At HITEC 2025 in Indianapolis, we sat down with Klaus Kohlmayr, Chief Evangelist and Development Officer at IDeaS, to discuss how the company’s latest solution, Spotlight, is helping to close the gap between revenue management and marketing. Klaus shared insights into how unified data, AI fluency, and strategic thinking are shaping the future of commercial performance in hospitality.
What is Spotlight, and how does it support revenue managers and marketers?
Spotlight is IDeaS’ newest innovation, launched to help revenue management and marketing teams work from a shared set of data. It provides marketing teams with visibility into the best times, segments, and channels to invest their budgets for maximum return. By translating revenue data into marketing-friendly insights, Spotlight allows both teams to collaborate more effectively, eliminating the need for spreadsheets and siloed information.
How does Spotlight address the long-standing disconnect between marketing and revenue?
Klaus explained that Spotlight takes demand intelligence from revenue management systems, such as forecasted occupancy and market demand, and presents it in a format that marketers can act on. This shared understanding helps ensure that campaigns are aligned with business demand, reducing wasted spend and increasing overall effectiveness.
Will tools like Spotlight help move beyond RevPAR obsession?
While total revenue and net RevPAR are gaining traction, RevPAR index remains the industry’s main metric due to investor expectations. However, Klaus noted that tools like Spotlight provide new KPIs and a broader view of commercial success, encouraging a shift towards more strategic, cross-departmental thinking.
Is the industry finally moving toward commercial alignment?
Yes, and Spotlight is part of that transformation. Klaus highlighted that marketing, sales, and distribution are converging around the idea of commercial performance. By unifying data and goals, hotels can make better strategic decisions that are informed by real-time, shared intelligence.
What role will humans play in an AI-driven future for revenue management?
Klaus discussed the concept of AI fluency, explaining that many people are still using AI for simple productivity gains, which puts them at risk of being replaced. The future, he believes, belongs to those who use AI to enhance their strategic thinking, positioning it as a thought partner rather than just a time-saver.
How can AI elevate strategic thinking in revenue management?
Klaus sees potential in using AI as a brainstorming partner, to ask better questions, surface new market opportunities, and expand one’s perspective. Those who adopt AI for these purposes will remain relevant and valuable. Simply relying on AI to automate tasks, however, will not be enough.
Will there be a balance between digital and human workers in hospitality?
Yes, and this will require what Klaus called “human in the loop” design. AI is excellent at aggregating data and identifying trends, but it cannot replace the creative and conceptual thinking of humans. The future lies in finding synergy between the strengths of AI and the human ability to connect ideas.
What will the revenue manager of 2035 look like?
Klaus believes the revenue manager of the future will be almost entirely strategic. The days of data crunching in Excel are fading, and professionals will need to become strategic thinkers who use AI to gain insight, generate ideas, and develop creative solutions. Those who do so will thrive. Those who do not risk becoming obsolete.
About IDeaS
IDeaS, a SAS company, is the world’s leading revenue management software and services provider. Combining industry knowledge with innovative data analytics technology, IDeaS creates sophisticated yet simple ways to empower revenue leaders with precise, automated recommendations they can trust. With 35 years of expertise serving hospitality, including hotel, event, and parking clients, IDeaS delivers revenue science to more than 30,000 properties in 164 countries around the world. Results delivered. Revenue transformed. Discover greater profitability at IDeaS.com.
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