When Oroville Dam's main and emergency spillways were damaged in February 2017, it prompted the evacuation of more than 180,000 people living downstream along the Feather River in Oroville, Calif. Among the evacuees were some of the 520 employees of the Feather Falls Casino, Lodge & Brewing Co. During this crisis, property managers, including Human Resources Director Rhonda Turner, had no way of communicating with staff - the majority of whom do not have a work email address. It was critical for management to determine if employees needed assistance, to explain the property's attendance and absence policies, and to see who could work pre-scheduled shifts and who could not due to relocation.

There are many great sessions and workgroup meetings to look forward to at the upcoming HTNG Insight Summit! Make sure you're joining your peers on 25-26 September at the Plug 'N Play Headquarters in Sunnyvale, CA for this not-to-miss event.

It wasn't long ago that all the information hotels had on a guest could fit on a single registration card. In the late 1980s, the introduction of the property management system marked the beginning of the digitization of data.

Cendyn, the leading provider of hotel CRM and hotel sales platforms in the hospitality industry, has been voted as Asia's Leading Data-Driven Marketing Agency, 2018. The prestigious World Travel Awards recognizes companies, organizations, and brands that push the boundaries of industry excellence. This award in Asia follows Cendyn's win, earlier this year, of Leading Hotel CRM Technology Provider and Data-Driven Marketing Agency in Europe 2018."We are truly honored to have been recognized by this award in Asia, " says Charles Deyo, CEO & President at Cendyn. "In such a fast-paced market that is continuously growing, we are proud to have been recognized for our growth and achievement across Asia. We see continuous proof from hotels that implement both CRM and data-driven digital marketing, that they not only see more direct, higher yielding bookings but they are also able to watch those guests become returning, loyal guests."Cendyn's unique Data-Driven Digital Marketing Suite enables hoteliers to learn about and target their most valuable guests more than ever before. By targeting the right guests, at the right time, with the right message, hoteliers are able to cut through the noise of the crowded hospitality industry with personalized multi-channel campaigns that showcase and drive awareness of your brand.Cendyn's CRM Suite, which works in conjunction with their Data-Driven Digital Marketing Suite, caters to every hotel from large brands to small boutique properties. Using multiple integrations, Cendyn consolidates multiple data points from disparate data transactions to engage with travelers throughout the guest journey. Business rules-based automation combined with dynamic personalization and upsell opportunities drive revenue through multiple channels and help hotels acquire new customers.Hotels are continuing to evolve in how they engage with their guests. By using technology and data to drive this engagement, hoteliers are able to revolutionize how they interact with guests, use tools to drive direct bookings, maintain a brand presence with their most valuable clients and stay competitive in their market. Cendyn's integrated Data-Driven Digital Marketing Suite and Hotel CRM Suite enables hoteliers to keep their guests at the forefront of what they do and concentrate on providing exceptional, personalized customer service at all times.

Beijing, Shiji working with Alibaba's Fliggy (formerly known as AliTrip), have achieved a hotel industry first by integrating full facial recognition for hotel check-in including credit authorization for 50 hotels in Hainan district of China. Fliggy provided the reservation and customer data with Shiji providing the integration, distribution, payment gateway and on-property systems to provide a seamless guest experience for the China travelers.

ALICE interviews concierge Patrick Trevor on his thoughts on technology in the hospitality industry, providing the best recommendations, and how he creates everlasting memories for guests staying at Mr. C Seaport.

Champion Hotels opened the world's first IHG avid hotel in Oklahoma City this month. It also opened the first Tru by Hilton in mid-2017. Champion installed dormakaba's Saflok Quantum™ mobile ready RFID electronic door locks at both properties. Champion Hotels is the largest privately held hotel operator in the US with over 180 franchised locations. Its brands include Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham, and Choice. dormakaba provides secure Saflok™ and Ilco™ electronic door locks and is one of the top three companies in the global market for access and security solutions.

If you had a pulse in the '90s, you most definitely saw Jurassic Park. And if you are a person who totally loves dinosaurs, like myself, you probably saw Jurassic Park at least a dozen more times in the theater.

Shiji launches Shiji Distribution Solutions team to accelerate international growth. Founded in 2007, CHINAonline was the first connectivity provider in China and the first to build connections between international hotel chains and Chinese OTAs.

According to Hospitality Technology's 2018 Customer Engagement Technology Study, hotels are slow to adopt the mobile functionality guests want. Over 40% of those surveyed want to do one or more of the following: use their smartphones and tablets to manage reservations, control the guest room environment, check in/out, request services, order room service, unlock their rooms, and more. However, fewer than half of all hotels currently offer a majority of these mobile features. According to the study, of the 24 mobile features guests want, only 3 are widely available (room reservations, loyalty program management and on-property events).