MRLA Industry Insights

Industry Insights: Bridging Hospitality & Technology is taking the stage in Grand Rapids to provide Michigan's hospitality industry with resources on how to utilize technology without losing the human welcome that this industry is known for by guests. This event will provide approachable and manageable tech solutions as inflation, workforce, and supply chain issues create new challenges for restaurant and hotel operators. join the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association and your hospitality industry peers for a day of educational sessions, networking, learning, lunch and meeting with industry suppliers!

Make the most of your time in Grand Rapids! Industry Insights: Bridging Hospitality & Technology is partnering with UNCON HR to provide attendees with exclusively discounted access to both events. UNCON HR is just that: an unconventional conference for HR professionals in the hospitality industry. You’ve attended all the traditional HR conferences—the ones with the cookie-cutter content and boring industry buzzwords that don’t translate to your workflow. This is not that. This is a conference for owners, supervisors, managers and HR staff, focused solely on the restaurant and hospitality industries.

Wednesday, September 28
9:00 a.m.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown
710 Monroe Avenue NW, Grand Rapids

Industry Insights: Bridging Hospitality & Technology Member Registration Only: $50
Industry Insights: Bridging Hospitality & Technology Non-Member Registration Only: $75
Industry Insights with UNCON HR Bundle Registration: $125
UNCON HR Registration Only: $149

Attendees must login on the registration portal to access Member-only pricing for this event. If you have any issues in the registration process, please contact Sarah Metcalf at [email protected] or 517-377-3928.

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Let the Robots Do the Running
Don’t worry, robots aren’t taking over, but they can help operators make their current limited staff more efficient and stay guest-facing instead of running back and forth to the kitchen. Bear Robotics manufactured Servi to support the existing servers within restaurants and hotels by running food and bussing tables. Servi utilizes Lydar and 3-camera technology to safely run food out to the servers, allowing them to walk less, spend more time with their guests and provide improved customer service. Find out more about implementing Servi at your restaurants and hotels at Industry Insights: Bridging Hospitality & Technology!

Meet MABEL™: A Labor Cost Solution & Your Personal Restaurant Assistant
Labor and food cost are at an all time high for the hospitality industry and continue to fluctuate. Michigan operators need stability they can depend on and options on how to cut costs. How can you save an average of $550 per week in labor costs? Meet MABEL™ : the world’s first AI powered virtual restaurant assistant. MABEL™ uses all of your data to help your on-duty managers make better decisions in the moment with real-time Smart Alerts using texts, emails and Amazon Alexa enabled devices. Need updates in real-time on who to cut? Want to ensure your guests are being taken care of when your server is stuck in the kitchen? Want to know that your staff is held accountable for completed tasks? Wish someone else would put together the schedule for you? Don’t worry – MABEL™ has your back.

See MABEL™ in action and learn how to easily utilize artificial intelligence in your restaurants to save you money and still maintain the personal side of hospitality.

Lower Turnover with Video Games
The hospitality industry is still 700,000 jobs short from pre-pandemic levels. When you secure new staff, you need to keep them. Get your new team members on the floor faster and keep them longer by creating consistent, streamlined, and fun training with video games and virtual reality technology. Do all of this without taking up time from your managers and trainers!Learn more about implementing this technology from Great Lakes Reality Labs at Industry Insights!

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