTELITY is trusted by more hotel brands and individual properties around the world than any other company in this space.

So just why are we the leading name in hotel guest engagement technology? Here are comments from a hotelier survey of our clients on why they chose to partner with INTELITY for their hotel guest technology needs.

Couples Resorts Director of Operations Abe Issa: “We selected Intelity based on the company’s incredible proven record for developing solutions that deliver results. We were impressed by their reputation and portfolio of clients, and after our discussions with them, we realized they had the ability to meet all of the desired functionality we needed as well.”

Stephen Johnston, Boston Harbor Hotel Managing Director and General Manager: “We tested different guest service technology, but we opted for Intelity’s solutions because of the capabilities beyond the basic features. Our hotel needed a partner that offers integrations with our other systems. We’re also excited at the prospect of removing the majority of paper from our rooms.”

Dream Hollywood General Manager Ayo Akinsete: “It’s an incredible way to elevate engagement and improve brand perception. We’ve selected Intelity for this partnership because they’re the leaders in bridging the gap between technology and hospitality.”

Playa Largo Resort & Spa General Manager Shakir Hussain: “Intelity was the only company we considered as a partner for this project. Based on their level of expertise, we knew they would be able to meet all our needs for providing a high-quality in-room guest experience.”

Edie Rodriguez, Crystal Cruises President and CEO: “A key component to my vision for Crystal to continue as a leader in redefining luxury is to embrace technology and allow it to help streamline our guests’ experience. Not only does the Intelity platform make a significant step in this direction, but it also helps us reduce our paper consumption and inform our guests in a more efficient way.”

Hotel brand apps and other forms of technology are serving to connect guests with the industry.

The entire industry is buzzing about hotel technology and how to make the most of it. Figuring out how to use hospitality technology trends to help achieve goals, such as increase hotel revenue and guest satisfaction, can be challenging. Hotel brands are leading the charge when it comes to this, though, as a number of them have established innovative digital standards across their entire portfolio, from keyless hotel room entry to mobile check-in.

Among those around the world making headway with effectively leveraging technology, here are three hotel brands doing an exceptional job of making the most of new hospitality technology trends. “Conrad Concierge helps by putting the entire hotel experience in the hands of their guests via the technology they are using most often.” -Claire Newell, global travel expert, best-selling author

Conrad Hotels & Resorts

Conrad Hotels & Resorts, owned and operated by Hilton Worldwide, released a brand-wide enterprise mobile app a few years ago named Conrad Concierge. In fact, the brand was the first with an app that boasted integrated services at all 31 properties in its portfolio.

More than just basic, traditional luxury, Conrad puts a premium on exactly what a guest wants, which for the majority of guests includes meeting their digital needs. It’s the notion of “smart luxury,” and this brand is successfully defining the concept.

A central part of that is Conrad Concierge, which intuitively connects guests with a convenient means of communicating with staff for a variety of purposes – from general information room service orders to restaurant bookings. The hotel app even includes information about the local area of the Conrad hotel the guest is staying in.

Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts

Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts made headlines in summer 2015 when it became the latest luxury brand to launch a mobile app, which is the widest available of any in the hospitality industry with 96 included properties. The brand, long known for an exceptional mastery of high-touch service, was able to successfully embrace a high-touch and high-tech experience that still felt personalized.

A Forbes review of the app stated, “I’m here to report back that Four Seasons’ app-wise move has worked out well. It’s helpful and lovely to look at, and, most important, it’s unassuming. It’s there for you as a guest when you want it and it fades out of the experience when you don’t. The to-be-expected features of the app work just fine (Check-in, Check-out), and some of these expected features are super-handy, like the ‘local recommendations’ feature.”

In fact, the greatest success is “where the app moves over the line to functions that human employees can’t do for guests or can’t do as well,” like providing multilingual maps and directions to navigate the area around the hotels.

The Peninsula Hotels

Connected travelers demand the latest and greatest when it comes to hotel technology, and The Peninsula Hotels is among the most impressive brands when it comes to meeting these expectations.

For example, both The Peninsula Paris (styled as a modern European palace) and The Peninsula Hong Kong (known as the Grand Dame of the Far East) have been able to use multilingual touchscreen panels in guest rooms to tap into the hotel Internet of Things.

These in-room panels can control the lights, television, thermostat, curtains, and have access to Internet radio. The rooms come with three in-room tablets total that can also be used to order room service, turn on the Do Not Disturb sign, place housekeeping requests, and more, all through a sophisticated hospitality technology software system.