Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila was abuzz on June 27-28, 2024, as Chroma Hospitality hosted its much-anticipated Revenue Management and Online Distribution Summit, fondly known as RevBoost. The event saw key players from Sales, ECommerce, Revenue Management, Front Office, and Food & Beverage teams come together in a bid for Total Revenue Management. Strategy Heads from Filinvest Head Office were also in attendance, ensuring an assembly of top-notch expertise.
The summit was orchestrated by the Revenue Management and Distribution team, headed by the ever-energetic Mr. Sunish Sadasivan, Vice President, and ably assisted by the always dependable Mr. Angelo Rabino, Assistant Manager, Distribution, and Ms. Margarita Rafer, Assistant Manager, Parity and Online Communications, along with the Group's ECommerce team.
Day 1: A Roller Coaster of Revenue Management
Day 1 was all about Revenue Management Systems, featuring presentations from two industry giants: IDeaS, led by the dynamic Ms. Sandy Wee, and Duetto, championed by the insightful Ms. Elly Ji. IDeaS took the audience on a comprehensive tour of Total Revenue Management, emphasizing not just room revenue but also meeting spaces, parking, F&B, and even spa revenue. Meanwhile, Duetto’s presentation was a psychological pricing masterclass, highlighting how hotels can create value for customers while maximizing yield. If you didn’t leave this session with a new pricing strategy, you might have been daydreaming about the post-conference cocktails!
The King of Personalization: Mr. Ivan Cintado
The afternoon session was all about personalization, with Mr. Ivan Cintado from The Hotels Network leading the charge. He shared how hotels around the world are taking personalization to the next level and how Chroma could outperform them in the future. Ivan highlighted a few Chroma-initiated campaigns, like bathtub videos for Japanese IP addresses (because who doesn’t love a good soak?) and a Halloween package that spooked local bookings into high gear.
Profitability Insights and Digital Interaction
Ms. Bou from Hotstats presented Southeast Asia's profitability index, painting a clear picture of the region's financial landscape. Not to be outdone, Mr. Abhijit Joshi from Hotstats delved into how customers interact digitally with hotels, offering tips on optimizing brand value and perception. Who knew digital footprints could be so enlightening?
Internal Panels: The Great Debate
The internal panels were where the real magic happened. Heavyweights like Mr. Francis Gotianun First Senior VP Filinvest Hospitality, Ms. Ria Sarrosa VP Operations, Ms. Carmela Bocanegra VP Sales & Marketing, and Mr. Angelo Rabino Asst. Manager, Distribution engaged in lively discussions on why online and offline teams should join forces in revenue management. The debate, expertly moderated by the ever-present Mr. Kirk Llamas, highlighted how centralizing revenue management could catapult the group to the forefront of the industry. The takeaway? When it comes to revenue management, teamwork makes the dream work.
CRM and CDP: The Secret Sauce
The day ended on a high note with Mr. Will Howes, CEO of Revinate APAC, emphasizing the crucial role of Customer Data Platforms (CDP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). His message was clear: mastering these tools is key to maximizing direct bookings. If you haven’t jumped on the CDP and CRM bandwagon yet, consider this your official wake-up call.
Day 2: Digital Twin and Beyond
Day 2 started with a bang, featuring a welcome note from Mr. Sunish Sadasivan’s digital twin (yes, you read that right!). His message was clear: no more working in silos; it's time for Sales, Marketing, E-Commerce, and Revenue Management teams to join forces and achieve revenue goals together.
Digital Growth and Online Behavior
Next up was Mr. Dennis Velasco, CEO of Prosperna, whose mission is to make ECommerce easy for the Philippines. Dennis focused on digital growth and the future of food and restaurants. Ms. Fiona Pan, Country Head of Trip.com, then shared insights on the online behavior of Chinese travelers and their current travel destinations, highlighting the visa challenges for Chinese visitors to the Philippines.
B2B vs. B2C: The Showdown
Ms. Darlene Lim from Dida Travel followed with a discussion on how B2B will survive the distribution landscape dominated by B2C players like Agoda and Booking.com. After this, participants enjoyed a sumptuous lunch at Cafe 8, where the buffet spread of local and international dishes was a hit.
First-Party Data and Parity Management
Post-lunch, Jason and Benedict from Sojern, who flew in from Singapore for the event, focused on the importance of first-party data and how to optimize digital sales by showing the right ads to the right audience. Ms. Ashley from Lighthouse then covered parity management and market outlook, offering tools to enhance daily distribution and rate decisions.
Internal Power Panel and Digital Strategies
Another internal power panel, led by Mr. Kirk, centered on digital strategies for Food & Beverage. There was a lively discussion on improving Chroma’s digital footprint in F&B, with contributions from Ms. Ria Sarrosa and Mr. Jules Medina. Mr. Josh from Marketing shared examples of successful digital campaigns, while Mr. Sadasivan highlighted the innovative use of Google Business profiles turned into websites for promoting venues like Alibi Bar Alabang.
Conversational Commerce and Cocktails
The final presentation by Mr. Bernard Quek, CEO of GHS Singapore, explored conversational commerce with chatbots and loyalty programs, revealing how the digital world is being disrupted. The event concluded with revenue-themed cocktails at the speakeasy hidden gem, Alibi Lounge Bar, where participants mingled and shared laughs.
In Conclusion
RevBoost 2024 was a whirlwind of insights, strategies, and plenty of hotelier humor. From psychological pricing to digital interactions, the summit offered a comprehensive guide to Total Revenue Management. Here’s to hoping everyone left with notebooks full of actionable strategies and, of course, a few good laughs. After all, in the world of hospitality, a little humor goes a long way!
In his closing remarks, Mr. James Montenegro, Country Head of Chroma Hospitality Inc. highlighted the adaptability needed in revenue management, especially during economic crises like the one in 2008. He emphasized using platforms like the RevBoost Conference to look ahead and refine revenue management principles. This adaptability and forward-thinking approach can help professionals navigate future challenges more effectively. Let's all move forward to build our Revenue Management culture with a Digital edge.
We say cheese! After a very informative and lively panel discussion entitled “Perspectives on Revenue Management,” from left to right, Mr. Kirk Llamas, Mr. Francis Gotianun, Ms. Carmela Bocanegra, Ms. Ria Sarrosa, and Mr. Angelo Rabino.
It’s a wrap! Meet the organizing committee behind the biggest learning event in Filinvest Hospitality Group! From the E-commerce and Training Team, from left to right: Ms. Judy De Guzman, Ms. Marga Rafer, Ms. Nikki Cornelia, Mr. Angelo
Chroma Hospitality’s finest experts in Operations, Food and Beverage, Digital Marketing, and Revenue slayed the stage as they exchanged ideas on how to redefine strategies leveraging digitalization to elevate the Food and Beverage experience for our guests. From left to right: Mr. Kirk Llamas, Ms. Ria Sarrosa, Mr. Jules Medina, Mr. Joshua Hernandez, and Mr. Sunish Sadasivan.
Everything is set to accommodate nearly 73 people, including all participants, speakers, and invites.
