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Disruption in the Hotel Industry is Increasing at an Exponential Pace, say Leaders at 3rd Annual RSS

  1. PRESS RELEASES
  2. DISRUPTION IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY IS INCREASING AT AN EXPONENTIAL PACE SAY LEADERS AT 3RD ANNUAL RSS

New York, August 7, 2015 — A bellwether annual event for the travel technology community, the Third Annual Revenue Strategy Summit (RSS) drew more than 300 industry leaders to the Affinia Capitol Liaison Washington, D.C. July 29th, for a one-day conference that examined the latest trends in hotel distribution, sales, price optimization, acquisition costs and marketing.

The day began with a panel on the disruption threatening the hotel industry and ended with a look at the global forces causing what think tank McKinsey & Company calls a dramatic transition reshaping the world.

In between, hotel owners, managers and brand executives came together to discuss how the new field of Revenue Strategy can help the industry not only survive, but thrive amidst change and disruption.

The hotel industry "doesn't concentrate often on the leaping-ahead technologies that are necessary to stay at pace with the disruption that's going on," said Mark Carrier, president of B.F. Saul Company's Hospitality Group. "We're going into battle with our hands tied behind our back because we don't have the technology available to do all the things we want to."

Carrier participated on "Disruption 2020: The Digital Marketplace" - one among a series of panels that discussed technology-driven challenges confronting the industry, and specific strategies hotels can use to adapt and come out ahead.

"The content and speakers at RSS 2015 exceeded all expectations," said Patrick Bosworth, Duetto's Chief Executive and Founder. "RSS has always been about disruption and how hotels can adapt. This year, we learned both that the change is accelerating exponentially – and that industry leaders are becoming increasingly open to tackling the challenges head on, embracing a wide range of new solutions inspired by the emerging discipline of Revenue Strategy."

Hot topics at RSS 2015 included the rise of Airbnb, the continuing threat posed by OTAs, and challenges as well as opportunities posed by mobile and other emerging models that continue to change the way consumers shop and book hotel rooms.

Co-host of the Summit, Cindy Estis Green, CEO and Co-Founder, Kalibri Labs, LLC, said, "The challenges are clear for the hotel industry - and the time is ripe to forge innovative solutions. For the third year running, RSS provided a critical and unique forum for many industry leaders to exchange insights and develop practical approaches for moving their businesses ahead. We look forward to the fourth annual RSS in 2016."

Distinguished speakers at the 2015 RSS included:

Mark Carrier, President, B.F. Saul Company Hospitality Group

Isaac Collazo, Vice President Performance Strategy & Planning, Intercontinental Hotel Group

Larry Hall, President & Chief Executive Officer, PAR Springer-Miller Systems, Inc.

PK Kannan, Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Marketing Science at Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland

Kathleen Mallery, Senior Director, Revenue Optimization, Americas, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

Jason Thielbahr, Senior Vice President, Revenue Optimization and Distribution Services, Red Lion Hotels Corporation

Alfred Young, Chief Operating Offices, LaSalle Hotel Properties

Panel and discussion topics, included:

Disruption 2020: The Emerging Digital Marketplace

New Metrics: Spotlight on Revenue Performance

New Players, New Models

New Metrics: Spotlight on Digital

Intel for the Digital Age

A Day in the Life: Revenue Strategy at Work

Wrapping up the day's program were keynote speakers Ethan Hawkes, leader in the Travel Practice at McKinsey & Co., and Sree Ramaswamy, a Senior Fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute.

Hawkes and Ramaswamy addressed "No Ordinary Disruption: The Four Forces Breaking All the Trends" – giving context and urgency to the pace of change shaping the industry.

Stacy Silver, President of Sliver Hospitality Group said, "RSS was a conference no one will ever forget - rich in content, thoughtful exchange and some of the most interesting insights our industry has to offer. We look forward to sharing information on next year's conference in the coming weeks."

For more information on the Revenue Strategy Summit, visit www.revenuestrategysummit.com, or follow us on Twitter, #RSSummit.

About Duetto
Duetto delivers the most powerful revenue strategy solutions to the world's leading hotels and casinos, allowing them to better manage pricing, revenue and business-mix decisions with superior, actionable data.

The unique combination of hospitality experience and technology leadership enables Duetto to provide new insights on pricing and demand as a true cloud-based software-as-a-service. With solutions that address the challenges of today's distribution landscape, Duetto's applications are a GameChanger - optimizing profit and guest loyalty.

Thanks to rapid marketplace adoption, Duetto is expanding in key markets throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Nearly 1,000 hotels and casinos in more than 50 countries have partnered to use Duetto's revenue strategy solutions.

About Silver Hospitality Group
Silver Hospitality Group (SHG) specializes in building revenues and profitability for hospitality companies through targeted industry relations outreach, creative marketing solutions and specialty events. The firm and its network provide unparalleled experience and relationships in all facets of hospitality.

About Kalibri Labs
Kalibri Labs unique technology and analytics provide insights to hotel operators, owners, brands and the financial and investment community to evaluate revenue performance net of acquisition costs at an industry, brand and property level. Operating at the intersection of sales, marketing, revenue management and distribution, Kalibri's patent-pending cloud technology platform and apps enable systematic identification of strengths and weaknesses in the revenue net by focusing on profit contribution. The Kalibri team is a seasoned group of executives with deep industry experience and a passion to improve the industry's financial health in a highly challenging and dynamic digital marketplace.

For all media inquiries and requests, please contact Michael Frenkel, MFC PR
michael@mfcpr.com or (212) 808-6559
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