Local Measure, the leading location-based social platform for hotels and the tourism industry, won the award as top innovator among emerging companies at The Travel Innovation Summit. Each year, dozens of innovative companies are selected to demonstrate groundbreaking applications and solutions that are set to change the travel industry. The winners represent the best of this elite group.

This year, the top innovator was not a traditional "booking funnel" company - but one focused on helping hospitality providers deliver outstanding, personalized service for their guests to generate loyalty.

"There's no more pressing issue for the hospitality industry than creating loyal customers," said Jonathan Barouch CEO and Founder of Local Measure. "While hotel professionals have known this for years, with Local Measure they finally have the tools to achieve it -- thanks to technology that lets them understand their guest's needs, and deliver personalized, exemplary service at every turn. Social media provides the link -- and we are honoured to have been recognized by the top minds in the industry for providing solutions that help hoteliers and destinations leverage it to their full advantage, and the delight of their customers."

Having won numerous accolades in its home city of Sydney, Australia, Local Measure participated as an Innovator at the annual event, which covers the worldwide travel industry. Winners were chosen by a panel of judges comprised of travel and technology experts, who determine the top innovation in each of three categories - startup, emerging and established.

"Hoteliers are often not aware that 80% of guest feedback on social media doesn't mention the name of the hotel," said Ian-Michael Farkas, VP of Americas for Local Measure. "Our platform captures that feedback, allowing hoteliers to engage with more of their guests and provide personalised experiences as well as recovering from service issues in real-time. We have proven that guests engaged by Local Measure are 40% more likely to return. "

Local Measure's presentation at The Travel Innovation Summit focused on how brands are using geo-location to create unique experiences from the moment customers arrive on property, until the moment they leave.

Phocuswright is the unrivaled provider of travel, tourism and hospitality market research. It provides access to travel industry research, reports, analysis, events and trend forecasting. Their annual conference is the largest event at the intersection of digital and travel.

About Local Measure

Headquartered in Australia with offices in Europe, Asia and The United States, Local Measure is the leading customer intelligence platform in the tourism and hospitality sectors. Local Measure"s clients include many of the world"s largest tourism and hospitality brands. The company merges local content, social media and mobile technology, to provide customers with live access to operationalize customer data, rich content and analytics at a local level.

Contributed by Local Measure