Innovation

📌 Hospitality Technology Advisory (HTA) appoints Joshua Beagrie as a consultant. Previously a senior business analyst at Alliants for over three years and at Kognitiv Corporation focusing on group strategies. Beagrie aims to optimize hotel services and profitability through digital and IT transformations, enhancing guest and staff experiences. HTA, founded last year, is known for being a trusted partner in the hotel industry. CEO Kevin Edwards expresses confidence in Beagrie's ability to drive better business performance and innovate for increased profitability.

🛫 Hong Kong Airlines adopts Accelya’s BIDT Audit solution to enhance operational efficiency and reduce GDS costs. Accelya will audit millions of transactions, aiming to recoup lost revenue. In the first month, the audit revealed inventory abuse, projecting annual savings in the hundreds of thousands of USD for the airline. The partnership underscores Hong Kong Airlines' trust in Accelya's expertise and anticipates significant cost savings, better agent education, and improved inventory management.

🏠 Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, set for April 28-May 1 at Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE, sees a 25% increase in Travel Tech exhibitors, with the global travel technology market valued at $10.7 billion. The 32nd edition focuses on 'Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow's Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity,' expecting growth at a 6.05% CAGR from 2025 to 2033. The Future Stage will feature tech expert speakers, and the market is projected to reach $18.6 billion by 2033. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME for ATM, emphasizes the event's role in advancing connectivity and integration.

📌 In the evolving landscape of marketing, brand marketers in travel are now leveraging social commerce with a new metric, Return on Influencer Spend (ROIS), outperforming traditional Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). Previously, 80% of budgets favored performance marketing for its perceived safety and measurability. However, with ROIS, brand teams can now provide concrete evidence of ROI to C-suite executives, potentially leading to equitable or increased budget allocation for brand-driven social commerce strategies, as the age of organic SEO growth fades.

🏀 Co-op Live in Manchester, England opened with a 10,500 square meter rooftop solar panel array and advanced audio-visual system. Predicted 2025 trends for sports and entertainment venues include AI optimizing venue operations and fan engagement, personalized fan experiences based on data, and venues transforming into year-round communal spaces integrated with entertainment districts. AI analyzes spatial data and menu item popularity for efficient staffing and stock levels, while technology aids in creating unique fan profiles for targeted marketing and loyalty-building experiences. Communal spaces connect to residential and entertainment areas, fostering community and venue loyalty.

🤖 LG Electronics acquired majority stake (51%) in Bear Robotics, a Silicon Valley AI service robot firm. The deal followed LG's $60 million investment in March 2024 for a 21% stake, with an additional 30% stake obtained on Jan. 22 through a call option. Bear Robotics, established in 2017, is known for AI-powered robots serving the US, South Korea, and Japan. LG integrates Bear's tech with its LG CLOi Robots and plans to release the Self-driving AI Home Hub (Q9) in 2025, featuring Microsoft's voice recognition. CEO William Cho aims to achieve a "Zero-labor Home.

🤖 LG Electronics obtained a majority stake in Bear Robotics, securing 51% ownership after a call option exercise on Jan. 22 for an additional 30% stake, following an initial $60 million investment in March 2024 for a 21% stake. Bear Robotics, founded in 2017, specializes in AI-powered service robots, operating in the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. LG's commercial robots, including "LG CLOi Robots," will be integrated with Bear Robotics. The Self-driving AI Home Hub (Q9) is expected to release within the year, featuring Microsoft's voice technology and multimodal sensing capabilities. LG's CEO spoke at CES 2025, hinting at expansion plans, while the company aims to create an integrated software platform for commercial, industrial, and home robots to shorten development cycles and enhance user experience.

🤖 LG Electronics secures a majority stake in Bear Robotics, a Silicon Valley startup specializing in AI robots, by acquiring an additional 30% stake on Jan. 22, after an initial $60 million investment for a 21% stake in March 2024. LG now holds a controlling 51% in Bear Robotics, integrating it as a subsidiary. The commercial robot business, including LG CLOi Robots, will unite with Bear Robotics, while John Ha and his team continue to lead. Bear Robotics, established in 2017, is known for its AI-powered indoor delivery robots in the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. LG aims to strengthen its commercial, home, and industrial robot segments, with plans to release the Self-driving AI Home Hub (Q9) within the year, featuring Microsoft's voice technology. LG's advanced manufacturing and global sales will enhance its robotics business efficiency and market reach.