The first of its kind, The Hospitality Show is a bold new event for the entire hospitality ecosystem with one shared goal: operating hotels efficiently and profitably. Brought to you by The American Hotel & Lodging Association and Hotel Management, the event will bring together top industry leaders, senior executives of hotel brands, owners, operators, management companies and procurement specialists—and their teams—to discover, network and drive profitability.
Business accelerates when the right people are in the room, and this new weekly series of advisory board interviews goes 1:1 with the industry’s best and brightest as they build the inaugural event to be held June 27-29, 2023 at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
In this installment, we catch up with Kimberly Twiggs, associate VP, market development at DIRECTV.
What issues are currently causing headaches for the industry?
Twiggs: Supply chain, rising costs and higher guest expectations—just to name a few. The long tail of COVID persists as technology manufacturers and providers continue to struggle with ongoing supply delays that impact hoteliers’ ability to make much-needed infrastructure and support upgrades to their properties. Inflation is also burdening the industry as hoteliers must scrutinize which upgrades they will pursue in a tough economy with finite budgets. But these macroeconomic issues aren’t stopping guests from returning to pre-pandemic travel levels with even higher expectations and more must-haves than before. Exceeding guests’ expectations is a top priority for hoteliers and that is tough in an environment where product availability is inconsistent and operating costs continue to rise.
What will it take for those issues to smooth out and when do you anticipate that will happen?
Twiggs: It’s hard to predict how and when these supply chain and inflation issues will subside, but we can’t always wait for issues to resolve themselves; we must lead and be the change. DIRECTV has a history of supporting our hotel customers in difficult economic times, and now is no different. Having a robust in-room guest entertainment offering is part of meeting those higher guest expectations, and equipment prices shouldn’t be a barrier to delivering a premium experience. DIRECTV offsets costs with offers that help subsidize DIRECTV equipment at no additional cost. Making an investment in technology to help drive operational efficiencies and guest satisfaction is an investment in a hotel’s longevity. Finding the right technology partners today paves the way for future innovation and financial success.
What do you see as the biggest opportunities for the industry as we make our way through 2023?
Twiggs: Meeting guests where they are and with what they need is core to success this year. Hotel guests are rebuilding their confidence in travel, and they’re returning to the air and hotel spaces with different priorities and resources than they had before. From an in-room entertainment perspective, guest expectations continue to evolve to match their ‘at-home’ experience. Guests crave the choice of either watching live TV or having the option to stream app-based, on-demand content because it allows them to conduct their stay on their terms—it’s personalized, choice-driven and creates a home-like environment in the guest space.
DIRECTV gives hoteliers the option of creating their own customized guest experience with our Advanced Entertainment Platform. DIRECTV’s AEP blends the latest content and cloud technologies, giving the hotelier control of their guests’ unique in-room entertainment. The ability to customize an entertainment experience on this level is a huge opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves and make full use of guest entertainment technology.
What new trends do you see affecting the hospitality industry the most in 2023?
Twiggs: Simplify, simplify, simplify! DIRECTV HOSPITALITY is committed to making it easier for hoteliers to deliver best-in-class, in-room entertainment while at the same time making the guest experience as simple, smooth, and seamless as possible. We have been working hard to aggregate content onto our Advanced Entertainment Platform with apps such as SHOWTIME, Hallmark TV, Saltbox TV, Music Choice and Netflix, with more apps and catalogs of content on the way, including free ad supported tv (FAST) content. Aggregation with capable search and discovery functionality alleviates pain points for guests and makes it easy for them to actually enjoy their stay without having to access multiple systems or learn new processes. It’s all right at their fingertips.
What do you think the industry’s biggest win this year will be?
Twiggs: Continued confidence in travel is going to continue to boost hotel revenue as more people hit the road for work and/or play. We are finally starting to see business and group travel come back this year, which represents a huge revenue recovery and growth opportunity for the hotel space. As we settle into our ‘new normal’, hotels that make it easy for companies and groups to enable hybrid meetings that combine both in-person and virtual participation will be the key to ensuring success. Connectivity remains the most important component of a hotel’s ability to meet the needs of its guests in-room, in meeting spaces, and in between. With hoteliers focused on the technology upgrades required to set guests and companies up for success, this year’s revenue recovery should be the biggest increase we’ve seen yet.
What are you most looking forward to at The Hospitality Show?
Twiggs: I literally cannot wait for this show to get here! DIRECTV HOSPITALITY is excited to be working with American Hotel & Lodging Association and Questex on this opportunity to help transform the hotel trade show experience. As a board member and participant in the planning process, I couldn’t be prouder of the strategic thought and event expertise going into creating this first-of-its-kind show experience. To kick it all off, DIRECTV is sponsoring the Opening Night Party at Tao Asian Bistro & Nightclub, and it’s going to be the party of the year. Don’t miss it! If you’ve ever been to one of DIRECTV’s hospitality events before, you know we know how to bring people together for experiences that are meaningful, memorable and fun! DIRECTV is also proud to be the exclusive “Innovate the Room '' entertainment activation sponsor, showing THS attendees and hoteliers how DIRECTV can transform hotel lobbies, bars and restaurants, guestrooms and hotel team member lounges. This is a great opportunity to showcase DIRECTV’s best-in-class entertainment technology on a large scale and bring something new and exciting to the show floor.