Charles van Goch

The hospitality industry has faced significant challenges over the past few years, particularly when it comes to staffing. As shown in the graph (source: Statistics Netherlands, CBS ) staff shortages have fluctuated significantly from Q3 2018 to Q2 2023, reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recovery. Key Insights: -Pre-pandemic (Q3 2018 - Q1 2020): Moderate staff shortages ranged between 20% to 35%. -Pandemic Impact (Q1 2020 - Q4 2020): Significant drop in staff shortages to below 10%, due to widespread industry shutdowns. -Post-pandemic Recovery (Q1 2021 - Q1 2023): Sharp increase in staff shortages, peaking around 40%, highlighting the struggle to recruit enough staff amidst recovery. Current Situation: By Q1 2023, staff shortages have stabilized around 30%-40%, yet the challenge remains for many hospitality businesses to find and retain the right talent. How GP-Connect Can Help At GP-Connect, we understand the unique staffing challenges faced by the hospitality industry. Our tailored recruitment solutions are designed to help your hospitality business overcome these type of challenges. Why Choose GP-Connect? Extensive Network: Access a vast pool of qualified candidates ready to meet your staffing needs. Industry Expertise: Benefit from our deep understanding of the hospitality sector and its specific requirements. Fast and Efficient Hiring: Our streamlined processes ensure you find the right fit quickly, minimizing downtime. Comprehensive Support: We provide end-to-end support for both our candidates and clients in order to have a smooth integration and matchmaking process. Get Started Today: Don't let staff shortages hold you back. Contact GP-Connect to discover how we can help you find the right hospitality talent and keep your operations running smoothly. info@gp-connect.com #staffshortage #hospitality #matchmaker #infographic #hospitalitysuccess #StatisticsNetherlands

7

Data scarcity used to be a big problem in hospitality. Today, it’s data overload. This abundance of data presents a new challenge: how to manage and utilize it effectively when it far exceeds human analytical capacity? Our Chief Product Officer, Ivo Minjauw, addresses this in the Hotel Yearbook, outlining best practices for leveraging AI to uncover hidden insights, capture missed opportunities, and work smarter. 📖 Read Ivo's expert advice 👉 https://mylh.co/3y875Zn

57

A New Chapter at Arthotel Bakker: Revolutionizing Hospitality with Innovation When arthotel bakker integrated GauVendi’s Sales System, it marked the beginning of a significant transformation. The goal was clear: streamline operations and elevate guest experiences. The outcome? Far beyond expectations. By shifting system, they moved away from traditional methods, embracing a more dynamic approach that tailored their services to meet unique guest needs effortlessly. This transition not only simplified internal processes but also profoundly enhanced the guest experience, making every stay a testament to personalized hospitality. Today, the resort stands as a beacon of how thoughtful technology integration can redefine the essence of guest satisfaction and operational efficiency in the hospitality industry. Experience the difference at their property, where every guest's stay is as unique as their preferences. #DynamicInventory #arthotelbakker #HospitalityInnovation #EnhancedGuestExperience #AttributeBasedSelling #WorldHospitalityAlliance

14

2 commentaren

🌟 Exciting Partnership Update: Green Key! 🌟 We're thrilled to partner with Green Key Nederland, the leading sustainability certification for the hospitality industry! 🌿🏨 Green Key promotes eco-friendly practices, ensuring businesses meet strict standards across 12 sustainability themes without compromising guest comfort. Earlier this year, ROOM FOR CHANGE showcased at Green Key's sustainability market, inspiring hotels to go green. Through this partnership, we aim to show hotels that participating in ROOM FOR CHANGE not only benefits the community, employees, and your own sense of purpose but also optimizes the use of hospitality resources. It's a fantastic way to fulfill corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainably utilize vacant rooms.. 🏨💚 ROOM FOR CHANGE is a CSR program that helps hotels contribute to SDGs 1, 3, 10 & 11* simply and effectively. It's a great way to demonstrate positive societal impact to employees and guests. *1: No Poverty | 3: Good Health and Well-being | 10: Reduced Inequalities | 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. We’re happy to have partnered with Green Key! LET’S CHANGE LIVES TOGETHER! #ROOMFORCHANGE by The Present supported by Start Foundation.

16

2 commentaren

This Monday was a good day for all stakeholders in hospitality. The European Union gave Booking. com (OTA’s) gatekeeper status through the Digital Markets Act. A long-time anticipated development for hotels enables them to set the prices of their rooms how they please. A development that puts them back in charge of their own product. Makes sense I would say! It’s not only about increasing hotel earnings through reduced commissions to OTA’s. It’s about hotels taking back control of the guest journey from booking to post-stay communication about rating the stay and secure that guests come back. By being in control hotels can secure the best possible service and branding through a range of relevant guest interactions pre-stay, during stay, and post-stay. Our advice for hotels would be to utilize the development to secure rich booking data through direct booking to be able to communicate with ALL guests at any time, on any channel,- to the convenience of the guests. Welcome back to the future to all hoteliers!

10

We have an exciting announcement: Our meeting rooms have new names! 🤩 Since May 1st, the meeting rooms names at all our locations have been changed. Previously, StartDock named its rooms after pioneers because we see our Dockers as true pioneers. 💪🏼 However, some of the histories and backgrounds of these pioneers began to catch up with reality, and we started to look at our pioneers with a critical eye. As a result, StartDock decided to take a different approach and change the names. We have adopted new criteria, namely inspiring individuals who have passed away and have not caused harm to others. 💛 Each room also features a piece of history about the inspiring person. This can be found through a photo, biography, and various accessories to give the room a unique charm. ✨ You can book our meeting rooms through our website! 💥 #meetingroom #meetingrooms #coworking #coworkingspace #community #startdock #entrepreneur #business #growth #amsterdam #rotterdam #announcement

6

Employee retention is a subject that needs to be taken out of the shadows. Very few companies know the real costs of non-existent employee retention strategies. Explore the secrets to building a loyal, high-performing team that will give your company a competitive edge. Read Here: https://lnkd.in/d8E6KqFs #employeeretention #strategies #costs #workenvironment

12

The Beat of Hospitality: DJing in Restaurants Want to share my latest article on a growing trend in the hospitality industry – the incorporation of DJs in restaurants! In this piece in the Entree Magazine, I delve into the effects of having a DJ in a restaurant setting and what this trend means for the future of hospitality. From enhancing the dining experience to driving customer engagement, discover how music and ambiance are transforming the way we dine out. Curious to learn more? Check out the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eYmHrsKi #Hospitality #RestaurantTrends #DiningExperience #DJInRestaurants #CustomerEngagement #MusicAndDining

10

2 commentaren

🧩 How do you make AI actually work for your hotel's commercial team? 🔑 At Lighthouse, we see AI as a game-changer and an essential ally for revenue teams, transforming complexity into clarity and strategic opportunities. In an article for the Hotel Yearbook, Ivo Minjauw, our Chief Product Officer, outlines best practices for navigating the overwhelming volume of complex data and effectively leveraging AI to uncover hidden insights, capture missed opportunities, and work smarter. 📖 Read Ivo's expert advice: https://mylh.co/4eDvvKT

74

📢 Are you going to be in our advisory group about the RFP tool of the future? 🔜 Co-Creating the RFP tool of the future? 🔜Thinking about how we can optimize and improve this process? 🔜What is already out there and what is not? Your help, advise, knowledge & creativity are more than needed! Sent me a message to show your interest 📧 #advisorygroup #creative #industryspecialists

1

#Hospitality News! Independent hoteliers see GDS bookings rise 34.5% The Global Distribution System (GDS) is continuing to perform for independent accommodation providers with reservations up 34.5% in the past year and up 4.2% on 2019 pre-pandemic levels, according to HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts’ Independent Accommodation Insights Report published today. Marking 20 years in business, HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts - one of the world’s leading hotel representation companies - dived into historic channel performance and found GDS reservations have grown 51.2% on a decade ago (2014). Favoured by travel agents, and travel management companies (TMCs), the GDS was one of the first channels to rebound after the pandemic, demonstrating the channels’ value and commercial opportunity. Click here to read more -> https://bit.ly/4aAIwCx -> Mark Lewis, Daniel Simmons -> #Report #Technology #Travel #UKNewsGroup #London #EastMidlands

1

💡 💡 💡 "Hospitality is hard work, no doubt about it. But consider it a long-term investment—one that requires a brand’s commitment with almost no shortcuts" Een geweldig boeiend artikel van Forbes over een veranderende wereld die te maken heeft met snel ontwikkelende technologie en de rol van hospitality. "Hospitality is not merely transactional; it's transformational. It's a rainbow spectrum of feelings that can elicit joy, hope and support, which creates an even deeper emotional connection between your brand and your customer" https://lnkd.in/gQXZuvYY

3

Are you unlocking the full potential of your Sales Team or are you curious on where you could do better? 🤔   Well then, it's time to elevate your game with The Sales Performance Benchmark Test. Delve deep and see how your sales savvy and customer engagement measure up to the top players in your industry. We meticulously assess your team, your tools, and everything in between to pinpoint exactly what powers your sales engine—and what doesn’t.    In today’s rapidly changing market, mere product knowledge won't cut it. Decision-makers crave more—they want your sales and marketing strategies to resonate deeply, providing relevance and value at every step of the customer journey.    Our comprehensive test not only rates your performance on these essential factors but also stacks it against the finest, drawing on cutting-edge research from five leading global firms, honed by our experience in over 37 customer projects.    Gain the insights you need to prioritize enhancements, reduce sales costs, boost your conversion rates, and elevate your margins.    Are you ready to step into a new era of sales excellence and set new benchmarks? Let’s make it happen together! https://lnkd.in/e-xPNSrQ

3

Curious to see what hospitality trends we spotted until now for this year? Read the article bellow and let us know what you think. Did we got it right? https://lnkd.in/ekTrf3My #trends #hospitality #2024 #keepuptodate

10

MyoReset is here to prepare you for the Best Business Run; the Finance Run!

1

Being welcomed into the Lego Six Bricks world continuously forces me to apply the methodology to things I see. Now this particular choice board got me thinking and applying the Six Bricks methodology. Method: Use 6 books as a choice instead of 3 Use the six bricks and place one of each colour on each book. Learners then use their six bricks and choose one they would like. The teacher can then discuss graphs as well as choices. Also an array of vocabulary arises and the learners use mathematical language without realizing it : Which book do you think would be our first choice? Which book would you suggest we explore last? Why? Which book was chosen the most? Why do you think this happened? etc. Really a fun and easy way to explore Math, language and careers in one go. 🤩🤩 Six Bricks and play based learning! The best methodology for any age.

3

Upselling and Excel sheets are NOT a good match ❌ Tracking your upsells with good old Excel sheets might seem like a great idea. But, in reality, the process becomes time-consuming and impossible to scale for many hoteliers. As our recent LowKey podcast guest, Michiel Bogaert from Pillows Hotels highlights, using Excel sheets for upselling was a hassle for the front desk team at Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Reylof. The need to constantly copy reservation numbers, register purchases, and track their amounts in spreadsheets drained the team's motivation. This is why, in Michiel’s opinion, automating front desk upselling is crucial for success. With Oaky’s Front Desk Upsell automation, Michiel was able to: 🔸Automate and simplify the upselling process 🔸Boost team motivation by setting up a viable incentive program that eliminated unnecessary competition 🔸Fuel revenue growth while delighting guests with personalised upsell options. Are you experiencing the same challenges as the Pillows Hotels team did? Discover more in this episode: https://hubs.li/Q02Bwbk50 #oaky #hotelupsell #hotelupselling #frontdeskupselling #frontdeskupsell #pillowshotels #hotelrevenue

16

Last November I was invited by Funeraire Academie to give a presentation on funeral practices in England. The talk was part of a symposium to celebrate their 10th anniversary. It was a great day at Museum Tot Zover, facilitated by Martin J.M. Hoondert with contributions from Marc Jacobs, Monique Maurik, Paul Post, Laura Cramwinckel, Brenda Mathijssen. This is me in action, captured by Hein Athmer -fotograaf van Mensen- My talk was followed by an engaging conversation with the audience about similarities and differences between Dutch and English funeral practices. Here are a few: - In both countries, there’s a development towards personalisation and approaching funerals as celebrations of a life. - In England, a funeral director typically does not conduct the ceremony. This is done by a religious officiant, a celebrant or by the family/a friend. In the Netherlands it’s not unusual for a funeral director to speak at the ceremony. - In the Netherlands, a funeral has to take place after 36 hours and within six working days after someone’s death. In England, there is no such law. Cremations or burials can happen weeks or even (in unusual circumstances) months after a death. I’m not aware of a law in the UK about a minimum time between death and funeral. - In England, ashes are usually ready to collect after one or two working days (occasionally even on the same day). In the Netherlands, a crematorium has to keep the ashes for 30 days before relatives can collect them. - In both countries, there’s a growing interest in environmental funeral options and new developments such as resomation and human composting. If you’re interested in an impression of the day (and you read Dutch), here’s an article that summarises the key insights of the day and each presentation: https://lnkd.in/e2WuWjZA #Funerals #FuneralCelebrant #Speaker

36

5 commentaren

For hotel franchises, success hinges on fundamental principles. So what are the key factors to consider when selecting the perfect brand? Thijs Merks, COO at 24 Hotel Group, dives deep into the decision-making process between opting for a soft or hard brand for hotel franchises. ‘We found ourselves compelled to implement two ICT installations, which I was particularly not amused by due to the double costs involved.' He stresses the vital importance of thorough conceptualization before making a choice. This preparation ensures that you're fully equipped for negotiations as you embark on discussions with a brand. #sbit #hospitality

20