Hospitable Omniboost

Join us for an enriching dialogue with Mickey Creyf, CEO of Travel Experts and BTS Travel. In this thought-provoking episode, Mickey and our host explore the profound impact of technology on the travel industry and the enduring importance of personalization in travel experiences.
As the CEO of Travel Experts and BTS Travel, Mickey brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Throughout the conversation, he shares insights into how technology has transformed the travel landscape, from AI-driven trip planning to optimizing customer interactions.
Despite the advancements in technology, Mickey emphasizes that travel remains a deeply human experience. With anecdotes and perspectives, he highlights the vital role of personalization and human connection in creating memorable travel journeys.
If you enjoyed this episode, remember to like, subscribe, and share the podcast with your network. Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on hospitality, technology, and human experiences. Thank you for listening!
Timestamps:
[00:03:11] Adapting to Artificial Intelligence.
[00:09:54] Business travel insights.
[00:13:19] Personalized travel experiences.
[00:17:59] Traveling with cultural immersion.
[00:22:43] The evolution of travel agencies.
[00:25:12] Relationship business in hospitality.
[00:30:32] Automation in the hospitality industry.
[00:32:39] How to reach Mickey.
Quotes:
00:00:13 - "I've never been afraid of technology."
00:03:47-00:03:58 - "But you've got to have the budget as well to do so, to reinvest."
00:11:13-00:11:24 - "actually visiting the city."
00:14:59 - "And your timeline, et cetera. And then there's a lot of people who don't have time to plan all of this or to be busy with it. So there's a lot of very successful people out there. And if there's one thing that I think a lot of, probably you as well, we're short of time. And time is precious."
00:17:24-00:17:35 - "how do you individualize and how technology plays a role, but also how human elements still plays a role in building out experiences."
00:20:35 - "Sometimes you need to allow people to have that flexibility to split off into groups, maybe, you know, one-on-one or kind of split up and do different things that fit your needs."
00:23:42 - "a classic travel agency is compared kind of like with a newspaper shop that doesn't have a future."
00:26:31 - "Yeah. I mean, it's a relationship business, right? Like hospitality, you see this, not just in travel, but all hospitality, you know, it's a people business and technology."
00:31:41-00:31:51 - "Yeah, I love that. I mean, that's why I'm going to exist. We actually, our unification platform is where we help hospitality industry, you know, create integrations to do that and fit into their accounting so they can do less manual, more creative tasks. Like that's actually our whole ethos. I love that you brought that up. It's like where automation, where technology can help every industry across the board. It's amazing."

Connect:
BTS Travel Belgium: https://www.btstravel.be/
Mickey Creyf: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickey-creyf-5170654/
Mickey Creyf: mickey@btstravel.be
Omniboost: https://omniboost.io/
Rob Napoli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robnap/
Rob Napoli: https://www.robnapoli.com/

Show Produced by: Niranjan Deshpande (Nick), Broken Frames Studio, www.brokenframesstudio.com

Welcome to the latest episode of Hospitable! In this engaging discussion, we dive into the world of data unification in the hospitality industry with our special guest, Kyle McCaig, Director of Technology for MCR, one of the leading property management companies in the United States.
Join us as Kyle shares insights on the challenges and strategies of data management in the hospitality sector. From understanding the importance of data to implementing automation and AI tools, Kyle's expertise offers valuable perspectives on how data can drive decision-making and improve hotel operations.
Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of data storytelling and the evolving landscape of technology in hospitality. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation filled with valuable insights and practical advice for navigating the complexities of data management in the digital age.
Don't forget to subscribe to Hospitable for more insightful episodes on the latest industry trends and innovations. Stay tuned for updates!
Timestamps:
[00:00:10] Data unification in hospitality.
[00:05:30] Legacy systems challenges.
[00:08:51] Data unification in hotel operations.
[00:11:46] Snackable content.
[00:15:30] Leveraging data for impactful decisions.
[00:19:32] The importance of data insights.
[00:24:28] Accounting system challenges and solutions.
[00:26:56] Data unification platform.
[00:29:42] Automation for process efficiency.
[00:36:40] Automation in the workplace.
[00:38:57] Identity management in hospitality.
[00:42:39] Big players in hospitality industry.
[00:46:37] Kyle's availability for networking.
Quotes:
00:01:49 - "We have 180 hotels and we want our data to be unified, go."
00:03:36-00:03:48 - "A lot of the times it's like, hey, here's the problem. It's well-defined. Go and solve it. There may be no solution and that might take a long time. This was a case of nobody even knows what the problem is other than that there's a problem."
00:06:11-00:06:21 "they're not ever built in a way where that was a core tenant."
00:09:25-00:09:36 - "it's really, uh, exciting, but also like, okay, how do we, how do we, how do we process all that?"
00:13:37-00:13:47 - "People talk about it all the time, but what they actually mean is just backing up what they already decided with any data they can find to support it."
00:15:15-00:15:25 "Data can tell a story and you can leverage data in multiple ways to tell the story you want it to."
00:20:28-00:20:39 - "Everyone's like, data, data, data. And it's the one tool to roll them on. It's like, well, the one tool to roll them all at the end of the day comes down to your accounting system and making sure your books are in order."
00:24:08 - "And what it really came down to is the biggest, well, how the f**k do we fix that, was our accounting system wasn't up to what we needed it to be."
00:27:31-00:27:42 - "How do we solve that problem? Where are we not profitable? Why? And then once we figure that out, it's okay. What can we, what kind of data can we give them to, Hey, this is our path to profitability."
00:30:38 - "changing process or implementing process for process sake changes nothing."
00:32:33-00:32:43 - "it's supposed to set you up where you could have scalable, repeatable processes to make things more efficient and better and better experiences."
00:35:00 - "A lot of people hear automation in the same way they hear AI or robotic or whatever buzzword or tech word is used and think all they're trying to do is save money and replace jobs."
00:37:47-00:37:57 - "Life is a series of problems, complex problems that we have to solve."
00:41:26-00:41:37 - "I like how you say modernization, right? And with the modernization comes data integrity."
00:43:46-00:43:57 I do not think airlines could have done a worse job than they have over the past 20 years. No
00:46:30 - 00:46:40 "And it's really cool that you have put so much time, energy, and effort to create that base layer with your small team."

Connect:
MCR Ho

Step into the world of storytelling in business. Shawn P. Walchef, Kees Zorge, and Rob Napoli come together for a spontaneous exploration of the industry. Recorded on the fly, this episode captures the essence of candid conversations and unfiltered insights. They discuss the importance of true connections, resilience, and the impact of humanising brands.
Join the trio as they delve into the simplicity and power of podcasting, sharing genuine perspectives on building a successful and resilient business in the digital age. From debunking misconceptions to personal anecdotes, this jam session is a treasure trove of wisdom for entrepreneurs and industry enthusiasts.
Embark on this unscripted journey filled with raw reflections and authentic exchanges. Tune in now to experience the energy and spontaneity of this hospitality jam session firsthand.
Don't miss out! Subscribe, like, rate, and review for more (impromptu) insights from the world of hospitality.
Timestamps:
[00:01:38] Running a podcast on-the-go.
[00:05:23] Earbud etiquette.
[00:09:12] Podcast guest representation.
[00:10:46] The magic of Omniboost.
[00:16:02] Podcasting and Legacy Media.
[00:19:12] Genuine connections and curiosity conversations.
[00:23:22] Frustration leading to business opportunity.
[00:26:21] Explaining OmniBoost to kids.
[00:29:17] Growing a team from 4 to 50.
[00:34:40] Resilience in Business.
[00:35:27] The power of storytelling.
[00:40:15] Wearing a white tank top.
[00:44:35] Networking on LinkedIn.
[00:46:34] Stay curious, get involved.

Quotes:
00:00:25 - "And it's not about being commercial or telling how great we are, but actually sharing the view on where the hospitality is moving towards."
00:08:37 - 00:08:47 - "Yeah. And it's funny because every, at every airport, somebody is like, Oh, are you a content creator? And I was like, yeah, I run a pod. I run a couple of podcasts and they're always like, Oh, I'm a music artist or I have a content creator here. And like, wait, wait, that's all you need to record. I'm like, yeah, I have an H six recorder, three good mics and two iPhones. Like, Oh, I have a lot more stuff now. I was like, yeah, you don't need it."
00:10:46 - "Omniboost has to be in Chicago. Chicago is the Superbowl of technology, of restaurants, of hospitality."
00:13:34 - "They don't have the courage to post it. They don't have the courage to trust Rob."
00:16:23-00:16:33 - "they're charging 5,000, 10,000, $15,000 a month with no guarantee of placement."
00:19:23 - "We will be friends forever. Just you wait and see."
00:21:59 - "Sean, that has been our challenge since the beginning. I don't want to sound arrogant, but we've got freaking amazing tech."
00:25:50 - "What is digital hospitality? Explain it to a six year old."
00:26:32-00:26:42 - "Yeah. That's what we do. We help you remember"
00:28:55-00:29:06 - "I fucking hate ego."
00:34:02-00:34:12 - "So if that's the competition, and I know that the people that will listen to this, that will watch this, we're a rare breed of people. That it's just, we're never gonna stop until we figure it out. And when we figure it out, we're only gonna make it better. It will never stop. Today is the worst day it will ever be. That's where the fun is, right? That's exactly where the fun is."
00:35:27-00:35:37 - "Tell us a fucking story. Tell us a story."
00:38:02-00:38:12 - "They care about you and the story. They care about Kees. They care about Adam Harris. They care about Amon Narang and Steve Fredette."
00:45:16 - "No one came to tell our story, so we decided to tell it ourselves."

Connect:
Cali BBQ Media: https://calibbq.media/
Omniboost: https://omniboost.io/
Shawn P. Walchef: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/
Kees Zorge: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keeszorge/
Rob Napoli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robnap/
Rob Napoli: https://www.robnapoli.com/

Check out Shawn’s episode on Hospitable: https://youtu.be/TNRiBnSeL-w?si=BOOjBQ1LCTXheKVL
Check out Rob’s episode on Digital Hospi

Step into the world of unparalleled hospitality. Rob Napoli invites you on an exhilarating exploration alongside Ernest Lee, the Chief Commercial Officer of citizenM. Positioned within the pulsating Nomad district of Manhattan, this episode unveils the essence of global hospitality excellence.
Embark on a journey through the visionary ethos of citizenM, as Rob and Ernest unravel the intricate tapestry of design, purpose, and innovation that distinguishes citizenM amidst the hospitality elite. From their iconic identity to groundbreaking marketing maneuvers, delve into the essence that renders citizenM an epitome of accessible luxury and unparalleled guest gratification.
Discover the strategic vision propelling citizenM forward, navigating the complexities of global team orchestration and charting a course towards future triumphs, including strategic expansions and a resurgent focus on business travel renaissance. From riveting travel tales to uproarious anecdotes, this episode blends valuable insights with captivating narratives, promising an enriching auditory odyssey.
Tune in now to delve into the captivating universe of citizenM and stay attuned to the pulse of hospitality and travel trends.
Don’t forget to subscribe, like, rate, and review!
Timestamps:[00:03:23] Global expansion and new locations.[00:07:16] Consistency in customer experience.[00:08:30] Making hospitality more human.[00:12:38] Managing a distributed team.[00:17:27] Building a kind team.[00:20:07] Adapting to ambiguity in business.[00:26:35] Customer experience and rewards.[00:28:41] Leveraging memes for brand resonance.[00:33:43] A memorable travel experience.[00:34:37] Connecting on LinkedIn and travel.
Quotes:00:06:26-00:06:36 - "If you see a Citizen M room, you know you're in a Citizen M room, right? You can't say the same for many of the other big brands because they all start to look alike and they all blur together."00:10:24 - "putting it into existence, something that wasn't there before is highly motivating and highly energetic."00:11:49-00:11:59 - "the most difficult is getting people to work in one direction."00:16:18 - 00:16:28 - "be able to commit to that type of inconsistency."00:18:01-00:18:11 - "You could hire very, very smart people, but the moment that they're an a*****e, it messes up everything, right?"00:21:01 - "I love people that know what to do and they don't know what to do."00:23:02-00:23:12 - "I'd rather you make a mistake doing some sort of action and figuring it out together."00:27:50 - "B2B marketing on LinkedIn should not be too differentiated from B2C marketing, which is if you look at like the pure foundation of like social media, why does it exist, right? It's escapism, right? It's a form"00:31:08 - "so much shit can go wrong from like I've missed you know flight connections and gotten delayed and you know at some point you're just like you know what like it doesn't it's not worth getting upset because you're still on the strip and"00:33:43 - "Because it sounds like a good memory."00:34:05-00:34:15 - "And that's what I love so much about travel. And that's where I think when hospitality is done right, and you focus on the customer experience, any experience, good or bad is memorable."
Connect:Omniboost: www.omniboost.comRob Napoli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robnap/Ernest Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernest-lee-14a1ba4/citizenM hotels: https://www.citizenm.com
Show Produced by: Niranjan Deshpande (Nick), Broken Frames Studio, www.brokenframesstudio.com

Step into the captivating world of ITB with Rob Napoli as your guide, joined by Olga Rodriguez, the esteemed Director of Global Alliances at IDeaS. Olga's fervor for the event radiates as she highlights the transformative potential of automation, AI, and data in shaping hospitality's future.

Her insights, enriched by IDeaS' contributions to revenue management and partnerships like CloudBeds, paint a vivid picture of industry evolution. But amidst the professional discourse, Rob and Olga share intimate travel tales, reinforcing the value of human connection in a digital age.

Join us for an enlightening dialogue on the horizon of hospitality and the collaborative spirit propelling innovation.

Don’t forget to subscribe, like, rate, and review!
Timestamps
00:00:00 - The Importance of Automation and AI
00:00:39 - Introduction to Hospitable Podcast at ITB
00:01:02 - Olga's Experience at ITB
00:01:52 - What is Ideas and the Role of Global Alliances
00:03:22 - The Role of Automation in Hospitality
00:04:47 - Behind the Scenes of Data-Driven Decisions
00:06:09 - The People, Processes, and Systems Triangle
00:07:54 - The Evolution of Hospitality Experiences
00:08:09 - Olga's Journey into Hospitality
00:09:12 - The Unique Aspects of the Hospitality Industry
00:10:58 - Ideas' Impact and Goals for the Year
00:11:17 - The Importance of Ecosystem and Partnerships
00:13:35 - Excitement for Industry Changes in 2024
00:14:09 - The Significance of Open APIs and Standards
00:15:05 - Simplifying Processes with Standards
00:16:24 - Ideas' Big Announcements and Growth
00:17:14 - The Impact of MICE on the Hospitality Industry
00:18:28 - Personal Goals and Impact in the Industry
00:19:07 - The Importance of Trade Shows in Hospitality
00:20:17 - Preparing for ITB and the Value of Face-to-Face Interactions
00:22:23 - A Memorable Travel Story
00:25:16 - Connecting with Olga
00:25:53 - Closing Remarks and Podcast Outro
Quotes
00:00:21 - "But the purpose of it is you give more time to people to focus on their strategy, to focus on how do we work with the teams, integrate the different disciplines to really drive performance for the hotels."00:03:43-00:03:54 - "The goal behind automation is not to replace something. It's to speed up something so you can creatively think and work on bigger solutions and solve bigger problems."00:06:19 - "one of our missions is to give humans time back"00:10:03 - "hospitality only works with the customer experience."00:13:46-00:13:56 - "I love the term cooperation where competitors cooperate, because when you collectively are working to solve problems in the space and you talk openly, that's where things really get interesting."00:15:55-00:16:05 - "How do we democratise revenue management? How do we bring this discipline that really makes a difference, but how do we bring it to the independent hoteliers."00:19:28 - "I think growth is It's amazing that there's opportunity for large-scale growth and there's opportunity"00:21:45 - "And nothing beats that, the energy of being in a room with somebody across the table or over a microphone."00:25:04 - "No questions asked, just you need this. We will do it for you. Do not worry."Connect
Omniboost: www.omniboost.comRob Napoli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robnap/Olga Rodriguez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgarodrigues/IDeaS: https://ideas.com/Filmed on location at ITB Berlin: https://www.itb.com/en/itb-berlin-for-visitors/itb-convention/
Show Produced by: Niranjan Deshpande (Nick), Broken Frames Studio, www.brokenframesstudio.com

On this episode of Hospitable we sit down with Venuesuite CEO and Founder, Ralph van Hoojidonk from ITB in Berlin after his talk on the Green Stage!

Venuesuite announced its new Dynamic Pricing Feature and we discussed the latest trends and innovation that is shaping the MICE industry.  

Don’t forget to subscribe, like, rate, and review! 
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - The Value of Partnerships
00:01:01 - Introduction to the Host and Guest
00:01:57 - Speaking at ITB and Impact of Tech on Hospitality
00:04:11 - The Importance of Openness and Collaboration in the Industry
00:06:05 - The Role of Technology in Enhancing Hotel Operations
00:06:39 - Venue Suite's Origin and Mission
00:09:03 - The Entrepreneurial Journey and Venue Suite's Impact
00:11:24 - Automation's Role in Hospitality
00:13:38 - Venue Suite's Vision for the Future
00:15:09 - Dynamic Pricing in the Meeting and Event Space
00:18:02 - The Changing Landscape of Hospitality Tech Partnerships
00:20:28 - Venue Suite's Growth and Challenges
00:23:02 - The Significance of Trust in Strategic Partnerships
00:24:30 - The Value of Friction in Forming Strong Partnerships
00:25:16 - The Fear of Vulnerability in Business Relationships
00:26:08 - The Importance of Physical Presence at Industry Events
00:29:33 - Key Takeaways from ITB for the Host
00:32:18 - Closing Remarks and Contact Information
Quotes
00:00:00 - "There's a lot of problem identifiers in the world, very few problem solvers."00:04:11-00:04:21 - "the times of not being open and transparent are long gone."00:05:20-00:05:30 - "we need to be in a more space where we're more transparent, we're more open."00:09:25 - "I saw this, I felt this, and I was like, There's nothing on the market. Why don't I just build it? And then like crazy enough to just like go build it and see what happens."00:14:41 - "So why not just add a little bit of percentage on top of that to create a little bit more of healthy profit? There's nothing wrong with that."00:17:06 - "And that's really interesting to see with the larger players in the room that are now getting a very dominant foothold in the market because they all have an open API system."00:18:34 - "But I think that so much change is happening in a positive direction."00:24:06 - "Usually there needs to be a little bit of that friction in the beginning that allows, and I think the faster you get to that friction point, the faster you actually see what you have on the other side of the table."00:24:59-00:25:11 - "we all know it, but it's actually really hard when you actually have to roll up your sleeves and be vulnerable because you're being seen. And that is a scary thing, especially without our CEO. It's scary, scary for everybody."00:27:36 - "The real conversations are a lot better. It gives you more fingerspitzengefühl, they say in Germany."
Connect:
Omniboost: www.omniboost.comRob Napoli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robnap/Ralph van Hooijdonk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-van-hooijdonk-567662a/Venuesuite: https://www.venuesuite.com/Filmed on location at ITB Berlin: https://www.itb.com/en/itb-berlin-for-visitors/itb-convention/
Show Produced by: Niranjan Deshpande (Nick), Broken Frames Studio, www.brokenframesstudio.com