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🎯 The ADP Group's "Airport Innovation Days" contest, aimed at fostering local innovation ecosystems and identifying startups to meet industry and customer challenges, was held in Turkey, Jordan, and Paris in 2024. Paris winners are Unboared (interactive gaming for passengers), Jabu (AI-based meal consumption prediction to optimize meal preparation), and HyLight (long-range, emission-free aerial inspection dirigibles). In Turkey, first place went to Sensemore (AI-based industrial equipment health solution), followed by Assistbox (video solutions for customer experience) and Waste Log (real-time waste management technology). Jordan's winners include ADADK (real-time water leak detection), LYNEports (software for integrating new aerial mobility and infrastructure), and Salam From Jordan (customizable postcard kiosks for passengers). Each country's top three startups receive up to €50,000 for Proof of Concept trials, mentoring support, and international media exposure.

📊 The Customer Retention Rate (TRC) is a strategic KPI for businesses, indicating the percentage of customers who remain over time. For e-commerce, a TRC above 35% is satisfactory, while for SaaS or subscription services, a rate above 80% is expected. To calculate TRC: TRC (%) = [(Number of customers at the end of the period - New customers during the period) ÷ Number of customers at the beginning of the period] × 100. For example, starting with 500 clients and gaining 50 new ones, if you have 480 by the end, TRC calculates to 86%. Other vital KPIs include the Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), and repurchase rate. Guest Suite offers tools for analyzing customer satisfaction, collecting, and disseminating online reviews.

🌊 La Réserve Paris, led by triple Michelin-starred chef Jérôme Banctel, introduces La Véranda—an ephemeral dining concept celebrating seafood within a verdant Parisian setting designed by master florist Baptiste Pitou. Patrons can savor daily specials based on fresh catch, with standout dishes like cold oysters, scallops in cotriade, poached langoustines, Binchōtan octopus, and line-caught seabass. La Véranda provides an elegant escape from city life, featuring white-draped tables, richly carpeted floors, lush ivy, and lemon trees.

🏢 Chambres de commerce de Corse and Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de la Dordogne partner to launch a new campus for the École supérieure de management hôtelier de Savignac in Ajaccio, Corsica. Starting October 2025, Corsican students with a BTS can pursue a third year of Bachelor in hospitality management, hotel and restaurant services. The Campus Savignac Corsica, housed in the renovated Palais des Congrès d’Ajaccio, aims to meet the rising demand for management training in these sectors, improve local skills, and reduce employee turnover.

🍴 Chef Alexandre Willaume, known for Etika (64), has been the executive chef at Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel since mid-November. His career includes work at Le Chanoine Gourmand in Troyes, Plaza Athénée, and Bristol, with executive roles at Hôtel du Louvre, Pullman Roissy, and Grand Hôtel Thalasso & Spa in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, earning him the Maître Restaurateur title. His restaurant Etika opened in April 2023 but closed by early September 2024. At Pullman Paris, he offers a menu with a focus on marine products and vegetables, featuring French cod with black garlic aioli and wild sea bass this winter. Willaume rejoices over his impactful return to the Accor Group on social media.

💻 Alix Boulnois became Chief Business, Digital & Tech Officer at Accor in June 2024 after joining in February 2020. She created the Digital Factory and oversees a team of 4,500 across 38 countries. Under her leadership, Accor’s ALL loyalty program expanded beyond hospitality and emphasizes ESG initiatives rewarding eco-friendly choices. Boulnois focuses on integrating business, tech, and operations, and has modernized platforms including CRM and APIs, with a notable partnership with Amadeus for the CRS.

💻 In 2025, AI will evolve from tools to autonomous agents, as highlighted by a Capgemini survey of 1,500 executives, with 32% identifying AI agents as the top tech trend of that year. These specialized agents can independently plan and execute complex tasks, reducing operational costs and improving efficiency. Gen4Travel is developing a super-agent for the tourism industry, capable of adjusting travel plans in real time. IBM foresees challenges for super-agents, including multi-agent dependency and ethical considerations.

🍞 Orbisk, a Dutch scale-up tackling food waste with AI, raised over €8 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding led by new partner Regeneration.VC, with existing investor PeakBridge and others like Kost Capital, DOEN Participaties, Brabant Development Agency, and AgriFoodInvest from EIT Food. The funds will enhance AI technology, operational innovation, customer integrations, and expand the global team. Since 2019, Orbisk aims to build a more sustainable food system with its waste monitor "Orbi", assisting food service operators, including hotels.

🏦 Minor Hotels, a Thailand-based hotel group, will manage the tallest skyscraper in Brisbane's $3.6 billion Queens Wharf project starting early 2025. Queens Wharf Residences, a 64-story tower, is the fastest-selling development in Queensland. The management deal with Minor Hotels, which operates over 550 hotels globally including 11 in Brisbane, signifies a strategic step towards making Brisbane a top-tier destination for tourism, leisure, and entertainment. The almost completed Queens Wharf Residences is expected to welcome its first residents in early 2025.