Fourth Reveals Top Trending Topic Predictions for Upcoming Industry Events

NEW YORK, March 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fourth, provider of a leading hospitality operations platform, has revealed the top trends to expect at this year's biggest hospitality industry events. On the heels of major customer wins in the U.S. market, including Bar Louie, Chotto Matte and wagamama, the company will expand its presence this year at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show, the Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference (MURTEC) and the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC) this year.

"The U.S. hospitality industry is as fast-moving as ever—affected by new regulatory requirements, technology advancements and increasing consumer demands. We are honored to help our customers navigate this landscape with the data and insights that they need to make smarter business decisions," said Simon Bocca, chief operating officer, Fourth. "We look forward to connecting with fellow hospitality leaders at the key industry events this spring. These events set the tone for the rest of the year, and what we hear and learn is always important to ensure our roadmap continues to reflect how we can make our customers' lives easier."

Fourth's predictions for the top anticipated trending topics at these industry events include:

Envisioning the connected restaurant of the future. The Internet of Things is quickly disrupting life as we know it—from wearables to smart appliances, there's no doubt that our personal and professional lives are being affected by connected technologies. Restaurants are not immune to these changes. The Internet of Things opens unlimited opportunities for restaurant operators in the areas of improving the guest experience, waste reduction, improving safety and energy management.

Prioritizing cybersecurity. With the rise of connected devices and an increasing dependence on data comes heightened concerns about cybersecurity. To keep employees and customers safe, authentication & security will continue to be top of mind for hospitality leaders.

Managing a multitude of data sources. Restaurants and hotel operators use dozens of tech vendors to manage everything from food orders, to accounting, to staff and getting actionable insight from all this data in context will be key to driving profits and guest loyalty.

Managing costs. Operators will need to be smart in examining every corner of their business and identifying unnecessary expenditure to help offset rising labor and F&B costs. Where can manual processes be automated to save time and money? How can over-scheduling and over-ordering be avoided whilst staffing properly to meet demand and stocking enough inventory to ensure full menu availability?

Perfecting the delivery process. It is predicted that food delivery sales in the U.S. will increase 12 percent a year to $76 billion in 2022. As consumers gravitate toward dining in versus dining out, restaurant operators must ensure that they are staffed properly to handle delivery via staff or a third-party service, like Uber Eats or Postmates. Offering delivery services can also impact menu engineering, as some dishes will travel better than others.

For additional industry insight from Fourth, please visit the Fourth blog: https://www.fourth.com/en-us/blog

About Fourth
Established in 1999 by restaurant and hospitality entrepreneurs Derek and Edwina Lilley, Fourth was conceived "by hospitality professionals for hospitality professionals." Fourth offers a complete hospitality operations platform for purchase-to-pay & inventory and workforce management, underpinned by smart analytics and collaboration tools, enabling customers to optimize profits, enhance guest satisfaction and scale profitably. Its 1,100 customers in 60 countries include many of the world's most famous hospitality brands. To learn more, please visit www.fourth.com/en-us.

SOURCE Fourth

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