CeME and HTNG Collaborate to Produce White Paper that Details the "Guest of the Future"

5 key insights outline possible implications for hoteliers on future in-room technology investments

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. October 14, 2008

June 27, 2005 - Boston, MA - A new report, authored by CeME (Center for Marketing Effectiveness) and produced in collaboration with Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG), was released to HTNG members last week in Los Angeles at the Hotel Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC). Entitled "The Guest of the Future: In-Room Technology Preferences Today and Tomorrow," this 6 month research effort defines the profile of the guest of the future and the impact this changing profile has on in-room technology decisions.

This 50-page paper offers ideas related to how hotels can more effectively meet the needs of their guests both today and into the future. It suggests that accessibility of content - video, voice, data - has historically driven technology adoption. Douglas Rice, Executive Director of HTNG, remarked, "CeME provided clear and insightful expertise in the analysis of the vast quantity of material available on this topic. We believe the conclusions set forth in this ground-breaking paper will provide a new perspective for the hotelier to consider when making technology decisions for their hotels over the coming years."

The paper argues that longstanding technology preferences will be shaped by the devices that each generation - Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y - have used to access content. Each generation will gravitate towards different devices due to their varying preferences for content and their ability to access it. By understanding these preferences, hoteliers can determine which in-room devices will provide the experience that will appeal the most to their future guests. The white paper also argues that the guest of the future is not one segment, but several, and a growing lack of product or service loyalty by all generations complicates in-room technology decisions even more.

Organized around the following 5 key insights, this paper provides a potential framework to approach hotel in-room technology decision making:

(1) Why People Travel Is Changing - When guests' reasons for traveling change, the drivers behind their decision-making process also change.

(2) Every Generation Uses Technology Differently - Outfitting the guest room of tomorrow requires understanding technology preferences and use today.

(3) Guests Care about Access and Content - The future guest will likely expect to be able to access and personalize content as part of the guest experience.

(4) Familiarity Breeds Disruption - Many technology devices are poised to disrupt the hotelier's world, but it is their guests' preference for content that could prove most disruptive.

(5) Loyalty Is Lost - While tomorrow's guests will be less loyal than ever, hoteliers can weave their loyalty appeals into their guests' loyalty to their devices.

For questions or additional information about this white paper or to learn more about CeME, please contact [email protected].

About CeME

CeME is a business-to-business consulting firm that provides results-oriented marketing strategies to various industry sectors including professional services, telecommunications, technology, hospitality and media and information services. www.cemeinfo.com

About HTNG

HTNG is a self-funded, non-profit organization with members from hotel and hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality and other industry consultants, media, and academic experts. HTNG's members participate in focused workgroups to bring open solution-sets addressing specific business problems to the hospitality market. www.htng.org