AGILYSYS
After a tough year for our industry, it's great to see our customers enjoying sustained growth, particularly in the leisure travel segment, with business travel beginning to ramp up as well. We are thankful for the strong customer relationships that helped to sustain our business last year, and we're very encouraged by the activity levels that we're seeing across our customer base as our industry works to fully re-open. We were very fortunate to have the mobile and contactless solutions that our customers needed to manage through the pandemic, and it is exciting to see that many of these solutions will continue to add value going forward. It is shaping up to be a great year!

AMADEUS
The hospitality industry has faced some profound changes over the last year with nearly every certainty we once held facing challenge. What has been universally consistent though, is the way in which the industry has responded. The nimble, innovative, industry-wide initiatives that have emerged, coupled with the resilience that is evident, has been remarkable to experience. At Amadeus, our optimism is undimmed and our belief in the travel industry is unshaken. People love to travel, and businesses thrive with personal, face-to-face interaction. We are committed to helping our industry build back stronger to be able to embrace and exceed the expectations of the guest of the future.

ASSA ABLOY GLOBAL SOLUTIONS
Compared to a year ago when the industry was in a nosedive following mass hotel closures and workforce layoffs, much has since changed within global hospitality markets that should give many hoteliers renewed hope for the future. With more and more individuals becoming vaccinated and as industry experts predict a boon in summer travel following pent up consumer demand, it is fairly safe to say that the worst of the pandemic now appears to be behind us. In its place are reports of regions such as APAC experiencing nine months of consecutive profitability. In the US, RevPAR continues to steadily grow with each passing month, while even in hard struck Europe, analytics show that the start of recovery may finally be around the corner.

b4checkin
We know by now that 2020 was a challenging year for the hospitality industry. Hoteliers have anxiously awaited a time when their guests could come pouring back in. Fortunately, traveling is a past time that many have missed greatly. We believe the trend moving forward will be “making up for lost time”. Weddings, tradeshows, reunions, family vacations and business travel were all “postponed” not cancelled! We look forward to hearing stories from you all about how busy you’re getting as summer 2021 approaches.

BBH
We continue to be extremely encouraged by the resiliency of the industry as well as the general consumer. While we were very fortunate during the crisis in that a significant portion of our client base was extended-stay properties that were able to maintain occupancy levels, our current and prospective clients are reporting optimistic outlooks on bookings and overall occupancy expectations. It is clear that there is a huge pent-up demand for both business and leisure travel, and we are focusing our sales and operational efforts on helping properties to prepare to delight returning and first-time guests. Full steam ahead! With that said, we still continue to offer creative ramp-up business models where necessary.

CallTek
Recently I visited CallTek’s clients for the first time since the pandemic began. There’s renewed optimism worldwide as we emerge out of isolation and travel increases each month. Many hotels and technology partners were smart and took advantage of the slow travel period to realign their business model to be more efficient. As a service provider for technology operators, over the past year we have augmented our customers’ teams to help them pull through one of the most difficult times in modern history. We are seeing businesses grow and make investments in service and infrastructure in preparation for increase work volumes across hospitality which fills us with optimism towards a strong second half of this year for the lodging business.

Centrada
We have all been waiting for the day when we can put this pandemic behind us. Signs are finally pointing in the right direction: Over 50% of the total U.S. population has received at least 1 vaccine dose; Average new cases per week are the lowest levels since June 2020; The number of travelers passing through TSA checkpoints is up by over 1.2M per day vs. 2020 (now trending at 70% of 2019 levels)! Let’s have confidence these numbers continue to improve, and we are able to help our clients implement the new and improved technologies developed to assist them with emerging from this unprecedented time!

Cloud5 Communications
Warm weather and easing restrictions continue to bring Chicagoans out and about these days and things are feeling more and more “normal” as the year progresses. With increasing numbers of the population vaccinated, states opening up, and the continued recovery of the hospitality industry, I’ve got to say, I’m feeling really positive. As we all know, we’re not out of the woods yet but we’re getting there. Our team is starting to hit the road and by the time this issue publishes, it’s almost certain we will have reopened our US offices. The hospitality industry is built on human interaction and it’s incredible to spend time with our customers and partners face-to-face and in person again. It’s been far too long.

dailypoint
We feel grateful that many hotels use the COVID-19 crisis to rethink and adjust their digitalization strategy. Many hotels decided to amend and optimize their processes and put the guest in the heart of their IT strategy. With the unique central profile managed by dailypoint they can implement a central data management strategy and set-up a real CRM. The crisis forces to open minds and thoughts for innovations and optimizations which are extremely important in a quickly evolving digital environment. The basis for success though is a flexible data management platform which connects to all systems along the
customer journey.

Edge Communications
As we approach mid 2021, optimism and change are key words in the hospitality industry conversation. Our industry is slowly but surely bouncing back as both business and family travel is on the rise. Hotels are gearing up for a busy summer and the airline industry is getting back to normal craziness. Who would have thought that we would miss the long lines, pushy people and the infamous little pretzel bag served on all flights? Our industry has adopted and is expanding its technology solutions. With labor shortages, hotels, management and ownership companies have been open to innovative systems and solutions that require less physical interaction. These applications are paving the way for a new age in service and deliver. As we continue down this unprecedented path of life during and after COVID-19, we applaud the hospitality industry for its resilience and dedication to humanity in general. We have overcome the worst recession in our Industry and have come out stronger on the other side. Congratulations to all who have remained and continue to support our wonderful industry. We look forward to seeing all of you in the near future.

Electromedia Design
The pandemic has provided us with an opportunity to re-invent the industry and the services we provide. As the meeting and event industry begins to rebound, we look forward to working with our past and future customers and partners to provide solutions to meet new expectations for seamless technology and hybrid events with creative and flexible solutions.

Group360
Our industry is dealing with change management. What is the new normal, and how do we help people adapt to that new normal, whether it’s more online transactions or more hybrid meetings? The technology exists to facilitate these ways of doing things, but people have to adjust their habits and behaviors in order to understand and use the tools. As an industry, we have a chance to embrace what’s new and create better value for meeting planners and event organizers, hotel owners and management companies, as well as guests and conference attendees. Over the next 12 to 24 months, we have a great opportunity to bring together the different facets of the marketplace in a way that creates a more successful interaction.

Infor
As we’ve re-imagined how the hospitality industry can continue to serve guests with excellence in a changing landscape, we’ve discovered a renewed vision for what the future will be. During a challenging period, we’ve learned a lot. Technology has played a large role in this, led by creativity, innovation and fresh perspectives.

We’ve sought to become more adaptable, less rigid, more open to change. We’ve seen the value hospitality staff bring on every level, and how their access to the right technology solutions helps create lasting value for guests. We’ve become more aware of how great partnerships and positive attitudes help us shape what the future of the industry looks like. Infor is very excited for the next chapter of the hospitality industry story.

Jonas Chorum
Our continued commitment to be btter in everything we do. Delivering better technology, better products, better experiences, better partnerships and better support.

Maestro PMS
Each day our teams look forward to working with our exceptional clients and having the opportunity to strategize and collaborate to optimize Maestro. We forge ahead together, evolving and supporting as technology demands change, travel resumes and the industry stabilizes in the weeks and months ahead. Much like our network of wonderful hospitality partners, we continue to explore new ways to service and respond to client and market needs and maintain our ingrained client-first culture to ensure their technology is backed by the service they expect. We are not unlike the rest of the world and cannot wait for the day when it is business as usual, but until then, Maestro is here 24/7 to assist our clients no matter what their needs may be.

MIS Computer
As the world cautiously enters this new phase of recovery, MIS is optimistic and encouraged by the resiliency, strength and flexibility of our hospitality partners. We look forward to meeting with all of you face to face again and being there for you as we come back stronger than ever!

Oracle Hospitality
Nothing is more important now than accelerating hospitality’s recovery and welcoming back guests. Although the challenges we all faced were many and difficult, we’ve endured and adapted to not only find ways to deliver safer guest experiences but better ones. At Oracle Hospitality, we’re excited and committed to continue advancing cloud-based solutions to elevate hotel operations, make work simpler and more rewarding for staff, and meet the demands of a changed marketplace. It’s time to seize the new opportunities that await and delight guests by creating memories they’ll never forget.

PAS
For more than 30 years, PAS (Professional Accounting Solutions, Inc.) has been a leading provider of back office and accounting solutions for the hospitality industry. The PAS team is proud to work side by side with its hotel clients around the world to bring the hospitality industry back to life. PAS continues to work at full capacity and looks forward to seeing many colleagues at upcoming industry events. Together, we can help our hotel clients welcome their guests back through their doors.

ReactorNet
There’s no mistaking that hospitality is a highly vulnerable industry but also one built on extreme perseverance. ReactorNet has seen that vulnerability attacked on several occasions, either by a terroristic attack, a global recession or a global pandemic. Without fail, the industry kicked into high gear recovery mode, leading the way in creating a safe environment for its customers while securing the future of so many industry professionals. Their multifaceted approach of working for customers while uplifting their supply-base has become the gold standard for a recovery effort. The new interest we have seen in companies wanting to improve operations has been immense. From your friends at ReactorNet, congratulations to all industry participants for what you have overcome and what you are setup to achieve.

ResortSuite
Travel is returning! As more people become fully vaccinated, there has been an increase in hospitality bookings, with people looking to leave their bubble and experiencing the reprieve of travel. We are still not seeing business and conference travel reach pre-COVID levels, but leisure travel is bouncing back in a big way, and we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel overall. As hospitality technology providers, we need to work with our partner properties to provide them with the tools necessary to meet the new expectations of their returning guests. As the industry deals with the shortage of hospitality workers, we have to be providing technology automation that creates efficiencies - freeing up their staff to be better hosts.

Shift4 Payments
We are very pleased to see the signs of continued recovery within the hospitality industry. While there remains much progress to be made, there is also genuine reason for optimism. As we look forward to the summer months, Shift4 is committed to supporting hotels, resorts, stadiums, concert venues and more with our secure payment platform, including contactless ordering and payment solutions. Whether it’s a restaurant kitchen that is bustling with life again or a concession stand that is gearing up for the return of fans, these demanding commerce environments can continue to rely on Shift4’s technologies.

Shiji Group
2020 was an unpredictable year for all of us in the industry and it was encouraging to see how hospitality businesses banded together to help our industry recover to where we are today. With promising signs of recovery occurring around the globe, we are optimistic that the camaraderie felt among our industry will continue as travel begins to recommence and we can provide our customers with all the support they need to reopen their businesses to accommodate the resurgence in tourism. At Shiji, we strive to be a partner to our customers and the industry, not just a vendor of technology solutions and services. We will emerge more connected and integrated in the years to come and a stronger industry overall.

SiteMinder
Thanks to the SiteMinder World Hotel Index, we know that hotel booking volumes have now surpassed 60% of their pre-pandemic levels, for the first time since March of 2020, and that’s been so pleasing to see. In the United States, the numbers are telling an even more positive story. Hotel booking volumes are currently approaching 85% of their 2019 levels – the highest they’ve been in almost 450 days. They have increased more than 50% since January, alone. After a very difficult time for our industry, this is data that we should all feel very optimistic about.

StayNTouch
The post-pandemic hospitality market presents hoteliers with both challenges and opportunities. And a flexible, easy-to-use, and easy-to-scale guest-centric PMS empowers hotels to succeed in this new environment. Our easy-to-train platform can help hotels streamline operations, reduce costs, generate revenue, and personalize their guest journey. But more than this, StayNTouch’s guest-centric PMS invites hoteliers to reimagine hospitality, from utilizing contactless check-in to transform their lobby into a focal point for socializing and coworking, to leveraging hourly rates to capitalize on the new market segment of remote workers. Good hospitality can be planned, but great hospitality must occur naturally. At StayNTouch we’ve produced an unburdened, guest-centric PMS that empowers hotels to deliver any guest experience they can dream up.

TrackNProtect
At TraknProtect we are extremely optimistic on the hospitality industry recovering from the pandemic and remaining committed to employee safety. As we see markets reopen, the increase of leisure travel and meetings and events on the horizon, TraknProtect has experienced unprecedented demand for our IoT platform. The demand has not only been for our employee safety devices, but for our other suite of products that make an impact for hotel operators to work more efficiently. Even though some brands have pushed their requirement for employee safety buttons out, they realize employee safety is still a key initiative.  We are excited and optimistic by our customers continuing to challenge us to the develop other solutions to help them with the demand on their business of doing more with less.

youtip
youtip is here to help, to inspire, to be inspired by our intrepid hospitality family. March forward knowing youtip strides with you with a hand extended.

Zoox Smart Data
For hoteliers, the most important recovery indicator is seeing the return of their guests in substantial numbers. Thanks to Zoox’s collaboration with network and telecom providers such as Aruba and Verizon, analytics now exist that can demonstrate the steady increase in guests and travelers around the world. Using data from thousands of Zoox-backed Wi-Fi hotspots, recent analytics indicate a significant increase in online guest traffic during 2021’s first quarter when compared to the 2020 holiday season, with new user connections jumping by 80,000. Mobile-based connections likewise went up to 94% from 90% during the holidays, with average time spent online increasing from 77 minutes to 93 minutes. Such user statistics are undoubtedly set to grow as more guests regain the confidence to travel.