Trends, Tech, Con. Insight

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Hospitality brands and operators are at a critical point in their history, facing a diverse cross-section of guests that have unique and sometimes divergent expectations. This course prepares for the impact of a shifting guest base from Baby Boomers to Millennials and emerging global markets that have redefined traditional group, business and leisure customer segmentation. Understanding these unprecedented shifts in the overall landscape of travelers, and the transition from a Service and Product-based economy to an Experience Economy is critical to the future business of branding and hospitality. Complimentary to these new customer arenas, emerging technologies and trends are defining how these brands frame their guest experiences, define their marketing outreach, design their products, and enhance their service delivery. This course offers an intensive evaluation and dialogue of technology’s impact on hospitality – ranging from hardware products to mobile applications – forecasting the trends that will shape the future of the industry.