As CEO and founder, TJ Person made OpenKey the leader in universal mobile key access technology. With more than 17 years of experience in technology, business management and marketing, TJ knows what it takes to make a company successful. He is known for both his strategic leadership and marketing innovation capabilities.
Under his leadership, OpenKey has partnered with the largest global BLE lock companies and successfully raised millions in strategic investments from some of the largest hotel management and ownership companies such as Ashford Hospitality Trust (NYSE MKT: AHT).
Prior to OpenKey, TJ was the founder and CEO of Koupon Media, the industry’s first one-time-use mobile coupon platform built for brands and agencies. In 2005, TJ co-founded Mango Mobile, a leading mobile marketing agency where he was responsible for global marketing strategy. Omnicom Group acquired the company in 2007 after record growth.
TJ Person
OpenKey
Hotel appraisers and brokers expect distressed assets to come to market as the pandemic recession continues into 2021. Analysts say billions of dollars in private equity are waiting in the wings to acquire hotels underperforming as a result of the coronavirus crisis. But pricing will be different than in previous economic downturns. While a transaction may be distressed, it will not necessarily reflect distress pricing,” said Daniel Lesser of LW Hospitality Advisors. Long Live Lodging explores the state of hotel values as well as what may lie ahead with regard to transactions in 2021 as the spread of COVID-19 continues to stifle lodging performance. This report is part of our ongoing coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry.
Global business travel is a $1.4 trillion industry. The Global Business Travel Association calculates the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 resulted in a loss of $113 billion in business travel spend in hotels, airlines and other sectors of the travel industry. But all is not lost. GBTA, industry analysts and travel management companies see some green shoots of hope for 2021 as the COVID-19 vaccine rolls out and corporations put some of their people on the road again. This report is part of Long Live Lodging’s ongoing coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry.