Innovation

🏨 Nova Express Pattaya, part of the Nova Hotels Group and located in Pattaya City, rebranded in April 2024 and has 153 units. The property improved its online visibility and bookings by partnering with STAAH, utilizing their channel manager, booking engine, review management, and Get Google feature. STAAH connects with 500+ online channels, which, along with its booking engine, has been key for Nova Express. The use of STAAH's technology has resulted in increased online presence, bookings, and revenue for Nova Express Pattaya.

📱 PPDS launched the Philips Interactive 3000 Series, advanced multi-touch displays, showcased at ISE 2025 in Barcelona (Feb 4-7). The series, available in 24", 32", 43", and 55" models, features bezel-free design, PCAP touch technology, 24/7 operation, 30-degree tilt mounting, and Kiosk Mode for security. The displays offer up to 350 cd/m2 brightness for smaller models, 450 cd/m2 for larger ones, and come with built-in Android 13 SoC, 4GB RAM, 32GB ROM, and support remote management through Philips Wave. The series is designed for sustainability with reduced power consumption and automatic backlight control. Available globally, with additional demonstrations in PPDS Studio showrooms across EMEA, North America, and India.

💸 GuestRevu's integration with HotelTime Solutions enhances hotel operations by facilitating guest feedback collection and management via HotelTime's cloud-based PMS. HotelTime, with 20+ years in hospitality software, partners with GuestRevu to allow hoteliers to automatically send post-checkout feedback requests. The integration was highlighted at the GuestRevu GREAT Awards in Cape Town and TechTonic in Johannesburg. GuestRevu, celebrated for its feedback solutions, has won the HotelTechAwards six times. HotelTime serves over 650 clients across 20 countries.

📅 In the "2025 State of the Meetings Industry" report by Cendyn and ConferenceDirect, meetings with 100-250 attendees made up 35.8% of US bookings, while those with over 500 attendees were 32.4%. In 2024, 49.4% of bookings occurred within the same year, yet 9.5% are now made three to five years in advance. Costs are a concern, with planners seeking cost-effective measures. Secondary markets are gaining favor, offering competitive pricing. Planners prioritize advanced AV support (60%) and functional F&B (53%). An optimistic outlook for 2025 shows 40% of planners expecting more bookings and 65% anticipating higher attendance, despite cost challenges.

📊 According to a recent article, Stephen Wolfram's work reveals how ChatGPT operates based on words that frequently follow each other on the Internet, using digitized books and a large corpus of language. The algorithm also employs processes to ensure sentence structure and coherence. The author mentions that despite knowing how to influence ChatGPT and similar AI systems, few people actively engage in the necessary public relations work to enhance their brand's presence in AI search results. The author's own bio page, containing the phrase "Spark Toro, makers of fine audience research software," is cited as an example demonstrating how strategic repetition of specific phrases across the web can influence AI-driven visibility. This insight is underscored by the increase in searches for how to appear in AI results over the past years, indicating a growing interest yet a lack of action in leveraging these systems.

📌 RMS appointed Adam Seskis as CEO, focusing on global expansion, product enhancement, and customer experience. Seskis, with 25+ years in SaaS and technology, aims to leverage RMS' 40 years of guest data for insights and personalized services. RMS, founded in Melbourne, serves 7,000+ properties in 70 countries, backed by Advent Partners for growth. Seskis holds a law degree from the University of New England and has 15 years of global experience.

📌 RMS appoints Adam Seskis as CEO, leveraging his 25+ years of SaaS, software, and tech business experience. Seskis, with a law degree from the University of New England, has led global firms like Epiq and Wolters Kluwer and advised on private equity portfolio optimization. At RMS, he'll drive global market expansion, product enhancement, and customer experience, focusing on the company's 40-year guest data history for insights. RMS, founded in Melbourne, serves over 7,000 properties in 70 countries and recently received investment from Advent Partners.

💸 Adam Seskis has been appointed CEO of RMS, a hospitality property management platform, to spearhead global growth and product innovation. With 25+ years in SaaS and technology, his prior roles include leadership positions at Epiq and Wolters Kluwer. Recently, he consulted on M&A and strategy for private equity firms. RMS, established in Melbourne, serves over 7,000 properties in 70 countries and, with backing from Advent Partners, aims to expand its global presence and enhance hospitality technology solutions.