Databases are prevalent in almost every industry that utilizes computers. The hospitality sector is no different. Most hotels and conference centers have extensive scheduling situations to track. Enterprise level property management systems (PMS)  are often used to maintain this information so there are no conflicts. Visitors and groups reserve rooms and meeting spaces in advance and expect them to be available when they arrive.

One hidden challenge can be making sure these accommodations are clearly marked for each group so they can navigate to them once they are on the premises. Wandering around a conference center in hopes of finding the correct room is not a game most visitors enjoy taking part in.

For years the only way to clearly mark the rooms with the group names was with paper printouts that had to be manually inserted into a holder attached to the wall or door near the rented space. This did create the problem of not being able to update the room information quickly enough if changes needed to be made.

The obvious solution? Use the information already entered into the PMS system database and display it directly onto digital reader boards and card holders. This work flow provides current information instantly to the proper location without adding extra work.

As an example, three business groups register to use the same space at different times during a week for holding company events. As these events are entered into the facility’s PMS, such as Newmarket Delphi, The Knowland Group’s TargetNet, Starwood Hotels’ ISAC, STS, and Marriott’s CI/TY among others, it also automatically appears on a lobby reader board that shows a list of upcoming events and a floor plan of the hotel. Visitors can quickly see the event time and location and how to get to the appropriate room. Meanwhile, the digital door card for the room automatically shows the appropriate day’s event and company name, as well as the time duration for which the meeting room will be used.

How much easier can it get? All this takes place behind the scenes, with no added burden to an already busy staff. The database does the heavy lifting and the digital signage takes care of the rest.

To learn more about incorporating digital signage with an PMS database, please click here.