News Briefs

Patrick Kirk – previously Vice President of Bar and Beverage for Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar  – has joined Fuzzy’s Taco Shop's leadership team as Chief Marketing Officer. In his new role, Kirk will continue to define the Fuzzy’s Taco Shop experience as he develops and delivers strategic direction across all aspects of marketing including advertising, digital marketing, and culinary and beverage innovation.

“Over the past eight years, Patrick has disrupted the casual dining industry through stand out marketing campaigns at Applebee’s,” says Paul Damico, President of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. “His ability to create strategic platforms and forge strong brand and franchisee partnerships with a focus on creating buzzworthy and fun guest experiences is undeniable. I look forward to the new expertise and creative thinking he’ll bring to our talented team.”

With more than 23 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Kirk was responsible for creating industry-leading beverage programs and building trusted relationships at national brands, including Applebee’s, Tony Roma’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings. In his previous role, Kirk led the vision and strategy for Applebee’s bar and beverage experience across restaurants nationwide, growing his marketing department into a substantial revenue driver for the business.

“I love Fuzzy’s badass attitude and strong values,” says Patrick Kirk, Chief Marketing Officer of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. “After Dine Brands acquired Fuzzy’s in 2022, I’ve had the chance to get to know the team and have been impressed by the way the brand brings its Baja vibe to life and connects with guests. I can’t wait to dive in further with the team to unlock the brand’s marketing potential.”

Kirk currently is a member of Millennium Advisory Board, a collection of industry leaders helping shape the future of on-premise beverage. He has also served on other industry councils including the VIBE Conference and the Bar & Nightclub Expo. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree and graduated with honors from the University of Illinois.

• 85% say integrations with other systems is driving POS purchasing decisions, according to HT's 2024 POS Software Trends Survey

• Unprecedented efficiency in database migration with time savings of up to 50-60% 
• Flexibility to adapt and integrate a variety of systems with ease 
• Significant cost savings through reduced IT resource dependence 
• Enhanced competitive advantage through quick adaptability to market changes 
• Minimized risk of data loss or errors, safeguarding operational stability 
• Scalable solutions to match the growth trajectory of business
• Empowerment of digital transformation initiatives across sectors

Curator Hotel & Resort Collection (“Curator”) is announcing Toast as a new preferred cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) platform partner. This collaboration will help  member hotels’ F&B outlets improve operations, increase sales, and create an overall better guest  experience. 

“At Curator, our objective is to support our distinct member properties with solutions that help them  optimize operations and drive revenue,” said Brent Hayhurst, Vice President of Program Development  for Curator Hotel & Resort Collection. “This new collaboration with Toast empowers member hotels and  resorts to incorporate more sought-after guest convenience features in their POS platform like digital  menus, flexible ordering options, and both mobile payment and room charge integrations. With Toast,  our collection of properties will be able to focus on providing elevated service and unique experiences,  while also streamlining business operations.”  

Toast for Hotel Restaurants is designed to meet the unique needs of hotel restaurant operators and  offers robust integrations with leading hotel property management systems (PMS), helping them  leverage technology to enhance the hospitality experience with more integrated food and beverage  operations and a streamlined experience for staff and guests.  

“With the Toast for Hotel Restaurants platform, leading hospitality groups like Curator Hotel & Resort  Collection can streamline their operations and focus on providing top-notch service and memorable  experiences,” said Dan Bell, Group Vice President, Hotels at Toast. “We are delighted to bring Toast's  comprehensive digital platform, offering software solutions including point of sale, payments,  operations, digital ordering, retail, and more, to Curator’s member hotels and resorts.” 

Salesforce, an AI CRM, announced an expanded relationship with IHG Hotels & Resorts, a global hotel company with more than 6,000 hotels across 19 global brands, to drive guest loyalty through its IHG One Rewards program and unlock efficiencies, deeper personalization, and faster innovation.

Customer expectations are changing, with 65% of consumers saying they will remain loyal to companies that offer more personalized experiences. To meet these expectations, IHG is standardizing its CRM on the Einstein 1 Platform, which brings CRM, AI, data, and trust on a single, unified platform to drive customer loyalty, more tailored guest experiences, and greater efficiencies.

“As we continue to enhance the IHG One Rewards loyalty program, one of our top priorities is ensuring our guests have a booking and stay experience that is customized to their individual travel needs," said Heather Balsley, Global Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts. "Our collaboration with Salesforce will enable us to further enhance the technology, tools, teams, and solutions that power our loyalty program, allowing us to provide personalized content and offerings that ultimately drive a deeper connection to our most valued guests.”

“By bringing more data into Salesforce, IHG Hotels & Resorts is able to garner greater insights that will contribute to an unparalleled experience for guests and hotel owners,” said Jeff Amann, EVP & GM, Salesforce Industries. “With the Einstein 1 Platform, IHG is delivering joy for its guests today while setting itself up to leverage new technologies like AI that help optimize guest interactions in the future.”

How IHG Hotels & Resorts is innovating with the Einstein 1 Platform

IHG One Rewards members spend 20% more than nonmembers and are estimated to be nine times more likely to book directly with IHG’s global websites and the IHG One Rewards mobile app. 

With the Einstein 1 Platform and its adoption of Loyalty Management, IHG will be able to foster even stronger relationships with guests and grow its loyalty membership with predictive AI capabilities. In addition, IHG is leveraging Data Cloud and Service Cloud to accelerate innovation and create more tailored customer service. 

• Seamless brand experience for guests: Through the expanded use of Data Cloud, IHG Hotels & Resorts will create a single source of truth for millions of customer profiles, unifying data from multiple external systems, and creating seamless guest experiences across the company’s 19 global hotel brands. With Salesforce and other technology partners, IHG is laying the foundation to use generative AI to help guests manage their stays more effectively. 

• Customer engagement and marketing: When a potential guest visits an IHG Hotels & Resorts booking page but doesn’t complete a booking, a segment is created in Data Cloud and sent to Marketing Cloud for activation to encourage the member to come back and complete the transaction. 

• Transforming the approach to guest loyalty: With Service Cloud, IHG Hotels & Resorts will be able to tap into a 360-degree view of their guests, offering more tailored customer service and delivering more accurate, faster resolutions to guest inquiries. Marketing Cloud also helps IHG Hotels & Resorts more effectively reach customers through channels they prefer, whether email, SMS, or push notifications. 

Guests at more than 60 IHG Hotels & Resorts properties across North America can use AirPlay to stream content privately and securely from their iPhone or iPad directly to their in-room big-screen smart hotel TVs by LG Electronics. 

LG Hotel TVs are the first to offer AirPlay, bringing the comfort and convenience of home to the hotel experience. According to Michael Kosla, senior vice president, LG Business Solutions USA, this powerful new amenity will enable a major benefit for IHG guests and owners alike. 

“IHG Hotels & Resorts are bringing one of the major comforts of home to guests’ hotel rooms to greatly enhance travel experiences,” Kosla said. “Our LG smart hotel TVs are the first to provide AirPlay compatibility, making it easy for hotels to offer iPhone and iPad users content sharing capabilities in a simple and secure way. IHG properties with compatible LG hotel TVs will have an immediate leg up with travelers who use iPhone or iPad, boosting guest satisfaction while providing real differentiation.” 

With these new capabilities, in-room entertainment at select IHG properties will be more personalized than ever before. Guests can quickly connect to the compatible LG hotel TV and the hotel’s Wi-Fi network by scanning an on-screen QR code, and then share almost anything to the big screen directly from their iPhone or iPad. Guests can even pair multiple devices to the TV, so friends and loved ones traveling together can also enjoy their favorite entertainment.

Each QR code is unique to the hotel room and ensures that content is available only to the guest,  meaning anything guests share to the hotel TV stays personal and private. Once a hotel guest checks out, all pairing information stored on the TV is erased.

According to Jolie Fleming, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ chief product & technology officer, the availability of AirPlay for in-room entertainment and content sharing caters to the modern needs and expectations of leisure and business travelers and sets IHG apart as a leader in guest experiences.

“We’re setting a new standard for guest experiences by integrating AirPlay into our guest rooms,” Fleming said. “As travelers demand greater access to frictionless technology and streaming services become ever more popular, this new capability will ensure seamless connectivity and personalized entertainment options for every guest. Whether traveling for business or vacation, AirPlay is sure to become a preferred feature, replicating the home entertainment experience like never before."

With AirPlay, guests can privately and securely stream their favorite shows and movies on Apple TV+ and other popular streaming services, listen to personal playlists on Apple Music or other platforms, view vacation photos, practice a presentation, play fun games on Apple Arcade, or get a workout or meditation in with Apple Fitness+ in their guest rooms. 

The leading television provider to the U.S. lodging and hospitality industry, LG offers a variety of commercial-grade Smart Hotel TVs ranging from 43- to 75-inches diagonal with up to 4K Ultra HD resolution to suit virtually every space from standard guestrooms to penthouse suites. The powerful LG Pro:Centric Smart software enables use of modern solutions including content streaming and interface customization. LG’s latest Smart Hotel TV models offer AirPlay right out of the box, while earlier models can add the capability via a software update.

Today’s launch makes AirPlay available at more than 60 select IHG properties, including Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.  

New reports from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Microsoft highlights the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its role in shaping the future of Travel & Tourism. 

The final two reports of a series on Artificial Intelligence from WTTC entitled "Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI): Overview of AI Risks, Safety & Governance" and "Artificial Intelligence (AI): Global Strategies, Policies & Regulations," underscore a commitment to a digital future that prioritizes safety, ethical considerations, and responsible AI adoption.

Launched during the global tourism body’s participation at the UN General Assembly in New York, these reports mark significant milestones in WTTC's mission to promote innovation and excellence in customer experiences through the safe and trustworthy integration of AI.

"Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI)" delves into the potential risks associated with AI deployment and offers strategies for establishing frameworks that promote transparency, accountability, and fairness. 

From addressing bias and discrimination to ensuring human oversight of AI systems, this report empowers organizations to harness the power of AI responsibly.

In the fourth and final instalment, "Artificial Intelligence (AI): Global Strategies, Policies & Regulations," WTTC provides a detailed overview of the AI ecosystem across key countries and international organizations. 

It shows how policymakers are navigating the AI landscape and shaping regulations and strategies to foster AI innovation, while ensuring its ethical and responsible use.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “In a rapidly evolving landscape, AI emerges as a catalyst for positive change. The insights provided in these reports demonstrate that AI is not just a technological advancement; it is a strategic tool that can personalize customer experiences, drive sustainable improvements, and shape the future of Travel & Tourism.

“AI is already being used across our sector with incredible results. Several major hotel groups including Iberostar are using AI to monitor and reduce food waste, which recently resulted not only in a 27% cost saving but prevented thousands of kilos of unwanted food going to landfill. “ 

Julie Shainock, Managing Director, Travel, Transport, & Logistics Industry for Microsoft said: “We are seeing AI being embraced across the entire travel eco-system enhancing the customer experience, the employee experience and also driving more efficiency in operations, but we know we are only at the beginning of the journey.

“We are excited to see what the future holds as AI becomes more widely adopted to automate the more mundane tasks of travel and harness the true spirit of travel, to elevate the human experience.”

According to WTTC, AI has the power to revolutionize how businesses in the Travel & Tourism sector operate, offering immense opportunities for growth and innovation.

Both reports underscore the urgent need for Travel & Tourism businesses to embrace AI as a strategic priority, investing in talent and fostering collaboration between humans and AI. 

But despite the sector's increasing recognition of AI's potential, challenges such as AI-skilled workforce shortages in the Travel & Tourism sector persist, highlighting the importance of proactive measures to overcome barriers to adoption.

As AI continues to reshape the world, WTTC remains at the forefront, advocating for safe, ethical, and inclusive AI innovation.