Easter 2015

Our Easter decorations are all set up! This year’s theme is simplicity…… Can you tell?

P.S. yes, that is definitely an owl with bunny ears.

Tag us on Twitter, Percipia1, with a pic of your Easter office decor!

St. Patrick’s Day 2015

© Percipia

In the 1600s, the Catholic Church created St. Patrick’s Day to commemorate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day has become the world’s most celebrated holiday. In Chicago it's a holiday when the Irish taverns are packed, crowds jam the city streets and the Chicago River sparkles brilliant shades of emerald green. Spectators come from all over the world to celebrate this grand Irish tradition.

© City of Chicago

Dyeing the Chicago River:

Scheduled for 9:15 am, Saturday March 14, 2015 the dyeing can be best viewed from the East side of the Michigan Avenue bridge, the West side of the Columbus Drive bridge or upper and lower Wacker Drive between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.

Parade:

Step off at noon, Saturday March 14, 2015. The Parade route begins on the corner of Columbus Drive and Balbo then continues North to Monroe.

Credit: Ryan J. Bolger

 Please let us know if you are attending this years festivities! Tweet @Percipia1

Employee Weight Loss Challenge

Being at work eight hours a day, five days a week can really take a toll on your body. A report from American Dietetic Association states that “Three out of five Americans are overweight,” which means there is likely more than one person in your office who is dieting. At Percipia some of the employees shared interest in a friendly work competition that would take place after work hours with weekly weigh-in and a short term goal.

Every Monday until June 1st employees that signed up for the program are required to weigh in so that they can keep their goal on track. It is very common to ruin your diet in the workplace with temptation like sweets laying around in candy dishes, or when coworkers invite you out to lunch to unhealthy restaurants. We have now developed a buddy system where coworkers rely on each other to get through the work day while staying on track with their individual fitness goals.

Friendly fitness competitions in the workplace develop a bond between employees. In many companies having a friendly work environment is hard to achieve, especially having a very diverse office with different departments all under one roof.

The Weight Loss Challenge has just begun and we will keep you posted with the fitness results.

HTNG 2015 North American Conference

The HTNG’s 2015 North American Conference for Hospitality Technology has begun. This conference helps hospitality IT executives network, educate and personal development for hospitality technologists across the globe.

This 4 day conference is split up into two day events.

“Tech Days (Monday & Tuesday) sessions are focused, technical topics intended for smaller groups.  There are concurrent sessions from which you can pick topics of greatest interest to you.  Also, as part of Tech Days activities, the Software Forum and the Infrastructure and Device Forum will each hold a forum meeting.  Participants can view presentations about the latest technologies from 2014 during a revamped technology innovation competition. 

Strategy Days (Wednesday & Thursday) will include our general session presentations which are designed for a broader hospitality audience. The conference concludes for senior level hoteliers with the Hotel IT Leaders’ Roundtable. The Roundtable allows participating hoteliers (limited to two per company) to choose their preferred topics for an open dialogue.”

This photo is taken form the HTNG website.

HTNG has also introduced a new and improved innovation competition, building on its popular Most Innovative Hospitality Technology award. The new TechOvation Award will be more competitive, offer greater visibility, provide expanded PR opportunities and feature live audience participation.

"We are thrilled to offer a more engaging competition this year," said Douglas Rice, Executive Vice President & CEO of HTNG. "

Dave Berkus

Dave Berkus is acknowledged as one of the most active angel investors in the country, having made and actively participated in 108 angel technology investments, achieving an IRR of 97%. In regard to his role, Dave Berkus said, "The pace of technology change is increasing, and the hotel industry must continually be challenged to provide technology leadership in areas that enhance guest service, increase revenues or decrease costs. The HTNG TechOvation Award is a chance to highlight and encourage innovation that is relevant to both hotel guests and owners."

This year will feature a substantial list of speakers. Click here to see list. 

Where: Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa | San Antonio, TX

When: February 23-26

Dress Code: Business Casual

New Video: Discover the Power of Percipia

We are excited to share with you the release of our new video. The products that we sell do not just impact businesses across the world; we heavily impact the customers of our clients. We want you to Discover the Power of Percipia.

Take a look!

15th Annual Chicago Polar Plunge

On March 1st, 2015 the 15th Annual Polar Bear Plunge will commence. Last year more than 3,000 people jumped in Lake Michigan for the Polar Bear Plunge. Participants have the option to go knee high, waist high or even take the full plunge. The event has no registration fee; however participants are required to raise a minimum of $75 on their fundraiser page. Participants will receive a link which they can send around to family and friends so that they can make secure online donations. In 2014, more than $2.1 million was raised by more than 7,300 plungers.

(Credit: Brooke Collins, City Of Chicago)

(Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

Jimmy Fallon and Mayor Emanuel  participated in the Plunge last year. Fallon promised Emanuel that he would do the event with him and kept his word. Fallon should up in a suit, while Emanuel wear a green Chicago Public Library T-shirt and shorts.

Participants will enter the water in waves (10:30am, 11:00am, 11:30am). Costumes are encouraged. All fundraisers will receive a long sleeved t-shirt and a commemorative towel when exiting the water. All are invited to our post event "Melt Down Party" (11am-2pm) which takes place inside the boat house and in adjacent large heated tents. Music, food, cash bar and more!

Tweet @Percipia1 if you are attending or observing this years event!

LinkedIn

At Percipia we believe our staff should have up-to-date LinkedIn profiles. It not only reflects them personally but reflects the company as a whole. You can see a glimpse of work atmosphere and how a company operates, just by searching personal and company profiles.

LinkedIn is a very powerful social media tool that connects the professional world together. Users are able to network with people in their field, look into company profiles, search who’s working for that company, what tasks they are doing, and search for jobs within that field. Your company is exposed to the world. Companies do not have control of what their employees post on LinkedIn or any other social media outlet, but at Percipia we help guide everyone to structure their profiles to best represent themselves and the company. We have someone on site that is able to assist all staff with the best guidance for social networking.

Michael Velasquez, CEO, has a perfect LinkedIn profile that best represents our company. He actively posts and keeps his profile up-to-date. In the professional world, it is very important to be on top of your industries news. You must be connected with the right profiles, so you can optimize your network.

Staying on top of notifications is crucial. Social media is 24/7 that means you can get a connection request, or an inbox message at any point. Users should look into responding to those messages daily. Notifications are like emails, you should respond to them asap, because you never know what the possibility could hold for that professional.

We would love for you to connect with us on our different social media outlets.  Click on our social icons on the side of the screen or search for Percipia.