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5 Part Series: 5 Ways the Hospitality Market is Evolving (2 of 5)

by | Sep 18, 2017 | Hospitality, Pro Displays

TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN.
Hoteliers are constantly challenged to keep up with the rapid pace of technology advancements and with the majority of U.S. hotels still running on coax infrastructures, most properties are still playing catch-up with the replacements of first generation flat panels to LED technology with limited or no IP-connectivity for over-the-top content for access to guest-provided media/sources.

Some might ask, “Why is having the latest technology so important in places where people are so transient?  Perception is everything and in a business where moments of interactions or scattered impressions can influence loyalty rates or return bookings (a key factor that hotel management is incentivized on by the way) the lasting imprint technology makes on hotel guests is more important than you might think.

What hoteliers are really in competition with is the technology that consumers are using day-in and day-out.  Since consumer electronics influence commercial solutions (both in professional A/V and hospitality), it is understandable that hoteliers may always be a few steps behind the latest and greatest consumer gizmo or gadget (and that’s ok) but the reality is that travelers simply expect technology in hotel properties to have a similar look & feel they’ve come to anticipate based on consumer-tech incorporated into their lives. Consider touch screens, automated check-in kiosks or your favorite travel app and this concept comes to life.

Samsung, the leading brand in consumer electronics and professional display solutions has incorporated some of the top features of its award-winning consumer televisions into its commercial line of in-room hospitality solutions making it the most expansive lineup in the market with options ranging from 22-inch to 75-inch options and compatibility with nearly every content provider.

Technologies include: Embedded pro:idiom and non-pro:idiom Digital Rights Management technology (DRM), b-LAN, Smart, UHD (4K resolution) varieties.  In addition, Samsung’s 694 Series introduced last year can be deployed to achieve over-the-top (internet accessible (“think smart”)) content via coax vs. IP-protocols typically required; this can be especially useful for historic or luxury properties where new wiring infrastructure is practically out of the question or may be cost prohibitive however the hotelier still wants to deliver a premium in-room entertainment experience for their guests.

Control Content on Hundreds of Digital TVs at Once

Eliminate room-by-room visits to each guest room by using a single-location remote solution. The REACH Server delivers updated firmware and other settings to TVs through RF signals. Updates are simple and simultaneous, so there’s no need to go from room to room to update each display with USB cloning.  This way, your staff has more time to focus on other ways of improving the guest experience.

Samsung’s REACH Content Management Solution is another example of behind the scenes product with an interface that instantly modernizes the look and feel of in-room entertainment and the function of how guests engage with their TV, the centralized “hub” of the guestroom.  Using REACH, a property can customize the guest experience and welcome guests by name, share useful information like weather or essential news updates and even promote revenue generating amenities such as happy hour in the hotel lounge, weekend SPA services or local tours or nearby attractions creating entertainment opportunities for guests with added revenue-sharing opportunities for hoteliers; plus, including pictures of the hotels’ artwork, logos, images or other content is a cinch- no more generic content!  This is just scratching the surface when it comes to REACH- other components include centralized control for channel mapping configurations and labor savings for programming features like volume limiting and other energy savings options.

Add a Residential TV Experience

Bring a residential TV navigation experience to the guest rooms with the Interactive Program Guide (IPG). IPG data is provided through the subscription service by your content provider or system integrator.  The REACH device can then pull the necessary metadata from multiple sources in multiple formats. Guests can enjoy picture in picture viewing, detailed program information and a convenient channel grid.

Deliver Information to In-Room Guests Rapidly

Deliver information automatically with a headline-style scrolling ticker. The LYNK REACH ticker feature provides a crawl of data that’s of special interest to guests, such as local weather or event information. In addition, property managers can create and update targeted promotional content or marketing messages, while displaying an interface that seamlessly matches your property’s brand.

Optimize Total Cost of Ownership

This integrated solution uses existing infrastructure assets, lower labor and operating costs and eliminates the need for set-top boxes and other components.  For those establishments that have RF infrastructure currently in place, LYNK REACH is an ideal way to provide TV content more efficiently.

TeleAdapt’s Roomcast solution is an innovative technology powered by Google Chromecast that enables guests to stream their own content right from their mobile device (Pandora, Netflix, ESPN, etc.) directly to the guest room TV without having to download an app, enter a password or email address which eliminates any concerns for jeopardizing a guests’ private information or personal area network.  RoomCast is better than screen mirroring; it even allows guests to use their applications (like checking emails for example) at the same time as casting content from whatever the source (Netflix, etc.).  It’s no wonder live casting has already been named one of the hottest tech trends anticipated to change the hospitality industry over the next 10 years!

5 Part Series: 5 Ways the Hospitality Market is Evolving

by | Sep 6, 2017 | Hospitality, Uncategorized

SIZE MATTERS.
The United States hotel market is made up of 4 million hotel rooms and the typical life span of guest room televisions ranges between 5-7 years according to recent studies.

Going back just a few years, the most popular size for guest room televisions in economy scale properties like Choice brands for example, typically required a 28 or 32-inch TV although some properties are moving towards a 40-inch in efforts to future-proof investments with trends leaning towards bigger panels.

Midscale brands such as Hilton for example, typically consider a 40-inch guest room TV acceptable however will often make a bigger investment for the next size up (43-inch) as larger screen sizes bare higher rack rates (room rates) and can boost incremental revenues; suites with living rooms or separate seating areas from sleeping rooms frequently specify larger sizes such as 48-inch or 50-inch to provide a more impactful experience for in-room entertainment and we even see trends to 55-inch becoming the most popular future-proof size in this segment.

When it comes to some upscale or luxury chain scales, including some Hyatt brands for example, there are requirements that stretch to a 60-inch and even a 65-inch set- some with mandates for smart features such as those offered by Samsung.  Who knew those big and bulky armoires would eventually be sawed in half and re-purposed as dressers to make (visual) room for a slim and sleek flat panel television with built-in swivel capabilities- that we now consider essential for that modern, high-tech, designer look?

Similar implementation can be seen in other luxury brands like JW Marriott, Westin, Ritz Carlton and others, with the combination of larger screen sizes and high-designer appeal of a wall-mounted installation like with the HPF-650 specifically made for hospitality by Peerless-AV, the most widely deployed mount hands-down in the industry.

We will keep tabs on the trends and keep you posted of any new ones we see. We’re in a prime time in the industry with so many of the first generation flat panels now due for replacement.  Be sure to check property websites as you’re working with them on any other opportunities so you can easily spot feature listings that may show guest room pictures with outdated models prime for upgrades!

My Visit to Crestron HQ: Where Acceptable is Just Not Good Enough

by | Apr 17, 2017 | Digital Signage, Hospitality

Have you ever looked at two seemingly similar items on the shelf of a store, or more likely, two similar items on your Amazon wish list, and wondered, “Why is one more expensive than the other?” I know I have. With Amazon, it’s easy to use the online reviews to help determine the difference in value, but in the Pro AV world, it can be a bit more difficult.

Recently, I had the opportunity to see first-hand how one manufacturer adds significant value to their products.  Most of the difference comes in the form of ease of use and reliability, but some of the value goes even deeper.

Crestron has been known for the quality of their products since as long as long as I can remember.  When you install Crestron products into your AV system, they just work, and work well.

Last month, Brian Rhatigan (Almo BDM Director) and I visited Crestron’s facility in New Jersey, and were treated to a day of hospitality and education.   Not just an education on Crestron’s product line, which I felt I knew pretty well, but rather an education on their company focus – quality.   Not just a quality in product, but also a quality user experience.

We were fortunate enough to have Dave Silberstein, Crestron’s Director of Inside Sale, set aside an entire day to provide us with a guided tour of their facilities, along with a visual summary of their research, design, and manufacturing process from start to finish.  I’ll go ahead and speak for Brian here when I say, we were impressed.

A couple of things really stood out for me, besides the quality of their customer experience center (You could throw one heck of a party in there).

Here are some highlights I wanted to share:

R&D

Crestron has an entire staff of engineers devoted to the design of new products.  Currently 40% of their net profit is put back into their R&D department, and what a department it was.  Some of the brightest minds in the industry are working on developing the next piece of cutting edge technology.  And they have some of the best “toys” to play with. From flow jets to 3D printers and beyond, they have the tools to develop every component of a prototype.

TESTING

Their testing facility was incredible. One fascinating sight was an enormous system of their current and past products.  The system is primarily used to test any software / firmware due to be released, to verify that it doesn’t have any adverse effect on older systems still in use.  This is something I appreciated as it seems like each firmware released on my phone brings it closer to its demise.

Another impressive sight was the “wall” of 100 displays being used to test a video conferencing system with 100 end points.   It seems that testing, let’s say, 10 endpoints would be acceptable, but fortunately for Crestron’s clients, acceptable is just not good enough.

SUPPORT

Their technical support is provided regionally to better understand and support their local customer’s needs.  This isn’t so special, but what was, is each technician has a full system located at their desk.  It made for a crazy looking workspace, but it allows each technician to actively participate in the troubleshooting process, instead of just searching for a solution in their knowledge base.   In addition to this, older items are located just a few steps away, so the technician is able to grab whatever  is needed to try and duplicate what is being used in the field.  We even spotted a slide projector controller in this “closet of technology past” – something that harkens back to the roots of where Crestron began.

It’s hard to put into words just how impressive the Crestron facility is, and how dedicated they are to producing a quality product.  Luckily their long run of producing excellent, industry leading products has created a reputation that our industry already equates with quality.

Almo Kicks-off New Hospitality Division with Full Day Hospitality Conference at E4 in Chicago Co-Located with Almo E4 Expo (March 21 & 22)

by | Mar 8, 2017 | Education, Events, Hospitality, Uncategorized

Almo Hospitality will unveil the latest technology trends and teach valuable skills to help resellers grow their business in 2017.  Hospitality Conference at E4 (March 21st) includes a full-day of hospitality-dedicated agenda with opening presentation by Samsung’s dynamic Vice President of Hospitality TV, Jonas Tanenbaum with Hospitality Industry Update & Trends Driving Integration.

THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS ROUND OUT THE AGENDA:

  • · Driving Revenues & Customer Loyalty with Hospitality Installations (Steven’s Digital)
  • · Catering to Hotel Guests & Drive Revenues with Samsung REACH
  • · ALMO Connect: The Ultimate Shopping Service for Free-to-Guest TV, Bandwidth & Voice (Comcast Business Solutions)
  • · RoomCast: How Today’s Guests Watch TV (TeleAdapt)
  • · The Significance of Brand Standards in the Hotel Industry (Peerless-AV)
  • · Charged Up! Drive Revenues & Guest Satisfaction Ratings with the Latest in Hospitality Charging Trends (Kube Systems)
  • · BrightSign Digital Signage Experience LIVE Workshop
  • · Navigating the World of FF&E with Hospitality Furniture & Furnishings (Ramler International)

The Hospitality Conference at E4 wraps with an energetic and interactive discussion led by the authentic Kiwi, Almo’s own Stephen McKay, Senior Vice President- Special Markets.

This action-packed day concludes with a fun yet relaxed customer appreciation and networking dinner at a local Oak Brook area gem hosted by Almo Hospitality along with Samsung and other manufacturer partners where customers will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with our hospitality team and get to know our family of customers and vendors over a memorable dining experience!

Hospitality Conference at E4 attendees will automatically be registered for a full-access pass to the Almo E4 Tour & Expo the following day (March 22nd) where they will see the very latest technology and tech-trends from 35+ leading vendors in the Pro AV space including: Pro AV, Digital Signage, Audio, Electronics & Charging Solutions, Appliances & Furniture and Furnishings- PLUS a special Almo Hospitality Exhibit featuring some of our most in-demand product offerings for hotel properties, including solutions from: Samsung, Peerless-AV, Harman/AMX, Kube Systems, TeleAdapt, Danby, Hanover & Ramler International; even our hospitality-dedicated installation partner, Steven’s Digital and free-to-guest provider, Comcast will be there to talk shop!

Space for the Hospitality Conference at E4 is limited so register today to confirm your spot! 

RESELLER/DEALER REGISTRATION

Resellers are welcome to invite their customers to join them for the E4 Expo (March 22) as a resource to help end users see the latest technology and talk with on-site experts so resellers can help them with full implementation; E4 Expo Registration.  Both events are free to attendees and resellers; free breakfast and lunch is also provided (as well as dinner for registered conference attendees).  We look forward to learning your “lightbulb moment!”.

Please contact Apryl G. Lamberti, Director Business Development Hospitality with Almo Professional A/V with any questions or for more information.

 

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