Hotel And Casino
Aloft Hotels Feature LED Tickers from Rise Display, Inc.
Posted on Wed, July 29, 2009
Shawnee, KS – July 29, 2009 – Rise Display, a provider of integrated solutions for both Video and LED digital signage, announces that Aloft(sm) Hotels, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.’s (NYSE:HOT) new lifestyle brand, has incorporated LED tickers from Rise Display into the design standard for the re: mix lounge area of each of its hotels. Aloft Hotels are designed for the next generation of traveler, and feature multiple technology elements to enhance the guest experience, including the LED tickers from Rise Display. The tickers stream news and entertainment headlines, hotel happenings and promotional messaging, and other pertinent guest information.
“At Aloft, it’s important to our guests to remain connected and in-the-know even while they are on the road,” said Paige Francis, Vice President, Specialty Select Brands, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “The LED tickers from Rise Display bring our lobbies to life with up-to-the-minute news headlines and relevant hotel information.”
Aloft Hotels is a fast-growing brand for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, with 25 locations currently open and plans to open more than a dozen new locations by year’s end. The hotels feature an urban-influenced, open and airy design, and a vibrant and social guest experience. In addition to news headlines and property information, the tickers feature promotional and branding messages, including special offers from hotel partners, and news of new hotel openings. The LED tickers are easy to program and maintain, which enables Aloft hotel talent to incorporate new ideas quickly and easily.
The Rise Display technology enables Aloft to control the content of the tickers both centrally and locally. Aloft’s corporate marketing office uses the web-based software interface to publish information in all locations simultaneously. In addition, Aloft hotel managers also have the ability to use the interface to add local content to their individual ticker. Aloft frequently updates its tickers using both the central and individual local control options.
“Aloft Hotels is ahead of the curve in terms of using technology to enhance the traveler experience, and we’re excited that the brand has incorporated our LED tickers in its design standard,” said Brian Loosbrock, President, Rise Display. “Today’s travelers demand an ever-connected environment, and LED tickers are a great way to capture attention while delivering topical information to guests.”
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 960 properties in 97 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
About Rise Display, Inc.
Rise Display has provided digital signage solutions for more than 15 years, and has more than 1,000 installations at financial institutions and businesses across North America, including at more than 100 business schools. Our Complete Display Solution enables companies to attract attention and deliver messages to their target audiences via Video Displays (LCD, Plasma, LED, Projection), LED Tickers, and other large-format public displays. Our approach ensures that companies deploy the best solution for the application, and that the displays look great long after installation. For more information, visit www.risedisplay.com.
Contacts:
Todd Hemme
Rise Display
913-940-4778
todd.hemme@risedisplay.com
Alison Harris
Harris Media Services
207-829-4500
alison@harrismediaservices.com
Why isn’t this display a touch screen?
Posted on Wed, October 21, 2009
I attended a trade show in San Francisco a few weeks back at a Marriott. Upon entering I saw a handful of digital displays in free standing enclosures that looked very inviting showing the events for the week. While checking in (no more than 2 minutes) I observed at least 5 people walk up and try to touch them - and nothing happened. You could see the frustration on their face as they wanted more information from the display and they didn’t want to wait for the whole list to cycle through.
With the advancements of personal devices such as iPhones our expectations have evolved to expect all displays to be touch screens and when they aren’t we are disappointed. Even my flat screen TV at home is full of fingerprints because my 6 year old expects everything to work like an ipod. When he sees a show he wants on the guide he walks up and touches the screen.
If you are considering digital signage consider going the next step and making your signage an interactive experience. It may be a little more expensive but instead of telling a story you are now creating a two-way conversation with your viewer.
Dead or Alive - Digital Signage still gets attention
Posted on Wed, October 28, 2009
An important part of digital signage is monitoring your network to ensure the content is showing properly. On a recent trip to San Francisco the hotel I was staying at had 6 elevators each outfitted with 17” LCD displays running content to ensure everyone was entertained. One of the displays was showing the infamous blue screen of death for the entire week. Too bad the content provider’s software probably hadn’t alerted them to the issue so they could simply go reboot the computer.
On a positive note when I did have the opportunity to ride in that elevator with the dead screen we had something to talk about during those awkward rides. Those conversations with complete strangers reaffirmed for me that people actually pay attention to digital signage because everyone noticed it had been down all week. Dead or Alive the display still attracted attention.
Aloft Hotels install 35th LED Ticker in the United States
Posted on Mon, November 2, 2009
Aloft Hotels, a fast-growing brand for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, completed their 35th property in the United States this past week. The hotels feature an urban-influenced, open and airy design, with the centerpiece to the lobby being a 30 to 40 foot Rise Ticker display. In addition to news headlines and property information, the LED tickers feature promotional and branding messages, including special offers from hotel partners. The LED tickers are simply updated via any computer connected to the internet, which enables Aloft hotel staff to incorporate new ideas quickly and easily.
With several hundred properties planned globally over the next few years, the tickers help bring the lobbies to life and create a unique technology atmosphere for the next generation of traveler.
If you would like to visit a property in person to experience the atmosphere created by the LED ticker, a directory of current and planned properties can be viewed online.
Creating a Sports Watching Atmosphere
Posted on Tue, November 3, 2009
The new sports bar at Muckleshoot Casino is brought to life with a custom full color LED ticker display designed by Rise Display. The ticker shows current sports scores from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA Basketball, and NCAA Football along with the latest healdine news to keep guests captivated. In addition to showing the latest sports information the casino can quickly and easily add drink specials, promotions, and other announcements via the web-based digital signage software application - Display Wire.
Atmosphere is everything in creating a serious sports watching environment. Nothing adds atmosphere like a sports ticker display
Why NOT to use Stolen Data on Digital Signage
Posted on Thu, November 5, 2009
To further expand on my posting from yesterday on Content Design: Balancing Live Data with User Messaging I took this picture at a hotel in Florida with digital signage that was borrowing content from the web.
While it may be hard to see in the picture, it was equally as hard to see in person. Instead of paying for licensed data that the client could use software tools to properly format to ensure it looked good with their content design, they choose to embed a web component designed to be viewed on your desktop at very close range and was virtually impossible to read on the LCD screen. I was very disappointed to see such a high class facility, use such rudimentary software to create digital signage.
The devil is in the detail with content and if you cheap out viewers will notice your digital sign for the wrong reason.
Aloft Dubai Opens with Rise Display
Posted on Fri, November 27, 2009
With over 30 properties opened across the US and Canada in the last 18 months, we are excited to share the following picture of our first international installation with the hotel chain for Aloft Abu Dhabi in Dubai.
