Innovation

🎥 DIRECTV HOSPITALITY's research shows 87% of hotel guests watch live TV, 72% premium channels and streaming, 66% on-demand content. 73% experienced weak Wi-Fi impacting streaming and on-demand services. 68% of business travelers, 58% loyalty members, 70% leisure travelers with children would switch hotels for better TV and music access, with a willingness to pay more (61%, 45%, 61% respectively). DIRECTV's Advanced Entertainment Platform offers a customizable guest experience, with partners like Enseo and DISH Business enabling personalized content and promotional opportunities for hoteliers. Strong Wi-Fi and user-friendly systems are essential. HUB Entertainment conducted the research in April 2024 with 1,200 U.S. consumers.

📱 The article advocates for "Minimum Viable Campaign (MVC)" planning in advertising, which emphasizes iterative improvements, real-time measurement, and audience signals. It suggests that traditional media planning doesn't align with modern content engagement, highlighting the inefficiency of large-scale, costly brand assets in a "skip-ad" era. The author proposes utilizing GenAI-powered tools to produce dynamic and cost-effective creative assets, enabling campaigns to increase in efficiency, relevance, and effectiveness over time, similar to software development cycles. This approach assumes that optimized, relevant campaigns will lead to better business performance.

📊 At MURTEC 2025, Clark Matthews from El Pollo Loco, Tom Seeker of Ziggi’s Coffee, and Meredith Laurans of SPB Hospitality discussed leveraging real-time data for restaurant operations. El Pollo Loco uses real-time insights for labor compliance and sales competitions between locations. Krystal Restaurants aims for data standardization for a unified view, while Ziggi’s Coffee analyzes weather data for promotional planning. The panel highlighted the importance of data collection, standardization, and actionable insights for operational efficiency and profitability. AI and automation are tools for data analysis, with Ziggi's employing Microsoft-based automation for centralized data warehousing.

🍷 Enomatic, a leader in wine dispense and preservation, has been a UK distributor for over 15 years, with Italian R&D evolving the brand for 20+ years. Their wine serving systems preserve wine for up to 21 days using inert gas and patented technology. Based in Norwich, the UK team supports a range from Scotland to Cornwall and includes a full-time service desk available 7 days a week. Enomatic's systems suit any hospitality venue, aiming to reduce waste and boost profits. They offer customized options for different venues and have integrated their technology with various businesses, including M&S. Their latest product is a 'Bubbles' dispenser for sparkling wines.

💸 A U.S. hotel chain saved over $200K annually by optimizing their procurement strategy with real-time reporting, menu development, and order standardization. Leveraging technology like Foodbuy Hospitality’s MPower platform and eProcurement solutions such as OneSource helps streamline decision-making and purchasing. Utilizing group purchasing organizations (GPOs) negotiates lower prices and streamlines procurement, offering cost savings and operational efficiency. This strategic approach to procurement contributes to brand consistency, long-term profitability, and a competitive edge in the hospitality industry.

📈 Smart hotels are capitalizing on banquet management software in 2025 to improve efficiency, minimize errors, and increase bookings. Digitization in the hospitality industry is seen as a key driver for revenue growth.

🛠 Turbover and Turboidrex are space-efficient kitchen appliances, measuring 55cm x 55cm and 100cm x 60cm respectively, both with a height of 91cm. Turboidrex includes a 750 rpm spin dryer. These devices save water compared to manual washing and are priced at €5,700 (Turbover) and €11,200 (Turboidrex). They're used by prestigious venues like The Oberoi Bangalore, Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and MGM’s Cotai Resort. Ideal for establishments serving up to 100 meals per sitting.

🍷 GranMonte, a Thai winery, uses locally grown grapes from Khao Yai to create wines that reflect the region's terroir. The winery, prioritizing quality, grows varieties such as Syrah and Chenin Blanc. Innovations include a unique yeast isolated and DNA sequenced from their vineyard for fermentation. Their Crémant Méthode Traditionnelle Extra Brut, aged on lees for 18 months, is noteworthy for its traditional production method. GranMonte's "Wine of Thailand" has garnered international recognition, winning "Best Wine from Asia" at the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition.

????🍴 Founded in September 1986, Stockholm-based family-owned Stayhot AB started as an importer and grew into a leading producer of food-warming solutions. CEO Karl Lobelius, whose parents Eva and Per Lobelius began the company in their basement, took over in 2013, marking a shift to product development and production under one roof. Stayhot's handcrafted products, embodying Nordic design with practical functionality, are used in high-profile culinary events like Swedish Chef of the Year and Bocuse d’Or. The Tabletop Heat Lamp Focus LPF model delivers double the heat for high-demand settings, and the innovative Pendant Heat Lamp Focus HAL features separate light and heat controls.

🔌 The North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers Show will take place on Feb. 26-28 in Atlanta, featuring 42 new products developed since the 2023 show, including digital menuboards showcased by Krystal, with items like $4.99 Meal Deals and $12.99 Hangover Cures. The show focuses on cost-effective, energy-conserving equipment aiding in labor savings and efficiency. It will highlight food lockers, educational talks, facility design, sustainability, and smart kitchen innovations. Chipotle's Autocado division was sold to Serve Robotics, which also works with Uber Eats and 7-Eleven, to automate tasks like preparing guacamole. The event will showcase advanced refrigeration and eco-friendly coolants, self-sanitizing surfaces, and the Middleby Corp.'s energy-efficient Invoq Hybrid kitchen appliance.