HOSPACE 2014 set to be the most technologically sophisticated HOSPA annual Conference and Exhibition ever!

HOSPACE 2014 promises to be one of the most technologically sophisticated Annual Conferences and Exhibitions HOSPA has ever held for hospitality finance, revenue management, IT and commerce professionals.

HOSPACE is known for innovation and 2014 will be no exception. HOSPA is very proud to be hosting a demonstration and study on 20 November by Dr. Ajay 'AJ' Aluri – Assistant Professor at the Department of Management, College of Business & Economics, West Virginia University – of consumer behaviour regarding Google's innovative 'Glass' technology, introduced from the US to the UK in June 2014. Dr Aluri will be examining how wearable computing technologies will both positively and negatively affect the hospitality industry. He will be demonstrating Google 'Glass' and will be collecting data from HOSPACE delegates to examine consumer behaviour when using 'Glass' in the context of the hospitality industry.

Google 'Glass' is an 'ubiquitous computing' device – with an optical head-mounted display that can be integrated to mobile devices, and can be operated hands-free using simple voice commands. During his initial research in the US, Dr Aluri – who was selected to participate in the Google 'Glass' program in 2013 – explored the motivations and behaviours of college students using 'Glass' for cyber-tourism. This is a new type of tourism in which cyber travellers virtually travel and experience a destination in real-time, as a substitute for physical travel. Indeed, The Montcalm London Marble Arch is the first hotel in the capital to use Google 'Glass' to enable staff at the five-star property to better engage with guests whilst advising on local restaurants, travel plans and attractions. Currently, staff at Edinburgh Airport are trying out the wearable technology until December to provide flight information, translations and answer questions about the city.

The one-day HOSPACE 2014 Conference will be supported by the latest cutting-edge, interactive technology. This will ensure full delegate participation – including a HOSPACE 2014 innovation: delegate polling, using the Benbria Take 3 version of the Loop, on three issues raised in each of the conference sessions. Examples of proposed questions for this year's 'HOSPACE 2014 Leaders Panel' delegate polling could be: 'Is the UK hotel market out of recession?' 'Do you plan to invest in hospitality technology in the next year?' And, 'do hotels have to be part of a big brand for market success?' The responses will be displayed on a large scoreboard as either 'thumbs up' (with numbers) or 'thumbs down' (with numbers) beside each question as delegates poll, using the Benbria website address given out at HOSPACE 2014.

Also new to HOSPACE 2014 will be CloudMedia – an end-to-end managed Digital Media service, provisioned and managed by BCS Global in the cloud. It will enable delegates to enjoy the full benefits of Digital Signage and information – with increased reliability and flexibility. CloudMedia's objective is to make Digital Media easier than ever. This will be demonstrated by the company's provision of a comprehensive managed 'Digital Signage' solution at HOSPACE 2014 to ensure seamless execution and messaging. The service is backed by a global team of video experts, graphic designers, and professional end-user support staff.

CloudMedia will be also supporting another HOSPACE 2014 innovation – 'audience measurement'. At HOSPACE 2014's growing Exhibition of hospitality technology solutions, CloudMedia will have mounted in the Exhibition a large screen, with small camera, which will drive the 'audience measurement' application. As each delegate approaches the stand, the system will detect a series of metrics – such as gender, attention times and age-bracket – as they focus their attention on a target advertisement, on the large screen, that is appropriate to the viewer (e.g. if female: a spa offer, or range of cocktails available; and if male: a golf offer, or a beer promotion).

Linked to this will be Qui Vidi and VidiReports – image processing software which analyses a stream of images and computes a series of metrics describing the presence and the activity of the people appearing in those images. Typically, VidiReports is used to monitor the audience in front of a point of interest – such as a screen, poster or sales item. A small camera captures the scene in front of the point of interest; and VidiReports provides real-time quantitative and qualitative data on the live audience.

Following its success at HOSPACE 2013, iRiS Software Systems will once again offer its 'Delegate app' for use by HOSPA for HOSPACE 2014. The iRiS Delegate app is a virtual event management solution, enabling event organisers and conference centres to provide delegates with a multilingual, interactive event experience on their own device. It is a full featured event guide, personal conference planner and networking tool which allows delegates to view the HOSPACE 2014 conference schedule and export it to their device's calendar app; access venue information; view attendee lists with LinkedIn profile links; and manage documents, presentations and personal notes from each session.

An added bonus for HOSPACE 2014 delegates is that they will receive a free copy of leading US-based technology magazine, Hospitality Upgrade. The publication's well-known publisher, Richard Siegel, will be attending the event.

The largest and most prestigious annual gathering of like-minded hospitality practitioners in the UK, HOSPACE 2014 – to be held at the Sofitel London Heathrow, Terminal 5 – is once again supported by Hewlett-Packard (HP). "We are delighted to have HP's support once again for HOSPACE 2014," said HOSPA Chief Executive Carl Weldon. "We are also extremely grateful to the company for its generosity in providing 'HP Tablets' as prizes for our HOSPACE 2014 delegates and suppliers; and to HP UK Wireless Manager Paul Squires for agreeing to be one of the top line-up of 'information insights' specialists who will be discussing, exploring and illustrating one of the biggest challenges currently facing hospitality finance, revenue management and IT practitioners – 'How to get the most from the data insights revolution', the subject of our very first in-depth, 70-minute HOSPACE 'HOSPA Spotlight' session. HP is one of the largest players in Big Data analytics and retail."

For regularly updated information on HOSPACE 2014 (HOSPA Conference and IT Exhibition), visit the HOSPACE 2014 Website at: www.hospace.net . For bookings and further details for HOSPACE 2014, contact the HOSPA Membership and Events Office on telephone: +44 (0) 203 418 8196; or email: [email protected]

Other HOSPACE 2014 highlights:

• Setting the scene for the one-day HOSPACE 2014: the traditionally popular 'HOSPACE Industry Overview' – comprising the latest hotel data again presented by STR Global and PwC, with the addition this year of the latest sales trends for the UK eating-out and drinking-out market by Coffer Peach
• The eagerly awaited HOSPACE annual 'Leaders Panel' discussion which, with the upturn in the economy, will examine – amongst other topics – the key question of 'how is the hospitality industry investing in the future'? Under the expert guidance of Panel Chairman Peter Hancock, Chief Executive, Pride of Britain Hotels, the 'Leaders Panel' will include: Steve Cassidy, Area Vice President, UK & Ireland, Hilton Worldwide, responsible for the company's multi-brand portfolio across the British Isles; Simon Ewins, Chief Operating Officer, hub by Premier Inn and CSR, Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants, who is responsible for the roll-out of Whitbread's new high-tech city centre hotels: 'hub by Premier Inn'; Heiko Figge, Head of private equity company Moorfield Group's hospitality portfolio; and Phil Le-Brun, Senior Director - European Restaurant Solutions at McDonald's Europe Ltd.
• 'How the hospitality industry can get the most from the data insights revolution' is the subject of the very first in-depth, 70-minute 'HOSPA Spotlight' session. The top line-up of 'information insights' specialists, dealing with the hospitality industry, will comprise: Michael Heyward, Director, Hotel Performance Support Europe, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG); business intelligence specialist Samir Sharma, Chief Executive of datazuum – which enables companies to turn data into valuable insights; Peter Martin, Vice President, CGA Peach (provider of unique research, analysis, insight and market access in the UK eating-out and drinking-out market) who is a leading commentator on this sector of the UK hospitality industry, and Vice-President of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR), the licensed retail trade organisation; Isabelle Pinson, Senior Director of Market Management for Northern Europe, Expedia Lodging Partner Services; and Paul Squires, UK Wireless Manager, Hewlett-Packard (HP). Chairing the session will be Michael Prager, non-executive Chairman of Optimal Monitoring Limited & Hospitality Pro, and formerly Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Hilton Worldwide. He is also a former Vice President – Sales, Planning & Development, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).
• Rounding off HOSPACE 2014's morning sessions: a 'Tourism Council Overview' presented by British Hospitality Association Chief Executive Ufi Ibrahim, who is also Chairman of the Tourism Alliance.
• Afternoon: 21 popular and highly topical industry-specific 'Educational Workshops' programme, which will be linked into the 'HOSPA Spotlight' sessions
• The focal point of HOSPACE 2014's afternoon sessions will be a second in-depth, 70-minute 'HOSPA Spotlight', which this time will be shone on 'Hospitality cures for sleepless night anxieties ' – from fraud and PCI compliance, to OTA commissions, purchasing technology and a new challenge: trading coming OUT of a recession!' The panellists will include: Jim Gee, Partner and Head of Forensic and Counter Fraud Services, PKF Littlejohn; Paul Nisbett Finance & Commercial Director, The Hotel Collection, and Chairman of the HOSPA Finance Community; Bryan Steele, Head of IT, Royal Automobile Club (RAC), and Chairman of the HOSPA IT; and Rajesh Vohra, Sales & Marketing Director, Sarova Hotels, who is also President of HEDNA's (Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association) Board of Directors. HVS Chairman Russell Kett, will be presiding over the afternoon 'HOSPA' Spotlight session.
• As in previous years, HOSPACE 2014 will be hosting its ever growing Exhibition of hospitality technology solutions – providing delegates with a 'one stop shop' to view and interact with the latest and 'best in class' technologies – covering all eventualities for any hospitality business, whether they be start-up, established independent, or multi chain-owned, operations
• The event's grand finale Gala Dinner – including the signature 'HOSPA Pub Quiz and entertainment' – is one of the traditional social networking highlights of the Conference.