Ever wondered how Apple products became so popular overnight? How their sales were able to go from zero to millions in no time? Apple is the ultimate product brand and they have been successful because they have been able to develop a strong, desirable brand image. Although hotels are offering a much different product, there is a huge opportunity for hotels to use branding to increase their occupancy rates and their ADR. This article examines strategies to develop and maintain a strong, occupancy-driven hotel brand. READ MORE

Ask any event or meeting planner, or any sales and catering department, and they can tell you: events are big business.  But if hotels are only considering the revenue growth opportunities that events offer, they are missing out on a valuable opportunity.  Events of any size allow hotels to market their core services as well as their event capabilities to a captive audience of attendees, both through marketing and public relations campaigns.  This article examines the importance of event marketing (and public relations!) as an integrated part of a hotel's marketing plan. READ MORE

In the world of conventions and trade shows, there isn't an app for this, that, or anything else, for that matter. Mobile channel adoption for event planners can aid convention organization, prompt networking, and encourage feedback, and it's also a green solution. With over 50 percent of participants carrying smartphones, there's a new way to provide event information and encourage social media buzz for organizers and attendees. When it's done right, mobile channel integration might even make the next event more fun, in addition to running more smoothly. READ MORE

Over the past few decades, meeting and event planners' preferred methods of communication with venues have significantly evolved. From primarily placing phone calls in the 1980s to sending faxes in the 1990s and emails in the early 2000s, planners are pros at keeping up with the changing times. As a result, hoteliers have become master adapters when it comes to connecting with planners. However, the past few years in particular have brought, arguably, the most significant shift of them all: the move to online channels. Planners are now using these outlets to conduct preliminary research, compare venues and send electronic Requests for Proposals (eRFPs), fundamentally changing the way the meetings industry conducts business. To keep their venues top-of-mind among planners looking to book a venue, hoteliers must-yet again-adapt. READ MORE

Your switchboard people are very important associates. It's not that all team members are not important, it's just that your telephone answerers are your first impression―to guests, to prospective guests, and the world. Their tone of voice, volume, and general demeanor set the tone for future interactions with your other employees in your hotel and even indirectly influence your occupancy rates. More times than I can count, I have given up waiting for the switchboard to respond to my calls to hotels to arrange reservations. READ MORE