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🛒 In France, during the 2023 Black Friday week, home equipment spending reached €751 million, a slight decrease of 1% from 2022. Over 5 years, Black Friday revenue increased by 22% according to Kantar Worldpanel. The average spend per person in 2022 was €67, with a yearly budget of €330 for French consumers. The three days of Black Friday accounted for 10% of total November sales.

🔎 Trip.com harnesses artificial intelligence (AI) to tailor offers for travelers, per Andy Washington, General Manager for Europe at Trip.com. Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are investing in technology to enhance customer experience, with AI doubling in learning speed and capacity annually—improving data understanding. AI enables smaller players to comprehend data and develop AI with the right partners, positively impacting the industry. Trip Genie, Trip.com's personal assistant, transforms the OTA from a simple booking engine to a full-fledged online travel agency by providing recommendations and supporting the booking process. Data sets are primarily customer behavior-based, respecting privacy choices, and vary by region. Trip Genie aims to evolve into a virtual travel agent, focusing on the inspiration phase and travel adjustments to prioritize customer satisfaction.

🏨 Amanda Hyndman named Operations Director effective 1st November 2024, with over 30 years in luxury hospitality and 18 at Mandarin Oriental. Scott Woroch joins the board as Independent Non-executive Director from 4th November 2024, with 30+ years in the sector and past experience at Four Seasons. The appointments aim to enhance expertise and efficiency in luxury hospitality as part of Mandarin Oriental's global growth strategy focusing on luxury, expansion, and improved client experiences through advanced technology.

🏨 Contact Hôtels joined the Global Alliance of Private Hotels at EquipHotel 2024 on November 4 at 11:00 AM, expanding its network and visibility globally. The alliance includes Small Danish Hotels, Ringhotels, Petit Hotel, Golden Chain, Classic Norway Hotels, Charme & Caractère, and Asure, enhancing cooperation among independent hotels. Benefits include new business opportunities, shared best practices, marketing partnerships, joint reservation platforms, preferred equipment and service rates, and international promotional campaigns.

📢 The CHAT (Club Hospitality des Amis de la Tech) of GHR is calling for applications to form a hotelier working group and a restaurateur working group on "Les modules de réservation" to address challenges from sector platforms like The Fork, Zenchef, Booking, Expedia, Google, etc. Two groups are being formed: Groupe Restauration and Groupe Hôtellerie, each with 8-10 members, meeting every two months. Interested members should contact Amélie, the digital jurist, at [email protected].

📌 Davidson Hospitality Group, with an annual revenue of over $2 billion, ranks fourth in annual gross revenue per room and property among third-party hotel managers. Thom Geshay, CEO/President of Davidson Hospitality Group, partners with Nautic Partners, which closed its $4.5 billion investment fund, Nautic Partners XI. Nautic's investment in Davidson represents a strategic move in the hospitality sector, building on previous experience in real estate management and corporate accommodation services. Mark Perlberg of Nautic supports Davidson's long-term strategic goals.

🏕️ Les Vacances Camping Paradis lancent une campagne de recrutement pour plus de 200 postes, incluant Responsables d’Animation, Animateurs Généralistes, et Animateurs club enfant "Piki Club". Une formation pour réceptionnistes est maintenant proposée par la Camping Paradis Academy. Candidatures via recrutements chez campings-paradis.com ou lors des sessions de recrutement dans le Pas-de-Calais (62) et le Nord (59) du 12 au 15 novembre 2024, avec des réunions spécifiques à Lens-Liévin, Hazebrouck et Armentières.

💸 Alpagga, French leader in second-hand professional equipment for Cafés, Hotels, and Restaurants (CHR), secures €6 million in funding from Ring Capital, FJ Labs, Acurio, and 50 Partners. This follows a €2 million round a year ago, aiming to consolidate market leadership by digitizing access to second-hand equipment, fostering the circular economy, and reducing the carbon footprint in the foodservice industry. Founded in April 2022 by Geoffrey Taieb and Bordan Petrynka, Alpagga is revolutionizing the CHR equipment market.

📢 Mews, the leading hotel cloud provider, acquired Quotelo, an event planning startup for hotels, marking its first product acquisition in France. Quotelo, founded in 2021, streamlines event management for hotels, boosting revenue in the MICE segment. Following a 57% growth in its French clientele, opening a new Paris office, and partnering with BWH Hotels, Mews has now crossed 1,000 customers in France, enhancing its commitment to the French market and innovation.

🏨 ÁgoraTech will be held at Eurostars Sitges Hotel, Spain on May 28-29, 2025, bringing together 60 key hotel groups from the Iberian Peninsula and major technological solutions. The event is designed for networking with individual meetings and recreational activities, against a backdrop of unprecedented industry transformation, new consumer trends, and sustainability demands. It marks the first edition of an initiative by Ágora Central de Compras of Grupo Hotusa.