Tourism Innovation Challenge for Hotels

Background

STB partnered the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) to launch the Tourism Innovation Challenge for Hotels on 18 May 2017. The Innovation Challenge aims to crowd-source for innovative technologies to drive productivity and enhance guest experience for the Hotel Industry. There would be networking sessions and clinics arranged, for solution providers to have a deeper understanding of the industry needs and to facilitate closer engagements.  For Successful Participants, there would be valuable opportunity to work with hotels, who will provide mentorship and real-world environments to trial prototypes developed along the course of the Challenge, with the potential to scale for wider industry adoption.

Please click here for the media release of the Tourism Innovation Challenge.  

Challenge Process and Key Dates

*Participants are to note that the dates indicated are subject to change, and as such, STB encourages Participants to check this webpage for updated details.

Latest Update

Completed solutions under Tourism Innovation Challenge for Hotels  *Updated*

DROP Positioning

The solution created by DROP Positioning Systems simplifies the process of storing and locating guests’ luggage through an automated LIVE location system. Base stations above the various luggage storage areas will guide bellmen to the respective LIVE luggage zones where target luggage is located. Bluetooth tags fastened to luggage will have flashing lights to notify exact location within the LIVE luggage zone, and will automatically update the system whenever the luggage is moved.

Email: laurence.lee@drop.com.sg | Website: http://www.drop.com.sg/

RFCOM

Solution simplifies process of storing and locating guests’ luggage, eliminates wrong retrieval or unauthorized removal. System is developed based on existing work procedures with the aid of a dashboard, handheld devices and electronic luggage tags that light up and beep. Guests are issued a QR code which they present during retrieval of luggage. Bellmen only need to scan the slip to easily locate luggage via zonal notification and the beeping/ blinking e-tags. The system also notifies of uncollected luggage, provides photo comparison of pre-and post-storage luggage in the event of dispute and generate reports.

Email: wmtang@rfcom-tech.com | Website: https://www.rfcom-tech.com/

Vouch

Vouch creates intelligent digital concierges, which help hotels manage guest inquiries and requests with high accuracy and consistency. Vouch's digital concierges handle 90% of guest interactions without human intervention, leading to 40% reduction of front office manpower needs and monthly savings of over 150 man hours. Data collected by the digital concierges provide insights that help hotels optimise resource allocation and guest engagement. The digital concierges can be customised to meet each hotel's unique needs,​ and had increased lead generation and improved social media interactions for clients.

Email: joseph@vouch.sg / limonium@vouch.sg | Website: https://www.vouch.sg/

Drop Positioning systems

A live 24/7 automated inventory management system for the smart hotel eco-system space that aims to automate the entire inventory tracking and procurement process. This is achieved by automatically tracking and updating inventory of stocks through the use of smart pressure scales to detect change in inventory levels, enable auto low volume trigger alerts and auto notifications for replenishment of supplies.

Email: laurence.lee@drop.com.sg | Website: http://www.drop.com.sg/

​Evercomm Uni-Tech Singapore

Solution provides a digital co-worker (virtual assistant), combining sensor IoT technology with artificial intelligence for effective maintenance on hundred/thousands of critical equipment operation at the group level across hotels at various geographic locations. Automated analysis of data will provide correlations/patterns to predict potential equipment or spares defects /failures, and identify specification of spares requiring potential replacement. The solution will help raise guest satisfaction levels, and improve efficiency of hotel employees.

Email: Ted@evercomm.com.sg | Website: http://www.evercomm.com.sg/

Awardees of Tourism Innovation Challenge for Hotels (In development)

Affle

Affle is a Technology Solutions & Data Intelligence Platform provider headquartered in Singapore. It has enabled 1500+ custom applications with extensive experience in developing front-end & backend solutions along with handling integrations with legacy systems for Enterprises. Its Data Intelligence platform processes billions of Attribution Data events to driving personalization and relevance for end consumers.

It's chat concierge product for hotels provides automation of pre-stay and on-stay experiences through an automated query handling trainable Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engine that enables guests to use an easy "conversational" experience to take care of requirements ranging from Room Bookings, Event Bookings, Tour Packages & Itineraries, On-Stay Concierge Services and more.

Email: charles@affle.com | Website: https://enterprise.affle.com/

Chemistry

A set of solutions that focuses on making it easier and faster to turn over beds in hotel guestrooms. The objective is to keep these measures low in cost, and with minimal impact on existing hotel infrastructure. 

Email: john@chemistryteam.com | Website: http://chemistryteam.com/

GTRIIP Global

Specialising in providing document-less check-in for hospitality industry, GTRIIP aims to reduce check-in time to less than 5 minutes by automating the check-in process from pre-collecting guests' information and verifying their profile by employing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Facial Recognition Technology respectively.  This check-in feature is also bundled together with a GTRIIP app, which can also help with "smart hotel transformation" pulling together other elements such as direct room booking, issuing mobile keys, controlling the lights, air-conditioner and television and in-app messaging.

Email: vetri@gtriipglobal.com | Website: https://www.gtriip.com/

Laundry Network

A solution comprising Automated Mobile Robots (AMRs) combined with re-engineered Linen cum Housekeeping carts, integrated with RFID Tagged Linen and Gantries. The AMRs are integrated with lifts and will autonomously pick up/deliver soiled/pre-packed clean linen from guest floor pantries to loading dock. RFID enables automated and seamless linen inventory management in/out of hotel/laundry plant. The laundry plant will pre-pack exact linen required each day for each room attendant into the re-engineered carts for AMR transportation, which also reduces linen inventory and storage space required in hotels.

Email: tpchan@laundrynetwork.com.sg

NCode

The solution transforms the Room Key Card into a Next Generation IoT Smart Device. The E-ink display with Membrane buttons enable hotel to communicate and elicit feedback. Beacon Technology or optional Wi-Fi alternative enables Intelligent Proximity prompts. The device is key-card sized, easy to carry around and is RFID compatible, enabling compatibility with Hotel locks. Software for data analytics is available to provide insights.

Email: ian@ncodeconsultant.com | Website: http://www.tellm3.com

New Doone Technology

A self-service kiosk will automate the check-in and check-out processes in hotels, tapping on facial recognition and artificial intelligence to authenticate and verify guests' identity. The kiosk can support several forms of payment, including Alipay and WeChat pay. The fully automated process will also dispense keycards to complete guests' journey.

Email: adrianna@niche-lifestyle.com | Website: N/A

Sensorflow

A wireless automated solution that improves energy efficiency of hotels up to 15%. Achieve this by automating adjustment of air-conditioning systems when guests are away, or even turning it off when doors or balcony windows are left open. Monitor energy usage of your buildings, rooms and appliances such as split unit compressors, VRVs or Chillers, and be alerted if there is a need for maintenance. With a proprietary wireless network, installation is simple and only requires a single gateway for all rooms with no need for complex wiring or installation.

Email: sai@sensorflow.org | Website: https://www.sensorflow.co/

Taiger

Built on Taiger's proprietary AI technology, iConverse is a Virtual Assistant which understands and matches meaning rather than just keywords. iConverse is therefore able act as a Virtual Concierge, allowing guests to ask questions and provide feedback in the most natural way. For hotels, it also serves as an integrated platform whereby guest preferences are collected to provide personalised itinerary recommendations, and also used by the hotel to improve service standards and offerings. Most importantly, iConverse allows hotels to provide even better customer service by promptly identifying guest requests and feedback for any follow-up action. Of course, iConverse can be used in a myriad of industries, ranging from handling sales queries; a feedback channel for customers; as well as a tool for internal staff training. 

Email: jonathan.seetoh@taiger.com | Website: http://www.taiger.com/

Tuple Technologies

Tuple's application seeks to create a platform that is engaging for customers to use and, in turn, enable hotels to collect data about customers' itinerary, preferences and behaviour whilst automating the concierge's workload. This new data collected will enable Hotels to leverage on the power of AI and machine learning to enhance guest personalisation activities/campaigns/promotions, and preferred holiday/hotel activities. Combining this new information with data crawled/bought from external sources and the hotel's own internal data of guests, Tuple would be able to increase Hotel's revenue by utilising machine learning throughout the Sales and Marketing business functions; which is Tuple's core business service.

Email: santhosh@tuple.tech  | Website: https://tuple.tech/

Zumata

The Hotel Concierge Chatbot aims to deliver a "Wow" service impact on the hotel guests by providing round the clock (24 by 7), instant information and request response via a conversational messaging platform. Using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, the chatbot could enhance the hotel guest user experience with its personalised content based on historical preferences, to offer recommendations and cross-sell the relevant products and services.

Email: clemence.toh@zumata.com | Website: https://www.zumata.com/

Upload of Expression of Interest Letter and Clarification of Funding Mechanism 

Thank you for journeying with us this far! As part of the submission requirements, it is required for solution providers to secure a committed hotel pilot partner. You may refer here for a template of an Expression of Interest Letter as a form of proof of onboarding of the pilot partner. We would also like to take the opportunity to clarify on the funding support available to both solution providers and participating pilot hotels. Kindly refer to the eDm for more details.

Reminder: 28 August submission deadline! 

Thank you to all who attended and participated actively in our Networking Session!

Gentle reminder that the Solution Proposals are due for submission on 28 August 2017, 1800hrs SGT. Please refer to the Challenge Documents below for the submission requirements.

Vendor clinics with STB and Networking Session with Hotels

The vendor clinics have now concluded.  Participants who have been shortlisted for the Networking session with Hotels have been informed. 

We encourage Participants who have not been shortlisted for the Networking session to continue engaging with hotel stakeholders to fine-tune your proposals and secure a Committed Pilot Partner prior to the submission deadline of 28 August 2017. Participants need not attend the Networking Session to be eligible to submit a Challenge proposal. 

Tourism Innovation Challenge Briefing Session

The Briefing Session had concluded on 22 May 2017.  Please download the Briefing presentation here. For solution p roviders seeking partnerships with others, please refer to the list of interested companies. 

Challenge Documents

• Challenge Document v1.1 – Click here 
  
• Application Form (Annex A) v1.2 – Click here
• Frequently Asked Questions - Click here
• Expression of Interest Letter- Click here

Contacts

For more enquiries, please email us at: STB_HotelChallenge@stb.gov.sg