News Briefs

Visual Matrix, a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the hospitality industry, is working with the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and its charitable giving arm, AHLA Foundation, to provide expanded access to the organization’s resources and training materials to help educate hoteliers in the fight against human trafficking.

Through the partnership, hoteliers will know of and be able to use free training content developed by Marriott International, in collaboration with Protect All Children from Trafficking PACT (formerly ECPAT-USA) with input from Polaris, two leading non-profits that specialize in combatting human trafficking, with easy access through the Visual Matrix Learning Management System.

Additionally, Visual Matrix will be providing free access to its Panic Button for all MOP users, which are designed to increase worker safety and confidence on property. Once activated, these buttons immediately begin recording audio and video, silently alert other staff members to the worker’s location, and can even contact authorities. Users will have access to Panic Buttons bundled directly into MOP so that workers can have expanded access to the most effective safety tools available today.

“Visual Matrix has chosen to take part in efforts to expand human trafficking awareness by working closely with hotel owners to combat human trafficking,” said Charlie Rhodes, CSO at Visual Matrix. “Our team is invested in the fight against human trafficking, and we want to provide direct support to the hoteliers in a position to make a difference.”

Since it began tracking statistics in 2007, the National Human Trafficking Hotline has identified more than 100,000 cases, accounting for more than 197,000 victims. With this in mind, Visual Matrix has worked to provide a tool to hoteliers that can combat human trafficking while creating a safer environment for hotel operators and guests. Visual Matrix will continue to develop new features and tools designed to promote safety in the hotel environment, from panic buttons for housekeeping staff to automated notifications when a guest declines housekeeping for too long and educational materials for hoteliers on how to identify and report suspected human trafficking or other criminal activity.

Starting October 28, 2024, Visual Matrix will also donate 1% of proceeds, earned through new MOP purchases to AHLA Foundation’s No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) initiative Survivor Fund. NRFT builds on the hotel and lodging industry’s longstanding commitment to combat human trafficking by elevating the issue higher within the public consciousness, educating industry employers and workers to identify and report suspected trafficking on property, and empowering survivors with the support they need to thrive.

“Human trafficking training and awareness has never been more important because it is an increasingly nuanced and complicated issue,” said Eliza McCoy, Vice President of Programs and Impact at AHLA Foundation. “Thanks to partners like Visual Matrix, hotel operators can be more informed on what combination of factors may indicate human trafficking and how to respond effectively.”

“AHLA and the AHLA Foundation have been an indispensable force in the fight against human trafficking, and we are excited to join with them to provide expanded training, awareness and safety tools to hoteliers,” said Georgine Muntz, CEO of Visual Matrix. “We are working hard to provide training material and technology that helps hotels improve not only operational efficiency but also the safety of guests and workers. We are delighted to help support the No Room for Trafficking initiative.”

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.

Zucchetti North America is excited to launch a new customer support program, available to hotel clients 24/7, across their entire portfolio of operational solutions. From CRS, to POS, to booking engines, to PMS and RMS, Zucchetti North America offers a one-stop shop for hoteliers looking for a complete tech stack to support their operations; with the launch of the new customer support program, the company is demonstrating its commitment to providing the best user experience possible, enabling clients to maximize the ROI earned from their tech investment.

As part of the new customer support program, Zucchetti North America implemented the following new procedures and processes:

·       Expanded the customer support team to ensure that live telephone and chat support is available to clients worldwide, 24/7.

·       Provided in-depth training to all support team members, enabling each employee to provide customer support for all the Zucchetti North America tech solutions.

·       Implemented an integrated email support program which enables clients to submit a support ticket for any of the solutions and receive a response within 24 hours. Once a ticket is submitted, hotels can also log into the customer portal to find out the status of their ticket request at any time.

·       Customers have access to the vast Zucchetti North America knowledge base through their online customer portal, which offers training videos and information about all the different solutions in the tech stack

·       Decreased the target response time for all support requests submitted through our online chat to a 24-hour turnaround.

“In today’s competitive landscape, hoteliers are not just looking for tools; they’re looking for results and maximizing customer support responsiveness is key to unlocking the full potential of a hotel’s tech investment,” said Alison Cowan, Vice President of Sales at Zucchetti North America. “By ensuring timely support across all support channels, we help our clients optimize their technology to capture more bookings and maximize revenue opportunities. As such, improved customer support directly translates to a higher ROI on our client’s tech spend and empowers them to stand out from the competition online.”

To find out more about Zucchetti North America’s new customer support, please contact Jennifer Nagy at [email protected] or +1.786.420.1160. Alternatively, you can meet Zucchetti North America at The Hospitality Show in San Antonio, TX on October 29 & 30 at Booth 925 on the tradeshow floor to find out more or for a demo of our fully integrated suite of operational solutions.

Salesforce announced the general availability of Agentforce, a new layer on the Salesforce Platform that enables companies to build and deploy AI agents that can autonomously take action across any business function. Agentforce goes beyond chatbots and copilots, using advanced reasoning abilities to make decisions and take action, like resolving customer cases, qualifying sales leads, and optimizing marketing campaigns. Agentforce doesn’t depend on human engagement to get work done; these agents can be triggered by changes in data, business rules, pre-built automations, or signals via API calls from other systems. Companies like OpenTable, Saks, and Wiley are using Agentforce today to augment their employees, expand their workforce, and improve customer experiences. ezCater is among its partners, rolling out in 2025. 

In addition, Agentforce includes out-of-the-box agents that are easy to customize and deploy with low-code or no-code tools and that work around the clock across any channel. Agentforce Service Agent, the first generally available out-of-the-box agent, outperforms traditional chatbots by handling a wide range of tasks, from simple to complex, with pre-built topics and actions for customer support. Users can customize pre-built agents to serve any industry and any use case, like retail with order management topics, or financial services with billing and payment support topics.

​​​​“Agentforce is redefining what’s possible in business and beyond, ushering in a new era of AI abundance and limitless workforces that augment every employee, build deeper customer relationships and drive unprecedented growth and profitability,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce. “Built on Salesforce’s trusted, fully customizable platform — seamlessly integrating enterprise data, metadata, AI models, workflows, security and applications — Agentforce is what AI was meant to be.”

With Agentforce, there's no need to DIY (do it yourself) your AI. Unlike other agent platforms that require complex data integration and custom automation builds, Agentforce is already built into the Salesforce Platform. Customers can instantly turn their existing Flows, prompt templates, Apex, and APIs into agent actions, seamlessly connecting to enterprise data, security models, and automations — with the added power of native tools like Data Cloud, Slack, and MuleSoft. The all-new Agent Builder enables Salesforce admins and developers to use natural language to create instructions and guardrails for their agents.

At Dreamforce 2024, Salesforce customers brought Agentforce to life by building over 10,000 autonomous agents designed to tackle specific business challenges. They learned that "if you can describe it, Agentforce can do it." With Agentforce, customers can create an on-demand digital workforce that operates without constraints, allowing them to quickly and easily build and deploy agents using the Salesforce tools and language they already know.

The Hotels Network (THN), a full-stack growth platform for hotels worldwide, and Cloudbeds, the premier hospitality management software platform, have entered a strategic partnership designed to help hoteliers optimize their direct channel strategies.

With this collaboration, Cloudbeds clients can now leverage THN’s advanced personalization platform, which includes AI-powered tools for crafting tailored website messages, real-time price comparison, and predictive analytics, all aimed at boosting conversion rates and revenue. Combined with Cloudbeds’ comprehensive platform for property management, booking engines, and channel management, hoteliers will gain valuable insights into guest behavior and preferences, enabling them to create seamless, personalized booking experiences that drive direct revenue and improve overall operational efficiency.

Sebastien Leitner, VP of Partnerships at Cloudbeds, commented: “Our partnership with The Hotels Network marks a significant step forward for our clients. By joining forces, we’re enabling our clients to enhance their marketing efforts and boost direct bookings through THN’s innovative tools.”

Mercedes Blanco, Chief Partnerships Officer at The Hotels Network, added: “Partnering with Cloudbeds was an obvious choice for us. Our aligned visions of delivering cutting-edge technology and empowering client hotels to succeed in today’s competitive market make this collaboration a natural fit. Together, we are helping hotels boost direct bookings while strengthening their guest relationships.”

Both The Hotels Network and Cloudbeds have been ranked #1 by hoteliers in the prestigious 2024 HotelTechAwards—THN for Best Direct Booking Tool and Cloudbeds as the top Hotel Management System. This recognition highlights the trust the industry has placed in both companies to deliver cutting-edge technology that transforms hotel operations.

The integration is now available globally, providing hotels with a powerful solution to enhance guest engagement, streamline operations, and maximize direct channel revenue.