Driving Revenue Excellence Through Technology, Collaboration and Leadership

Lorenzo Pedone, Director of Revenue Management, InterContinental Miami Hotel

Technical Mastery and Strategic Leadership For Real Results

I perform a series of technical tasks on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. It includes analyzing pickup and pace by segment and month for the upcoming quarter, identifying revenue growth patterns and anomalies, monitoring competitive set pricing shifts and applying strategic daily rate adjustments based on RMS recommendations after cross-checking demand levels, occupancy, pricing trends and performance goals. Ensuring inventory alignment across systems and spotting upsell opportunities based on demand fluctuations are also part of the routine. And yes, I do all of this every single day. But to me, these are just the fundamentals. I don’t prioritize the basics; I master them so I can focus on what truly drives impact.

From my current leadership position, my primary focus is on driving performance across organizational teams. First and foremost, I ensure that my Revenue Team is fully aligned with our goals, clearly understanding what we aim to achieve, the metrics we use to measure success and the tools available to support our efforts. This clarity fosters daily engagement and accountability toward goals accomplishment.

Beyond my immediate team, a key priority is to cultivate strong alignment across other departments, from Commercial to Operational, so that everyone is working toward the same revenue objectives, albeit through different strategies and approaches. To support this, I actively participate in daily and weekly meetings with Sales, Marketing and Operations, where I share our overarching revenue targets and collaborate on the best strategies to achieve or adjust them based on progress.

Apart from this, I believe soft skills are an essential nontraditional skill for revenue managers. They play a pivotal role in revenue leadership, particularly in the ability to communicate goals, strategies, tactics and the specific actions required to achieve them clearly and assertively. Equally important is the capacity to explain the value of measurement tools used to track progress, with the aim of fostering strong engagement across all stakeholders involved in the revenue generation process, which extends far beyond the revenue management team alone.

I ensure that my revenue team is fully aligned with our goals, clearly understanding what we aim to achieve, the metrics we use to measure success and the tools available to support our efforts.

At InterContinental Miami, I can't start my workday without a brief meeting with my team. It's our moment to align on both weekly and daily goals, whether its addressing block maintenance needs, reviewing imminent group cutoff dates and planning revenue opportunities that avoid displacement risks, identifying upsell potential or setting timelines for responding to booking requests. We use this time to share concerns, explore alternative solutions and celebrate accomplishments. It’s not just a routine; it’s a cornerstone of our collaboration and performance.

I firmly believe that the next generation of revenue managers will be defined not just by technical expertise, but by strong leadership qualities: empathy, communication, inspiration and the ability to motivate cross-functional teams to contribute to the organization’s revenue success. These qualities go well beyond system certifications and technical knowledge. They take time to develop, but they are essential for driving sustainable impact.

Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity

During periods of uncertainty or crisis, I believe in the principle of “letting the revenue come in” to safeguard the organization’s financial health and avoid triggering further cost-control measures. As per my experience, usually economic instability doesn’t affect all industries equally or simultaneously, the key lies in identifying market segments that are thriving or showing signs of growth in the hotel’s area and capitalizing on them. This often requires reducing certain restrictions and adopting a more flexible approach to rules and policies.

This mindset aligns with the need to shift markets, segments, profiles and strategies to keep revenue flowing. A clear example is what we’re currently witnessing in Miami: the sport and entertainment industry is emerging as a powerful demand and revenue driver across all seasons, something we hadn’t fully recognized before. Historically, our focus was on corporate, incentive, pharmaceutical and financial meetings. But the landscape is changing, and we have no choice but to embrace it

Balancing AI Precision with Human Insight

Accurate demand forecasting, competitive pricing analysis, market sensitivity assessments and dynamic, automated rate setting by inventory type and rate program—all aimed at optimizing upsell opportunities, inventory utilization, sellout efficiency and pricing effectiveness—are areas where AI and modern revenue management systems excel. These tools, widely adopted by leading global hotel organizations, are invaluable for operational precision and speed.

However, AI cannot coach, inspire or motivate with empathy. It cannot connect with a team made up of individuals with unique personalities, ideas, emotions, backgrounds and mindsets. That’s why I continue to emphasize that revenue management is not a solitary discipline managed by one person pressing buttons, it’s a collective responsibility. Every team across the organization should be engaged in the overarching strategy of generating revenue and profit, whether through pricing systems or through elevating the guest experience. Leadership, collaboration and human insight remain irreplaceable. This is the main “One Great Team” principle which inspires each one of us at InterContinental Miami, just to make an example.

Shaping the Next Generation of Revenue Leaders

I encourage revenue professionals to stay continuously trained and remain up to date with the latest technologies in the field. These tools are essential not only for driving revenue but also for streamlining business evaluation processes across departments and enabling deeper, data-driven decision-making. Yet, excellence in revenue management is never achieved in isolation, collaboration is key. Future leaders should view these technologies as enablers of dialogue and engagement, helping to foster strategic alignment among all hotel stakeholders.

Moreover, the time saved through management-byexception models, especially those enhanced by AI, should be reinvested in expanding the scope of revenue management. This means exploring additional revenue-generating areas and identifying new opportunities for profitability beyond traditional pricing strategies.

Finally, cultivating a revenue management culture within the organization is vital. It encourages broader participation, helping colleagues better understand the impact of data analytics and pricing decisions and ultimately drives stronger results through shared ownership.