News Briefs

Marriott International announced today it has joined forces with UK-based nonprofit Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to combat online child exploitation by using technology solutions to restrict guest network access to websites with child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) in its hotels. The collaboration will be the first of its kind for the hotel industry and marks the next step in Marriott's commitment to address a critical human rights issue for the industry. Marriott recently marked a significant milestone in its anti-trafficking efforts, training one million associates at Marriott hotels to recognize and respond to signs of human trafficking.

In January 2023, Marriott established a new Global Property Network Standard to have hotels block access to websites with CSAM from the hotels' guest network. As part of this initiative with the IWF, Marriott is working with Cisco to implement its security technology to block access to CSAM-containing webpages on the IWF's blocked URL list.

 

"Marriott is proud to be the first hospitality company to join the IWF and is utilizing Cisco's security technology to restrict access to exploitative materials through hotel networks. As a leader in the hospitality industry and a company that believes in putting people first, Marriott has committed to fighting human trafficking and other pressing human rights issues," said Anthony Capuano, Chief Executive Officer for Marriott International. "This initiative builds on our anti-trafficking efforts and survivor empowerment work, honors our core values and upholds Marriott's commitment to human rights."

According to the IWF, Marriott's membership provides access to the IWF's list of CSAM-containing webpages to better enable filtering and blocking. Each webpage is manually assessed by the IWF analysts to confirm the presence of criminal content. Once the CSAM is removed from the webpage, the IWF will also remove the webpage from the list, ensuring the list is up-to-date and webpages are not unnecessarily blocked.

"In 2022 the IWF identified and removed more than 255,000 webpages containing child sexual abuse imagery. This equates to millions of individual images and videos of children being exploited. It is through valuable partnerships with organizations like Marriott International that we can make the internet safer for both children and adults and we welcome them as a new Member. By using our URL list to protect their networks and people from risks online, Marriott will help to reduce the suffering of survivors who are essentially revictimized when images of their abuse are viewed and shared online," said Susie Hargreaves OBE, Chief Executive of the IWF.

Cisco's Umbrella security solution will provide Marriott with efficient management of guest internet access, cloud-delivered web filtering, integrated SafeSearch browsing, and block lists, and the configuration used by Marriott will prevent collection of guest data.

"Cisco has a deep commitment to leverage our unique strengths and success as a company to improve people's lives, everywhere. We know we can harness the power of technology to help address the challenges our society faces, and we are honored to support Marriott on this important work," said Tom Gillis, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Security Business Group, Cisco.

Marriott conducted a pilot in November 2022 at six properties in the U.S. and will begin to deploy the technology throughout U.S. and Canadian hotels this month. A global rollout to other regions is expected through 2024.

To learn more about Marriott's commitment to advancing human rights visit Welcome All and Advance Human Rights I Marriott International Serve360.

Up and coming QSR  Salad and Go  is expanding in Texas with three new locations opening in February in the Houston markets of Katy, Richmond and League City.

The Katy store located opened February 1, the Richmond location at  is set to open February 17, and the League City store plans to open its doors on February 22. These new locations will mark the start of rapid brand expansion across the Greater Houston area.

These suburbs were strategically selected as ideal markets for Salad and Go as some of the fastest growing communities in the region. Conveniently located in some of Houston's most popular suburbs, the new locations will provide fresh, high-quality meals with quick and easy convenience at an affordable price.

As Salad and Go continues growing its national presence with a strong focus on Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, and Nevada, the brand's expansive growth has it on a positive trajectory to provide fresh and affordable food to communities in more than 125 locations by the end of 2023. Houston is the next step in the brand's expansion across Texas with plans to open additional stores in the market throughout the new year.

Salad and Go's chef-curated menu provides guests with food for any time of the day by offering a variety of delicious and healthy items including salads, wraps, breakfast burritos and soup as well as beverages including hand-crafted lemonades, teas and cold brew coffees.

Salad and Go ensures each meal contains fresh, quality ingredients while keeping prices low by vertically integrating operations and distribution, and sourcing ingredients directly from high-quality local farmers and suppliers whenever possible. The brand's mission to make fresh, nutritious food convenient and affordable for ALL extends beyond its stores and is demonstrated in the work the brand does to donate 4,000 meals every week to those in need, as well as in partnerships with nonprofits to support and fundraise for various worthy causes.

Focus Brands says dual branding is the future of QSR, and the parent company of Auntie Anne’s®, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky’s, is leading the charge. Today, the Focus Brands portfolio boasts 175-plus open dual branded units with at least 65 more in various stages of development across the country. 

Drive-Thru Convenience

The Focus Brands portfolio brands have signed agreements to open more than 50 dual and tri-brand locations in the coming year, many of which include drive-thrus for added convenience as interest in dual branded franchise opportunities continues to surge.

Flexible Store Formats

Focus Brands is among the brands introducing new store formats, including Krystal, Jack-in-the-Box and Panera Bread, which opened its Panera To Go, solely offering Rapid Pick-Up and Delivery shelves where guests and delivery drivers can easily pick up orders.  

Focus Brands has long pioneered the concept of dual branding, predominately in malls and non-traditional locations with Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon. Now, the company’s portfolio brands have found new opportunities with streetside dual branded units, which is paving the way for immense franchise growth. 

“Dual branding is the future of our brands, especially on the specialty side of the business,” said Brian Krause, Chief Development Officer at Focus Brands. “There will always be a place in malls, but there is an immense amount of growth opportunity in streetside venues, and, by dual branding, there is more opportunity for enhanced revenue.”

The company invested heavily in consumer research to identify how to create combinations of its iconic brands to resonate with consumers and meet them where they want to be met.

Focus Brands has identified four dual-brand concepts:

• Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon
• Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon/Carvel
• Auntie Anne’s/Jamba
• Cinnabon/Carvel – Cinnabon Swirl. 

While key consumer benefits vary by dual-brand combination, one consistent benefit has been convenience. Having these brands together in one location makes them far more accessible than they are individually. This convenience also creates opportunity for franchisees, as co-branding leads to an expansive menu that drives enhanced unit-level volume. 

 

 

QSR Automations and Curbit have teamed up to improve guest experience through optimized online ordering and pickup. Curbit coordinates between kitchen activity and online ordering systems to provide guests with a real-time order status and streamlined pickup process, while QSR Automations’ ConnectSmart platform maximizes kitchen efficiency by prioritizing orders based on order times and guests’ proximity. The result is happier customers and a more profitable business.

“Demand for digital ordering has resulted in a misalignment between order timing and kitchen activity,” said Scott Siegel of Curbit. “We use machine learning to synchronize arrivals with food production leveraged from QSR’s real-time data. "When we couple ConnectSmart’s order prioritization features, we’re able to make drastic improvements to the off-premise experience."

Curbit dynamically updates quote times in the digital channels based on kitchen capacity. Once an order is placed, Curbit’s technology provides the guest with an accurate ready-time using real-time data, which manages guest expectations. As the order progresses, guests receive updated pickup times, so they know exactly when to expect their meal, reducing the potential for quality items to go cold while sitting on a shelf. Meanwhile, ConnectSmart capabilities ensure order fulfillment is always based on priority, reducing kitchen waste and minimizing stress and strain on staff. 

Front-of-house staff is provided a clear view of when and where to deliver each order, while guests are queued in a virtual drive-thru to the desired handoff destination. This consistent process supports the demands of the modern pickup experience.  

Curbit is just one of several Solution Partnerships that QSR Automations has engaged with to improve guest experience. Click here to learn more. 

 

HotelKey, a cloud-based property management platform for hotels, announced a partnership with RateGain Travel Technologies Limited (RateGain), a global provider of SaaS solutions for travel and hospitality, to integrate RateGain’s global distribution, central reservations, and pricing capabilities into HotelKey’s PMS platform. The integration will roll out across HotelKey’s portfolio of more than 4,000 properties, with hundreds of properties already accessing the combined capabilities.

“We are excited to bring RateGain’s next-gen pricing and distribution capabilities to our partner hotels,” said HotelKey Co-Founder and President, Aditya Thyagarajan. “RateGain is an unparalleled innovator, and bringing their revenue-generating capabilities to HotelKey’s intuitive property management system is a huge plus for hotel owners and operators. We look forward to accelerating our partnership in the months ahead.”

Through the collaboration, hotels on the HotelKey platform will see RateGain’s pricing and distribution tools on the HotelKey platform. This will enable hoteliers to save time and achieve efficiencies, making better distribution decisions faster and, ultimately, saving money as well as building revenue.

“RateGain’s mission is to generate more revenue every day for hotels, and we are delighted now to include hotels on the HotelKey platform among our partners,” said Chinmai Sharma, President of the Americas at RateGain. “The HotelKey-RateGain partnership moves in the direction of providing a one-stop-shop for hoteliers looking for better ways to run their properties, train their employees, and maximize pricing, distribution, and revenue. We are excited to continue building out our collaboration with HotelKey.”

Along with other benefits, HotelKey and RateGain’s mobile-first API integration provides hoteliers with a seamless transition to the new offering, with each property gaining access to real-time inventory management and efficient oversight of third-party distribution and price parity across channels.

RateGain’s platform is designed to help hoteliers grow revenues by improving pricing, generating more bookings, and optimizing conversions across distribution channels. RateGain works with 23 of the industry’s top 30 hotel chains, and powers more than 191,000 hotels to unlock more revenue, acquire more customers, and provide outstanding on-property experiences.

Award-winning, concierge-level, audiovisual services provider Mills James is on a fast-track for growth. In 2022, the company’s AV for hospitality business exceeded pre-pandemic levels across all client venues, including hotels and convention centers servicing seven states and Mexico.

“In 2022 we saw corporate meetings of all sizes returning, and we couldn’t be more thrilled,” said John Watts, Mills James VP of Hospitality. “People are tired of not being able to meet face to face; they are ready to get back on the road, network with their peers, and see what they have missed over the last two-and-a-half years. While all of our meetings venues are now equipped to host hybrid events, live meetings is still what people know. It’s what they like. And it’s what has proven to be the most successful way to get messaging out to association members and corporate employees.”

According to the 2023 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, virtual fatigue is real. The American Express study shows “attendees want to see each other in person. Organizations want their customers and employees to meet in person, too.” The Forecast states that the meetings and events industry is experiencing an unprecedented recovery, and all signs point to a busy 2023. Internal meetings will be the fastest growing category in 2023 across all regions, with the U.S. leading the way, followed by Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Last year, Mills James supported more than 5,500 events. Approximately 45% were groups and conventions, ranging from small meetings and virtual events to big concerts and destination weddings. The remaining 55% was spend supporting more than 3,000 weddings with sound systems, DJ services, LED dance floors, and video production services. Southasian weddings are a specialty for Mills James’ Mexico operations, a market that has been increasing at Mexican Resorts and whose AV consumption is higher than others because the event is a conjunction of rituals that lasts two to three days.

“Being able to capitalize on the exploding weddings market coming out of the pandemic helped us to exceed our year one revenue projections,” said Salvador Bernal, Mills James Vice President of Hospitality, Mexico. “Our divisional revenue generated during 2022 positioned Mills James Mexico with more than 25% market share in the resort AV space (in some of the destinations where we operate).”

Key to Mills James’ success is its service mentality. Unlike high-priced multinational AV corporations that have long held a monopoly on the market, Mills James manages every venue with a local ownership mentality. All technicians have superior listening and communication skills. They are passionate, professional, and come with years of experience in running the new, state-of-the-art, sustainable AV equipment sourced specifically for the needs of each individual facility. Mills James ensures that all inventory is dedicated to each property — not shared with other venues — to preserve the look and performance of the technology.

“Mills James reputation is built on its ability to partner with venues and provide concierge-level services,” Watts said. “We do that through identifying and training our team to make sure we are providing true hospitality, not just service.”

The company expects its hospitality business to be on a steady incline in 2023, with revenues growing by about 30% year over year.