The 2022 Australasian Hospitality and Gaming (AHG) Expo attracted near-record crowds as industry providers and hospitality venue representatives from across the country gathered in Brisbane late last month. After a three-year COVID-related hiatus, 2022 saw 140 exhibitors on the AHG Expo floor for the two-day event.
The SENPOS team welcomed hundreds of visitors to the stand across the 2 days and were very busy demonstrating the latest on offer from SENPOS Point of Sale. National hospitality industry exhibitions are always a great opportunity to connect with venue operators, share our latest offerings and convene on the latest industry insights and trends.
One of the biggest trends to hit the hospitality industry over the past 18 months is online ordering and this has never been more evident than at this year’s AHG. Once limited to pick up and delivery options for restaurants and food outlets, online ordering has more recently moved in-house with venues of all types taking advantage of QR code technology allowing customers to self-order from their tables. Fast-tracked by the pandemic, this trend is something that is going to stick around well into the foreseeable future as discerning customers, now very familiar with QR code technology, relish the convenience of not having to wait in queues or rely on waitstaff. Saving on labour time and costs are also proving to greatly benefit the venue itself.
SENPOS’ Order-to-go online ordering drew plenty of interest at the AHG. Boasting full integration to the SENPOS back of house software, our solution provides benefits you rarely see with out-of-the-box online ordering platforms or apps. For example, setting the online menu from data that already exists within your POS system is as easy as drag and drop between applications in the one system, instantly transferring all existing PLU data including the item price. Managing wait times and alerting customers regarding their order via SMS can also be easily done from any POS terminal in the venue. For clubs, having linked membership and loyalty programs accessible through the online ordering system is also a key feature of interest. With Order-to-go, members can spend, earn and view their points online plus take advantage of purchasing raffle tickets and members draw entries with their points balance.
Integration of cash recycling was a popular tick list item for many venues this year. The convenience of having end-of-shift cash deposit totals imported directly into POS software is an efficiency worth its weight in gold coins! POS integrations with major cash recycling players such as NEXT, Banktech and Consillion are must-have items for the astute club manager.
Having multifunctional use of large visual displays in a venue is also a growing trend, as venue owners become more aware of the benefits outweighing the costs. With the ability to run raffle draws, push promotions, advertise events, display menu boards plus stream live-to-air television, large display software is the ultimate tool in a marketeer’s kit. We saw an increased interest in the SENPOS’ Visual Content application this year, with its ability to give back-of-house operators total control in programming any chosen content for various digital displays around the venue, providing an enviable level of automation and efficiency.
Please get in touch to discuss any enquiries you may have.