Welcome and introduction

0:09 Hi, wonderful things happen when there is a gathering of great people with visions and actions. Welcome to our “Mondays with EFTI.Talk”. The Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute (EFTI) and the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management (THEM) in the College of Health and Human Performance at the University of Florida is presenting to you EFTI.Talk focused on AI and Data Science in Hospitality and the Future. Miss Edith Hall Friedheim and EFTI board members, I appreciate you and your support.

0:40 There are no words which can convey our respect for our leader, Dr. Mike Reid. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know that it is our honor and a privilege to work with you together. Thank you for serving as our host today. Dean Reid, the stage is yours. Thank you Dr. Fu, on behalf of the University of Florida and the College of Health and Human Performance, I want to welcome everyone who's tuned into this webinar we're delighted to have you with us.

1:09 On what we think is a really exciting and timely topic. I emphasize timely because the University of Florida has recently received as a gift. The country's most powerful artificial intelligence computer from the maker Nvidia. That computer will be mated with the Hyper-Gator 3 Supercomputer here on campus in coming months, giving the university advanced AI capabilities that are unsurpassed by any university in the United States or around the world at this point. Because of this, this looming transition in our university's infrastructure across campus colleges and and units.

2:12 Are making an effort to explore AI, machine learning, big data as sources of expansion and growth and enrichment for their academic programs and the research. At the College of Health and Human Performance, the Department of Tourism hospitality and event management has really taken the lead in this Working with the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute to develop new initiatives in the area of artificial intelligence, to develop new curricular offerings, and to be the first department in our college to offer a webinar on this exciting topic.

2:43 We're very fortunate to have two industry executives with us, who bring a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience. And a lot of understanding around the application of AI in the Hospitality and Tourism world. I'm honored to introduce Bob Schalow. Bob is a Florida Gator, he's an HHP alum and he's the Vice President of Franchise Operations for Jack in the Box restaurants. Bob graduated from UF with a BS and Recreation, Parks, and Tourism over two decades ago.

3:13 He now has over a quarter century of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry. In his current position he leads a franchise division of approximately 1000 Jack in the Box operations across 14 states and Guam. Bob, it's an honor to have you with us. Welcome. Thank you. In addition, we're honored to have Pavan Kapur. Pavan is also a loyal Gator. He's the Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at Caesars Entertainment. In that position he's responsible for revenue management, all digital and e-commerce channels operations of their call center, and also, bless your heart Pavan, you're in charge of the Charter Airline Program.

4:09 He is. He has the skills, the ability to do this based in part on his degree from the University of Florida in statistics, but also from a long and distinguished career with other national corporations, including Toyota and First Data. Pavan, It's an honor to have you with us again, welcome to the University of Florida. Thanks. Good to be here. So I've loved...what we want to do is to hear from these two experts in the industry and, let me start this off by beginning with a question that we will ask each of our panelists to respond to General terms, what do you see as sort of major impact of AI and Machine Learning in the hospitality industry, and in particular, How has that affected your industry, the part of your company that you work with?

5:14 Where do you see it having a distinct sort of a specific application? Bob, can we start off with you on that question? Sure. Right now, the restaurant industry is at its infancy, when it comes to really utilizing AI and in actual restaurant operations, most of it right now, Is really consumer analytics machine learning and how do we accelerate and move faster.