“We didn't want to manage our conference internet and digital signage in-house because of the high cost of infrastructure, staffing, and benefits.” ~ Edmond DiAntonio, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort

Despite having been reopened for over a year since pandemic travel restrictions were lifted, the hospitality industry continues to struggle with persistent and sometimes critical labor shortages. A newly released study by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) surveyed over 500 hoteliers and found that 97% are experiencing some kind of staffing shortage, while an astounding 49% are experiencing severe shortages. Furthermore, according to a Joblist survey, over half of the 13,000 hospitality professionals polled stated they were unwilling to return to their previous positions. 30% said that they did not plan to return to the hospitality industry, period. In response to staffing deficits, hotels are offering a host of new hire incentives, including increased wages, flexible hours, and expanded benefits, according to the AHLA study.

While employee incentives have helped, issues remain

At the time of this article, there are over 130,000 unfilled hospitality positions, indicating that hotels still have work to do to attract and retain qualified candidates. According to Michael Heflin, writing for Hospitality Net, “Hotels cannot simply pay their way out of a labor shortage that is as much about improving work-life balance, training, and career development as it is about increased wages and benefits. As labor becomes more expensive, it will begin to cut into a hotel’s revenue streams and its ability to compete with more flexible, technology-driven alternatives such as Airbnb.” And this makes sense since services like Airbnb and VRBO do not require the same manpower to operate that hotels do.

Hotels look to efficient sources of revenue

It’s well known that larger hotels can generate a healthy percentage of their revenue from in-person events and conferences. Hotels learned earlier this year that (according to the U.S. Travel Association) many companies were reallocating budgets to increase spending for in-person meetings and conferences for the remainder of 2022. Motivated by convenience, most conference attendees will opt to stay at the host hotel. Accordingly, host properties can earn multiple revenue streams, including fees for conference space, lodging, amenities, catering, and promotion. However, staffing shortages can undercut a hotel’s ability to capitalize on revenue from events and ultimately result in missed opportunities.

Impressive visual displays and flawless internet connectivity are the cornerstones of any modern event or conference. Digital signage broadcasts information on behalf of the event and helps promote event sponsors and exhibitors. Internet networks and reliable WIFI access provide a backbone for all digital communications throughout the event, so robust and reliable internet access is crucial for meetings, presentations, exhibits, displays, and more. But how can hotels optimize for event-related revenue with fewer staff?

Time to phone a friend

The good news is that revenue from digital signage, internet and WIFI access are not out of reach and don’t require additional in-house expertise when you have the right partner in place. Xpodigital is a trusted event technology partner you can count on. Their world-class team of experts is there every step of the way to help plan, execute, and support all your events. Working with Xpodigital, you can maximize profits without the burden of managing and orchestrating your conference digital signage and internet networks.

Consider the recommendation of Edmond DiAntonio, director of event management at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort:

“We didn't want to manage our conference internet and digital signage in-house because of the high cost of infrastructure, staffing, and benefits. With Xpodigital as our partner, we can completely hand off responsibility for digital signage and internet and not worry about it.”

If you're looking for cost-effective ways to maximize digital revenue this year, partnering with Xpodigital will ensure your events feature: 

• Flawless, dependable internet and WIFI

• An impressive digital signage showcase

• Expertly orchestrated and scalable digital experiences

Xpodigital’s team of experts will take the burden off your staff, fully manage the technology and fully optimize your digital revenue this conference season and those to come.