Northstar

16 | www.travelweekly-asia.com GAME CHANGER Together, Next Hotels, Virsa - SilverNeedle's in-house architecture and design agency - and Brand Karma now comprise Singapore- based Next Story Group. Anand Nadathur, CEO of Next Story Group, said, "The hospitality landscape is changing and we're evolving in important ways. "Over the past year, we've developed in-house architecture and design capabilities via Virsa, and identified new media marketing competency as a must-have, which led to the acquisition of Brand Karma." Morris Sim, previously chief executive of Brand Karma, now chief marketing officer for Next Story Group, said, "It is difficult for asset owners to ensure what they have today will be relevant and monetisable for tomorrow's consumers. Being a part of Next Story Group means asset owners can count on us to differentiate and respond to market changes faster." However, the robots of tomorrow might serve roles currently unrecognisable at hotels. With advances in artificial intelligence, computer vision and battery technology, these robots will perform tasks that humans are not capable of. They'll interface with the technology infrastructure of tomorrow, enabling hotel staff to focus on what they do best – providing empathetic service to the guest. By Ian Jarrett SilverNeedle Hospitality Group in May revealed that it had acquired the new media-marketing agency, Brand Karma. The group's hotel management division is now branded Next Hotels (formally SilverNeedle Hospitality). What has changed in the way hotels are sold? Why is media marketing competency 'a must have'? Every few years, digital fundamentally changes the way hotels are sold – in the late 90s with e-commerce, social media and mobile in the early 2000s, and the sharing economy and virtual and mixed reality in recent years. We founded Brand Karma on the premise that digital is constantly changing. Optimising a hotel's business for the various new media coming from these changes requires a creative and analytical approach. When effectively used, new media yields ROI that's far greater than traditional media. Hotels must embrace it to stay competitive. So it's not all about beds any longer? What are people looking for from a hotel experience? It's definitely no longer just about beds. While the guest room naturally plays a key role in the hotel decision-making process, guests ultimately want an experience. For some, this means living like a local, being connected with events, restaurants, and nightlife. Our Sage Hotels brand caters to this traveller – it's all about a simple, genuine connection with the local community. For other guests, it's about integrated technology, efficiency, and friendly service. Our Next Hotels brand caters to these types of travellers. As you can see, our brands are all being optimised for the new experience- centric hospitality paradigm. There's a lot of talk around robots taking the place of humans in hotels to handle simple tasks like delivering items to a guest's rooms. While it's tempting to suggest that we are heading towards a future with hotels staffed by robots, it's worth remembering that technology is only useful when it enhances the guest experience rather than detract from it. Robots today might perform simple tasks within hotels where there's a low need for any kind of service recovery. Morris Sim, CMO, Next Story Group. Here's what's Next for Brand Karma "The hospitality landscape is changing, and we're evolving in important ways." – Anand Nadathur, CEO, Next Story Group Next Story Group is the following: • NEXT HOTELS: Named after the group's flagship hotel brand, Next Hotels is a specialised developer of hotels across Asia Pacific. • BRAND KARMA: Award-winning new media marketing agency that builds brands through virtual reality experiences, digital-marketing and creative storytelling. • VIRSA: VIRSA LEADS the design and development of all hotel, F&B, and urban spaces within Next Story Group, as well as the group's innovations in building tech. Along with the launch, Next Story Group has appointed veteran hotelier Patrick Imbardelli to its Board of Directors. Morris Sim talks about his new role and the importance of new media to hotel business: What did you see in Anand's business model that attracted you to agree to a partnership? We saw a hospitality company that was operating like a tech company in that it could react to market conditions quickly, show agility, and grow with precision across Asia Pacific. SilverNeedle Hospitality Group (now Next Hotels) has a very successful history of innovating in hospitality and pushing boundaries. At Brand Karma, we have similar DNA but in new media marketing. It was an ideal fit. I'm excited to see this relationship come to fruition and to have Brand Karma complement the group under the newly-created Next Story Group. What qualities did you see in Anand that made you think, 'I can do business with this man'? Anand's an inspiring entrepreneur, bringing endless energy and a clear vision for the future of hospitality. But ultimately, it comes down to values. He runs the company with integrity and that's what's most important to me.

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