December 10, 2020 – Giving opportunities to develop an entrepreneurial mindset to Croatia’s younger generation is one of the key battles in trying to move this country forward. A great initiative from RoomOrders, a global start-up with Croatian origins, to do just that for 33 youngsters from Kvarner.
I have my eye on a few start-ups in Croatia which I think have potential to go all the way. It was really cool to hang out with the shoe geniuses from MIRET recently, for example, shose revolutionary eco-sneakers are made from 97% natural materials, as well as being very stylish and comfortable. Learn more in With 20 BILLION New Shoes a Year, Meet MIRET’s 97% Natural Eco Sneakers Collection
One other great start-up is RoomOrders, the ‘Uber’ of hotel room ordering. I first came across them 18 months ago and featured the new business in Meet Croatian Startup RoomOrders, the ‘Uber’ of Hotel Room Dining.
A very simple and effective concept which is now being used in hotels from Australia to the United States to Montenegro. But there is also another aspect to the RoomOrders team which I really like – pushing it forward and helping to develop the skillsets on the next generation. Below a press release which I received today which explains its latest initiative – a really great opportunity for 33 interns, surely a record in Croatia for a company of this size. We will be taking an interest in this project and interviewing some of the participants in the coming weeks.
DELAWARE, United States _ It’s not every day that a company welcomes over 30 interns – especially not in Croatia.
But hospitality start-up RoomOrders has just done that, opening its doors to over 33 ambitious students from Rijeka University, who want to experience the inner workings of a global organisation this semester.
“It is unconventional and perhaps audacious,” said CEO Eugene B. Jones about the decision to accept so many interns, particularly since RoomOrders only has a handful of developers and other staff in its office in Zagreb, and that, well, that the world is in the middle of a crippling pandemic.
“RoomOrders does not want to be an ordinary company and this move reflects our different way of doing things too,” said Jones.
“Boldness is not a natural reflex for most people, particularly young people starting their professional careers. We hope our confident attitude and readiness to take on risks will rub off on them as well.”
RoomOrders is a mobile ordering platform that allows guests contactless self-service of food and beverages in hotels, restaurants, bars, and cafes – whether they are in lobbies, poolside deckchairs or rooftops. They just scan or tap a QR code with their smart phones.
The company is a global leader in its niche and is used in leading chains like Hilton, Marriott and Accor, from as far as Brisbane to Boston and Belgrade to Barcelona.
RoomOrders was doing really well before COVID-19 hit the industry, suspending business in hotels and laying off thousands of workers. It forced the company to adapt and invent new revenue streams.
“Business is always tough but nowadays it is even more fluid and requires quicker decisions to be made. New technologies are unrelenting, so you need to be informed and ready to change direction fast. You can be wrong, but you can’t be scared. You have to move, experiment, adapt, find solutions, learn and re-learn … “
The Kvarner region is a great location for us as there are lots of hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes for the interns to get a real coal-face experience of working in the hospitality sector. There is no perfect time to start, so one of the first things is to get used to the volatility of free markets.”
Davorin Balasz, a deputy researcher at the University of Rijeka, identified RoomOrders as a promising partner during summer and initiated cooperation.
“We struck a good instant contact. RoomOrders is an ideal fit for students to get their feet wet and develop practical, Western type-work ethics,” he said.
The students will be divided into three rotating streams during the semester: 1. Marketing and design; 2. PR, digital communications and social media; and 3. Sales.
“It’s a very hands-on experience,” said Mr Balasz. “The students will be writing strategies and plans then implementing and managing them with real clients and customers. They will be given responsibility to design and create collateral for campaigns, including video commercials and press releases. They will also generate leads and try to convert them into sales.”
“We are a business and we need to make money to survive,” said Mr Jones. “This is an important lesson that will be conveyed from the start in an internship.
“We want these kids to understand they have an extremely unique opportunity now. Never has there been a chance to climb the corporate ladder so fast, to become rich and successful at a very young age. The gap between senior staff and junior staff has been bridged by technology. Modern companies need senior people with experience to work together with young people who understand modern customer behaviour, particularly toward digital technology.”
Jones said that RoomOrders hopes to keep at least three interns on full-time after the program ends next semester.
Despite the coronavirus, RoomOrders continues to sign new hotels and resorts. It recently signed Swiss chain Hapimag AG, which operates more than 50 holiday properties all over Europe and the US. RoomOrders is currently being used in almost 100 hospitality venues around the world, on every continent except for South America.
You can learn more about RoomOrders on the official website.
For more on the creativity coming out of Croatia, check out the TCN Made in Croatia section.
