Cloud computing 'revolutionary' for hotels claims Hospitality Technology EXPO manager

Speaking to BigHospitality ahead of the show's launch in February, Harris said that cloud technology had made operations easier and more profitable for the hoteliers who had adopted it so far. 

"Cloud technology has revolutionised every aspect within the hotel industry, from hosting the property management system to all sorts of other software solutions, it's biggest benefit is it takes all the hardware out of a hotel, which makes such a big difference," she said.  

Hoteliers who switch to cloud-based systems, whose main benefit is a reduction in maintenance cost and increased flexibility, and who can keep up with their customers' changing technology needs will see the benefits to their future business, Harris believes. 

"Guests have become much more tech-savvy over the last few years, so hotels need to pay attention to how guests interact with your hotel in terms of technology. There has been so much reliance on mobile devices, which offer so much more now, that some people don't want to go to the concierge or front desk for help, they want it through their smartphone," she said. 

Technology for hospitality​

Next year will see the launch of the show at Earls Court in London where the industry's IT managers and technology suppliers are expected to come together under one roof to find out about the latest advancements in technology and discuss ideas about its future within the sector.

Harris said although other trade shows hosted technology suppliers they sometimes got lost within other exhibitors. "A number of IT directors were going to generic events and they were saying there was no real offering for hospitality technology. A lot of research was done on our behalf and as this area is growing hugely we decided to listen to the suppliers and hotel community and launch a show dedicated to hospitality technology," she said.

The show has enlisted the help of IT specialists within the industry such as Neil Murray, director of global brand and guest technology at Hilton Worldwide and Christian Boerger, regional director of Mandarin Hotel Group who are members of its hotel advisory board. This year's focus is very much for the hotel sector, but Harris said the show could open out to more areas of hospitality in the future.

Subjects under discussion at the two day show, which starts on 5 February, will include 'Securing guest information in a world with no boundaries', the future of revenue management systems and whether Google and Facebook are a help or hindrance in the travel domain. There will also be a host of supplier masterclasses and round table discussions.

For more information about the show and to register visit www.hostechexpo.com​