HOSPITALITYDOCTOR.COM
Max Hitchins - The Hospitality Doctor
As mentioned in the June issue, during 2021 I intend quoting from from my latest book Post Pandemic Thinking for Hospitality and Tourism. I have collected video clips, thoughts ideas and stories from around the world that tell of strategies designed to help in the challenging times ahead. Learning from Sweden “Hi Max,” wrote Australian futurist - Gihan Perera. (GihanPerera.com). Thank you for the invitation to be involved with you in Post Pandemic Thinking eBook. I well remember, in 1995, helping you build one of the first hospitality industry websites in Australia. Congratulations on your innovative thinking.” “I thought this post-pandemic hospitality industry strategy from Sweden” wrote Gihan, “was an example of some very clever thinking. The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on the hotel industry, with many hotels around the world experiencing their worst occupancy rates ever. But rather than letting these rooms remain empty, one Swedish hotel, Stadt, in the town Lidkoping, offered rooms as private dining rooms. “ Instead of booking a table at a restaurant, where there are concerns about social distancing, parties of 2-12 people could book a room at the hotel. They placed an order by phone to the hotel restaurant, the food was delivered to the room, and the customers enjoyed a private dining experience for two and a half hours. Of course, because this is a hotel room, diners also had the option to extend their experience by staying overnight.” This clever idea was based on ‘re-imagining’ the hotel room. Instead of thinking of it only as accommodation for travellers, hotel manager, Klas Tryborn, considered how to use its other features - such as privacy, luxury, and a place somewhere other than your home. Clever!
How can you use this thinking in your own business? What assets have had a ‘typical’ purpose in the past, but could be turned into something else now that solves a different problem for your customers as guests? As Tryborn says, “We had nothing to lose and had the chance to do something completely new. I hope our story inspires others to find similar solutions, long after we have forgotten about Covid-19.” I have recently become a fan of the American futurist - Paul Barron. Paul is a technologist, futurist, consultant and conference speaker who has forecasted various major market shifts in the past 25 years on the restaurant and hospitality businesses. Adapting in the New Restaurant Era Click here https://youtu.be/FgYY4ed1rXg to watch this video where Paul Barron interviews Aaron Noveshen. Aaron founded The Culinary Edge, the leading F&B innovation firm, to help companies with actionable strategic, culinary, and operational solutions. The Culinary Edge, has worked with over 25% of the top 200 restaurants and co-created over 25 global and local restaurant brands. Restaurant Technology To Watch in 2021 As 2020 showed, tech innovations rapidly increased due to COVID restrictions and lockdowns. The current technology growth within the restaurant industry doesn’t seem to be slowing down either. Click here: https://youtu.be/8aC_DqjGBHk to see Paul speaks Michael Schatzberg and Jimmy Frischling, from Branded Strategic Hospitality. They specifically look at some future tech innovations to watch from 2021 forward.
THA HOSPITALITY—REVIEW: AUGUST 2021 | 33
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease