British General's new USB-C wall sockets combine high-speed charging with quick and easy installation

Whilst the number of portable devices requiring USB charging continues to increase, most of these are only supplied with the charging cable and no plug adaptor. British General’s (BG Electrical) new fast charge USB-C sockets offer installers a great upsell opportunity and are ideal for customers in both domestic and commercial settings.

Speed and safety:

BG’s new 45W fast charge USB socket has an integrated USB-C and USB-A port, and is ideal for home offices, coffee shops and education facilities, as it is capable of charging high power devices such as laptops, tablets and video equipment as well as smartphones and other USB devices. Featuring smart charging with variable voltage, this socket supports both high and low power needs, as it only delivers the power the device needs, when it needs it.

For those who simply need to charge their smart phone and lower powered devices, there is also a 22W fast charge option which can deliver a 50% charge to mobile phones in just 30 minutes.

The super-fast 45W and fast 22W sockets will be available across multiple BG Electrical ranges including the Nexus Metal, White Moulded, Evolve, and Flatplate ranges in the full range of colours and finishes. There will also be a smaller range of 15W and 12W sockets in the White Moulded and Nexus Metal finishes for those who do not require fast charging and are working to a lower budget.

This more sustainable charging solution is a great option for consumers who have limited space near sockets or prefer a more minimalist look. The integrated ports reduce the need for additional 3-pin plug adapters or extension leads and as such, reduces electrical waste for the environmentally conscious.

BG USB sockets feature colour coded in-line terminals with backed out captive screws and fit a 25mm back box making them quick and easy to install. These sockets are certified to the latest British Standards and carry the Asta Diamond mark, so you can install with confidence without worrying about callbacks.

The Luceco Group, which also includes the Luceco Lighting, BG Electrical, and Masterplug brands has over eighty years of industry experience and is internationally recognised as one of the market leaders across all key electrical products.

More information about the new range of sockets can be found at https://bgelectrical.uk and can be purchased from all good electrical wholesalers.

Global attraction experience software specialist partners with wetlands trust to launch new visitor app

Global attraction experience software specialist n-gage.io has secured a contract with the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), who have launched a new mobile app at their Washington, Tyne & Wear site, aimed at enhancing their visitor experience.

The Trust is responsible for creating and maintaining thousands of hectares of wetland habitat at their nature reserves across the UK to support and protect endangered species.

WWT sites welcome over one million visitors annually, and the Washington site has just unveiled a new experience platform to improve communication, navigation, wetlands conservation education and accessibility at their 105-acre site.

WWT is the UK's leading wetland conservation charity operating 10 wetland sites across Scotland, England, and Wales. The charity is renowned not just for promoting wetland conservation but also highlighting the vast array of wildlife that can be found across our native wetland areas.

Given the Trust’s reputation for promoting conservation education, the team at the WWT Washington turned to the attraction experience specialists at n-gage.io to explore how mobile technology could play a wider part in its communication strategy whilst also introducing a host of interactive features in a new mobile app to enhance the wetlands visitor experience.

Led by entrepreneur Bryan Hoare and incubated in North East England by GCV Labs – n-gage.io aims to transform audience experiences through a highly customisable, data insight driven SaaS platform with an integrated mobile-web application.

The n-gage.io solution pairs the SaaS platform's highly customisable mobile app with its powerful attraction management software to deliver WWT Washington both the tools and data insights it needs to enhance the visitor experience and deepen engagement with them in real-time.

They plan to use the app as a focal point for visitors, to provide even more rich content and media on their animal collections and wild reserve, whilst understanding more about activity across their site. Visitors will benefit from the impact of improved navigation, finding their way around the reserve and other points of interest using n-gage.io's innovative wayfinding solution.

The team have also introduced their market leading in-app trails feature, to facilitate interactive nature trails around the Washington site, opening it up for even more exploration.

The WWT Washington team also plan to use the app to keep wetland visitors up to date with details of their latest campaigns, conservation activity and event programmes. Meanwhile, visitor services teams make use of valuable data insights to refine marketing campaigns and drive the conservation agenda through targeted and personalised in-app messaging.

"We're really excited to have launched our new WWT Washington interactive app which offers visitors and the wider community a peek into our wetlands before a visit, and an enhanced experience while here," said Deborah Nolan, Marketing and Communications Manager at WWT Washington Wetland Centre.

"We've been so impressed with n-gage.io who have supported us in getting the app set up and ready to launch. Their technical expertise has been invaluable and, as a local organisation, we've benefitted from their knowledge and experience first-hand.”

"We're delighted to be supporting WWT’s mission to promote and protect our wetland areas and it’s particularly rewarding for us to be working with the team at our local Wetlands Trust Reserve in the Northeast" said Bryan Hoare CEO of n-gage.io.

“The WWT are renowned for their work and we're proud to be playing a small part in helping to highlight this using our technology, whilst giving the team the capability to capture valuable visitor insights to help improve operations and drive engagement.”

SiteMinder launches its platform on mobile, sets stage for new era of dynamic revenue management

London, UK – SiteMinder, the name behind the only software platform that unlocks the full revenue potential of hotels, has today released its industry-leading platform on mobile, to give accommodation providers the power to execute their property’s revenue management strategy and mitigate real-time risks, free from their desk. The mobile app represents the first phase of the delivery of SiteMinder’s smart platform, set to launch later this year, and a key milestone in SiteMinder’s mission to make sophisticated revenue management accessible to every hotel in the world.

Available in eight languages, today's release of SiteMinder’s mobile app follows a Beta period which saw more than 800 users in over 60 countries sign up in spite of no marketing or promotion. It allows accommodation providers to forecast revenue performance and take targeted action whenever needed, using their personalised 14-day overview of rooms sold, revenue earned and best performing distribution channels. Unlike existing solutions, users can also respond to real-time booking demand by easily executing time-sensitive revenue management functions in-app, such as instant rate and availability adjustments, minimum and maximum stay length adjustments, and room sale closures until pricing is fully optimised.

SiteMinder’s chief product officer, Leah Rankin, says SiteMinder’s mobile app is a response to the thousands of hoteliers who for years have been accessing the company’s platform for desktop from their mobile device. The release of SiteMinder’s platform on mobile is about ensuring they and all accommodation providers have the continuous ability to maximise their property’s revenue performance and take rapid action to avert risks.

“We are living in a new era of travel that brings with it new booking patterns and behaviours. Never before have hoteliers had to be so dynamic in their response to an unpredictable booking landscape. Speed-to-market can now mean the difference between thousands upon thousands of revenue gained or revenue lost. That is why today, the power of SiteMinder, which for more than 41,000 hotels last year generated over US$45 billion in revenue from more than 115 million reservations, is officially in our customers’ hands,” says Rankin.

“Without any marketing or promotion, we saw significant early signup volumes to our mobile app, which indicated the real need and demand for a mobile-optimised experience. It’s an experience where hoteliers can execute their end-to-end revenue management and marketing strategies at speed, when on the move. It’s also where trusted data ensures they don’t miss out on ultra time-sensitive revenue opportunities, like demand-driving public events or changes in competitors’ pricing, and where errors can be fixed within seconds, before any monetary or reputational damage occurs. These are capabilities that have traditionally felt too complex and large scale to execute, even on desktop. But this is the new era of dynamic revenue management, and mobility is at the heart of it.”

One of the app’s early adopters is Le Thi To Mai, Revenue Manager at Alba Wellness Valley by Fusion in Vietnam, who says, “SiteMinder’s new app has streamlined our revenue management with quick availability checks, performance reports and rapid rate updates – perfect for our dynamic pricing strategy. It's been a game-changer for us.”

Adds Encarni Ogea Bermúdez, Director at Costa Azul Hostel in Spain: “The mobile app is super practical, fast and easy-to-use. It allows me to instantly visualise key information, like availability and minimum stays, from the palm of my hand.”

SiteMinder’s mobile app has been unveiled at ITB Berlin, where the company’s revenue product consultant, Aimee Olley, will provide a keynote presentation about what the release means for the world’s hotels. 

What could Owen’s Law mean for the food industry?

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have recently announced its support for Owen’s Law - a campaign to mandate allergy information on menus in restaurants and cafes in the UK. 

As it currently stands, there is only guidance in place to advise those in the food industry to include written allergy information on their menus. It is not currently a legal requirement. 

The Owen’s Law campaign was launched by Owen Carey’s family in 2017 following his fatal anaphylactic shock after consuming buttermilk from a chicken burger whilst eating out, despite telling the front of house staff about his severe allergies. 

Owen’s Law aims to change the law by requiring restaurants to clearly state the allergy information in all of their dishes, and specially write this information on the main menu for customers to clearly see. 

The campaign received thousands of signatures and in May 2023 was debated in government. The FSA have now discussed the allergen information proposals during its December 2023 board meeting. 

Now, the government body has confirmed their backing to the proposal and plans to write to the government about the matter. 

The FSA also said it would work on developing further guidance for restaurants on how to provide written information for food allergies. 

This proposed change in the law will no doubt make a real change for the food industry, and for those suffering with allergies and intolerances. 

Currently there are around two million people in the UK who have a food allergy, intolerance or coeliac disease. 

For these food allergy sufferers, going out for an evening meal or having lunch with friends could instantly turn to a life-threatening event. 

Owen’s Law may now make the dining out experience a lot safer and enjoyable for Brits suffering with allergies. 

And for the restaurants, food businesses may soon be able to worry less about providing the right information to their customer and feeding this back through front of house staff, and to the chef. 

In the experience of Owen Carey, communication was the fundamental reason why he was served the ingredient he was severely allergic to. 

If the changes come into play, all restaurants and food outlets will have to stay well informed on the food allergy information each dish contains. 

And with the customer clearly being able to see which items on the menu they need to avoid, the proposal is cutting out the need to have a no-fault line of communication back to the kitchen. 

The consumer would instantly be able to know which dishes to avoid without having to worry about this information being correctly recalled back to the chef from the front of house staff. 

Owen’s Law cuts out the need for the customer suffering with an allergy to rely on others saying the right information to the right people. 

However, if the change in how food businesses supply allergy information to their customers goes ahead, it likely means a big switch up for restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, delis and other food outlets.

Businesses may struggle to supply the correct allergen information on their menus everyday, especially if any ingredients change at the last minute. 

Although restaurants can have the correct allergen information available on their written menus, if the supplier provides a different version of certain ingredients one day, or the manufacturing process differs from usual, it could mean that not all allergens are listed on front of house menus. 

This small change in ingredients could lead to a life-threatening or fatal allergic reaction from customers. It also means that the restaurant supplying the dish could get in hot water with the law.  

Even before Owen’s Law is made compulsory, restaurant owners should seek to provide accurate and up to date allergen information to their customers. 

Managing allergies is a real concern for everyone in the hospitality industry with bosses facing the potential of legal action if a customer suffers an adverse reaction.

In extreme cases a restaurant manager could even face criminal charges if a customer who flagged an allergy went on to suffer an extreme reaction.

There are services available to food businesses which make the process of supplying the right allergy information to the consumer a lot easier. 

Services such as Allergy Menu allow the kitchen staff to upload which ingredients are in certain dishes and therefore provide the right allergy information. 

Back on the restaurant floor, the consumer can then straight away see which items on the menu they need to avoid. 

By placing the information in the hands of the chef, if any different foods are supplied that day, the kitchen staff can instantly change the allergen information, rather than relying on front of house staff to pass the message on to the consumer. 

It can cut out the need for a ‘middleman’ and supply the right allergen information directly to the customer with a centrally managed system. 

Services like Allergy Menu can help restaurants, cafes and other food businesses ensure they meet any new legislation and comply with the law.  
https://allergymenu.uk/food-standards-agency-allergy-mandatory/

Hilton Expands Its Mobile Messaging Platform to Enhance the Guest Experience

The expansion is scheduled to be implemented across its over 7,000 properties worldwide by the end of the year.

Hilton is expanding its mobile messaging platform in a bit to further improve the guest experience. The initiative, annnounce this week, is aimed at enhancing the ease of communication between guests and hotel teams. The expansion is scheduled to be implemented across its over 7,000 properties worldwide by the end of the year.

Developed in collaboration with Kipsu, a provider of real-time engagement solutions, this digital messaging capability will reportedly be accessible through various channels including the Hilton Honors app, SMS, and WhatsApp, facilitating a two-way, immediate dialogue for inquiries, requests, and more.

The decision to expand this digital service aligns with Hilton’s track record of leveraging technology to streamline the travel experience, from the moment of booking to the final bill. Chris Silcock, president of Global Brands and Commercial Services at Hilton, highlighted in a press statement the increasing preference of travelers to interact with hotel staff via mobile devices. This expansion is a strategic move to meet guests’ evolving needs, ensuring a consistent and enhanced experience across all Hilton properties.

The integration of mobile messaging at Hilton properties marks a significant shift in how travelers communicate with their accommodations. Since the introduction of mobile messaging at the first Hilton property in 2013, there has been a notable increase in guest engagement, with over 40% of guests responding to welcome messages. In 2023, the platform facilitated over 10.5 million conversations through nearly 70 million messages across 3,618 Hilton properties. This level of interaction has had a positive impact on guest satisfaction, with 70% of users reporting an improved stay experience.

This digital expansion is part of Hilton’s broader strategy to integrate personal devices with on-property technology, responding to the expectations of 80% of global travelers, as reported in Hilton’s 2024 Trends Report. The mobile messaging service joins a suite of digital innovations by Hilton, including the Hilton Honors Digital Key, which saw over 12.3 million downloads last year, and the Connected Room Experience, which benefited more than 17 million guests in over 135,000 tech-enabled rooms in 2023.

Hilton’s initiative to expand its mobile messaging capabilities is another step in the brand’s strategy of adopting technology. Earlier this month, the company launched a new technology-enabled global program, Hilton for Business, aimed at simplifying travel management for small- and medium-sized businesses. The program offers a comprehensive set of tools designed to enhance the business travel booking and management experience, while also providing Hilton Honors benefits to business customers and their employees worldwide.

As reported here, Hilton announced plans in October to roll out two new digital innovations aimed at enhancing the travel experience for small- and medium-sized businesses, with both initiatives set to launch early this year. The first initiative was Hilton for Business. The second initiative involves the expansion of Hilton’s events booking capabilities to support the growing demand for in-person gatherings. Customers will be able to book meeting packages for up to 35 attendees, including guest rooms and meeting or event spaces.

Research: Three-Quarters of Hoteliers Agree That Revenue Management Technology Will Increase in Importance

According to the new research, 67% of survey respondents believe that the use of technology will have a "high" or "very high" impact on the profitability of their organizations.

A new research report examines how investors view revenue technologies, the role of artificial intelligence in hospitality, and how technology is reshaping hospitality industry.

The research, “Unlocking hotel performance: The power of revenue management technology today,” revealed that 78% of respondents believe that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in revenue management technology will significantly increase in the next three years.

The report, which was conducted by Benchmark Research Partners, The Caterer and IDeaS, a leading revenue management solution provider, further highlighted that 64% of respondents believe that AI will play a critical role in the future of revenue management.

Among the other key findings:

• 76% of survey respondents believe that revenue management technology will become more important in the future, with 58% stating that it will be “much more important.”

• 72% of respondents believe that technology is “very important” in this process, with a further 21% describing it as “somewhat important.”

• 69% of respondents believe that the use of technology in the hotel industry will increase in the next three years.

• 67% of respondents believe that the use of technology will have a “high” or “very high” impact on the profitability of their organizations.

• 65% of respondents believe that the use of technology will lead to a “significant” or “very significant” increase in the efficiency of their organizations.

• 63% of respondents believe that the use of technology will lead to a “significant” or “very significant” improvement in the quality of their services.

•  61% of respondents believe that the use of technology will lead to a “significant” or “very significant” increase in customer satisfaction.

Hilton Launches Tech-Enabled Global Program Aimed at Simplifying Business Travel

The program offers a comprehensive set of tools designed to enhance the business travel booking and management experience, while also providing Hilton Honors benefits to business customers and their employees worldwide.

Hilton has launched a new technology-enabled global program, Hilton for Business, aimed at simplifying travel management for small- and medium-sized businesses. The program offers a comprehensive set of tools designed to enhance the business travel booking and management experience, while also providing Hilton Honors benefits to business customers and their employees worldwide.

The launch of Hilton for Business comes in response to a growing demand for such services. According to Hilton’s data, 75% of small- and medium-sized business customers handle their own business trip bookings and manage their travel in-house, without outsourcing. Furthermore, Hilton’s 2024 Trends Report highlighted that 80% of global travelers believe it is important to be able to book their entire trip online.

Chris Silcock, president of Global Brands and Commercial Services at Hilton, stated that the company continually strives to innovate and provide a superior hotel experience for every stay occasion. This includes small- and medium-sized business customers who require a travel platform that meets their unique needs and reduces friction points, from booking to billing.

The Hilton for Business program offers several benefits to small- and medium-sized businesses. These include portfolio-wide discounts, with businesses that join the program gaining access to discounted rates across Hilton’s global portfolio of nearly 7,400 properties both on the website and on the Hilton Honors app.

Additionally, the program offers travel rewards for small businesses and their employees. Companies that enroll in Hilton for Business will receive 7,500 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after any program member completes their first hotel stay. After every 10 nights stayed by a program member, the company receives 5,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points. These Bonus Points are housed within the business’ company account and can be used to distribute to themselves and/or any member of their Hilton for Business program. Individual travelers, including both owners and employees, will continue to earn their personal Hilton Honors Points and benefits each time they stay.

Hilton for Business also offers rapid onboarding. Small- and medium-sized business owners or travel administrators can register themselves and their companies, through their own Hilton Honors account, to gain access to a comprehensive, self-service travel booking and management system. Once registered, the customer and their employees gain access to the booking website and other benefits. Individual travelers can also create separate personal and business travel profiles within their own Hilton Honors account, enabling seamless differentiation and management between the two profiles.

The program also aims to provide seamless program management. Business owners have full control and can delegate program management to any number of administrators. Adding employees is straightforward – the more employees included in the program, the more benefits the company earns. Businesses can track their upcoming spend, review historical spend, and understand the benefits accumulating as they travel.

As reported here, Hilton announced plans in October to roll out two new digital innovations aimed at enhancing the travel experience for small- and medium-sized businesses, with both initiatives set to launch early this year. The first initiative was Hilton for Business. The second initiative involves the expansion of Hilton’s events booking capabilities to support the growing demand for in-person gatherings. Customers will be able to book meeting packages for up to 35 attendees, including guest rooms and meeting or event spaces, directly on Events.Hilton.com. This feature is particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized businesses that need to plan small in-person meetings and events quickly without staff or third-party support.

The Hotels Network Unveils Innovative AI Solution to Help Hoteliers Increase Return On Advertising Spend

Powered by AI and hospitality-specific algorithms, this innovative tool makes it possible to optimize retargeting campaigns, effectively bringing high-value users back to the hotel’s website.

The Hotels Network (THN), a direct growth platform for hotels, has launched Predictive Audiences to boost Return On Advertising Spend (ROAS) for hoteliers. Powered by AI and hospitality-specific algorithms, this innovative tool makes it possible to optimize retargeting campaigns, effectively bringing high-value users back to the hotel’s website. Predictive Audiences is redefining traffic acquisition by empowering hotels to fine-tune retargeting campaign bidding for guests that are more likely to convert or with higher spending, resulting in a CPA of up to 70% lower.

How does Predictive Audiences work?

Based on the observation of hundreds of millions of users across THN’s extensive network of 19,000+ hotels, this technology uses machine learning techniques to find patterns in real-time based on hundreds of variables. Subsequently, it makes predictions on user behavior by considering factors such as past and present user behavior, THN interactions, and external data, offering hoteliers a comprehensive understanding of user engagement.

Predictive Audiences streamlines the process for hoteliers by automatically analyzing and understanding user behavior, thereby creating high-value audience segments from the overall web traffic. These audiences are then used to target users, optimize bidding, and drive higher conversion rates. Importantly, this is achieved without increasing ad spend, as it allows hotels to adjust campaign bidding for guests more likely to convert or with higher spending.

The top-performing algorithms for the optimization of retargeting campaigns are:

• Purchase Intent: This algorithm empowers hotel marketers to target users based on their probability of booking a room on the hotel’s website.

• High Spend: The algorithm detects the likelihood of a user opting for higher or lower rates on the hotel’s website, indicating which room category a user is likely to book.

The audience segments can be combined with other behavioral targeting rules based on user interactions with the hotel website, such as stay dates searched or URL variables. Utilizing Predictive Audiences in this way will benefit hoteliers by ultimately boosting ROAS (Return on Ad Spend), lowering CPA (Cost Per Acquisition), and driving higher conversion rates.

“Having achieved considerable success with our initial Predictive Personalization platform, we are excited to broaden its capabilities and the value we provide to hoteliers for their direct channel strategies,” said Juanjo Rodriguez, Founder of The Hotels Network. “With the plug and play implementation of Predictive Audiences, seamlessly connecting to the hotel brand’s Google Analytics account, hoteliers can effortlessly launch retargeting campaigns that immediately and significantly enhance their direct channel performance.

In addition to price comparison, reviews summary and a full suite of personalization options, THN’s Predictive Personalization product harnesses machine learning techniques to predict user behavior and then automatically personalizes both the message and the offer for each user. The company’s latest innovation, BenchDirect, is the first benchmarking product for the direct channel, providing hotels with never-before-seen competitive data that completely changes the rules of the game.

Brittain Resorts & Hotels Rolls Out AI Business Intelligence Technology Matrix Across Its Portfolio of 22 Properties

The matrix, dubbed "Power BI," is comprised of a stack of solutions from diversity of technology providers and connects to multiple data sources. (Shown here: The Caribbean Resort at Myrtle Beach).

Brittain Resorts & Hotels (BRH), a prominent full-service hospitality management company in the Southeast, has announced the introduction of an “AI-led business intelligence technology matrix.” This move places BRH at the forefront of next-generation technology initiatives and platform capabilities within the hospitality industry. The initiatives are part of BRH’s expansion into third-party management for hotel owners seeking improved values and satisfaction measurements.

As a full-service hospitality management company, BRH provides expertise in all disciplines of hotel and resort operations. Launched in 1943, the company currently operates 22 hotels and resorts and 45-plus restaurants & bars within the United States.

BRH has taken a relatively aggressive stance to hotel technology, integrating next-generation solutions from more than a dozen solution providers into its strategy. The new matrix includes multiple platforms such as guest data, social media management, guest messaging communication, revenue management, CRS, customer relationship management, market data, parity management, payroll, and HR systems. According to the company, AI has been applied to each of these areas to enhance their respective processes. For instance, AI can analyze guest preferences and behaviors to automate and personalize marketing campaigns. It can also optimize rate management by analyzing large datasets, predicting market demand, and adjusting pricing strategies in real time to maximize revenue.

The matrix, dubbed “Power BI,” is comprised of a stack of solutions from a diversity of leading technology providers and connects to multiple data sources, allowing users to aggregate, analyze, visualize, and share insights through interactive dashboards and reports. Solutions providers include a customer relationship management solution from Amadeus, a property management solution (PMS) from Agilysys, a parity management solution from OTA Insight, a revenue management solution from Duetto and a guest data platform from Revinaterobust data visualization, It also  includes business analytics tool developed by Microsoft.

“AI and business intelligence are major data and analytics initiatives for Brittain, and we have integrated AI into its strategy,” explains Christy Jernigan, the company’s chief development officer. “The business intelligence component allows us to understand and interpret our data across all channels for ongoing analysis and simplified reporting back to our owners. For the new systems we’ve added, the integration of AI, machine learning or business intelligence not only automates tasks but also offers predictive insights, optimization suggestions and enhanced user experiences.”

BRH is applying its business intelligence capabilities to provide multiple benefits to the hotels it operates. The platform can integrate with a hotel’s PMS to provide insights into guest demographics, preferences, and behaviors. It can also analyze operational data to uncover inefficiencies in housekeeping, maintenance, or F&B operations. According to the company, these tools can lead to notable improvements in operations, which in turn can increase values for shareholders.

BRH’s project and facility management includes Capex projects, budgeting and planning, lifecycle renovations, and annual preventative maintenance programs. The company also offers dedicated analytics support to property operations and a business intelligence central reporting platform.

In terms of guest experience management, BRH conducts secret shops, inspections, and routine property visits from the corporate team. The company also uses technology solutions to maximize operational and technical efficiencies and enhance guest service.

BRH’s food and beverage management includes concept and brand identity creation, digital asset management, POS/seating software consultation, implementation, and installment, purchase analyzation, menu costing and inventory controls, industry regulations compliance, training programs and certifications, and full sales and marketing plans customized to the restaurant and for the needs of the specific outlet.

The company also offers owner relations management, which includes transparent reporting and communication with clients, a team of homeowner representatives dedicated to homeowner relations, on-premise/off-premise rental management experts, sales-driven business development managers focused on the acquisition of additional units, homeowner online portal with property management system integration, online homeowner accounting and statement management, and HOA board expertise and HOA management partnerships.

Finally, BRH’s IT management capabilities include systems analysis and procurement, database segmentation, POS and PMS management, IP safeguards & data governance, network and cyber security, cloud integration and migration, IT project & vendor management, IT budgeting and cost control, and business intelligence and analytics.

“This platform represents a cutting-edge approach to working with the newest technologies available,” said Jernigan “These tools produce meaningful improvements to operations, which in turn lead to increased values for our shareholders.”

Universal Orlando Resort Tests Facial Recognition Technology for Guest Entry

While the use of facial recognition technology in theme parks could potentially streamline operations and enhance guest experiences, it also raises important questions about personal privacy and data security.

Universal Orlando Resort has begun testing a new facial recognition technology, dubbed “Photo Validation,” as a potential replacement for the current thumbprint scan used at park entrances. The technology is designed to streamline park operations and enhance the guest experience by providing a seamless, contactless entry process. The software quickly and accurately identifies guests as they enter the park, eliminating the need for physical tickets or passes.

The facial recognition software works by capturing the facial images of guests as they approach designated entry points. The images are then matched against a database of pre-registered guests, verifying their identity within seconds. This process is designed to minimize wait times and provide a high level of security for all visitors.

Despite the potential benefits, the introduction of facial recognition technology at Universal Orlando Resort has sparked controversy among fans. Some are concerned about the ethical implications of such technology, particularly in relation to personal privacy. These concerns are not unfounded, as Walt Disney World Resort previously trialed facial recognition scanners in 2021, only to remove them following negative feedback from theme park ticket holders.

In addition to Universal Orlando Resort, the new facial recognition technology is also set to be implemented at Epic Universe, Universal’s new theme park scheduled to open in Orlando, Florida in mid-2025. The technology will be used to moderate or customize guest experiences based on paired biometric ID credentials. Data collected by the system will be erased when the guest leaves the park.

Universal has patented a system for capturing a guest’s photo on entry and using face scanners across the park. Diagrams included in the patent show potential activations and operational flow charts for attaching face images that are registered in databases to specific areas in the park.

The new park, which is being touted as the company’s most technologically advanced, will feature four themed lands centered around a landscaped hub. Advanced robotics and drone tech will be used to showcase what Mark Woodbury, CEO of Universal Epic Destinations & Experiences, describes as “powerful, trip-driving intellectual property.”

Rumors suggest that the central hub area may be free, with only the themed lands requiring ticketed entry. Facial recognition scanners could potentially be used to manage access to these areas. Diagrams in a recent permit filing also suggest the placement of overhead sensors in the park, which could also be used for access control.

While the use of facial recognition technology in theme parks could potentially streamline operations and enhance guest experiences, it also raises important questions about personal privacy and data security. As Universal Orlando Resort and Epic Universe move forward with their plans, it will be interesting to see how these issues are addressed – and also to what extent, if any, the new technology will be implemented across their hotel properties.