How do you apply trends as entrepreneur in the hospitality industry?
1-9-2014
First of all, when talking about trends you need to realize that many different concepts are being named trends these days. However, there is a big difference between trends, hypes and inspiration. For example, we call our website hospitalitytrends.eu but mostly offer inspiration based on red threads in international trends. Real trends take their time in the adoption curve. If you look at the adoption curve of for example sustainability, you’ll see that it has been coming up for 15 to 20 years already and now it is mainstream, thus this is a trend. Hypes however usually stick around with the innovators and early adopters.
The usual development of a trend is that it begins with a very small portion of the population. Logically entrepreneurs are drawn to new trends since they are always looking for new success. They are constantly scared to miss out and fail in their business endeavours, yet specifically as an entrepreneur it is important that you keep on living your own dream and take care that you do not jump on every trend or hype that comes along.
Ibis Rotterdam City Centre opens its doors to bloggers
19-8-2014
At 15 August the Ibis Rotterdam City Centre opened its doors at the ‘Wijnhaven’ area in Rotterdam. To get guests acquainted with the hotel before opening, blogger Josie of maryjosie.com was invited to live in the hotel for two weeks (one week before opening and one week after opening). In this way, the blogger could share her experiences in and around the hotel, but also give the hotel an insight for an optimal guest experience. The Ibis Rotterdam City Centre organized several activities, starting off with an hotspot tour with 19 co-bloggers. The bloggers all agreed that the location is one of the USP’s of the hotel. The ‘Wijnhaven’, what is both located in the city centre and in the harbor, is an upcoming urban development area. This makes the area very attractive to live, work and stay in.
Heetch
12-7-2014
Heetch makes it easier to enjoy a night out in Paris and tries at the same time to reduce drunk driving by offering convenience and by their pricing. Users request a ride via the app and will be matched with a nearby driver. The price of the taxi fare is based on donations with a suggested amount per distance. The average ride is roughly 30% cheaper than the running meter of a cab in Paris. They offer an alternative to the heavy weekend surcharges of their competitors. Everybody with a car can join the Heetch driver’s community.
Ripe Near Me
7-7-2014
RipeNearMe is an online platform from Australia that helps users find fruit and vegetables in the neighborhood. Visitors of the platform keep track of the ripeness of the fruits and vegetables and buy or collect these when they are ripe. They could also contact the growers and give their vegetables a review. In the neighborhood of New York you can collect free Butternut squash at this moment because somebody has to many in his of her garden.
Free online ordering system
2-7-2014
GloriaFood has released a new worldwide online ordering system for restaurants. Different from other online ordering websites, GloriaFood is free of charge for restaurants who participate. The system is easy implemented and managed by the restaurant owners themselves. Orders can be placed via the website, the app and facebook.
Tip this much in…
26-6-2014
Ever wondered whether you did tip sufficiently? With tipthismuch.in you will always know. Check if your holiday destination is mentioned on the website. The idea for the website was stolen from Jessica Hische who tweeted the following: ‘Someone should make something similar to http://umbrellatoday.com for international tipping practices #stealmyidea’. Great to see that the idea was picked up by Kate Sigrist, who designed the website and Jolyon Russ who built it.
#BDOYL by Thrillist in East Village in NYC
25-6-2014
#BDOYL, which means ‘Best Day of Your Life’, has been organized on 21 June, the longest day of the year. Thrillist took over a dozen well-known locations around New York, mainly within the East Village, and transformed them into one-day-only experiences. The event focused on food, drinks and special surprise events that were kept secret until they happened. Although all the pictures at Twitter and Instagram with #BDOYL look great, we hope, besides this introduction video, for a movie showing the well-kept secret events! Maybe we can learn how to throw a different party than all the culinary parties in many Dutch cities this summer.
Pepsi brings can with Robin van Persie to life
21-5-2014
Soft drink brand Pepsi has launched a new interactive can with the famous footballer Robin van Persie, as part of the ‘Live For Now’ campaign. The free augmented reality app ‘Blippar’ brings Robin van Persie to life. Through the app some football tricks of the footballer are shown and consumers can download music, watch video’s and play an interactive game. The limited edition cans of Pepsi are widely available in the Netherlands as of Monday. Last March, Pepsi surprised waiting people at a bus stop with an augmented reality bus shelter.
Roy Choi cooks with the Google Glass on
20-5-2014
The possibilities with the Google Glass are endless now Google also wants to strike the culinary world. The portable computer in the shape of glasses are not yet available in stores but are tested by several people, like Roy Choi. The Korean-American chef is the founder of the Korean taco food truck Kogi BBQ in Los Angeles. During the national holiday of Ireland ‘St. Patrick’s Day’, Google launched a promotional film of Roy Choi cooking a burrito with the Google Glass on. He is searching for the recipe, cooks the dish, calls his mother and his cooking is also filmed. The Google Glass is not only useful for a chef to find recipes and multitask but consumers literally get a look through the eyes of a chef cook like the video above shows.
Pay the restaurant bill with Instagram photo
19-5-2014
Frozen food producer ‘Birds Eye’ found out that around 52% of the people take pictures of their meals. This gave Birds Eye the idea to open the pop-up restaurant ‘Picture House’ where consumers can pay their bill in a special way. Guests pay by taking a pictures of their meal and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #BirdsEyeInspirations. This promotion is part of the digital campaign to promote their new range of premium evening meals. The pop-up restaurant ‘Picture House’ opens in Soho, London this week and will pop-up in Manchester and Leeds in June.
