CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS BOLD NEW VISION Learn more about the vision, plans, beliefs and behaviors that are driving the future of Radisson Hotel Group. page 12
THE TIME IS NOW See how the organization is transforming into a hotel group that stands above all others in the industry. page 14
PLUS, CONFERENCE PHOTOS Relive all your favorite moments from keynote sessions, awards ceremonies, celebrations, and more!
CONTENTS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2018 AMERICAS BUSINESS CONFERENCE
13 03 A NEW VISION A message from Ken Greene
06 HIGHEST HONORS Recognizing top award winners
08 SHINING STARS Celebrating 2017 honors
12 FUTURE FOCUSED The global path to success
THRIVING TOGETHER A fresh vision for the future
14 MOVING AHEAD A new name and a new approach
15 TRANSFORMING TECH A ground-breaking platform
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19 BOLD COMMITMENT A new way to think community
22 NEW FOUNDATION Repositioning Radisson for growth
23 ACCELERATING SUCCESS Strengthening Country Inn & Suites by Radisson
GREATER GROWTH Advancing brand and commercial plans
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HIGHER LEARNING Takeaways from Business School
HELPING YOU LEAD A commitment to owners and operators
plus photos CONFERENCE SNAPSHOTS Relive your favorite conference moments
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KEN GREENE President, Americas
A NEW VISION
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hank you for making the most of every moment at this year’s Americas Business Conference! Last week, we truly embraced the new motto of our company: Every Moment Matters. We trust that you will carry the enthusiasm you’ve felt in Orlando back to your properties to propel you in the months ahead. Radisson Hotel Group has a new vision, new goals, a new name, new programs and a new leadership team. Above all, we have you—our owners, operators, general managers and directors of sales—who are dedicated and committed to making the most of the incredible journey ahead. We hope that you felt the seriousness of our commitment to you, to our brands and to raising the bar. Make no mistake: We’re on the cusp of an enormous opportunity to demonstrate the power of our global company. This digital magazine will serve as a recap of key takeaways from the conference and of the plans Radisson Hotel Group has for the future. I invite you to take a look at highlights of our leadership presentations, recognition of our award winners, links to valuable information from our Business School sessions and snapshots of some of the fun we had at the conference!
Our goals are ambitious, and we will only succeed with the help of all of the hotels in our portfolio. We are dedicated to serving our hotels better than ever before, and we want all of our stakeholders to be as engaged as possible. That’s why we are striving to improve everything we offer to support you. We’re extremely excited about walking this path forward together. Here’s to our future success!
Ken Greene President, Americas
CHANGE A LIFE. SPONSOR A CHILD. As part of our new partnership with SOS Children’s Villages, we are encouraging hotels to get involved. Click here to learn more!
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SNAPSHOT ATTENDEES MADE THE MOST OF THE FIRST DAYS—DISCOVERING NEW ROOM DESIGNS AND CELEBRATING AWARD WINNERS
HIGHEST HONORS
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adisson Hotel Group was proud to recognize our many award-winning hotels during this year’s conference. A central goal for Radisson Hotel Group as it moves forward is to drive an owner-operator and customer-focused culture. Guests, employees and all of our stakeholders count on us to make every moment matter.
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This group exemplifies the importance and power behind making a connection with the guest. The success these properties have had in creating memorable moments is the reason their achievements were celebrated. Additionally, these award winners serve as an inspiration to all across the company of what is possible.
SALES TEAM OF THE YEAR Radisson Suite Hotel Toronto Airport YES I CAN! AWARD Radisson Admiral Hotel Toronto-Harbourfront RESP0NSIBLE BUSINESS AWARD Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR Dottie Bisted, Front Desk Lead, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Baxter, MN Samantha Hargenrader, Food and Beverage Manager, Park Inn by Radisson Sharon, PA Anthony Trinkner, Creative, Radisson RED Minneapolis Downtown Dan Tuttle, Server, Sapphire Grill, Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Airport Olinka Leaf, Guest Service Agent, Radisson Blu Minneapolis Downtown NEW HOTELS OF THE YEAR Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Anaheim, CA Park Inn by Radisson Santos Radisson RED Campinas Radisson Hotel Santa Cruz Radisson Blu Acqua Hotel & Spa Concon GENERAL MANAGERS OF THE YEAR Erin Lorberter, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Chippewa Falls, WI Carlos Coloma, Park Inn by Radisson Tacna Shelley Kemp, Radisson Hotel & Suites Fallsview, ON Harry Gorstayn, Radisson Blu Mall of America HOTELS OF THE YEAR Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Cookeville, TN Park Inn by Radisson Diamond Barranquilla Radisson Grenada Beach Resort Radisson Blu Mall of America
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SHINING STARS
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rom showcasing high quality management to outstanding leadership, the 2017 award winners represent the future of Radisson Hotel Group. The pride each takes in their work, day in and day out, is essential to the success of the organization. The awards evening gave all attendees an opportunity to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of their colleagues from last year, while finding inspiration to match and exceed that same success in 2018. It takes a strong, engaged team dedicated to making every guest interaction personal in order to live up to the best the company has to offer.
SUPPLIERS OF THE YEAR Representative of the Year Erikjan Bets, Global Account Director, Diversey Small Business Partner DataSource Responsible Business BD Imports Supplier of the Year Sysco / Guest Supply NET PROMOTER SCORE AWARDS Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Port Orange-Daytona, FL Park Inn by Radisson Diamond Barranquilla Radisson Poliforum Plaza Hotel Leon Radisson Blu Belo Horizonte, Savassi BE OUR GUEST AWARD WINNERS Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Asheville Westgate, NC Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Bloomington at Mall of America, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Buffalo South I-90, NY Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Charlottesville-UVA, VA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Cookeville, TN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Cortland, NY Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Galena, IL Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Georgetown, KY Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Green Bay North, WI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Houghton, MI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Lake George (Queensbury), NY Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Lewisburg, PA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Marion, IL Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Milwaukee West (Brookfield), WI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Pineville, LA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Port Orange-Daytona, FL Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Princeton, WV Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Roanoke, VA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Springfield, OH Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, St. Charles, MO Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Winchester, VA
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PRESIDENT’S AWARD WINNERS Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Albert Lea, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Albertville, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Anaheim, CA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Asheville Downtown Tunnel Road (Biltmore Estate), NC Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Asheville West (Biltmore Estate), NC Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Asheville Westgate, NC Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Ashland - Hanover, VA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Atlanta Galleria/Ballpark, GA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Baxter, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Bel Air/Aberdeen, MD Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Bemidji, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Bentonville South - Rogers, AR Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Big Rapids, MI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Bloomington at Mall of America, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Bountiful, UT Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Bozeman, MT Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Braselton, GA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Buffalo South I-90, NY Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Burlington (Elon), NC Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, BWI Airport (Baltimore), MD Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Cedar Falls, IA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Charlottesville-UVA, VA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Chippewa Falls, WI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Cookeville, TN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Cortland, NY Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Covington, LA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Cuyahoga Falls, OH Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Decorah, IA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Dixon, CA - UC Davis Area Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Dover, OH Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Duluth North, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Dundee, MI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Effingham, IL Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Elgin, IL Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Enid, OK Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Fairborn South, OH Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Florence, SC Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Fond du Lac, WI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Frackville (Pottsville), PA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Gainesville, FL Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Galena, IL Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Georgetown, KY Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Gillette, WY Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Grand Rapids East, MI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Green Bay North, WI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Helen, GA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Houghton, MI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Iron Mountain, MI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Katy (Houston West), TX Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Kearney, NE Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Lake George (Queensbury), NY Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Lancaster (Amish Country), PA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Lawrenceville, GA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Lewisburg, PA
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Lexington Park (Patuxent River Naval Air Station), MD Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Little Falls, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, London South, ON Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Madison West, WI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Marinette, WI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Marion, IL Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Marquette, MI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Milwaukee West (Brookfield), WI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Minot, ND Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Nevada, MO Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Owatonna, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Pineville, LA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Port Orange-Daytona, FL Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Princeton, WV Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Roanoke, VA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Roseville, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Shoreview, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Sidney, NE Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Slidell-New Orleans East, LA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Smithfield-Selma, NC Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Springfield, IL Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Springfield, OH Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, St. Charles, MO Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, St. Cloud West, MN Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, State College (Penn State Area), PA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Stockton, IL Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Texarkana, TX Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Tucson City Center, AZ Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Watertown, SD Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Wausau, WI Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Winchester, VA Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Wytheville, VA Radisson ar Hotel Bogota Airport Radisson Admiral Hotel Toronto-Harbourfront Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago Radisson Blu Mall of America Radisson Blu Minneapolis Downtown Radisson Colonial Hotel Helena Radisson Grenada Beach Resort Radisson Hotel & Suites Fallsview, ON Radisson Hotel Branson Radisson Hotel Colorado Springs Airport Radisson Hotel Curitiba Radisson Hotel El Paso Airport Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Midtown at USC Radisson Hotel Minneapolis/St. Paul North Radisson Hotel Portland Airport Radisson Hotel San Isidro Radisson Hotel Santa Maria Radisson Hotel Santo Domingo Radisson Hotel Saskatoon Radisson Hotel Yuma Radisson Suite Hotel Toronto Airport
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SNAPSHOT CONFERENCE ATTENDEES HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE AND LEARN THROUGHOUT THE EVENT
FEDERICO J. GONZÁLEZ President & CEO, The Rezidor Hotel Group Chairman of the Global Steering Committee, Radisson Hotel Group
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FUTURE FOCUSED THE GLOBAL PATH TO SUCCESS
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s a keynote speaker at the 2018 Americas Business Conference, Federico González, President & CEO, The Rezidor Hotel Group, and Chairman of the Radisson Hotel Group Global Steering Committee, emphasized the company’s ambitious vision. “We want to be one of the top three hotel companies in the world and the company of choice for guests, owners and talent. And if we are successful, one day, whenever a guest plans a trip, whenever an investor or owner thinks of a partner, whenever a person wants to work in hospitality, they will always think of Radisson Hotel Group first.” SETTING RADISSON HOTEL GROUP APART To achieve its vision, Radisson Hotel Group is embracing two core elements to differentiate itself: • Memorable Moments. Delivering truly memorable experiences that make Radisson Hotel Group more meaningful than any other hotel company, every day, everywhere and every time. • True Host and Best Partner. Building the company’s value creation
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capabilities so guests, owners and talent see Radisson Hotel Group as their preferred hotel company. MAKING IT A REALITY The company is executing a wideranging, detailed strategic five-year plan to transform the company and put it on the path toward the vision. The plan features 25 initiatives—23 of which are global in nature—that are already producing strong results. In developing the plan, the Global Steering Committee rethought and reworked everything about the company, to ensure that Radisson Hotel Group is driving a new level of growth, leveraging its global resources and developing the best talent and systems in the industry. PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE Realizing the vision also requires that Radisson Hotel Group team members, investors and operators act with the company’s key beliefs in mind: these include delivering memorable moments, growing talent, valuing open and direct interactions to build trust, believing anything is possible and having fun in all that we do.
Translating these beliefs into behaviors represent a commitment of how the organization will act on a daily basis. These behaviors—Leadership, Ownership and Execution—include taking a proactive approach, working as a real team, making decisions quickly, taking responsibility for results and avoiding delay. “You can already feel that there is a new mentality,” said González. “All of us can drive a great future for Radisson Hotel Group.”
OUR BELIEFS • We deliver memorable moments every day, everywhere, every time. • We enjoy serving with our “Yes I Can!” spirit. • We grow talent, talent grows us. • We are many minds, with one mindset. • We value open and direct interactions to build trust. • We believe anything is possible. • We have fun in all that we do.
THRIVING TOGETHER A FRESH VISION FOR THE FUTURE
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ohn M. Kidd, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer, Radisson Hospitality, Inc., translated the global message to the Americas, sharing what the strategic five-year plan will mean as Radisson Hotel Group begins to reach toward its longer term vision to become one of the top three hotel companies. Particularly important is the emphasis being placed on a new holistic approach that allows the whole company to thrive. This was demonstrated during the first Radisson Hotel Group general manager orientation the first week in March, said Kidd. “There we harnessed the strengths and best practices across our brands to benefit the entire portfolio.” LEVERAGING EQUITY The company’s ongoing transformation is reflected in the name change to Radisson Hotel Group. The name leverages the brand recognition of Radisson and takes advantage of the integrity and trust guests associate with the Radisson name globally. In the Americas, the company’s new approach has already resulted in the restructuring of the marketing, sales and revenue optimization teams. “This has allowed us to put in place the best talent and move forward in developing cutting-edge tools and programs,” said Kidd. ADAPTING FOR THE FUTURE To meet the needs of today’s traveler, Radisson Hotel Group has renewed its commitment to help guests feel at ease with flexible and convenient services, experience the locale through capturing the essence of each location, enjoy memorable moments through recognition, spontaneous surprises and thoughtful gestures, and consistently deliver brilliant basics. KEY COMMITMENTS Through the five-year plan, the company has outlined its strategy for the coming years, with doubling the number of hotels being a key goal. And, Kidd added, the plan is the first step towards the ongoing success for the entire organization. JOHN M. KIDD Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer, Radisson Hospitality, Inc.
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MOVING AHEAD A NEW NAME AND A NEW APPROACH
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adisson Hotel Group’s vision and strategic five-year plan is already inspiring action and transformational changes across the Americas, Ken Greene, President, Americas, told attendees. “Radisson Hotel Group is more than a new name: it is a movement that creates extraordinary synergies across all areas of the business.” DEEPER ENGAGEMENT Radisson Hotel Group represents a dynamic collaboration between the company, owners and operators, and employees, said Greene. “We have the opportunity to bring properties to a new level with the goal of increasing bookings, revenue and overall portfolio growth.” For Greene, the company’s Every Moment Matters motto resonated because it tapped into the idea of taking advantage of opportunities that are presented in every moment, every day. Greene explained, “Now is our time to turn this business into a massive and meaningful hotel group that stands above all others in service, quality and heart. And we start here with the owners.” BUILDING BETTER RELATIONSHIPS One key aspect of the ongoing transformation is enhancing the relationships between Radisson Hotel Group and the owners to ensure that each owner is enabled and empowered to market and run their hotels more efficiently and effectively, ultimately improving hotel performance. In addition to programs that have already launched, such as the company’s new IDeaS G3 revenue optimization solution, owners can expect more updates and advances in the coming year. In terms of technology, the company’s digital tools are evolving to align with how consumers engage with brands and make purchases.
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KEN GREENE President, Americas
Guest loyalty is undergoing a transformation as well. Launched in March, the company’s enhanced loyalty program, Radisson Rewards, has a goal of driving repeat guests and new revenue opportunities to properties. Meanwhile, Radisson Rewards for Business has evolved to become an umbrella loyalty program for travel agents, executive assistants, and meeting and event planners. PUTTING HOTELS FIRST Focusing on the guest and fostering talent are keys to the success of Radisson Hotel Group. The goal for the company is to do everything possible to ensure that hotels have the tools, support and resources necessary to make every moment matter. Greene said, “On the road to creating the best guest and talent experience, we will also be creating the best owner and franchisee experience, and we will be striving to significantly increase our system contribution by 2020.”
NEW LEVEL OF GROWTH Radisson Hotel Group sees significant room for growth across all brands and has identified 21 key target markets where it plans to be aggressive with expanding its footprint. At the conference, the company announced the signing of the Radisson Blu Anaheim in California. With 12 stories, it will be the tallest hotel in Anaheim with a rooftop pool providing some of the best views of Disneyland. The company also announced the signing of the Radisson Hotel New York City – Manhattan / Times Square. The new-build high-rise with 320 guestrooms will be within walking distance of Times Square, the Garment District and Madison Square Garden. These new hotel signings drive Radisson Hotel Group toward its goal of adding 56,000 rooms across Americas and Asia Pacific, and 13,000 rooms across Europe, Middle East and Africa by 2022.
TRANSFORMING TECH A GROUND-BREAKING PLATFORM
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ith the goal of increasing system contribution, Radisson Hotel Group is acting swiftly as it transforms the technology solutions that power its business. “We will be launching a new technology platform that represents a leap ahead—not just for Radisson Hotel Group but the industry as a whole,” said Kevin Carl, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Information officer. MEET EMMA At the Americas Business Conference, Carl announced the development of EMMA, a new technology platform exclusive to Radisson Hotel Group. The company is targeting late 2019 for the full rollout. “EMMA will give hotels new capabilities with the goal of improving guest service, lowering costs, and optimizing revenue far beyond what we have today,” said Carl. HOTEL BENEFITS EMMA will touch all of the organization’s core functions, including reservations, property management, revenue management, loyalty, sales, meetings and events, and food and beverage. EMMA will offer one common platform, and because EMMA
will live in the cloud, there is less hardware for hotels to buy, operate and maintain on property. Among the system’s many benefits is giving hotels on-property access to better data on guest preferences. Insight into past stays and purchases will enable hotels to create a more personalized experience for guests. EMMA will also help drive business to hotels with fully integrated customer relationship management capability to manage accounts, guests and marketing campaigns. Because EMMA will be aware of all inventory, the platform will be able to give meeting planners the ability to book space and catering directly online. INVESTING IN TECH EMMA is one example of the large investments Radisson Hotel Group is making in technologies. The IDeaS G3 revenue management tool is already available, and the company’s new digital web and mobile platforms come on-line later this year. EMMA will fully embrace all of these tools in the future, said Carl. “We believe that EMMA will be a one-of-a-kind differentiator that will help you grow the business and make every moment matter.”
KEVIN CARL Executive Vice President & Global Chief Information Officer
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ERIC DE NEEF Executive Vice President and Global Chief Branding & Commercial Officer
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GREATER GROWTH ADVANCING BRAND AND COMMERCIAL PLANS
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adisson Hotel Group’s brand and commercial teams have a single focus: bringing more customers to properties who spend more—but who cost less to acquire. That was the key conference message from Eric De Neef, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Branding & Commercial Officer, and Charlie McKee, Senior Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, Americas. The two commercial leaders, who co-presented during the general session, said the new global brand architecture with clear positioning for each brand, combined with a new emphasis on the company’s key commercial drivers, will help drive system contribution. BETTER BRANDS The changes being made to Radisson Hotel Group’s portfolio of brands are focused on efficiency and integration as well as driving growth and awareness. “We have a defined brand in each industry segment,”
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said McKee, “making the choice for consumers clear while offering the greatest potential for investors.” To that end, Radisson Collection will replace Quorvus Collection in the luxury segment, continuing the effort to leverage the Radisson brand. “This launched in March, and we already have 14 properties going live by the end of the year,” said De Neef. Radisson is beginning an exciting new journey, (See “New Foundation”, pg. 22.) and Country Inn & Suites has undergone a strategic rebranding, adding “by Radisson” to its name. In fact, all of the company’s hotel brands have been enhanced to deliver a differentiated, valuable offering in their respective segments. REVENUE GROWTH All of Radisson Hotel Group’s eight hotel brands, along with the company’s primary commercial drivers—Radisson Rewards, RadissonHotels.com and Radisson Meetings—will be consistently
CHARLIE MCKEE Senior Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, Americas
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featured globally. The inclusion of the commercial driver logos emphasize the importance of how they support the brands. De Neef and McKee took the audience through Radisson Hotel Group’s five commercial areas of focus: creating demand, driving meetings and events, optimizing rate, leveraging the guest experience, and capturing online business. Supported by enhanced business intelligence, the ultimate goal of these initiatives is to raise system contribution. CREATING DEMAND Through the recently launched Radisson Rewards loyalty program, guests will be able to advance to elite levels more quickly than ever before and benefit from savings of up to 10 percent on their room rate, and 5 to 20 percent at participating hotel restaurants. In addition, Radisson Hotel Group is now waiving the first stay fee to encourage hotels to enroll new members. “This represents a multi-million dollar investment by Radisson Hotel Group in the new program,” said De Neef. Other incentives such as offering OTA bookers triple points when they sign up for the program will help bring new members into the program. “Our aim is to double enrollments,” said McKee. “This means that, on average, if each hotel around the globe enrolls just five new members each day, we will meet our goal.” ONLINE BUSINESS Another primary commercial driver is RadissonHotels.com, which will launch later this year as one global platform that includes all brands and hotels. Consumers will be able to enter
the platform through the multi-brand home page, directly through specific brands, or through individual property pages. Nearly 80 percent of revenue generated by the website is directly channeled through the hotels’ individual webpages. “The quality of content featured on individual hotel web pages is critical to help sell your property,” said McKee. “Hotels should look at their pages to see if it is showcasing the property in the right way. If not, we are here to assist.” MEETINGS & EVENTS Radisson Hotel Group is elevating its meeting offering to the master brand level with Radisson Meetings, in order to increase business from this segment. In addition to developing a more robust meetings and events experience and program, planners will be able to book and plan events directly online as part of upcoming technology enhancements. “Radisson Hotel Group has more than 6,500 meeting rooms globally,” said De Neef. “We have to take advantage of this great opportunity.” OPTIMIZING RATE The new relationship with IDeaS, a world-class revenue management organization, will help hotels optimize revenue with a new, powerful software solution. The tool is already driving great results in both revenue growth and RevPAR as well as in maximizing length of stay for hotels that have already started using the system. “Now more than ever, it’s an incredible time to be part of Radisson Hotel Group,” said De Neef.
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HELPING YOU LEAD A COMMITMENT TO OWNERS AND OPERATORS
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ly El-Bassuni, Senior Vice President, Franchise Operations, Americas, provided insight into the company’s new five-phase ownerand operator-focused service model: prospecting, application and licensing, onboarding and ramp-up, operating, and retaining. NEW PARTNERSHIPS “To engage at a higher level with owners, we are making sure that our systems are supporting them and encouraging their success,” El-Bassuni told conference attendees. One example is the Radisson Hotel Group partnership with Salesforce, an industry-leading customer service platform that will provide one destination for hotels to track customer relationships. The platform will give owners and operators improved and consolidated single and multi-property financial dashboards, reporting, and more. STREAMLINED SUPPORT Radisson Hotel Group is adding value to each phase of the service model. For example, in the prospecting phase, the company will roll out an owner-facing portal so that potential franchisees can learn more about the resources of Radisson Hotel Group. In addition, the company has streamlined the entire application and licensing process. In the onboarding phase, online project plans will make it easier and more intuitive to facilitate the planning and tracking of a hotel’s renovation or construction. Once a hotel is open, the brand operations team is dedicated to supporting hotels with programs that help generate value and revenue. The final step is retention. Retaining owners is all about building strong relationships and quality, said El-Bassuni. “There is no retention without quality.” FUTURE UPDATES Other updates include the launch of ReviewPro, which will replace Medallia and Revinate. There are also updates coming soon that will improve and simplify Quality Performance Reviews. More information about all of these upcoming changes will be available later this summer and fall via the regional directors. “We’re excited about these changes,” said El-Bassuni. “We’re committed to engaging throughout the entire life cycle of an owner with tools, programs, technology, training and services.”
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ALY EL-BASSUNI Senior Vice President, Franchise Operations, Americas
GIVING BACK TO AT-RISK CHILDREN Radisson Hotel Group announces a new partnership with SOS Children’s Villages.
BOLD COMMITMENT A NEW WAY TO THINK COMMUNITY
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n the final day of the 2018 Americas Business Conference, John M. Kidd, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer, Radisson Hospitality, Inc., announced a new, inspiring commitment by Radisson Hotel Group to giving back. The company will be providing at-risk children with the essential building blocks for a successful life by partnering with the global organization SOS Children’s Villages (SOS). SOS is the world’s largest not-for-profit dedicated to building loving, stable families for orphaned, abandoned and other vulnerable children. COLLECTIVE GOAL Lynn Croneberger, CEO, SOS Children’s Villages USA, presented at the conference to express her sincere gratitude for the partnership. She was joined on stage by SOS Alumna, Irene Bailey, who shared how her own personal experience of growing up with her biological sister in an SOS Village in Germany changed her life. The collective partnership goal is that each of the 1,400 hotels in the Radisson Hotel Group portfolio will champion and respond to the needs of children by establishing lasting, local relationships with SOS Villages in communities worldwide.
During the conference trade show, general managers and owners visited the SOS booth to take the first step in signing up to be an SOS sponsor. HOW YOU CAN HELP As part of Radisson Hotel Group’s new global partnership with SOS Children’s Villages, each hotel has the opportunity to help children around the world. • Click here to sponsor a child today. (Cost is US$420 annually.) • Soon, the company will provide hotels with turn-key partnership resources to help owners and managers engage with teams to encourage volunteering or serving as local campaign ambassadors. These resources will also help hotels engage with guests on the program. In addition, loyalty members will also be able to donate Radisson Rewards points to SOS in the future. Every day, children of every age become orphaned or abandoned due to violence, natural disasters, poverty or disease. Without the support of a family, the outlook for these children is bleak. To date, SOS has helped more than 500,000 children grow up with loving families, a number that Radisson Hotel Group hopes to help increase greatly in the years ahead.
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SNAPSHOT NEW PARTNERSHIPS WERE FORMED AND RELATIONSHIPS STRENGTHENED, MAKING EACH DAY A SUCCESS
SETTING THE STAGE Attendees get a first look at the new Radisson.
NEW FOUNDATION REPOSITIONING RADISSON FOR GROWTH
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adisson is building on its strong legacy and consumer awareness as Radisson Hotel Group re-defines the brand. The company is strengthening Radisson across all aspects of the business in the Americas. “Radisson is our core brand. It’s where it all began—our namesake,” said Aly El-Bassuni, Senior Vice President, Franchise Operations, Americas. CLEAR BRAND POSITION Eric De Neef, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Branding & Commercial Officer, provided insight into the new visual identity, product design and guest experience pillars for Radisson. At the heart of the new Radisson brand are three core pillars—balanced, natural and delightful—influenced by the Scandinavian way of life. The new design aesthetic focuses on natural tones and a balanced environment. The comprehensive rebrand includes a new logo and color palette, as well as a new selling line for the brand, “Simply Delightful”, which combines two key aspects of the new brand proposition—tasteful simplicity with touches that create lasting, memorable experiences. IMPLEMENTATION & AWARENESS Later this year, the company will release a fully integrated design package. To help support the brand’s franchisees, a loan program will be available to help qualifying hotels renovate their properties to the new design.
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PLAY RADISSON BRAND MOVIE
“We will retrofit the new design to existing hotels upon replacement need, as well as apply it to conversions or new properties as we grow the Radisson pipeline,” said Charlie McKee, Senior Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, Americas. As Radisson evolves, the company will continue aggressive marketing tactics to drive bookings and build awareness. A key aspect of Radisson and Radisson Hotel Group advertising, whether traditional or digital, will be driving business to the new web platform that goes live in 2018. ENHANCING CONSISTENCY As part of the brand’s business plan, Radisson is emphasizing quality and consistency across the Americas. The company will be asking 10 to 15 percent of non-compliant hotels to leave the system to improve consistency and the perception of the brand. Radisson is ready for success, said El-Bassuni. “Radisson is poised for growth, but we must ensure that we are laying the proper foundation to enable that success.”
ACCELERATING SUCCESS STRENGTHENING COUNTRY INN & SUITES BY RADISSON
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t the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson brand session, attendees learned more about the genesis of the strategic shift to the new name, updates on the GEN 4 renovation progress and the brand’s business plan for the year ahead. Moving forward, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson is focused on three primary objectives: enhancing performance, growing the portfolio and optimizing quality, said Aly El-Bassuni, Senior Vice President, Franchise Operations, Americas. “This is already a strong brand,” he added. “In short, we’re taking something good and making it great.” STRATEGIC REBRANDING In the fall of 2017, Radisson Hotel Group announced a strategic rebranding to Country Inn & Suites by Radisson. The change allows the brand and individual hotels to benefit from the Radisson name as a brand endorser and take advantage of its global recognition—more than 44 percent of consumers recognize the Radisson name across the world, and in the U.S., recognition is as high as 70 percent.
One of the most significant results of this change involved hotel signage, of which the changeover is already well in motion. More than 400 hotels already have or are about to install the new signs, and hotels are on target for full rebranding by July 1. NEXT GENERATION LOOK Today, nearly 100 hotels feature GEN 4. The Radisson Hotel Group 5-year plan calls for the continued evolution of all Country hotels to the GEN 4 design. To help accelerate this path, the company is making renovation loans available to assist qualifying hotels that are in need and ready to move forward. BRAND PLAN The brand’s business plan also includes taking advantage of the operational efficiencies and sales, development and marketing efforts that Radisson Hotel Group rolled out in the past months. In the year ahead, hotels will learn about and be able to take advantage of even more tools. “All of these are designed to help drive performance for hotel owners and operators,” said El-Bassuni. “And all of it is backed by the support of your Radisson Hotel Group team.”
PLAY COUNTRY INN & SUITES BRAND MOVIE
PANEL OF EXPERTS During the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson brand session, panelists discuss new initiatives.
2018 CO NFE RE NCE H IG HLI GHTS •
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SNAPSHOT THE ENERGY WAS HIGH THROUGHOUT THE CONFERENCE AND CARRIED THROUGH TO CLOSING CELEBRATIONS
HIGHER LEARNING TAKEAWAYS FROM BUSINESS SCHOOL
Nicolas Tiziou
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RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS: EFFICIENCY MEANS PROFIT By 2022, energy and water prices will have increased by 50 percent. Here’s how to equip your hotel with solutions to gain efficiencies. 01 Meter to manage. Checking your meters daily can help you save and detect anomalies. 02 Engage. Your team is your most important asset in energy and water savings. 03 Quick wins. Get an overview of zero or low-cost solutions. 04 Maintain properly. Preventative maintenance improves guest satisfaction and equipment lifespan. 05 Replace. When required, install a more efficient model. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
EVOLUTION OF GUEST SATISFACTION & ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT Radisson Hotel Group introduces ReviewPro, a new platform to measure guest satisfaction and manage online reputation. 01 Close the loop. Quality measurement with guests is key. This new approach incorporates NPS into the QPR overall score. 02 Save time. The unified performance dashboard with a modern, simple interface saves time by allowing for receiving and responding to alerts from a single platform. 03 Get meeting feedback. Meetings & Events and In-Stay surveys coming soon. 04 Coming soon. Watch for future communications about timing for the June rollout & training session opportunities. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
Stephanie Lopato
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LEAN ON US: CONQUERING LOCAL MARKETING CHALLENGES How Radisson Hotel Group marketing education, information and resources can ensure that hotels are using the right strategies to capture business. 01 Make a plan. Understand what brand marketing strategies benefit your hotel. Review the 2018 Marketing Plan, available on CONNECT. 02 Use your toolbox. Take advantage of the marketing resources available. Tools are on CONNECT, including Capture, Paid Digital Media Overview and more. 03 Don’t overlook B2B. These marketing opportunities help capture more GDS share and RFPs. Learn more from the TravelClick® team at Radisson@TravelClick.com. Learn more from Bryn at Cvent at BMacDonald@Cvent.com. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
SELLING TO WIN: ACHIEVE YOUR FULL POTENTIAL Learn proven techniques to set your hotel apart. Top line revenue growth is everyone’s priority. 01 Keep them loyal. Happy guests are good, but loyal guests are the answer. 02 Help everyone sell. Foster an “everyone sells” mentality at your hotel. 03 Sell, sell, sell. Making an effective sales call in seven steps. 04 Encourage a new culture. The key is sales & service culture with all of your staff. 05 Take time to chat. Front desk conversations sell and foster guest loyalty. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
26 • R A D I SSON HOT E L GR O U P
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Sanjeev Raut
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Don Farrell
Efrem Berman
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RADISSON REWARDS: LOYALTY IS PRICELESS The refreshed loyalty program can be used to engage guests and impact direct bookings. 01 Members are valuable. Member NPS scores and spend are higher than non-members. 02 Enrollments are key. Our targets have doubled to a global average of five enrollments per property, per day. 03 Equipping you for success. The first stay fee is waived. A travel site bonus offers triple points to OTA guests who enroll and book direct within 6 months of their stay. An ambassador incentive gives team members 1,500 points per enrollment if the hotel achieves its new monthly target between April and June. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
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HIGH IMPACT SOURCING MADE EASY Radisson Hotel Group’s sourcing expertise and tools drive value to a hotel’s profitline. The sourcing strategy starts and ends with a focus on owners and hotels. 01 Best value. Sourcing contracts with key suppliers to provide the best value, quality and cost for its hotels while mitigating risk and providing protection. 02 World class. Sourcing’s global focus provides a competitive advantage, and its new regional infrastructure will provide more tailored local support. 03 Online assistance. Free global eProcurement tool SHOP provides time savings, automated workflow, order baskets and easy access to contracted suppliers. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
Stephen Barth
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MANEUVERING LEGAL LODGING COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES Learn how to stay in legal compliance at your hotel with tips from attorney Stephen Barth, founder of HospitalityLawyer.com. 01 Look for a good fit. Select the right employee for the right job. 02 Education is the key. Train team members to do their jobs accurately and safely. 03 Keep a record. Track the training. 04 Stay positive. Manage team members positively and equitably. 05 Be alert. Be mindful of guest privacy and human trafficking. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
INTRODUCTION TO YOUR IDEAS G3 RMS JOURNEY Learn about the latest innovations in Revenue Management and IDeaS G3 RMS, including the benefits of advanced forecasting and pricing. 01 Use the tool. Take advantage of features and benefits of G3 RMS. 02 Maximize effectiveness. G3 RMS determines prices and also assists general managers and owners with maximizing operational efficiencies. 03 Start a new culture. Understand the correlation between building a strong hotel revenue culture and how if managed appropriately, G3 RMS will assist general managers and owners in driving revenue. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
Dr. Ravi Mehrotra
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Adrian Oyekanmi
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Digna Martinez Kolar
THE FUTURE OF REVENUE MANAGEMENT Dr. Ravi Mehrotra, president & founder, IDeaS shares his view of the future of Revenue Management. Plus, answers to your questions on aspects of IDeaS G3 RMS. 01 Don’t limit yourself. How you should be wary of self-limiting decisions that restrict future innovation. 02 Share the journey. Meet G3 RMS champions from the hotel community and understand more about their evolution to the tool. 03 Get assistance. There are many supporters within the Radisson Hotel Group and IDeaS to support the G3 RMS transition. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
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ADVANCED REVENUE OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES: IDEAS G3 RMS & MORE IDeaS G3 RMS tips and tricks to make your work with the new system more productive. 01 Drill down. How to drill down to understand demand-to-come at the rate code level. 02 Be flexible. Learn the advantage of giving system “room to move”. 03 Careful control. Be sure to use system overrides in the right way for better performance at the hotel. 04 Add the right data. See how to add hotel budget data for report comparisons. 05 Fine-tune the system. Learn how to fine-tune Special Event setup as well as room-type overbooking. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.
Jeff Wermager
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