In this episode, Dylan Barahona shares his journey from building Lego hotels as a child to creating immersive VIP experiences at high-profile events like Coachella and Gary Vaynerchuk's VeeCon. He discusses his recent 50-day experiential hospitality challenge, where he used generative AI to visualize bold hospitality concepts, and offers insights into why brands should invest in experiential environments.

Send Josiah a text

Take the Artificial Intelligence in Hospitality survey now to understand how others use AI and the opportunities for you and your hospitality business.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Ben Rafter, President and CEO of Springboard Hospitality, shares insights on how innovation and technology can empower hospitality providers and elevate the guest experience.

We cover:

• Springboard's dedicated department for innovation
• The importance of beta-testing technology
• What frustrates Ben about technology companies
• What it takes to successfully implement technology
• Enhancing guest interactions with technology
• Supporting emotional intelligence in hospitality
• Why Ben loves behind-the-scenes technology for operations

If you enjoyed this, you may also enjoy:

• What Happens When a Tech CEO Leads a Hotel Company - Ben Rafter, Springboard Hospitality
• ChatGPT for Hotel Reviews: AI Lessons From Our 1 Hour, $20 Live Experiment - Josiah Mackenzie
• Hard Truths on Hotel Tech: Unfiltered Insider Advice - Josiah Mackenzie

Send Josiah a text

Take the Artificial Intelligence in Hospitality survey now to understand how others use AI and the opportunities for you and your hospitality business.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

In this episode, Ben Rafter, President and CEO of Springboard Hospitality, shares his career journey from the tech industry to hospitality and his innovative approach to blending technology, transparency, and a guest-first mindset to turn challenges into opportunities.

We cover:

(01:08) Ben's start in hospitality

(04:09) Lessons from growing Aqua Hotels during the 2008 financial crisis

(06:01) Data and reports Ben focuses on

(08:16) Personal development and learning

(10:19) What's on Ben's mind these days

Send Josiah a text

Take the Artificial Intelligence in Hospitality survey now to understand how others use AI and the opportunities for you and your hospitality business.

A few more resources:

• If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here.
• You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions
• If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free.
• Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
• If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together.

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands