News Briefs

Knowland, a provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, and Amadeus, a technology provider for the travel industry, present the metrics from the companies’ Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index (the “Index”). For the second quarter of 2024, the Index shows overall health of 105.5 percent year-over-year (YOY.) This is the first time the overall Index has exceeded 100 percent, reflecting continued industry health across all reported indices. In addition, 22 of the top 25 U.S. markets have achieved 100 percent or more in overall performance compared to the same time in 2023. 

1. Las Vegas               117.9 Percent 
2. Seattle                 117.6 Percent
3. Nashville            114.2 Percent
4. Detroit                110.2 Percent
5. Houston              108.9 Percent
6. Miami                 108.2 Percent
7. Washington DC   108.0 Percent
8. Philadelphia        107.4 Percent
9. Tampa                107.0 Percent
10. New York City    106.6 Percent
11. Dallas                 106.2 Percent
12. San Francisco      105.9 Percent
13. Boston                105.6 Percent
14. Phoenix              104.5 Percent
15. Denver                104.4 Percent
16. Minneapolis        104.3 Percent
17. San Diego           103.9 Percent
18. Chicago              103.8 Percent
19. Atlanta                103.7 Percent
20. St. Louis             103.6 Percent
21. San Antonio        102.9 Percent
22. Austin                 102.7 Percent

While these were the top growth markets overall, 21 of the top 25 markets achieved 100 percent or more growth in the Group segment for 2Q2024 compared to the same period last year. This reflects continued growth for seven consecutive quarters. The top Group growth markets were Las Vegas (125.7 percent), Detroit (122.2 percent), and Seattle (117.8 percent). 

The Index combines event data from the Knowland platform with hotel booking data from Amadeus’ Demand360® business intelligence solution to provide aggregate views of the key drivers of hotel performance. The aggregated index reflects performance or “health” for all segments – Group, Corporate Negotiated, Global Distribution System (GDS), and Events. It offers filters for event market segments and booking industries, empowering hoteliers, destinations, and convention and visitor bureaus to adapt strategies effectively.

Key insights from the Index are as follows: 

• Strong group growth with Northeast and Midwest regions leading the charge. The Group Index has achieved seven consecutive quarters of year-over-year growth, reaching 108 percent. This includes 103.4 percent of last year’s room nights and a 4.4 percent increase in the average daily rate. The Northeast and Midwest regions were standout performers, experiencing double-digit growth in group nights. 
• Performance of indirect distribution rallies beyond 2023 levels, leading all segments in growth. The GDS Index scored 112 percent overall, with room night production at 109.1 percent of last year and a 2.4 percent increase in average daily rate (ADR). The most significant growth in GDS room nights booked occurred in the Northeastern region, with New Jersey, Maine, and Rhode Island experiencing more than 25 percent YOY growth.
• Negotiated performance remains stable compared to last year. The Negotiated Index score was 102 percent with 98.5 percent of the 2023 room nights and a 3.8 percent increase in ADR. Eighteen of the top 25 markets achieved 100 percent or more versus the same period last year.
• Event volume is steady as meetings get bigger. Events remained consistent in 2024 compared to 2023. With the reduction of one-day meetings, some of those events have been moved to multi-day events that may be held less frequently. Growth continues in the Top 25 markets, which continue to attract events with their versatility and range of experiences. However, the higher ADR for these markets ($229/night in Q2) may have caused a share of events to transition to non-Top 25 markets, which averaged $185/night in Q2.
• Meetings continue to provide stability for hotels after the 2023 boom year. Average attendee size held steady at 145 guests. Nashville rose to 131.6 percent, Detroit was 120.3 percent, and Miami was 113.7 percent. Eleven of the top 25 markets achieved 100 percent or more for Q2 2024 versus the same period last year. The average space used was consistent with Q1 moving slightly from 3,981 to 4,025 sq. ft. 
• The normalization of business segments is evident. The comprehensive health index has demonstrated improvement, rising from 99.9 percent in Q1 2024 to 105.5 in Q2 2024, indicating consistency and robustness across all sectors as organic growth gains prominence. 

Go here to download the full report.
 

By using industry-leading data from the Knowland platform and trusted sales & catering solutions like Amadeus' Delphi®, hoteliers can develop precise, data-driven strategies to boost group sales and efficiently manage the entire process from lead to event execution.

ABOUT THE HOSPITALITY GROUP & BUSINESS PERFORMANCE INDEX METHODOLOGY
The Hospitality Group & Business Performance Index uses a multi-factor weighting system that balances metrics such as group, corporate transient, and GDS room nights with average daily rate (ADR) performance. Each factor is averaged to provide a final index score, ensuring a more accurate overall performance assessment. 

Mark Shambura has joined Panera Bread as Chief Marketing Officer. Shambura will lead all aspects of marketing at Panera, including Brand Building, Digital & Loyalty, Product Strategy & Consumer Insights. An accomplished marketing leader with broad expertise in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura has previously held marketing leadership roles during pivotal growth periods for top brands including Chipotle, MOD Pizza, and most recently Papa Johns.

"Mark brings an impressive background building brands and leading marketing teams for fast-casual restaurants, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Panera Bread,” said José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer. “As Panera continues to evolve our brand, guided by listening to our guests, Mark’s depth of experience and ability will help drive our growth as a brand that serves great food you feel good about eating.”

Shambura previously served as CMO at Papa Johns, where he led a revitalization of the brand by enhancing its iconic “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza” platform, and developing a more modern, innovative omnichannel approach to transform how Papa Johns appealed to both new and loyal consumers. As Executive Director at Chipotle, Mr. Shambura guided the marketing function through periods of both sustained growth and transition, providing leadership over brand strategy, advertising, digital, social, events/sponsorships, promotions, and field marketing, including playing a key role in spearheading its “Real Ingredients” brand strategy.

“I’m proud to join the Panera Bread team and excited to build on the momentum of the brand's transformation as it continues to evolve in service of our guests,” Mr. Shambura said. “Panera propelled and cemented its position at the top of the fast casual restaurant segment through its promise of high-quality ingredients and freshly prepared food, and I’m thrilled to join a highly talented team to help shape its next chapter.”

Prior to his tenure in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura gained extensive marketing agency experience, working with a broad array of top global consumer brands for over a decade. Shambura will report directly to José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer, and officially assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer on July 29, 2024.

Chris Kung has joined Zaxby's as its new Chief Digital Officer. He will lead the transformation and acceleration of the company's Loyalty and e-Commerce initiatives.  

"Zaxbys rapid expansion requires the investment of world-class leaders and resources," said Bernard Acoca, Zaxbys CEO. "Chris's expertise in e-Commerce and loyalty programs will help drive incremental growth and enhance the Zaxbys experience as digital touchpoints continue to proliferate throughout the customer journey. His arrival will help us build stronger relationships with our guests by deepening our understanding of their needs and rewarding their patronage with personalized experiences." 

Growing Loyalty

Kung brings over 20 years of innovation and strategy experience to Zaxbys and most recently served as Chief Digital Officer at Dollar General, where he led initiatives that transformed the company into a digital innovator. Kung played a central role in creating the myDG loyalty program. Under his leadership, the company's e-Commerce sales grew 40x in three years, app usage surged from 1.8 million to 7 million monthly active users, and the DG App earned the distinction of the #1 couponing app in America.

Prior to Dollar General, Kung held key leadership positions at Macy's Inc., where he drove omnichannel technology and innovation.

Zaxbys is establishing a new Loyalty & e-Commerce Team, which will report to Kung. This new team will spearhead efforts to make Loyalty and e-Commerce significant contributors to its growth. The creation of the Chief Digital Officer role will open capacity and drive focus for Mike Nettles, Chief Technology Officer, and Patrick Schwing, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, who both previously oversaw a portion of this role.  

Susannah Frost has been named President of Chick-fil-A, Inc., effective Oct. 1.

She will be the sixth person to hold the leadership role since the company’s founding in 1967. 

“Susannah has demonstrated tremendous leadership throughout the business and has the range of expertise that will help the company continue growing with care and confidence,” said Chief Executive Officer, Andrew T. Cathy and grandson of founder Truett Cathy. “Having served as the CEO for three years, the timing is right to expand our leadership capabilities to include a president who will work closely with me and our executive committee to steward our domestic and global expansion.” 
 

Executives on the Move

Frost's move to president marks a notable week of restaurant executives on the move.  Brian Niccol is leaving his top post at Chipotle to lead Starbucks.  Laxman Narasimhan stepped down as CEO and as a director of  Starbucks effective immediately.

As CEO, Frost will continue to focus on the overall strategic direction for the enterprise and culture while Frost, as President, will focus on providing strategic clarity and alignment in the core business so that Chick-fil-A can sustain healthy growth and maintain market leadership. She will also lead the Executive Committee. Frost currently leads Restaurant Development and Field Operations for Chick-fil-A, Inc. overseeing the company’s real estate portfolio and leading field operations for more than 3,000 restaurants domestically.  

In related news, Cliff Robinson is being named Chick-fil-A's Chief Operating Officer (COO). Robinson currently serves as Chief People Officer and his responsibilities will expand to include leading Field Operations and Restaurant Development.  As COO he will continue to ensure talent remains a competitive advantage, while overseeing operations and the company’s continued expansion.  Robinson began working at Chick-fil-A at a young age as the son of a Chick-fil-A restaurant Owner-Operator.  He joined the company corporate Support Center staff in 1990 and has held increasing roles of responsibility, including various roles leading Field Operations, Restaurant Development and most recently as Chief People Officer. 

Robinson will assume his new role Oct. 1. 

Otelier, the hospitality performance optimization platform that puts data and efficiency at the heart of hotel operations, announces a new integration with Stayntouch, a global leader in cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and guest-centric technology. Through the integration, hoteliers can access detailed reservations, guest and financial transaction data from Stayntouch into IntelliSight, Otelier’s business intelligence software. 

Integrating with Stayntouch PMS allows Otelier to aggregate property-level data to empower companies with the insights and efficiencies they need to get back to delivering exceptional hospitality. In IntelliSight, Otelier’s business intelligence software, Stayntouch customers can normalize data from systems across their entire property and portfolio, providing leadership across all departments with the analytics they need to make more informed decisions.

“Our customers rely on Otelier integrations with leading industry partners to ensure their data is timely and accurate,” said Vic Chynoweth, CEO of Otelier. “Stayntouch’s modern approach to cloud-based property management software is in high demand, and they will be a valuable partner as we continue to extend data elements into the Otelier platform and deliver actionable insights to our customers.”

Stayntouch’s cloud PMS solution provides a flexible platform to deliver a digital welcome experience for guests, as well as an intuitive and mobile user interface to streamline operations and allow staff to engage guests anywhere on property. 

“Otelier and Stayntouch are aligned on a goal to provide hoteliers with easy access to the data they need to make smarter business decisions,” said Reid Webster, Stayntouch’s VP of Partnerships & Strategic Growth. “Our full-featured cloud PMS empowers hoteliers to stay ahead of market trends and respond to changes from anywhere with internet access. Through this integration, hotels can overlay their critical PMS data from each property with additional data sources to build strategies that drive both revenue and profits.” 

Otelier optimizes performance for hotel owners and operators by harnessing data, easing decision-making, and automating the mundane to release hoteliers back into hospitality. The Otelier product suite comprises:

• DigiAudit: A night audit compliance software that allows hoteliers to centralize and store nightly reports, automate signature workflows, and stay in audit compliance while reducing operating expenses. 
• TruePlan: A budgeting and forecasting software that allows hoteliers to simplify and streamline budgeting processes and forecast with confidence. 
• IntelliSight: A business intelligence software that allows hoteliers to aggregate cross-functional data for powerful analysis and insights. 
• DigiPay: An accounts payable automation software that moves supplier payment workflows into a digital environment to manage, verify, authorize, and pay invoices. 
• Rec: An automated financial reconciliation software to automatically detect accounting discrepancies for bank and OTA reconciliations and income audit journaling.