HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW
FEBRUARY FOCUS: Social Media

Getting the Best Teams for Public Relations and Social Media

By Florence Quinn President & Founder, Quinn PR | February 2022

As we emerge from COVID (we hope), some hotels are asking PR firms to provide social media services as well as PR work. Prior to COVID, most hotels sought out PR firms for PR services only; social media services were contracted separately.

"With how fast the travel space is evolving, we've been seeing the rise of social media needs increase significantly over the past few months, especially after last year," said Laura Davidson, president of LDPR.

Even with the rise in social media, the first question is why the change? The second is why look for both services under one firm? Could it be better or equally advantageous to hire two firms that excel in their respective fields?

PR Has Become An Online Communications Service, Like Social Media

Social media has always reach audiences online and on screens. It's direct-to-consumer communications. It's interactive with the potential to go viral. And while the platforms and algorithms change, this basis concept stays the same.

Now, like social media, PR is primarily an online communications vehicle and marketing strategy. The defining PR event of the last year is how much the pace of this evolution quicken during our enforced COVID isolation. Media outlets, even if they continue to publish in print, are super focused on what they can do online. They have grown their social media platforms. They are offering more online, PR-type paid opportunities. Some have hired editors who are digital-marketing experts.

With the media's increased online presence, comes more exciting opportunities for PR. PR work with online media has expanded into webinars, social media takeovers, emailers and more. This is in addition to an even greater need for news and images for editorial content, which PR has always provided. And it doesn't cover the work we are now doing online that, like social media, is also direct to consumer.

PR and Social Media are Separate Skill Sets

With PR's growth in online communications comes a misperceived blurring of the lines between PR and social media. This is what accounts for the increase in requests for social media services from PR firms. However, PR and social media remain two different areas. The skills required to do each remain separate and distinctive.

"While the lines between PR and social media have blurred and there is overlap in the work, they remain two separate marketing areas," said Amy Draheim of ABD Creative, a digital-marketing agency. "PR and social are totally different. I could never do PR," she added.

Social media attracts folks who are visual, tech-oriented and numbers based. "Social media careers come from general marketing background," noted Amy Stojanovic, managing partner, Mochee Social Media. "It's very visual, not copy heavy, and there is a lot of math involved," she added. "We work on Excel worksheets because there are a ton of numbers. We are constantly reviewing analytics and software. Social strategy based on data is the strongest."

The PR team handles overall strategy, media, partnership, creative concepts, programs, activities, events, and webinars and takes the lead on thought leadership. "PR agencies plan on a broad scale annual and quarterly plan," said Amy Stojanovic. "The social media team takes the strategy and the direction and breaks it down into granular posts and content."

The only overlap between PR and social media is around Influencers. Either team can handle the Influencer work, crafting a strategy, executing the plan and negotiating the deliverables. However, if the PR team is taking the lead, they should consult with the social media team. "PR team can find the Influencer, and the social team can make the most of what they are posting and resharing," said Amy Draheim. "A social media partner will help you really understand the impact of the Influencer by providing detailed analytics then leverage the influencer partnership on the social media channels," she added.

Hire the Best

Given that you will need two separate teams – PR and social media – it behooves hoteliers to hire the best social media team, regardless of whether they sit within the PR agency or in a different shop.

What's most important is their depth and breadth of experience. In this regard, there are several benefits to hiring a firm that only does social media.

1. When you hire a social media firm, you know you are getting folks who live and breathe the social media landscape.

"We are incredibly tapped into the platforms, algorithm and what's trending," said Amy Stojanovic. "I can wake up one morning, and FB has made an announcement about a new feature or new tech, and our whole lives change. When reels came out on Instagram, we were first to market to change in order to benefit from the algorithm," she noted.

"We know about new and emerging changes just like PR firms know the new lifestyle publications," added Amy Draheim.

Carolyn Izzo-Feldman, CEO and founder of CIIC, concurs. "We learn a lot when we outsource social media. They have their finger on the pulse, which is so important. They help us understand beyond content and messaging. They have the expertise on analysis, and they learn it at a faster pace."

2. Social media folks live in a world of mathematical algorithms and put a high priority on knowing how to work with them.

"The whole point of social media is knowing the algorithms that change day by day or week by week," said Amy Stojanovic. "We have to prioritize the algorithm so people can see the work through organic engagement rather than seeking it out. We need to know about coloration; asset type, including video and reels; graphic treatments, and caption writing. For example, five years ago, algorithms favored short quippy captions. Now long-form captions get greater engagement and are being used as short articles. Otherwise, social media is just a website that is static."

3. Social media experts know how to produce a significant amount of content.

They have become content creation houses. "Posting on social media is so much more than static images," said Amy Draheim. "We develop graphics, videos and Lives. A PR firm would need a design department to do what we do," she added.

4. Most PR firms do not have content-creation inhouse capabilities.

"We realized though that social media is evolving to larger programs that include paid social, photoshoots and larger campaigns and launches that require a full team to execute properly," observed Laura Davidson. "As such, we've developed relationships with key agency partners who can offer these capabilities to our clients. Depending on the needs and budget, we can advise on who the right partner would be for our client and facilitate conversations from there."

5. Keeping up the pace.

The pace in social media is often fast – faster than it is in PR -- and the team needs to be nimble. "We are sending up to 20 graphics a week to a client based on the account," noted Amy Stojanovic.

6. Staying on top of content trends is another important area.

There may be a new meme or a new way to talk about a guest review. Specific sounds may be trending. Types of animating graphic design, photography and video may change. "For example, today, lo-fi content (short for 'low-fidelity') taken with a smart phone is in and doesn't require much editing," said Amy Stojanovic. "What resonates on social is user-generated content and this is not perfect. It's very clear when we look at engagement that lo-fi content outperforms traditional assets," she added.

7. Often a social media team can do more with less budget.

While it might seem that keeping the PR and social media under one agency roof might save money, this is not necessarily the case. Each agency team is a vertical charged with making money.

It could actually cost you more if they don't have the time-saving tools of a social media firm or if it requires hiring a third party to produce the content. "We have systems set up, and we use tools that enable us to be quick and nimble," said Amy Draheim. "We can often save the property money."

8. A good social media firm is well versed in paid social.

They use tools like Facebook's Ads manager to target a specific audience. They can load a database list to target people based on look-alike audiences based on geography and behavior, etc. "On Instagram, it may make sense to boost an influencer's post via a paid partnership," said Amy Draheim.

9. When it comes to community management in a crisis, you want someone with the depth of experience.

Social media is often the first place where an issue starts to get traction. A social agency will be quick to see it and know how to act. They will advise you on whether to reach out or not. "The goal is to keep it from spreading the news by either addressing it in the best and quickest way possible or by staying silent, so you don't spread it," said Amy Stojanovic. "We handle crises on a regular basis."

10. Some clients believe that having everything under one roof means fewer meetings and fewer people to brief and manage.

They are hopeful that it will save time. However, a PR firm with a social media department is the same as working with two different businesses. "Whether you have two teams in one firm or two firms, you still have two entities," said Amy Draheim.

You Want Two Teams That Work Well Together

Whether you are working with two teams in one firm or two agencies, you want people you can work with and who enjoy working with each other. PR firms with social media partners with whom they work on a regular basis have a relationship and a rapport. "The right social media partner will attend client meetings and become part of the team. It's all very integrated," said Carolyn Izzo-Feldman.

They trust and feel accountable to each other. They know they can depend on each other and brainstorm together. "Having these partners allows our core team to focus on securing key placements and partnerships for our clients, while we have agency partners focused on digital exposure," said Laura Davidson.

The right two agencies enjoy the collaboration. "We crave working with PR agencies that help define target markets, brand voice and strategy," said Amy Stojanovic.

Terms & Conditions

The following are terms of a legal agreement ("Agreement") between you and HotelExecutive. By accessing, browsing and/or otherwise using this web site, HotelExecutive, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to be bound by these terms and conditions, and to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including U.S. export and re-export control laws and regulations. If you do not agree to all of these terms and conditions, you may not access, browse and/or use HotelExecutive. The material provided on HotelExecutive is protected by law, including, but not limited to, United States copyright law and international treaties.

These terms of access apply to your access to and use of HotelExecutive and do not alter in any way the terms and conditions of any other agreement you may have with HotelExecutive for products, software, services or otherwise, unless otherwise directed by HotelExecutive. If you breach any of these terms and conditions, your authorization to use HotelExecutive automatically terminates and you must immediately destroy any downloaded or printed materials and discontinue use of any hyperlinks to HotelExecutive.

1. USE RESTRICTIONS

Copyright. All Site materials, including, without limitation, text, pictures, graphics and other files and the selection and arrangement thereof are copyrighted materials of HotelExecutive © 1996-2016, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, or by the original creator of the material. Permission is granted to display and use the materials on HotelExecutive for private individual, educational and noncommercial use only, provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained in the materials. You may not, however, distribute, copy, reproduce, display, republish, download, or transmit any material on HotelExecutive for commercial use without prior written approval from HotelExecutive. You may not "mirror" any material contained on HotelExecutive on any other server without prior written permission from HotelExecutive. Any unauthorized use of any material contained on HotelExecutive may violate copyright laws, trademark laws, the laws of privacy and publicity and communications regulations and statutes.

Trademarks

The trademarks, service marks, trade names and logos (the "Trademarks") used and displayed on HotelExecutive are registered and unregistered Trademarks of HotelExecutive. In addition, all page headers, custom graphics, icons and scripts are service marks, trademarks and/or trade dress of HotelExecutive, and may not be copied, imitated or used, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of HotelExecutive. You acknowledge that the Trademarks used and displayed on HotelExecutive are and shall remain the sole property of HotelExecutive or the Trademark owner. Nothing in this Agreement shall confer any right of ownership of any of the Trademarks in you. Further, nothing in HotelExecutive shall be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel or otherwise any license or right to use any Trademark used or displayed on HotelExecutive, without the express written permission of HotelExecutive or the Trademark owner. The misuse of the trademarks displayed on HotelExecutive, or any other Content on HotelExecutive, is strictly prohibited.

Hyperlinks

You are granted a limited, nonexclusive right to create a hypertext link to HotelExecutive provided that such link is to the entry page of HotelExecutive and does not portray HotelExecutive or any of its products or services in a false, misleading, derogatory, or otherwise defamatory manner. This limited right may be revoked at any time for any reason whatsoever. You may not use framing techniques to enclose any Company trademark, logo or trade name or other proprietary information including the images found at HotelExecutive, the Content of any text or the layout/design of any page or any form contained on a page without HotelExecutive's express written consent. Links to third party sites on HotelExecutive are provided solely as convenience to you. If you use these links, you will leave HotelExecutive. HotelExecutive has not reviewed all of these third party sites and does not control and is not responsible for any of these sites, their Content or their policies, including, without limitation, privacy policies or lack thereof. HotelExecutive does not endorse or make any representations about third party sites or any information, software or other products or materials found there, or any results that may be obtained from using them. If you decide to access any of the third party sites linked to HotelExecutive, you do so entirely at your own risk. You acknowledge and agree that HotelExecutive shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by, or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such third party sites.

Downloadable Materials

Any software, including codes or other materials that are made available to download from HotelExecutive, is the copyrighted work of HotelExecutive and/or its suppliers and affiliates. If you download software from HotelExecutive, use of the software is subject to the license terms in the software license agreement that accompanies or is provided with the software. You may not download or install the software until you have read and accepted the terms of the applicable software license agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, copying or reproduction of the software to any other server or location for further reproduction or redistribution is expressly prohibited unless otherwise provided for in the applicable software license agreement in the case of software, or the express written consent of HotelExecutive in the case of codes or other downloadable materials.

Limited Access

Except as otherwise expressly permitted by HotelExecutive, any access or attempt to access other areas of HotelExecutive computer system or other information contained on the system for any purposes is strictly prohibited. You agree that you will not use any robot, spider, other automatic device, or manual process to "screen scrape," monitor, "mine," or copy the Web pages on HotelExecutive or the Content contained therein without HotelExecutive's prior, express, and written permission. You will not spam or send unsolicited e-mail to any other user of HotelExecutive for any reason. You agree that you will not use any device, software or routine to interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of HotelExecutive. You agree that you will not take any action that imposes an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on HotelExecutive's infrastructure.

Additional Use Restrictions

You shall not post, transmit, e-mail, re-transmit or store material on or through any of the services provided by HotelExecutive (the "Services") which, in the sole judgment of HotelExecutive: (i) is in violation of any local, state, federal or non-United States law or regulation, (ii) is threatening, obscene, indecent, defamatory or that otherwise could adversely affect any individual, group or entity (collectively, "Persons") or (iii) violates the rights of any person, including rights protected by copyright, trade secret, patent or other intellectual property or similar laws or regulations including, but not limited to, the installation or distribution of "pirated" or other unauthorized photos or software products that are not appropriately licensed for use by you. You shall be responsible for determining what laws or regulations are applicable to its use of the Services. In addition, you may only use the Services in a manner that, in HotelExecutive's sole judgment, is consistent with the purposes of such Services. If you are unsure of whether any contemplated use or action is permitted, please contact HotelExecutive at editor@HotelExecutive By way of example, and not limitation, the following uses described below of the Services are expressly prohibited:

A. upload, post, e-mail or otherwise transmit any information, data, text, software, music, sound, photographs, graphics, video, messages or other materials (collectively, "Content") that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, sexually intolerant or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;

B. impersonate any person or entity, including, but not limited to, a Company official, forum leader, guide or host, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;

C. forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers in order to disguise the origin of any Content transmitted through the Services or develop restricted or password-only access pages, or hidden pages or images (those not linked to from another accessible page);

D. upload, post, e-mail or otherwise transmit any Content that you do not have a right to transmit under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships such as inside information, proprietary and confidential information learned or disclosed as part of employment relationships or under nondisclosure agreements;

E. upload, post, e-mail or otherwise transmit any Content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights of any party;

F. upload, post, e-mail or otherwise transmit any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes" or any other form of solicitation;

G. upload, post, e-mail or otherwise transmit any material that contains software viruses, worms or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment;

H. interfere with or disrupt the Services or servers or networks connected to the Services, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies or regulations of networks connected to the Services;

I. intentionally or unintentionally violate any applicable local, state, national or international law, including, but not limited to, regulations promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any rules of any national or other securities exchange, including, without limitation, the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ, and any regulations having the force of law;

J. 'stalk' or otherwise harass another user of HotelExecutive or Company employee or official;

K. promote or provide instructional information about illegal activities, promote physical harm or injury against any group or individual, or promote any act of cruelty to animals. This may include, but is not limited to, providing instructions on how to assemble bombs, grenades and other weapons, and creating "Crush" sites; and

L. effecting security breaches or disruptions of Internet communication. Security breaches include, but are not limited to, accessing data of which you are not an intended recipient or logging into a server or account that you are not expressly authorized to access.

M. advertising to, or soliciting any user of HotelExecutive to buy or sell any products or services through the unauthorized or impermissible use of the Services. You may not transmit any junk email or chain letters to other users. If you breach this Agreement and send unsolicited bulk email, instant messages or other unauthorized commercial communications of any kind through the Services, you acknowledge that you will have caused substantial harm to HotelExecutive, but that the amount of such harm would be extremely difficult to ascertain. As a reasonable estimation of such harm, you agree to pay HotelExecutive $500 for each such unsolicited email or other unauthorized commercial communication you send to each user through the Services.

2. DISCLAIMER WARRANTY

HotelExecutive, including all software, functions, materials, and information is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. HotelExecutive disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, warranties of non-infringement and implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, title, merchantability of computer programs, data accuracy, system integration, and informational Content. HotelExecutive does not warrant or make any representations regarding the operation of HotelExecutive, the use, validity, accuracy or reliability of, or the results of the use of the materials on HotelExecutive or any other sites linked to HotelExecutive. The materials of HotelExecutive may be out of date, and HotelExecutive makes no commitment to update the materials at HotelExecutive. HotelExecutive does not and cannot guarantee or warrant that the files available for downloading from HotelExecutive, if any, will be free from infection, viruses, worms, Trojan horses, or other code that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. HotelExecutive does not warrant that HotelExecutive, software, materials, products, or services will be uninterrupted or error-free or that any defects in HotelExecutive, software, materials, products, or services will be corrected.

3. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

In no event will HotelExecutive, its suppliers or other third parties mentioned at or in HotelExecutive be liable for any damages, including, without limitation direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages, damages resulting from lost profits, lost data or business interruption arising out of relating to the use, inability to use, or resulting from the use of HotelExecutive, any web sites linked to HotelExecutive, the materials, software or other information contained in any or all such sites, whether based on warranty, contracts, statutes, regulations, tort (including but not limited to, negligence) or any other legal theory and whether or not advised of the possibility of such damages. If your use of the materials or information from HotelExecutive results in the need for servicing, repair or correction of equipment or data, you assume all costs thereof.

4. REVISIONS TO THIS AGREEMENT

HotelExecutive may revise this Agreement at any time without notice by updating this posting. By using HotelExecutive you agree to be bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit HotelExecutive and page to determine the then current Terms of Access and Use conditions of use to which you are bound.

5. TRANSMISSIONS

Any idea you transmit to or post on HotelExecutive by any means will be treated as non-confidential and non-proprietary and may be disseminated or used by HotelExecutive or its affiliates for any purpose whatsoever, including, but not limited to, developing and marketing products. You are prohibited from posting or transmitting to or from HotelExecutive any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, pornographic, profane material or any other material, including but not limited to any material that could give rise to any civil or criminal liability under both domestic and international law.

6. YOUR WARRANTIES

You warrant to HotelExecutive that:

You are the sole owner of all rights in the materials posted or uploaded by you (including all related copyrights) or that you have the absolute right to license their use as provided in this section. While you will retain ownership of the copyright in the materials posted or uploaded by you, you agree that all materials posted or uploaded by you shall become part of a database, and that HotelExecutive will own the compilation copyright in that database. In addition, you hereby grant HotelExecutive a perpetual, worldwide, irrevocable license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, publicly perform, publically display and distribute such materials, and portions of such materials and any derivative works created from such materials, in print, electronic and other media, by any means now known or developed in the future. We may sublicense all of our rights and licenses or assign them to third parties. Neither HotelExecutive nor any third party using the materials in accordance with this section will be obligated to pay you any royalties or other compensation for use of the materials.

You will comply with these Terms of Access and Use including, without limitation, the USE RESTRICTIONS set out in Section 3 above;

You agree to indemnify and hold HotelExecutive harmless from any claim or damages (including any legal fees in relation to same) made by a third party in respect of any matter in relation to or arising from your use and/or membership arising from any breach or suspected breach of these Terms of Access and Use by you or your violation of any law or the rights of any third party.

7. ACTIONS WE MAY TAKE AT OUR SOLE DISCRETION

HotelExecutive may take any or all of the following actions at our sole discretion:

Remove any member profile (including photographs) or other material that, in our sole discretion may be inappropriate or we suspect to be illegal, subject us to liability or which may violate these Terms of Access and Use or where required to do so by law;

Issue members with verbal or written warnings and may take such further action as we deem appropriate if such warnings are not heeded;

Suspend or terminate a member's access to the members's area of HotelExecutive or a member's account without notice at any time;

Inform the appropriate authorities and provide them with information regarding any suspected illegal activity; or bring legal action against a member or other user of HotelExecutive in relation to any breach of these Terms of Access and Use or any illegal or suspected illegal activity.

8. GOOD SAMARITAN CONTENT AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES POLICY

A. Policy

We have provided opportunities for you to contribute Content to our Site. It is our policy, however, not to allow any Content which may constitute intellectual property infringement; violations of federal, state, or local law; obscene or defamatory material, or may otherwise be unacceptable or inappropriate. Upon learning of such Content, we will attempt, and you hereby give HotelExecutive the right, to delete, edit, remove, disable, change, or restrict access to or the availability of the Content, which in our sole discretion, is otherwise unacceptable or objectionable. We may or may not notify you about what action we take with respect to the disputed Content. The provisions of this section are intended to implement this policy but are not in any way intended to impose a contractual obligation upon us to undertake, or refrain from undertaking, any particular course of conduct.

B. Complaint Procedures

If you believe that another user or other third party has posted Content which violates this policy or specifically the USE RESTRICTIONS in Section 3 above, you may notify HotelExecutive via e-mail at editor@HotelExecutive . In order to allow HotelExecutive to respond effectively, please provide HotelExecutive with as much information as possible in your correspondence, including: (1) the nature of the right infringed or violated (including any applicable registration numbers of the federally-registered intellectual property allegedly infringed), if applicable, or the unacceptable or inappropriate Content; (2) all facts which lead you to believe that a right has been violated or infringed, if applicable; (3) the precise location where the offending Content is located; (4) any grounds to believe that the party or user which posted the Content was not authorized to do so or did not have a valid defense (including the defense of fair use), if applicable; (5) if known, the identity of the party or user who posted the infringing, offending, or inappropriate Content; and (6) in the case of alleged copyright infringement claims, information sufficient to identify the work and your claims to ownership.

C. Indemnification/Waiver of Certain Rights

By contacting HotelExecutive and complaining of an alleged violation, you agree that the substance of your complaint shall constitute a representation made under the pains and penalties of perjury pursuant to the laws of the State of California. In addition, you agree, at your own expense, to defend and indemnify HotelExecutive and hold HotelExecutive harmless against all claims which may be asserted against HotelExecutive, and all losses incurred, as a result of your complaint and/or our response to it.

D. Waiver of Claims and Remedies

We expect all users of our Site to take responsibility for their own actions and cannot and do not assume liability for any acts of third parties which take place at our Site. By utilizing the Good Samaritan procedures set forth herein, you waive any and all claims or remedies which you might otherwise be able to assert against hotelexecutive under any theory of law (including, but not limited to, intellectual property laws) that arise out of or relate in any way to the content at hotelexecutive or our response, or failure to respond, to a complaint.

E. Investigation/Liability Limitation

You agree that we have the right, but not the obligation, to investigate any complaint received. By reserving this right, we do not undertake any responsibility in fact to investigate complaints or to remove, edit, disable or restrict access to or the availability of Content. We will not act on complaints that we believe, in our sole discretion, to be deficient, incomplete, or otherwise questionable. If you believe that Content remains on HotelExecutive which violates your rights, Your sole and exclusive remedy shall be against the user or other party responsible for said content, not against HotelExecutive. your sole and exclusive remedy against HotelExecutive shall be to terminate your use of HotelExecutive and service.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act Compliance. As set forth in Subsection (b), you must contact our agent if you believe that a work protected by a U.S. Copyright which you own has been posted on our Site without authorization or that our Site, in some material way, contributes to its infringement. It is our policy in appropriate circumstances, if possible, to terminate the access rights of repeat infringers and other users who use HotelExecutive in an inappropriate or objectionable manner.

9. COOPERATION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT

HotelExecutive reserves the right to fully cooperate with any law enforcement authorities or court order requesting or directing HotelExecutive to disclose the identity or other information regarding any user or member alleged by any governmental entity to be using HotelExecutive or any Content or materials available in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive in violation of any law or regulation, or in violation of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the posting of e-mail messages, or publishing or otherwise making available any such materials. By accepting this agreement you waive and hold harmless HotelExecutive from any claims resulting from any action by HotelExecutive during, or as a result of, its investigations, and from any actions taken as a consequence of investigations by either HotelExecutive or law enforcement authorities

10. APPLICABLE LAWS, VENUE, JURISDICTION & MANDATORY ARBITRATION

If any provision(s) of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to law, then such provision(s) shall be construed, as nearly as possible, to reflect the intentions of the parties with the other provisions remaining in full force and effect. HotelExecutive's failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision unless acknowledged and agreed to by HotelExecutive in writing. The section titles in this Agreement are solely used for the convenience of the parties and have no legal or contractual significance. This Agreement may be assigned in whole or in part by HotelExecutive. This Agreement may not be assigned in any manner by you without the express, prior written permission of HotelExecutive.

Any and all disputes or controversies of any kind, including but not limited to any performance, duty, obligation or liability arising under or related to this Agreement which are not first resolved informally, shall be determined by binding arbitration in San Francisco, California, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The final award in any such arbitration proceeding shall be subject to entry as a judgment by any court or competent jurisdiction, provided that such judgment does not conflict with the terms and provisions hereof. The jurisdiction of the arbiter (or arbiters) with respect to legal matters shall be limited only by the statutory and common law of the State of California and the United States.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any and all disputes, which the parties cannot informally resolve, regarding the scope of issues or matter with the jurisdiction of the arbitrator, shall be resolved by a separate dispute resolution process whereby HotelExecutive, in its sole discretion shall elect the dispute to be resolved by either (1) a court of competent jurisdiction in the State of California or (2) a panel of three new arbitrators.

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California notwithstanding any conflict of laws provisions. You and HotelExecutive agree that the venue for all legal disputes, controversies, actions of any kind arising under or related to this Agreement shall be San Francisco, California. You and HotelExecutive further agree that in case of any litigation regarding this Agreement, you irrevocably and unconditionally (i) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in the County of San Francisco, California for any litigation or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement, (ii) agree not to commence any litigation arising out of or relating to this Agreement except in the California Courts, (iii) agree not to plead or claim that such litigation brought therein has been brought in an inconvenient forum, and (iv) agree the California Courts represent the exclusive jurisdiction for all litigation relating to this Agreement.

11. MEMBERSHIP FEES

Hotel Business Review Subscriptions

If you choose to purchase a subscription, member subscription payments can be made in U.S. Dollars, as well as a variety of international currencies. Membership terms are Annual Recurring, and Monthly Recurring. The Annual Recurring subscription is an annual commitment and subscribers will be charged each consecutive billing cycle. Annual Recurring subscriptions can be cancelled after the first billing cycle and within 30-days of the billing date for a full refund. Monthly Recurring subscriptions are ongoing and subscribers will be charged each consecutive monthly billing cycle. Monthly Recurring subscriptions can be cancelled after the first month and within 7 days of the monthly billing cycle for a full refund.

12. PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION

Payment for the services provided to you in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive may be made by automatic credit card, debit card, direct debit, bankwire or Paypal and other approved payment means offered in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive, and you hereby authorize HotelExecutive and its agents to transact such payments on your behalf.

You hereby authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card to pay for your membership to HotelExecutive. You further authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card for any and all purchases of products, services in association with HotelExecutive. You agree to be personally liable for all charges incurred by you in association with your access or other use of any content provided by HotelExecutive or any third party in association with HotelExecutive. You acknowledge and agree that your liability for all such charges shall continue after termination of your access or any type of membership arrangement with HotelExecutive.

In the event that you have chosen to have your membership automatically rebilled, unless and until you notify HotelExecutive that you wish to cancel or terminate your membership to HotelExecutive, you hereby agree and authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to automatically renew your membership to HotelExecutive on a continuing basis and to charge your credit card (or other payment means you have selected) to pay for the ongoing cost of your membership. You hereby further authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card (or other approved payment means you have selected) for any and all purchases of products, services and entertainment provided to in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive.

13. PRIVACY POLICY

The following is the Privacy Policy for HotelExecutive

We can be reached via telephone, email, or online at our contact page. When you visit our site we do not log any information regarding your domain or email address. Information Sharing: We do not share user information with any third parties other than via press release distribution as described below.

Hotel Newswire is a newswire service that distributes press releases on behalf of our users. If you decide to submit a press release for distribution through our system we will transmit your entire press release including any personal information therein contained to our media contacts and online distribution points including search engines. This is the only redistribution of your information that we engage in. Your submission of press releases through our system indicates consent with this policy. The information we collect during your registration process is used to notify users about updates to our service and inform users of any special events hosted by Hotel Newswire. This information is not shared with other organizations for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

Cookies: Our system requires the use of cookies to enable the user to log back into our website to access information from the newswire, without having to log in each time using the required username and password.

If you do not want to receive email from us in the future, please let us know by following instructions included in our communication with you. Users who supply us with telephone numbers online may receive telephone contact from us regarding their account, or informing them of new products and services available on the HotelExecutive website. If you do not wish to receive such telephone calls, please edit your account and remove your phone number from your account profile. This can be done from your user account menu.

Ad Servers: We do not partner with or have any relationship with any ad server companies. From time to time, we may use customer information for new uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice. If our information practices change at any time, we will post the policy changes to our website to notify you of these changes and provide you with the ability to opt out of these new uses. If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check back at our website periodically.

Upon request we provide site visitors with access to all information (including proprietary information) that we maintain about them. Users can access this information by logging in to their account.

Security: We always use industry-standard encryption technologies while transferring and receiving user data exchanged with our site. We have appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of information that we have collected from you on our site. We do not store credit card information in our systems.

If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us.

Receive our Newsletter

4 Standout Innovations to Adopt for Your Hotel & Resort Portfolio - Our Vote of Confidence

By Mansi Joshi, Consultant / CBO, Compass Hotel Consulting

As April marks the time when many hotel businesses are closing the books and set new budgets for 2025-26, it is crucial for leadership to adapt to the rapidly evolving landscape of innovative technology and trends that continue to (re)shape the future of hotels hospitality. With shifting customer expectations and increasing demand for personalized experiences, leaders should remain optimistic and strategically focus on key channels that drive hotel occupancy and direct revenue. "There’s nothing more grateful than providing guests a piece of technology that empowers them to book and choose the perfect room to match their needs and...

Creating An Effective Work Culture

By Jeff Brainard, President, JJB Leadership Solutions, LLC

As businesses and industries move further and further away from the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions, rule changes, and impact on workforce associated with the pandemic dissipate, the importance of workplace culture is reemerging in conversation. Several have defined workplace culture as “The personality of an organization from the employee perspective.” Understanding how to build an effective culture is essential to organizational success and if we use this definition, ensuring that culture is aligned with employees as intended is critical to success in all business, but especially in hospitality. Gallup breaks down...

How to Hire the Best Hospitality Leaders: A Four Step Process

By Frank Speranza, President, Hospitality Talent Scouts Executive Search

When Benedict Cummins, Publisher of HotelExecutive asked me if I would be interested in writing a quarterly column in 2024, I asked myself what I could write that I had not written or spoken about before that could be useful and meaningful to hospitality professionals? Something that would make a difference in both their professional and personal lives that could allow them to have an impact on our industry. Sounds like a tall order, right? Yes, it is, but when you are passionate about something, what seems impossible is possible, and I’m sure many who will be reading this know...

The Future of Hospitality: Developing Productive Mentorship Opportunities

By Maureen Rothman, Founder & Principal, Rothman Associates Inc.

Mentorship is the foundation of every career; the mutually-beneficial relationship between mentor and mentee cultivates a positive workplace atmosphere and sets employees up for success throughout their careers. Though mentorship is crucial no matter the career path or position, it’s especially important in the hospitality industry, as there are plentiful opportunities to learn and grow from those who surround you. Networking and continual education are cornerstones of the career, allowing us to continue pioneering new experiences and solutions that usher in the future of hospitality, whether it be in manufacturing, operations, design, or other facets of the field. Though the...

Psychology of Pricing: How Perceptions Impact Hotel Pricing Strategies

By Nicholas Tsabourakis, Founder & Managing Director, Bespoke Revenue Management

For hotels, the stakes are high in getting pricing right. Unlike tangible products, hotel experiences are intangible and often include a blend of services, amenities, and emotional appeal, making it challenging for guests to assess the "real" value of their stay. Because of this, pricing becomes a powerful tool in influencing how guests perceive a hotel’s brand, quality, and value. A well-thought-out pricing strategy not only maximises revenue but also affects guest satisfaction, influences brand loyalty, and drives positive word-of-mouth referrals. Key Concepts in Pricing Psychology Perceived Value Perceived value refers to how a guest evaluates the...

The Rise of The Digital Nomad Family

By Rekha Magon, Co-founder, Boundless Life

The image of a digital nomad has long been associated with young professionals working from laptops on tropical beaches, moving freely without ties to a fixed location. But in recent years, this modern, ever evolving lifestyle has now expanded well beyond adventurous solo travelers, giving rise to an entirely new and exciting demographic: digital nomad families. As remote work becomes more normalized and flexible education options emerge, more families are rethinking what stability, connection, and community look like. Emergence of Digital Nomad Families The rise of digital nomad families is a relatively recent phenomenon, gaining momentum as remote work continues...

Personalisation in Hotel Marketing: The Power of Micro-Segmentation

By Nicholas Tsabourakis, Founder & Managing Director, Bespoke Revenue Management

The rise of digital platforms has significantly transformed the way hotels interact with guests. From personalised email campaigns to targeted advertisements and curated content, businesses now have the tools to understand and anticipate customer behaviour and preferences. This shift towards personalisation not only enhances customer satisfaction but also increases the likelihood of conversion and brand loyalty. Micro-segmentation takes the concept of personalisation a step further by dividing the customer base into very small, highly specific groups based on a multitude of factors such as demographics, behaviour, preferences, and even psychographics. Unlike traditional segmentation, which often groups customers into broader...

HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW FEBRUARY FOCUS: Social Media

Getting the Best Teams for Public Relations and Social Media

By Florence Quinn President & Founder, Quinn PR | February 2022

Terms & Conditions

Receive our Newsletter

HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW
FEBRUARY FOCUS: Social Media