INDIANAPOLIS — As more hotel companies work to merge sales, marketing and revenue management into a combined commercial team, experts in those respective fields say it's more important than ever for people in those fields to understand each other.
INDIANAPOLIS — Transparency, alignment on key performance indicators and a general culture of clear communication are what hotel owners want from their on-property teams, including leaders in revenue, sales and marketing.
Dual-branded hotels have been popular for more than a decade as the hospitality industry seeks to streamline operating models and cater to different guest segments.
INDIANAPOLIS — While much of the discussion on hotel distribution over the past decade has focused on the importance of funneling guests into direct channels, experts say hoteliers also need to be thinking critically of how their properties appear on online travel agency websites.
INDIANAPOLIS — Young employees at hotels need more than pure financial compensation and a clear pathway to earning incentives to be properly motivated, according to a panel of experts.
INDIANAPOLIS — While many hoteliers are still wondering what they need to do to adapt to a new era of artificial intelligence, two experts speaking at the 2025 HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference said AI-related success will boil down to consistency and efficiency.
INDIANAPOLIS — The idea that commercial strategy in hotels needs to evolve through better collaboration between revenue management, sales and marketing is not new, but the hope that artificial intelligence can help bring that dream closer to reality is.
While Google remains the top way travelers prepare for their trips, a growing subset of consumers is turning to artificial intelligence to help them research and plan out their stays.
Although sports like pickleball might attract some guests as the new sport on the block, experts say no other amenities can drive revenue in the way a well-crafted golf package does to this day.
Inbound international travel to the United States has been steadily rising year over year since the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2025 figures to be more of the same.
In some ways, Brian Hicks stepped into the president and CEO role of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International in uniquely difficult circumstances — stepping in to fill the shoes of a long-time, beloved leader who recently died.
LONDON — Chinese travelers are returning to Western Europe and other destinations, but their preferences look quite different from before the pandemic.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Meeting planners and attendees are looking for unique experiences just like transient travelers, and the hotels best equipped to provide those experiences in a practical way are poised for success, experts say.
Speakers at the recent 2024 HSMAI Commercial Strategy Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, continued to push for more collaboration between sales, marketing and revenue-management teams, and said metrics between the three disciplines should be aligned to maximize their goals.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — The hotel industry can be overly focused on gross revenues and not look closely enough at the profitability of different channels, experts say.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — A perfectly aligned commercial group, including revenue, sales and marketing, is the ideal most modern hotel companies strive for, but experts say getting those three departments on the same page requires effort and thought.