Organizing Trends: Loyalty Programs

The convention business is one that involves a lot of travel, and over the years I quickly learned the benefits of enrolling in various airline and hotel loyalty programs. From upgrades to various amenities, the benefits can be quite nice, and the good ones are very focused on learning what’s important to YOU specifically. When you’re on a plane for an entire day at times it’s nice to have someone who knows you, and more importantly, who knows what you’d like to feel more at home or more productive. 

Since many travel programs renew status in the early months of the year I just recently got a statement and new card from one of the airlines I’ve joined. As I opened the envelope I was disappointed to see that I had dropped from Platinum level to Gold. “What’s that all about,” I wondered (probably worded slightly different at the time)? But as I looked at the statement and thought about it for a moment I realized that I really haven’t flown that airline much over the past year. It suddenly made sense, and in checking out my other programs I noticed that I’d actually gone up in status on a few others which was nice to see.

The concept of loyalty programs is evolving and getting more sophisticated. Many companies in the travel industry have been leading the way, and certainly the credit card and retail business is right there as well. Pretty much any major retailer you can think of now offers some sort of perk to loyal customers. Many started with simply collecting email addresses and highlighting upcoming sales, but others quickly embraced the big data they were collecting over the years and realized that by tracking spend and incenting loyal customers to spend more with a variety of perks they could ultimately build loyalty to their brands and increase revenue and market share. Further, by understanding the unique preferences of their customers they could then suggest similar products and services which have in many circumstances increased sales for organizations ahead of that curve. 

The casino business is very active in this world as we all know which is one of the key trends we continue to follow in the industry. Many major operators are continuing to develop and enhance their programs in a variety of different ways, all with the goal of getting closer to their customers by leveraging the data they collect, and ultimately building loyalty to their brands and driving business. Partnerships with various amenity focused brands are common, and in some cases, partnerships between operators is also taking place. And as the larger operators continue to innovate, many others are working hard to understand how they can also take advantage, especially in light of increased competition across the United States and around the world. There are many suppliers whom provide consultation and technology services on these fronts, and G2E is proud to showcase many of them. We’ll also be offering seminars on these topics to provide further insight and education around how to best leverage this type of data and technology as it’s some of the most sought after information we continue to hear from customers. Be sure to check out our full listing of related exhibitors and seminars at our website as we get closer to the show. 

As service providers to the industry, and students of it as well, we took a page out of this book ourselves several years ago when we developed the G2E Players Club (VIP) program. In recruiting the most sought after casino executives to attend the G2E shows each year, we ourselves are focused on learning more about our customer’s business, goals, and experiences at G2E, so we can not only provide a more efficient event, but also serve as a general business resource as well. We want to know what’s uniquely important to ALL of our exhibiting and visiting customers so we can more effectively facilitate business and ensure goals are met. It’s a process that we look to enhance alongside those we serve, by continuing to gather big data, innovate and invest in technology, and further strengthen value. The possibilities are all very exciting. Stay tuned for more.