For the hospitality community,
HFTP (Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals) is an essential resource for information about the progression and application of technology to the industry. As part of its mission to educate the hospitality industry, HFTP has produced the
HITEC® convention for the last 36 years. HITEC provides a meeting ground for hospitality professionals to learn about technologies that can grow their organizations. An IBM sponsored project,
Guestroom 20X (recently renamed from Guestroom 2010), became part of the HITEC experience in 2006 and has since gained a reputation as “the hotel room of the future.” Guestroom 20X is a clear example of HFTP’s success in educating its industry.
HITEC maintains an advisory council that plans the education programs for that show. During a conversation between advisory council members the idea of Guestroom 20X was born. HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe recalls the comment that became the catalyst: “wouldn’t it be cool to show the integration of some products that are on the exhibit floor.” This is the purpose of Guestroom 20X: to educate and demonstrate. Guestroom 20X does not sell any products. “When a hotel company goes to invest either in a renovation or a new build, it can be a year or a many years process,” explains Wolfe. There is inevitably a lag between planning and execution of technology for that kind of project. For example, Wolfe continues, “a hotel may have installed Cat 5 wires, and then the day that the hotel opens, it's wireless. Now they’ve spent all of this money unnecessarily.” For this reason, the advisory council considers the evolution of technology when they plan Guestroom 20X. For example, Wolfe points out that “this year we didn’t put a phone in the room because the council does not think that the 'room of the future’ will have a phone.” In this way, Guestroom 20X successfully recognizes the rapid rate of technology evolution and demonstrates possibilities for hotel companies to consider when applying technology to their rooms.
Several prototype technologies were implemented at this year's Guestroom 20X; the first, a cell phone that functions as a key to open the hotel room door; another, a closet door that generates enough electricity to light the closet when it is opened. When planning this technologically sophisticated guestroom, the advisory council listens to the end user. “Our research revealed what hotel-goers want in a hotel bathroom: placement in the back of the room, not visible from the door, with windows and natural light.” The results of this research lead to the integration of new window glass technology. With the flip of a switch, the bathroom glass changes from clear to frosted, allowing both privacy and light. “We thought, we can give them what they want,” says Wolfe, “We can actually do a bathroom in the back of the room, with windows as opposed to the cave that a hotel bathroom typically is. We found a product developed by the defense department and married this product with the results of our research and found a unique solution to better the hotel experience... This is not new to the world, but it is new to our industry.”
The process of picking appropriate technologies relevant to the hospitality industry is a complicated one. “We decided if we’re really going to do our job and educate the industry it shouldn’t be only those who pay,” says Wolfe, “because there are so many cool products out there that the industry should be aware of, but some may not have any money behind them. Then that evolved into 'let’s not integrate just a few products. Why don’t we integrate everything that could possibly be in the guestroom?' ” This creates the obvious challenge for Guestroom 20X that vendors might overwhelm the search for great technology by submitting many products unsuitable for the showcase. “They could take the shotgun approach,” according to Wolfe, “thinking maybe they'll get lucky and the council will pick a product to feature.” To prevent that scenario there is a $250 application fee. However, this doesn’t prevent the Guestroom council from independently seeking out technologies. Wolfe explains: “There are at least a couple of products that never paid us a penny. We found out about them and we approached them, because it’s our job to get technology in the room that should be introduced to the industry.”
Although the showcase of technology is not a new idea, the way in which Guestroom 20X presents that technology is extremely eye-opening and effective. Technology suppliers often find it challenging to understand the person walking up to their booth and what their technology needs are. It is equally difficult at times for technology suppliers to explain their product’s applicability and value proposition to potential buyers so that a business opportunity is generated. Guestroom 20X breaks down the communication barriers inherent at a tradeshow event by delivering a tangible way for the hospitality industry to experience the technologies available to them.
Related Categories: Hospitality,
Housing & Travel