LG unveils Concierge Advantage

Shawn Snobelen of LG Electronics demonstrates its new digital signage kiosk.

VANCOUVER—LG Electronics took advantage of the recent BC Hospitality Industry Conference and Expo to introduce its Concierge Advantage program to the hotel industry. Hockey legend Trevor Linden and Tony Pollard of the Hotel Association of Canada were on hand as the LG sales and marketing team demonstrated the latest in electronic concierge technology and more.

The LG Concierge Advantage consists of a kiosk running digital signage software, with the idea of enhancing or replacing concierge service and taking the pressure off the front desk.

Information presented on the screen can include the hotel message board, weather, news and flight information, and information on local amenities.

“For the hotelier, it’s a paid advertising network. They can sell ads to local restaurants, taxi companies, etc.,” explained Shawn Snobelen, director of sales for LG in Canada. Listings could consist of a map, a coupon, an advertisement and a sample menu. If a hotel sells 100 directory listings at $25 per month, the revenue adds up.

Information on guest use of the kiosks can provide useful intelligence for hoteliers.  For example, if the hotel has a steak house, but guests are constantly searching for sushi restaurants, it might be a good idea to put sushi on the hotel restaurant menu.

“You have a focus group built right into your machine,” said Snobelen.

“It’s flexible and can be interconnected to as many hotels as needed,” Snobelen added. “If the company has a Best Western in Toronto and Montreal, they can cross-advertise.”

There is also an integrated reservation service built into the machines.
Best of all, it’s easy to use, with a simple, inexpesive software program on a regular PC.

Use of this technology is not limited to the lobby.  LCD and plasma screens can be used in guest rooms, or public spaces in casinos, hotels and restaurants.

Hotels are looking for a value proposition that will differentiate their properties, and LG has answered the call with its Concierge Advantage, HAC’s Pollard said. “It’s guest-centric, and caters to the needs of guests who expect you to deliver at least what they have at home. For example, I won’t fit into a small car.  When I travel, I want a car similar to what I have at home. I drive a Buick.

“Hotels can deliver on the expectations for TV screens—flat screens with all the bells and whistles. LG can do all that and more,” Pollard said, adding that HAC studies show that 88 per cent of guests watch TV in their rooms.