HOSPITALITY IN THE METAVERSE: ARE YOU READY?
F acebook converted all of its apps and technologies into a new company and brand called Meta in October 2021, and the “Metaverse” has since resurfaced as a buzzword. People want to know if we’ll soon be living in the metaverse. It doesn’t take long for some pioneers to jump into the metaverse, and McDonald’s has already done so (Dean, 2022). On February 4th, the company filed ten trademark applications to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for both McDonald’s and McCafé, including: n Virtual food and beverage products, including NFTs. (AnNFT is a unique andnon-interchangeable unit of data stored on the blockchain that can track a unique digital asset’s transfer, ownership, and properties, according to Napoli, 2021). n Operating a virtual restaurant online with home delivery features. n Online actual and virtual concerts. The idea is that when people feel hungry while hanging out in the metaverse, they can just “walk” into a McDonald’s to place an order without needing to return to the real world. Then the food will be delivered to their door minutes later. Panera Bread also filed a trademark for “Paneraverse” on February 3rd, which also includes NFTs, virtual entertainment services, and a virtual reward program. SOME COMPANIES HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN INTO THE METAVERSE.
Other companies like Nike, Gucci, Microsoft, and Crocs are working on their offerings in the metaverse.
NOT EVERYONE IS BUYING THE METAVERSE IDEA, HOWEVER.
Apple recently updated its privacy setting, allowing users to choose how they want to share their data. Google is likely to introduce a similar privacy setting as well. Many people choose to opt-out of sharing their privacy and data. Yet, for companies like Meta, collecting user data and knowing everything about a user is the core of their business model. Apple’s privacy settings update is one of the reasons attributed to Meta’s $10 billion drop in recent revenues(Kelly, 2022). The metaverse removes the barriers between humans and machines. Companies can now “humanize” most robotic services in both the real world and the metaverse, which can be a win-win for customers and companies. For example, travelers may feel they are still getting the real human experience even if they are actually using automatic services. Companies can use AI-powered avatars to address the labor shortage challenge. Additionally, the metaverse can create a virtual workspace for work-from-home staff. Training and workshops can also be offered in the metaverse. WHAT CAN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY EXPECT FROM THE METAVERSE? Are you ready to bring your business to the metaverse? If so, from which areas will you start? n
LINCHI KWOK, PH.D.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER linchikwok.net REFERENCES Dean, G. (2022, February 10). McDonald’s has filed a trademark for a restaurant in the metaverse that will actually deliver food to your home. Business Insider, Retrieved on February 20, 2022, via businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-metaverse-virtual-onlinerestaurant-trademark-delivers-food-web3-nft-2022-2 Kelly, J. (2022, February 20). ‘Now is the right time to update our values’ – Meet the new Facebook: ‘Meta, Metamates, Me.” Forbes Magazine, Retrieved on February 20, 2022, via forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/02/20/now-is-the-right-time- toupdate-our-values-meet-the-new-facebook-meta-metamates-me Napoli, R. (2021, December 27). The NFT metaverse: Building a blockchain world. Forbes Magazine, Retrieve on February 20, 2022, via forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/12/27/the-nftmetaverse-building-a-blockchain-world
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