With the 2016 presidential election in full swing, one of the main talking points for the majority of candidates is immigration reform and how to address our broken immigration system. Although politicians often focus on the arguments concerning the 11 million undocumented individuals in this country, there is little discourse on employment-based visas and the need for a massive overhaul pertaining to skilled and non-skilled workers who are the driving force of the United States economy. Recent action taken by President Obama has been helpful in addressing some of these issues, but, simply put, the only way to address this issue is for Congress to take action on our broken immigration system. READ MORE

Making that road show a permanent fixture within a hotel should be as important as creating the exhibit in the first place because the hotel writ mobile and interactive - with its menagerie of decorative and mechanized birds and giraffes, and the choreographed locomotion of a wintertime scene of holiday revelry centered around a incandescent spruce - is a statement of purpose and a reminder, to visitors and staff alike, that a hotel - your hotel - has a story to tell. READ MORE

This article lists the top mistakes that we've seen people make when attempting to implement and use automated text analytics of consumer reviews. More importantly, this article gives advice as to how to proceed methodically thus avoiding most of the minefield, and getting the most value for dollar out of your automated review analysis. From “starting from the question” to “don't think too small,” we'll cover the top nine mistakes and corresponding fixes. READ MORE

If you were to ask consumer-facing companies where the greatest future opportunity lies in terms of engaging customers, a relatively high portion would point to the social space. In fact, more and more companies are investing greater amounts of their marketing dollars into social media. And, with good reason. Trend reports are continuing to show people are watching less and less television, and reading fewer print publications. If you want to influence today's consumer — aka your potential guest — you need to reach them where they are spending their downtime. And that, my friends, is with their mobile device. READ MORE

The basics of the hotel business have traditionally been simple: good location, fair prices, appropriate amenities and good service were the keys to success. While those factors are important today, hotels are no longer simply a “heads in beds” business; hotels are increasingly brand-oriented. Brands focus not only on the services and products they sell, but on developing the perception and recognition of the brand associated with those goods and services. That means that hotels, like all brands, need to focus more and more on understanding their customers and how to reach them, whether through loyalty programs, advertising, social media or otherwise. READ MORE