Cornell White Paper Says Technological Disruption of Existing Group and Meeting Business Opens New Opportunities for Hotels

The new white paper examines virtual meetings, Cisco® TelePresence™ technology and how existing travel and hotel businesses can take strategic advantage of these new capabilities. The report was written by Howard Lock, Cisco IBSG’s global hospitality practice lead, and James Macaulay, IBSG’s global research lead. The report is available from the CHR at no charge at http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/perspective/. 

When Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano forced a suspension of European air travel, many travelers used virtual meeting technology to conduct their business. This is just one example of how technology has developed to allow virtual meetings to replace in-person meetings.

Lock and Macaulay point out that virtual meeting technology has come of age just at the moment when corporations are seeking ways to save additional money on travel and meeting expenses. Acknowledging that in-person meetings will not soon go out of style, Lock and Macaulay point to a new corporate meeting strategy in which companies decide whether a particular meeting should be in-person or virtual.

Most critically, they explain the considerable potential for hotels to include virtual meetings as part of their portfolio of services. Firms such as Marriott, Taj, Starwood, and Rendezvous have implemented virtual meeting services, typically offering telepresence rooms that can be connected to a global network. Other travel industry purveyors, including Maritz, Carlson Wagonlit, and American Express, have also added virtual meetings to their suite of services.

About Cisco TelePresence
Cisco TelePresence combines rich audio, high-definition video, and interactive elements to deliver an “in-person” experience over multiple networked sites, including organizational headquarters, branch or remote offices, or even telecommuter applications. The technology is reliable and secure, operating even over constrained bandwidth connections with quality of service, or high-speed broadband Internet connections.

About The Center for Hospitality Research
A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of the center's 79 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. To learn more about the center and its projects, visit www.chr.cornell.edu.

Center Senior Partners: Hilton Worldwide, McDonald's USA, Philips Hospitality, Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc., STR, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, and TIG Global 

Center Partners: Davis & Gilbert LLP, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, Denihan Hospitality Group, eCornell & Executive Education, Expedia, Inc., Forbes Travel Guide, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Fox Rothschild LLP, French Quarter Holdings, Inc., FX Real Estate and Entertainment, Inc., HVS, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group, Jumeirah Group, LRP Publications, Maritz, Marriott International, Inc., Marsh's Hospitality Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Proskauer, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, SAS, Schneider Electric, Thayer Lodging Group, Thompson Hotels, Travelport, and WATG 

Center Friends: 4Hoteliers.com • American Tescor, LLC • Argyle Executive Forum • Berkshire Healthcare • Cody Kramer Imports • Cruise Industry News • DK Shifflet & Associates • ehotelier.com • EyeforTravel • Gerencia de Hoteles & Restaurantes • Global Hospitality Resources • Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) • hospitalityInside.com • hospitalitynet.org • Hospitality Technology Magazine • Hotel Asia Pacific • Hotel China • HotelExecutive.com • Hotel Interactive • Hotel Resource • HotelWorld Network • International CHRIE • International Hotel Conference • International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) • iPerceptions • JDA Software Group, Inc. • Lodging Hospitality • Lodging Magazine • Milestone Internet Marketing • MindFolio • Mindshare Technologies • Parasol • PhoCusWright • PKF Hospitality Research • The Resort Trades • RealShare Hotel Investment & Finance Summit • Resort and Recreation Magazine • RestaurantEdge.com • Shibata Publishing Co. • Synovate • The Lodging Conference • TravelCLICK • UniFocus • USA Today • WageWatch, Inc. • WIWIH.COM