Alliants Discuss Innovative Guest Experience Solutions at HITEC 2024 in Charlotte, NC

Alliants, a global leader in guest experience and technology solutions, recently attended the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC), the world's largest, longest-running hospitality technology event from June 24-27 at the Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Bringing together thousands of hospitality professionals, executives, and investors from over 60 countries, HITEC 2024 offered exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their products and services to industry leaders, increasing brand awareness and global visibility. Exhibitors were enthusiastic about the meaningful connections they made with engaged attendees, marking another successful year for the conference. 

Overview of HITEC

With a 50-year history, HITEC gathers thousands of industry professionals to share the latest ideas, trends, best practices, and solutions in hospitality technology.

Produced by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), a global nonprofit hospitality association, HITEC provides attendees with access to cutting-edge hospitality technology, industry experts, essential education, and resources to find cost-effective ways to improve company bottom lines. This makes HITEC the largest nonprofit show of its kind.

Key Takeaways from HITEC 2024

This year, HITEC’s mission came to life in a dynamic education program, starting with an engaging Opening Headliner presentation. Sponsored by Hospitality Network and Blueprint RF, the session featured Dr. Bryan K. Williams, former Global Corporate Director of Training and Organizational Effectiveness for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Williams captivated the audience with ten actionable strategies to help them overcome obstacles and excel both professionally and personally.

The following morning, industry icons Anthony Melchiorri and Glenn Haussman led a lively Headliner session. They discussed breaking down technological barriers between various industry groups and leveraging technology for increased profitability. This session also celebrated two new inductees into the 2024 International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame: Floor Bleeker, CTO at Accor Group, and Terence Ronson, founder of Pertlink Ltd. 

On the third day, HITEC showcased innovation with the Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) pitch competition, exclusively sponsored by Hospitality Net. Eight ambitious hospitality technology startups presented their groundbreaking ideas. The woman-founded H2O Connected won the People’s Choice Award for its smart water management solution, while Folio impressed the judges with its streamlined procurement software for hotel operators, earning the Judges’ Choice Award. 

Insights from HITEC 2024 with Glenn Haussman and Alliants’ CEO Tristan Gadsby

During an interview at HITEC 2024, Glenn Haussman and Tristan Gadsby, CEO of Alliants, explored the crucial role of humanity in technology within the hospitality industry.

Gadsby says, “When you think about your experiences in a hotel, what do you remember? It’s the human interaction. That’s what it’s all about. When you look at how technology can help in hospitality, don’t just think about how it can do an online check-in. Think about how it can enable the staff, and how it helps them do their jobs.”

They emphasized the importance of personal interactions over purely digital processes, highlighting how technology should empower staff to create memorable guest experiences.  “No one’s doing personalization well today. A lot of that is because, when you look at the person at the front desk, they’re fighting up to seven screens to do their jobs. Its impossible. I don’t know why we are not investing in technology that people can use to help them do their jobs.”

Gadsby also discussed the necessity of user-friendly interfaces and the effective use of AI to personalize guest services. “We should be giving staff consumer-grade user interfaces. There’s no reason not to. Something they can see the guest profile when they need to and do something with it. Then, we talk about AI a lot these days, but you can use that to summarize all the transactions of a customer, so you’ve got a picture of how they are very quickly. Plus, the staff doesn’t have much time, and there are lots of guests. So, summarizing that quickly becomes very important.”

Additionally, they explored the need to move beyond outdated systems and adopt a more integrated approach, ensuring that technology improves rather than replaces the human touch in hospitality.

“We realize that the industry has used technology for a long time, but it’s so siloed. You have your property management system, your table management system, spa system, golf system, or whatever else—very rarely are those all connected. They [the staff] can't see you [the guest] across that total experience, and that’s the problem.” 

A problem, however, that Alliants is solving with their integrated technology platform. This approach allows staff to gain a complete view of each guest's journey, creating a more personalized and cohesive experience from start to finish.

HITEC: The Prime Destination for Hospitality Innovation

With numerous leading industry solution providers consolidated on one massive show floor, the HITEC Exhibit Hall has long been a prime destination for hospitality professionals, executives, and investors eager to drive innovation in the industry. Exhibitors this year were enthusiastic about the connections made during the event. Many attendees reported significant new business sales and successfully connecting with both current and prospective clients.

Alliants SVP of Product Andrew Pirret reflected, “Some interesting trends to see at HITEC this year are some practical uses of Generative AI such as iReckonU's conversation data assistant where you can query your CDP data. Also a growth in Accounts Payable use cases for Gen AI with automation of reconciliation using Gen AI, more visible than in previous years. This interest in the use of AI was also across the education sessions with those talking to AI and its application typically well attended.

“Was also interesting to see Agilysy's progression since the acquisition of ResortSuite and hear from Ram, CEO, on the team's progression to create a unified experience platform driving revenues and interest. Was great to attend the inaugural HFTP Investment Conference and listen to Asset Manager and ownership perspectives as well as the challenges of operators working with owners to progress the customer experience. Lastly, we see from the payment providers such as Adyen and Belmond tie up the backbone that seamless payments lay within the guest experience whether physical or digital. This also lends itself to recognition too as witnessed with Adyen's OmniCommerce offering.”

“HITEC continues to prove that there is no substitute for in-person interaction and learning.  I had the pleasure of attending HITEC in Charlotte” said Alliants Chief Revenue Officer Alberto Santana, “This was my first HITEC since 2022 and my 20th overall.  I thought the team at HFTP did a great job of bringing in new and dynamic speakers.  The Tutorial Stage within the conference was a difference-maker. This allowed for more interaction between learning and exhibits which is always a challenge in any conference atmosphere.  

“We all knew we would hear a lot about AI and the panel on Navigating the Generative AI landscape with Mihai Bote, Jorden Hollander/HTR, Jason Doebrich/Virgin, and Daniel Barsky did a wonderful job in setting the stage for questions/concerns about this topic. We also heard a lot about CDP vs CRM. It seems the industry overall is arriving at the conclusion that we do not “know” our customers or guests and there are a lot of opportunities within the tech landscape to help change that. This was well encapsulated during the Tech and Human Touch session with Anthony Melchorri and Glenn Haussman.  They did a fantastic job of sharing how the Guest Journey, while changed, still revolves around the Art of Hospitality.”

VP of the Americas John Figliolini noted, “After a decade of HITECs, and especially post-Covid, there has been a large M&A push in the industry. Many exhibit booths were amalgamations of three to four different companies as many players tried to become a Swiss army knife of functionality versus focusing on their initial core discipline. You have to wonder how well these companies have been able to internally integrate instead of having the platform come from one solidified development shop. As we know all too well in this industry, when an integration goes down the finger-pointing amongst providers begins. 

“HITEC Charlotte did appear to be more popular than 2023 in Toronto perhaps due to attendees not having to compete with other events scheduled at the same time” noted Alliants VP of Sales Enablement and Operations, Gareth Fraser. “The agenda was well balanced and housing the HSMAI event in the same facility helped ensure smooth traffic flow between events, sessions, and exhibits. Perhaps one of the most telling moments for Alliants was the Keynote address from No Vacancy Live podcast hosts Anthony Melchiorri and Glenn Haussman. Their presentation made the case for the enhancement of guest experience via the solutions we provide. It was very impactful to sit among peers listening to the needs of the industry knowing on the same day we launched our Allive Campaign which highlighted our new feature enhancements along with our industry-impacting contactless experience reliably enabling guests access to hotel spaces with their key in the device wallet—from the hotel room to fitness areas and other common spaces. The guest simply holds their smartphone or watch near the door lock. It’s easy, convenient, and private and revolutionizes a time-consuming process which is a major saving for front desk staff let alone the cost of plastic access cards. This set off a buzz about Alliants at HITEC with customers and prospects inquiring about adopting this industry-changing solution.”

Planning for HITEC Indianapolis 2025 is already well underway. Scheduled to take place on June 16-19 in Indianapolis, Ind. USA, it promises to carry on the tradition of highlighting the latest advancements and creating valuable connections within the hospitality technology community.

About Alliants

Alliants has been transforming the hospitality industry with innovative technology solutions since its inception in 2009. The company’s mission is to create exceptional guest experiences through seamless and personalized interactions. With a global presence and a diverse portfolio of clients, Alliants continues to lead the way in guest experience management and hospitality technology.

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