News Briefs

Xenial, a Global Payments company, announced results of a wide-ranging survey of consumer quick service restaurant (QSR) ordering preferences. Conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Xenial among nearly 2,000 US adults who visit QSRs (i.e., diners), the survey paints a detailed picture of how diners are choosing to engage with restaurants in a post-pandemic environment where all ordering options are on the table.

While the drive-thru remains king – more than half (52%) of diners list it as the ordering option they most often choose – in-restaurant dining popped to 22%, up from 17% when Xenial first asked the question in 2021. Curbside pickup was effectively flat at 7% over the same period. Interestingly, those with children under the age of 18 are nearly three times as likely as those who do not have children in that age group to say they use curbside pickup most often when visiting a QSR (11% vs. 4%).

“In-restaurant dining’s ongoing strength highlights the importance of an end-to-end technology stack that unites all the different ordering channels – including drive-thru and in-restaurant – so they work seamlessly together,” said Chris Siefken, head of technology at Xenial.

Diners’ top ordering and payment preference varies

When asked to rank the following ways to order and pay from most to least preferred, diners showed a range of preferences across traditional and tech-forward alternatives, demonstrating the importance of providing diverse options to match the transaction habits of consumers. Notably, ordering and paying ahead with a mobile device tied with “ordering inside with a real person” as the top choice for roughly 1 in 5 diners. The top preferred methods to order and pay include:

• 23% prefer to order in the drive-thru at a traditional speaker and pay the cashier at the window
• 21% prefer ordering and paying ahead with their mobile device
• 21% prefer ordering inside with a real person
• 12% prefer to order and pay in the drive-thru with a line buster (e.g., a real person taking orders on a tablet/mobile device)
• 7% prefer an automated experience, ordering and paying in the drive-thru at a self-service kiosk

“We’re seeing a splintering of QSR consumer preferences among all the different channels that enable them to order and pay for food,” Siefken said. “It has never been more important for QSR restaurants to offer a cohesive, holistic experience to serve the wide-ranging preferences of today’s consumers.”

Consumer patience evaporates at five cars

As some QSRs continue to struggle with labor shortages and accompanying service delays, Xenial asked diners how many cars lined up in the drive-thru would cause them to skip or leave the line to find another restaurant. The fifth car is the deal breaker, with 61% saying they would skip or leave the line if there were five or more cars. If there are less than five cars, only 29% would skip or leave the line.

Long lines do not have to scare customers away, however: 91% of diners who say they would skip or leave the line if there were too many cars also say they would be more likely to stay if they previously experienced speedy drive-thru service at the same restaurant.

Most diners arrive knowing what they want, but many change their minds

Xenial’s survey also gauged how often menus and advertisements impact what diners order. Although 83 percent arrive knowing what they want, 27 percent often change their order after looking at the menu or in-restaurant advertisements. Ten percent of diners don’t know what they want and use the menu or advertisements to decide.

“Technology can help alleviate many of the pain points identified by this survey,” Siefken concluded. “From providing a unified platform that unites the front and back of the restaurant to helping speed people through the drive-thru and investing in digital menu boards with the flexibility to present more offers to diners, the right technologies are important differentiators as restaurants compete for customers and workers.” 

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), producers of Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), has announced the eight outstanding startups participating in Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) Charlotte held on June 26, 2024 at HITEC Charlotte. Technologies being showcased in the HITEC 2024 cohort run the gamut of streamlining both back- and front-of-house operations, building guest profiles for enhanced stay experiences and strengthening property-vendor relationships.

Participating in Entrepreneur 20X is not just about pitching a great idea—it's about showcasing your ability to disrupt and redefine the hospitality industry. The selection process is rigorous and designed to identify truly innovative solutions and entrepreneurs who have the potential to make a lasting impact. E20X offers a rare platform for emerging talents to be heard, seen and supported on their journey to success. Frank Wolfe, CAE, CEO of HFTP

As the premier hospitality technology pitch competition for nearly a decade, Entrepreneur 20X is a unique opportunity for startups to gain visibility and credibility in the industry and network with fellow solution providers and influential industry professionals. Participants will have four minutes each to present their innovative products or services to a panel of judges with backgrounds in entrepreneurship and a live audience of HITEC attendees. Each pitch will be followed by another four minutes for Q&A between the judges and presenters.

The winning startup will receive a grand prize of $5,000 as the Judges’ Choice Award selection while the People’s Choice Award winner will also be recognized as voted on by their peers in real time during the presentation and deliberation periods. All startups will receive exposure to potential investors, customers and partners in the hospitality technology industry through their participation in the competition.

Beyond the stage, E20X participants receive a complimentary space to exhibit alongside more than 320 of their peers in the HITEC Charlotte exhibit hall at the E20X Pavilion. Pitchers will also have access to a team of industry mentors before the competition to inspire and educate the startups by lending them the insights, expertise and guidance they need to succeed for both the competition and their fledgling companies.

The participating 2024 E20X Charlotte startups are:

1. Affixify
2. Away Together
3. BonApp
4. Crqlar
5. Directful
6. Folio
7. H2O Connected
8. Yipy

HITEC is the world’s largest and longest-running hospitality technology conference. It attracts thousands of attendees and hundreds of industry solution providers and brings together the brightest minds and hottest technologies from across the globe in one place. Attendees gain access to essential education, top hospitality industry experts and the resources to find cost-effective ways to improve company bottom lines. New this year is the co-located HITEC Technology Investment Conference which will connect exhibiting company executives, investors and M&A consultants for the opportunity to discuss potential partnerships. The co-located event is invitation-only and will take place June 27-28. Those who are interested in attending can fill out an online form. HITEC Charlotte will be held June 24-27, 2024 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina USA. Learn more at www.hitec.org. 

Labor-optimization innovator Red e App is now Workrede. The change in company name reflects a logical shift up-market for an enterprise-wide communications pioneer. Workrede is a pathway to transform organizational communication from top to bottom and extract unrealized value.

“Our historic shift to Workrede is reflective of the modern, mobile workforce,” said Jonathan Erwin, CEO, Workrede. “Over the past thirty years, trends have focused on desktop workers with little regard for the power of mobile work, frontline workers and the mobile ecosystems that create organizational value.  Employers taking the next step to consider the relationships, behaviors and needs of those workers will derive new levels of workforce optimization. It’s the next frontier of employee engagement and culture.”

Founded in 2011, Workrede is the first technology platform to embrace the frontline worker and empower the non-desk workforce. Utilizing data, partnerships, and design, the company expanded by improving avenues for engagement, workflow automations, and management of the mobile workforce. 

Today, Workrede leverages a shift in the way companies assess their human capital, manage work tech, and make decisions with the help of data and AI. Workrede takes the critical next step of plotting a roadmap, integrating existing platforms and supporting the change management necessary for customer success. By consolidating existing enterprise platforms and a suite of Workrede features, employees now have a centralized resource for effectiveness.

The opportunity is now for Workrede to be a transformational enterprise solution. Large and small companies across a spectrum of industries are leveraging technology to enable change. Likewise, service, hospitality, and healthcare rely on large, diverse  employee populations; potentially across a broad geographic footprint. Workrede is prepared to help those organizations capitalize on the opportunity available today for the future of work.

“Our team is excited to embark on this next part of the Workrede journey,” said Erwin. “We recognize the opportunity to unlock the human elements of business and further extract value from the existing functions and resources available to working teams everywhere. 

Since its launch in 2019, BellaBot has been successfully deployed in high-traffic environments by global brands such as PizzaHut, Jollibee, Carrefour, KFC and Walmart, among others. These companies use the robot to deliver orders, promote menu items and products, and welcome guests.

"We are at an automation and robotics tipping point across the economy. Pudu Robotics aims to develop robots which improve the efficiency of human production and living, and our service robots are used throughout the world," said Felix Zhang, founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics." BellaBot Pro's AI and marketing capabilities represent a major step forward for PUDU and the robotics industry at large. We developed this latest version based on extensive customer feedback from our thousands of customers all over the world.

BellaBot Pro, the latest addition to PUDU's fleet of smart service robots, features several enhancements that push the robotics industry forward, including:

• Enhanced Marketing Capabilities: The inclusion of a new 18.5-inch advertising screen on the robot's body, transforming it into a mobile promotion platform that captures customer attention and increases ad conversion efficiency. Its marketing prowess is further amplified by customizable options such as dynamic facial expressions, multimedia advertising, a variety of voice selections, and an adaptable skin appearance, among others. These features empower businesses to create personalized marketing promotions and campaigns, and offer an engaging and interactive experience for consumers.
• Advanced PUDU VSLAM+ Technology: BellaBot Pro features laser and vision fusion for simplified, sticker-free deployment, adaptable to a variety of environments, including those with high ceilings (up to 30 meters) and large areas (up to 200,000 square meters), reducing setup time by 75%.
• Greeting Recognition Interaction: BellaBot Pro's front camera will soon be able to detect specific customer gestures, such as waving, and be able to determine the appropriate response to interact with customers.
• Improved Tray Detection: Utilizes visual inspection (fisheye camera) to monitor BellaBot Pro's tray status, allowing the robot to autonomously proceed to the next task once it detects that a customer has completed their self-service meal collection. It streamlines the BellaBot Pro's delivery-pickup-redelivery process, enhancing the overall dining experience for customers.
• Dish Recognition: BellaBot Pro can recognize dishes on the tray and provide dish introductions through voice broadcast, creating a new level of customer interaction, elevating the dining experience and ensuring order accuracy. It's a primary application of AI technology in BellaBot Pro, using the latest metric learning technique to accurately capture visual characteristics of dishes such as shape, color, and contour.
• Tray Atmosphere Light: Introduces a new light above the tray for clear meal pickup signals, minimizing errors, and improving the dining experience and operational efficiency for stores.
• Omnidirectional Obstacle Avoidance: Offers omnidirectional perception utilizing 2 front view cameras, 3 RGBD cameras and one Lidar to provide full front chassis coverage, reducing blind spots, and enabling the robot to recognize and respond to customer greetings for a more natural and engaging interaction.
• Ground Projector Lights: Provides ground projection lighting for scenarios with BellaBot Pro approaching intersections, alerting pedestrians to the robot's approach, thereby enhancing blind spot safety and reducing accident risks.Pudu Robotics, a global leader in the service robotics sector, launched BellaBot Pro, the next generation of its flagship smart service robot, using AI to deliver personalized interactions to customers throughout their dining and retail experience. This new robot includes new voice and greeting interaction, improved dish identification, an updated curve screen for advertising and enhanced safety, and efficiency features.

PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips Professional Displays, is delighted to announce the launch of Philips Cast Server, a brand new, dedicated, and highly innovative hotel TV solution designed to deliver seamless and secure casting and app streaming experiences for hoteliers and their guests alike.

Marking the latest evolution in PPDS’ strategy to deliver a full suite of ‘total solutions’ covering needs across the hospitality industry – including an advanced portfolio of Philips hotel TVs, audio solutions, digital signage, dvLED, ePaper and complementary solutions – the new all-in-one Philips Cast Server works together with PPDS’ CMND, and hotel PMSs, to bring a wealth of new capabilities for hotels of all sizes. This includes delivering opportunities to create unique and fully tailored entertainment experiences built around the needs and requirements of individual guests.

Teased at ISE 2024, and compatible with PPDS’s unique Chromecast-built-in™ Philips MediaSuite and recently launched Philips Hospitality TV 4500 Series, the Philips Cast Server has been developed using invaluable feedback from customers, hotel managers and guests. Small and lightweight, the single unit rack mounted device brings a new option for installations, seamlessly integrating into a hotel’s existing IP network to deliver a secure and private connection, with full remote management access, allowing guests to simply access and cast their own content directly to their in room TVs.

Simple and secure casting / analytics 

Built and designed with simplicity in mind, guests can pair their phone or other mobile device with the TV by scanning the QR code displayed on the TV screen, with no need to connect to an alternative WiFi network. Once the pairing process is successful, guests can instantly and securely cast content from their preferred accounts (including DAZN, Disney+, Prime, YouTube™, and more) directly onto the TV.

Mirroring the experience of other Chromecast built-in™ Philips Professional TVs, using Philips Cast Server content can be cast and viewed within seconds of a guest entering the room, with TVs – even those in standby mode – responding and becoming active upon the universally recognized Chromecast symbol being tapped on their cast-enabled app. 

Furthermore, Philips Cast Server offers hoteliers access to a fully GDPR compliant system, delivering relevant management statistics on the usage of cast applications (such as the popularity of YouTube, Prime, etc.) – with all personal data removed – helping to gain greater insight into user habits for any future decision making. And that is not all. 

The personal touch

Adding a personal touch to TVs, the Philips Cast Server has been built around the benefits of PPDS’ exclusive professional grade CMND platform, offering hoteliers a range of on-screen customization opportunities, including tailored backgrounds (colors and images) to suit their company branding on a highly intuitive TV user interface. 

Upon check in, the user interface for each TV can be set to the preferred language of guests, for more tailored, user friendly experiences. 

According to a recent survey, 67 per cent of hotels continue to experience staff shortages in 2023, with 12 per cent describing themselves as “severely understaffed”, meaning the shortage is affecting their ability to operate. With Philips Cast Server, combined with the benefits of Philips MediaSuite – which surpassed 500,000 sales in February – and the newly announced Philips Hospitality TV 4500 Series, the ability for hoteliers to control and manage TVs and guest experiences, without even setting foot in the room (post-installation), has never been easier, nor more cost efficient. 

Unique business model 

Available globally – including in EMEA, North America, and Asia – the Philips Cast Server from PPDS can be purchased on an initial five year, up-front license, extendable annually thereafter. Licence plans include Small (up to 80 rooms), Medium (up to 150 rooms), Large (up to 250 rooms), Extra Large (up to 350 rooms), and Double Extra Large (up to 500 rooms), with opportunities to extend further on a project-by-project basis.

Jeroen Verhaeghe, Global Business Development Director for Hospitality at PPDS, commented: “Expectations from hotel guests continue to evolve and, in an online world, satisfaction scores and reviews can play a vital role in the success of any hotel and whether rooms are full or remain vacant. The in room TV is playing an increasingly important role in achieving those all important positive guest experiences and reviews. Every hotel set up is different, and having the options for networking integrations enables more hotels and their guests to enjoy the benefits of our hospitality TVs. That is why we created the Philips Cast Server.”

Jan Van Hecke, Global Product Manager for Professional TV at PPDS, concluded: “As people continue to switch to sourcing their TV content from popular streaming platforms like Netflix* and Prime, it is vital hotels embrace that challenge and match those needs. But in doing so, the experience has to be seamless. 

“Philips Cast Server is so simple, anyone can use it. Open the camera, scan the QR code on your phone or tablet, and the pairing between TV and smart device is complete. Backed by the other features, including customisation of screens, and advanced casting analytics, Philips Cast Server is another game changer for the hotel industry.”

At a glance: 

Highlights of Philips Cast Server for hoteliers

• All-in-one cast solution: Easily integrate the Philips Cast Server in the same IP network as the TV and onboard via the available CMND interface. A Hotel PMS interface is required.
• Seamless integration with Chromecast built-in on Philips Hotel TVs: The Philips Cast Server operates seamlessly with Chromecast built-in on your Philips Hotel TVs. It can also support mixed installations with external Chromecast v3 dongles, for example in hotels that are carrying out floor-by-floor TV fleet upgrades.
• Customizable with hotel branding: Extending the hotel brand for a seamless experience, replace the background image on the Philips Cast Server user interface with a new branded image.
• An easy alternative to WiFi hotspots: With no dedicated WiFi network or hotspot required for each guest room or TV, the Philips Cast Server simplifies the infrastructure, as well as the process for the guest.
• Unique business model: Delivering a reliable all-in-one Philips solution, the Cast Server is available on an initial five year license, extendable annually thereafter. Combined with PPDS’ free-of-charge CMND software and a simple PMS interface, this server solution does not require any other services, reducing investment requirements to make it an industry leader for cost efficiency.
• Includes access to Cast statistics: A fully GDPR compliant system delivering relevant management statistics on the usage of cast applications.

Highlights of Philips Cast Server for guests

• No need for guests to connect to a different Wi-Fi network: Casting from a mobile device is straightforward and secure for guests. While remaining on the hotel guest WiFi network, simply scan the QR code on the in-room TV from a mobile device to pair.
• Start to cast no matter what is on. Wherever. Whenever: Once paired, guests can begin casting by tapping the cast icon on any cast enabled app. Even when the TV is off.
• Pairing screen displayed in guest’s preferred language
  When a preferred language is set during check-in, the user interface will adapt to display for that guest on the TV in their room.

IDeaS, a SAS company and the world’s leading provider of hospitality revenue management software and services, announced today it has expanded its relationship with the Cheval Collection to a total of ten properties. Building on a strong, established relationship from successful implementations of G3 RMS at its Edinburgh properties, IDeaS’ capabilities helped clear the way for wider adoption within the Cheval portfolio.

As Cheval expanded its portfolio, the management team was keen on maximizing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of its revenue strategies. Implementing G3 RMS helps eliminate manual processes and focus their efforts on addressing impactful outlier scenarios. When they needed an RMS that could optimize revenue for guests with varied lengths of stay and help evaluate the impact of potential group business, a small but growing part of their business mix, they turned to their RMS partner, IDeaS. 

• Trust built on a foundation of automated, effective RMS—Cheval appreciates G3 RMS’ core functionality at its existing properties. With implementation, it was able to deploy automated revenue management strategies efficiently and effectively and improve revenue performance.
• Revenue optimization for varied length of stay offerings – Cheval Collection’s luxury serviced apartments have the flexibility to operate on a hybrid model, where units can be booked for varying lengths of stay—from standard overnights to week- or months-long bookings. G3 RMS’ ability to take a holistic view of demand for all product types and automatically drive revenue maximization decisions was a key factor as it helps to simplify complex revenue management decisions.
• Streamlined group business evaluation – Group business represents a small but significant and growing portion of Cheval Collection’s business. Cheval valued G3 RMS’ Group Pricing Evaluation feature as it provides an easy-to-use displacement analysis that helps their commercial teams understand the potential revenue impact of accepting or rejecting group business opportunities.

Liz Callaghan, director of revenue, Cheval Collection, said: “I really can’t say enough about the fantastic support we have received across all touchpoints from the IDeaS team. Their expert knowledge, insight, and experience working with our other properties made the integration process seamless. We are excited to see the results as these additional properties come online.” 

Michael McCartan, area vice president, EMEA, IDeaS, said: “When the Cheval Collection team wanted to expand their RMS capabilities to eight additional properties, our teams went to work to ensure we deliver innovative, customer-focused experiences across its portfolio. We’re delighted to work with them to elevate their revenue management, help them achieve their strategic objectives, and improve their commercial results.”