Live From HITEC 2022

The Modern Hotelier - Episode #12 === Now we wanna welcome on the CEO of Stayflexi Venkat Sakamuri. Venkat, welcome to the, The Modern Hotelier you're presented by. Stayflexi finally guys, I was expecting episode number one. Steve Carran: okay, well, we're finally happy to have Y awesome. First time exhibiting at high tech. How are things going? This is, Venkatesh Sakamuri: this is amazing. So this amazing in terms of. We, we launched a product and the reception, so good. The party versus was an epic it's so huge bus it's, uh, it was roaming around the streets and there's a lot of brand awareness about Stayflexi. It's like it's a huge win for us in terms of like first time, high tech brand awareness and marketing perspective. Absolutely. Steve Carran: Yeah. So what's tell us for those that aren't familiar. What is Venkatesh Sakamuri: Stayflexi Stayflexi is the name says staying flexible, offering the best flexible operating system for hoteliers. To, to keep the guests most flexible in terms of the state, all the people from searching the room booking, fill the checkout, you see how the entire guest journey is completely automated in one single operating system. So it's a fully automated PMs for hoteliers especially for independent hotels and groups. Awesome. David Millili: Is there anything so walking around the floor? I mean, I know we were at high tech in September. It was very quiet, very busy here. Was there anything, as you were walking around that you saw that you thought. And a new, interesting or unique, obviously not another cloud PMs, but anything that you saw that you thought was unique? Venkatesh Sakamuri: Yeah. Um, not very unique. People are telling like stories for like many years that it's, it's unique. The very few products I have seen actually doing the things, what, what they're telling. Cause a lot of marketing was going around, but few companies are actually doing it. But this, this year I haven't worked the floor. Probably tomorrow I might, but at the moment, it's like the same companies we just saw in the last high tech getting the same story, contact list stuff, and like that. But very few people are doing it. So let's figure it out probably tomorrow. I can David Millili: get to know that. Okay, good. Awesome. Steve Carran: So this is the first time exhibiting. What are your thoughts? How has it Venkatesh Sakamuri: been going so far? Totally like next time we should have like five party buses so I, I found, I found a marketing book here, like what to do for the hospital. Like they love the parties, so it's going to be big. Yeah. So we have the lessons along the way. So we are gonna to be like big, big, real time in next year. Yeah. David Millili: So Steve Carran: keep an eye out next to you. High tech five party buses from state, but , David Millili: so I always ask some questions at the beginning of the podcast. I'm gonna pick one for you that you have to answer. So if you could trade places with one person for a day, who would you trade places with? I Venkatesh Sakamuri: would, uh, trade with like David Millili. David Millili: a couple people have said that. I have no idea why, but Steve Carran: nobody has sent me. So . That's how it goes. You, Venkatesh Sakamuri: you have a lot of experience, a lot of things. I just wanted to put myself in your shoe for a day and then just look the whole through your eyes. Like you, you David Millili: basically get all that posture energy. I appreciate that. Steve Carran: anything you wanna plug anything going on for is yours for anything you wanna promote coming out with state flexi, any new announcements here at high tech? Venkatesh Sakamuri: Anything for, we are promoting Modern Hotelier David Millili: yeah. Yeah. Venkatesh Sakamuri: um, this is going to be a great podcast and we are super thrilled and empowered that we have Stayflexi is promoting the, The Modern Hotelier. This is going to be big and we come in to make it like much, much better. So. David Millili: Awesome. Yeah. And you both are doing really good job. Thank you. And I think Steve and I wanna thank you for giving us the opportunity to do the, The Modern Hotelier you're presented by Stayflexi we've. Uh, some great future, uh, podcast coming up with some great guests. So this is kind of a, almost a midway point for us. I think we've got 11 in the can shows and we've got some great ones coming down. Yeah. Steve Carran: Awesome. So thanks for hopping on quick. And, uh, yeah, we'll be having him on later for a full episode, so we are excited to, uh, have you on there. Good. My guy. David Millili: Thank you. Steve Carran: Welcome to the, The Modern Hotelier you're live from high tech. Uh, today we have Ira Vouk Ira Vouk: nice. You pronounced my name correctly. hi, everyone. Uh, Ira Vouk. I'm really excited to be here. Thanks a lot for, for having me, uh, would you like me to introduce myself? Absolutely go for it. Yeah. So, uh, I've been very busy in the last, I would say 10, 15 years. Hospitality technology is my thing. Uh, I do consulting mostly. Um, I'm the person who actually consults both technology companies and Hotelier. So with tech companies, I explain to them how to build selling market for the industry, because they don't always underst. And then, uh, Hotelier, I explained how to use technology and what the use cases are. I'm also an author. As many of the listeners probably already are familiar with my book hospitality 2.0, that just came out a few months ago has been embraced by the industry. I hear it's a good read. So highly recommend can be found on Amazon. Yeah. It's about technology and the industry and the adoption rates and where all of this is David Millili: going that. So, so far on the show, what, is there any, anything you've seen here that surprises you or anything that you see that you, you like, I mean, as we're getting out of this kind of COVID fog and new technology trends. Yeah. The Ira Vouk: show has been great so far for sure. Uh, a lot of pan top demand, even though last year, we all meet met in person at high tech, but this year it feels more lively. I mean, regardless of how much we talk about virtual reality, we can't substitute this. It's rich. I think, you know, metaverse and all these new technologies can compliment in person interactions, which I think that's what we are seeing here for sure at the show, lots of opportunities for network networking. Everybody's very excited to see everybody. And I love, I never missed a single high tech in 17 years. Yes. I have, uh, you know, I have attended diligently because this is the show of the year for us. We're passionate about technology. And now as a, uh, professor at San Diego state, I also look at it from a different perspective. You know, I also look at things in new trends in the industry to see what I can start, you know, new implementations in the curriculum to start teaching my students as well. So it's been fun to watch all these new entrants and then the same companies. And I see who has what type of budget, depending on the size of their world. Right? Yeah. So all those things, very fun to watch. Steve Carran: That's good. Love it. What's one of the trends that you've seen here at high tech that you think is really here to stay that might just be getting started besides AR VR, you know, any of that stuff. But, Ira Vouk: so I'm really surprised to see that we're still displaying phones. Yep. Selling phones. Yep. But that's due to government regulations. Apparently you have to have an actual physical phone in the room. Blows my mind still. So I predict we will see still see, 30 years from now because of government regulations, even though we're not gonna use them ever in the hotel rooms. I'm seeing a lot of trends that are related to the consolidation of different categories of vendors in our industry. Because as we know, the space is so fragmented and you look at the list of vendors, exhibitors at high tech show every year, it's just so dispersed and we're seeing mergers and acquisitions all the time that actually make the space a little bit more consolidated and easier to understand. I think that's the trend that I'm, uh, I'm seeing here observing. Outside of high tech as well. And I think that's a very positive trend for the industry that will make it easier for the end users to, to navigate in this space. And it's easier. It's gonna be easier for me to teach. Sure. Everyone else, how to, how to maneuver in this environment. David Millili: One of things that's interesting. So people know you, what of a great point I do. I do find it funny that the phones are still here. But, uh, the law actually you can do through voice assistance, Uhhuh, you know, the Alexa in the room, if they will connect out. And as long as they connect out to dial 9 1 1, and they just, the whole crime is they have to share the room number to the outside. So when it can't be there's a nine one, one call coming from the XYZ brand. I was gonna say one, I don't want, it has to be this hotel and this room. So what's, what's Steve Carran: your favorite thing that you've done at high tech? So. Ira Vouk: Uh, I have, I, the favorite thing is hugging people in real life. Yeah. For, for sure. Yesterday was a blast. I walk, like I walk through the trade show every five minutes and this is like so fun to even like people who I never actually met in real life before. Yeah. And I've communicated for years, couple years online through zoom and everything. Yeah. It's just so much fun. All this energy positive energy when you actually. So I didn't ask my favorite thing, but I've had very many productive meetings, um, related to my online learning course that I'm building for hospitality technology companies. Right now it's like an onboarding guide to the industry because we know that many of them, they just can't source employees, tech oriented people from the industry. So right. They end up hiring a lot of people from the outside. And then when it come to work with these companies, they need to understand the industry. They not need to understand the end user decision makers. Uh, target segments, how to build go market strategy. So that's the course that I'm putting together and hopefully will come out by the end of the summer. David Millili: Awesome. Awesome. We so on our we're we'll have you on our, our full length podcast. We're doing little bits here, but so in the beginning I usually ask questions. So I'm just gonna take one little question Ira Vouk: asking. So I hear your questions. Very tough. I'm scared now. David Millili: So if you could have one superpower, what would you like to have? Ira Vouk: I would learn how to teleport. Because I love traveling. That's good. Steve Carran: That's good. And then with airlines, I think that would be invaluable right now. Ira Vouk: Right? I don't enjoy sitting in a cramped space for 18 hours to go to, uh, Thailand or Bali. Agree with you. So I would definitely do. Steve Carran: That's good question. Well, that's awesome. That's good. Well, thank you for stopping by for the quick interview. We're excited to have you on our full show. Awesome. But we appreciate you stopping by and we're excited. Have fun height. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate. Thanks. Hello and welcome ya. Shop CEO of room decks, my own hotel. Dad, you go, there you go. Yas. Welcome to this show. Uh, we go back a little bit away as you hired me. I stay in touch and how I got into the industry. Yeah. Uh, so thank you for that. You're very welcome. Yeah. Yeah. So how are things going at high tech? Pretty. Joss Schaap: Yeah. Too long day. So far, lots of people coming by, uh, some good meetings. Um, yeah, it's pretty nice. It's a lot more likely than it was last year in Dallas, basically David Millili: so far. A very good, big difference. Absolutely. Steve Carran: Uh, anything room deck is promoting anything new coming outta room decks that. You guys want everybody to hear here? Everything we do is Joss Schaap: new. I think we're a very young company is, uh, less than two years old. Uh, we started it in the midst of the pandemic. Um, we are now coming out of that very strong. We focus on automation, which helps hotels, especially today with, you know, labor is an issue today. Uh, we're adding ROI for hotels. Our, our goal, our goal is automated revenue, easy revenue. Uh, so that's really what we're focused on here. So we're really here to show, showcase our core. and, and bring that to life. Yeah, David Millili: so absolutely. And I think, you know, both you and I have probably done many, many high techs. Mm-hmm is. And know it's always difficult. Cause people say it's the same, anything different this year, anything new you've seen or any new players that you've seen that you think are kind of like, wow, I didn't, haven't seen that the past couple years at iTech. Um, Joss Schaap: well next door we next to our booth is a robot David Millili: booth. Okay. So, Joss Schaap: uh, I haven't seen a robot movie yet, so I'm not gonna say the name of the company next to us, but uh, that's it interesting. There's some of, I said interesting. There is a pair, some other ones that are trying to that out as well. Yeah. I think it's still pretty weird to have a robot sitting in front of your door and, you know, picking out something of it, but. Looks promising. It looks interesting assuming it works. Um, I, I was just doing a short walk around, uh, I wouldn't really looked around, usually do that on Thursdays. Uh, but I think there's a lot of excitement in general. There's a lot of moot. And finally, to the cloud, uh, you know, I think that the older legacy PMs system, which of course is my core business and where I come from are finally either having in a cloud solution and hotels are also, you know, have moved or are movements with cloud, which helps applications such as. Room rack, which is an add-on because, you know, connecting to the cloud to another cloud's much easier and also very affordable. It's usually free of charge. Absolutely. So I feel, I think I feel the biggest trend I say this year is looking for cloud and looking for automation, sort of what I pick out of the whole thing so far. Steve Carran: Absolutely. What's your favorite thing about this year's high tech so far? Joss Schaap: Uh, the favorite thing is the fact that's in Florida. Yeah. Yeah. Steve Carran: I love Florida. You love Florida. I Joss Schaap: it's just my home. Steve Carran: Wow. Where city Joss Schaap: is it? Orlando, Naples, Florida neighbor land in 1998. Uh, when I came to the us for the first time and, uh, spent 12 years there. So it's David Millili: always good to be in Florida. It's a big property management system hub. People don't know that at the Mike, was it with fidelity first launched there. Joss Schaap: FTC S was there, right? There is some competitors of our there to build PMs systems. So I spent 12 years there working on opera in David Millili: the. Yeah. It's, it's a little known fact. Most people don't know that Naples is a, yeah. Most people recognize as a retirement. Right. some people have to work, Joss Schaap: so that's what we did. David Millili: Awesome. Yeah. So I think so on our, our podcast, uh, when we did the, the long podcast, I ask a couple unique questions. So if you could have one superpower, what would you want that superpower to be Joss Schaap: one superpower? I think maybe, um, Half people stop talking about all the David Millili: politics. half people. What stop talking about the politics, politics, just enjoy life. Joss Schaap: You know, I don't think you're alone on that one. Take it as it is. And if you have an opinion, keep it with you and don't share with somebody else. So yeah, if I had the superpower, somebody would start talking like that, I would say, okay. And they would David Millili: just stop. Yeah, that's a great superpower. I love it. Super, thank you very much. We really appreciate it. You're welcome. Steve Carran: Awesome. Thank you guys for having me. You bet. all welcome to high tech on location with, yes, me. Welcome. Take two. Yeah, we just recorded the whole thing and realized the sound was an on so second time. So welcome to Hightech. Thank you exactly. So, what is one of the, your favorite things so far at high tech meeting with my team meeting with Ira Vouk: your team fully Yasmine Mustafa: remote now since March of 2020. So anytime we're in real life together, it's, it's really wonderful. Steve Carran: Awesome, favorite thing that's, uh, that you've experienced or anything cool that you've done so far? Yasmine Mustafa: I've never gone to an opening party or any party. Okay. Where I got to ride a roller coaster with my team. And that was really, really special. I also got to, um, uh, do the Orca. The whale show at sea. Oh wow. Didn't I see them do all the performances. That was incredible Steve Carran: as well. Yeah, that is awesome. That was quite the opening party. It was, people are talking about it. So it was a really good one. They, you, for sponsoring it was amazing. Absolutely. It was very memorable. It was Yasmine Mustafa: awesome. I sent videos to my nieces and nephews and they're like, Yazi. Why didn't you bring me? I was like, sorry, I didn't even David Millili: know . Yeah. Right, right. So, so tell us, tell us a little bit about your company and, and the kind of the, the cause behind it. I know it, but tell me, tell everyone kind of what you guys do. Yasmine Mustafa: Yeah. We're a workplace panic button solution protecting at risk healthcare and hospitality workers. We provide hospitality workers who tend to be alone, um, and more vulnerable to. With panic button technology that summons helped to their exact location. If anything happens or they witness a guest in distress or anything like that. Steve Carran: Sure, sure. And how did you come up with that Yasmine Mustafa: idea? I went backpacking through south America for six months. Just heard a lot of crazy stories. Yeah. And when I came back, a neighbor of mine was attacked. Wow. And back then had the idea to blend a panic button. Uh, excuse me. Wearable technology was self-defense tools, which had not been done before much less by women for. So decided to do that in 2014 and then in 2018, pivoted to workplace safety, to protect workers. Very cool. Steve Carran: Very cool. David Millili: Thank you. So what's the one thing you've seen at high tech that's unique from high tech in September. Yasmine Mustafa: The one thing, well, this is a lot bigger, which is really cool, right? Yeah. First of all, but the robot, the robot was very interesting, very memorable. I don't know if it actually works, cause I didn't see it Ira Vouk: move. Steve Carran: Right, David Millili: but it's really cool. Well, we did, we had Judy from the dream hotel and she said one of their properties, they have robots that deliver room service, and then actually guest local guests stay there just to order room service, to, to take video and posted on their social media. Oh, account. That's really cool. And as we were talking, this is take two. But earlier, like I was saying, Alan Young from puzzle partner was telling me that that's the only company here with robots. And I think. I think that's something that's kind of odd. Like you, you were saying it's probably the expense side, but I do do find it odd. There's only one robotic company here in 2022. Yasmine Mustafa: You know, I went to China when we were developing our own safety jewelry and it was actually common there. Right. So I, I remember going to a restaurant and a robot delivered my food. Right. And I remember taking a video and being like, I gotta come back here, goes, this is so cool. That's great. And that was in 2017. Wow. Steve Carran: Wow. Little bit ahead. A little bit. David Millili: All right. So on our normal podcast, we, I asked, you know, some unique questions at the end to see kind of how people answer them and get some insights. So if you could change places with somebody for a day, who would it be? A cat. Oh, wow. Yes. I'm. Is that Steve Carran: let's do that. I, I like Ira Vouk: that. Yasmine Mustafa: Like everything's so go, go, go, go. Yeah. And I like the idea of just like lounging to lo in the sun and taking a little of a break. Steve Carran: No email. The first thing that, yeah, yeah, no email. You don't have thumbs. You don't have thumb. That Ira Vouk: sounds heavenly right Yasmine Mustafa: now. I'm actually about to go to Croatia tomorrow. Wow. Very excited. So maybe I have vacation mode on the brain here. There you go. But, uh, yeah, I like the idea of being like lazy laying in the sun and only wanna be stroked when I wanna be struggled. Steve Carran: Absolutely. David Millili: And your time, that's it. Well, good luck. Yeah. Good luck with everything you're doing good. Yeah. And thank you for Steve Carran: swinging by the, The Modern Hotelier. We're happy to have you on and enjoy the rest of, I. Enjoy Croatia. Thank you. Awesome. Thanks so much.