Innovation

📈 GHENT, Belgium—Lighthouse released Channel Manager, an AI-powered solution addressing pricing, promotion, and distribution for independent hotels. The platform integrates Stardekk and automates pricing and promotions based on real-time data. Features include AI-driven rate recommendations, automated rate parity, real-time distribution, support for over 65,000 hotels, local customer service, and connectivity with over 200 OTAs and 50 PMS systems. Lighthouse CEO Sean Fitzpatrick aims to grow independent hoteliers' top-line revenue and enhance guest experiences.

💸 Priceline and Cover Genius have partnered to offer enhanced travel protection for flights, hotels, rental cars, and packages. Cover Genius' XCover platform integration allows Priceline’s North American customers to access policy details, support, and instant payments for approved claims. The collaboration aims to improve insurance experiences and has already increased insurance attach rates for Priceline. XCover Protection is currently available to Priceline customers in the United States and Canada.

🔊 Beef 'O' Brady's, operating in more than 20 states, partners with SoundHoundAI for AI-assisted phone ordering. SoundHound's voice AI, trained on the chain's menu, is live in all corporate locations and available for franchises, handling 100% of calls even during peak periods. As the 2024 Summer Olympics approach, the system offers enhanced ordering convenience. SoundHound AI, deployed in over 10,000 restaurant locations, recently acquired Allset, aiming to transform the voice commerce ecosystem. Nearly 80% of U.S. diners expect AI to manage most food ordering soon.

☕ Starting 3 September, Pret's Club Pret membership will offer a 50% discount on up to five barista-made drinks per day for £5/month until 31 March 2025, then £10/month. The current Club Pret offers five free coffees daily and a 20% food discount for £30/month. YourPret Barista launched in September 2020 costing £20/month, later increased to £25 and then rebranded to Club Pret at £30/month. Pret's UK&I MD Clare Clough cites over a quarter of a billion coffees served since the pandemic as a sign of success. The chain now provides Arabica Filter Coffee at 99p and croissants from £2.30 to £1.99, with earlier price cuts on egg mayo sandwiches and tuna baguettes. Pret has cracked down on QR code sharing and issued refunds for app issues. Leon challenges Pret with a £25/month coffee subscription including a 20% food discount.

🔊 Beef 'O' Brady's, a US family sports bar and grill chain in over 20 states, partners with SoundHoundAI for AI voice ordering. Corporate locations plus franchises now employ the system that handles 100% of calls, even during busy periods. SoundHound's AI, active in over 10,000 restaurants, can answer menu queries, and was boosted by acquiring Allset, an online ordering platform. Nearly 80% of US diners foresee AI in food ordering soon, aligning with the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics rush.

📊 The 2024 Restaurant Technology Landscape Report reveals that 76% of operators see tech as a competitive advantage, yet 23% feel behind in tech adoption. 45% of operators need more staff, while 27% struggle with hiring and retention. Automating tasks, such as temperature checks that cost $2.6 million annually for chains with 1,000 locations, can save time and money. Quick-service restaurants use 10x more energy per square foot than other retailers, with 80% of this energy being wasted. Embracing IoT could help streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction. Authors Tom Woodbury and Peter Cryan emphasize the importance of scalable solutions for profitability.

💳 French bank BNP Paribas and Chinese FinTech Ant International signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 3, 2024, in Zurich to enhance cross-border payment solutions in Europe. The partnership focuses on integrating BNP Paribas' acquiring service with Alipay+, enabling acceptance of payments from over 25 international mobile partners. Ant International's WorldFirst will increase its SEPA scheme participation, backed by BNP Paribas sponsorship, to streamline online payments within the SEPA Zone. Additionally, the collaboration will explore tokenised deposits for global treasury management using Ant International's Whale platform, incorporating blockchain and AI. The partnership builds on a relationship initiated in 2016 with the rollout of Alipay+ in Europe.

✈ Sabre Corporation launched Air Canada's full content via NDC in its travel marketplace, enabling travel agents to shop, book, and service Air Canada offers alongside other content. NDC is available in multiple markets, including Canada, Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, and several European and Middle Eastern countries. Air Canada's EVP Mark Nasr emphasized the importance of travel trade partners and a smooth transition to NDC. Sabre VP Kathy Morgan highlighted the benefits of their technology in maintaining operational efficiency and workflow integrity for travel agencies.

🚙 Focus Travel Partnership partnered with International Rail, making it the preferred global rail tech provider for Focus TMC partners. The partnership offers access to over 66,000 point-to-point rail routes in Europe, as well as routes in North America, Japan, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, including UK domestic travel. International Rail's digital technology platform, 1track, facilitates this global rail booking access for Focus TMC partners, offering a sustainable travel alternative. The collaboration aims to innovate and shape the future of global business travel.

🏠 Wakanow.com, a major African travel seller, partners with Outpayce for virtual cards in B2B Wallet to pay suppliers like airlines and hotels. Group CEO Bayo Adedeji touts quick, easy payments and reduced reconciliation time, while Kalabash54.com CEO Ladi Ojuri highlights fraud risk mitigation. Outpayce's Claudio Santos suggests a 30% increase in virtual card acceptance with the right insights and data.