Social Networking

The emergence of Web 2.0 is transferring brand buzz power into the hands of customers through new marketing strategies and applications such as social networking, cell phones and more. Hospitality Technology sits down with Don Zimmerman, CIO of the newly formed Wendy's/Arby's Group, to discuss which technology trends hold the biggest potential for driving customer loyalty in the emerging marketing landscape, and why. 

Ernst & Young identifies the ten key trends that will shape the hospitality industry in 2009 in its most recent report. Green practices, globalization and business development are just some of the trends that make the list.

The MileStone Internet Marketing company predicts that 2009 will bring many challenges and opportunities for hotels. From blogs to video, the company outlines its online marketing predictions and recommendations.

Lifeware TEK's i-COOK Professional is an online platform that provides restaurant operators with multiple capabilities to manage their food costs through recipe management, menu engineering, social networking and more.

The partnership between Virtual Works and VFM Leonardo will allow Costa Rican hotels to strengthen their online presence through the distribution of videos, 360 degree virtual tours and photos across a visual content distribution network.

Designed for the restaurant industry, Servinity is a new website that allows operators to search for, hire and manage employees through its scheduling social network application.

Marcus Hotels and Resorts selects Standing Dog Interactive's ReviewAnalyst application to collect hotel reviews, blog entries, videos and photos from the top travel and social media websites.

The launch of B Connected Online gives players a one-stop place to monitor special offers, point balances, and progress toward achieving higher tier levels within Boyd Gaming's loyalty program.