As we head into the new year, Vertus Group is celebrating a year defined by bold ideas and standout achievements. This article brings together the top stories from across our businesses, from customer-focused conferences to next-generation product launches and AI innovations. Each milestone reflects the ingenuity and momentum driving Vertus today, as well as the foundation we’re building for an even stronger future.

AI at The Forefront: Looper’s Big Win at Jonas GROWs 2025

This year, Jonas Software brought together leaders, innovators, and partners from across the portfolio for its flagship conference, Jonas GROWs, a forum for ideas and the sharing of best practices that drive Jonas companies forward. This year’s GROWs was no exception, with the inaugural Jonas AI competition taking place; the event featured over 200 AI initiatives, assessed by leaders across 185+ Jonas businesses for feasibility, design quality, and expected business impact. One of Vertus Group’s businesses, Club Caddie, won the competition with their debut of Looper, an AI-powered assistant redefining how golf and club operators manage their business.

Looper automates routine tasks, helps surface insights with ease, and streamlines support with instant answers from knowledge bases and chat history. Market demand has been undeniable: 84% of Club Caddie customers rank analytics as their top AI need, and 80% were willing to pilot Looper as a solution. Built on a secure, multi-cloud architecture and designed for plug-and-play deployment, Looper is scalable across Jonas brands without requiring technical hires, a true game-changer for operational efficiency.

Club Caddie is also preparing to launch Looper for Business Intelligence at the PGA Show in January, expanding its capabilities even further. Additionally, the business is working with Jonas Unify and Jonas Club for a rollout across the broader portfolio, ensuring that this award-winning technology becomes a cornerstone of the Jonas ecosystem.

A Transformative Year for Product Innovation Across Vertus Group

In 2025, Vertus Group reaffirmed its commitment to innovation, delivering transformative solutions that set new benchmarks across hospitality and club management technology. From next-generation financial tools to cutting-edge digital experiences, many of our business units introduced advancements designed to empower clients and elevate customer engagement.

Jonas Club Software led the charge in 2025, marking 30 years of innovation at this year’s PGA Show in Orlando, a testament to its enduring leadership in private club technology. The momentum continued with the launch of the ClubHouse Online Mobile App, designed to give members a streamlined way to connect with their clubs, register for events, and access services on the go. These innovations underscore Jonas Club Software’s commitment to convenience, connectivity, and creating richer member experiences.

Hospitality technology also saw major strides this year. Aptech unveiled TVNG, its next-generation budgeting and forecasting platform, purpose-built to streamline financial processes and deliver real-time analytics for hotel operators. Meanwhile, Leonardo introduced the LUCID Media Library, a refinement in digital asset management that enables hospitality brands to centralize media assets and maintain brand consistency across channels. Together, these innovations allow operators to work smarter, reduce manual workflows, and deliver exceptional guest experiences.

Beyond new product launches, Bookassist demonstrated how technology translates into tangible results for hospitality businesses. A standout example in 2025 was The Granville Hotel, which leveraged Bookassist’s award-winning booking engine and digital marketing expertise to dramatically increase direct bookings. Bookassist’s optimized metasearch strategy drove a 73% traffic increase; this enhanced visibility led directly to a 27% uplift in bookings, successfully converting searches for Waterford hotels into profitable, direct revenue for The Granville Hotel.

These innovations represent Vertus Group’s vision for a future where technology drives operational excellence and member satisfaction. By investing in next-generation tools and experiences, Vertus continues to lead the way in shaping the industries it serves.

Coming together for the future of hospitality tech

November marked a historic milestone for Jonas Hospitality with the launch of their inaugural user conference: Unified 2025. Unified was a strategic initiative to strengthen customer relationships across our Hospitality businesses, deliver hands-on product training, and share a vision for bridging the gap between best-of-breed and all-in-one solutions.

The numbers tell the story: over 200 attendees, 60+ breakout sessions, and a lineup of industry thought leaders, the conference set a new standard for developing relationships within the industry. Unified was built around an educational foundation that combined product training with strategic insights. Breakout Session Tracks were tailored to attendee roles and goals to maximize the value at a personalized level; from hands-on workshops to deep dives into emerging technologies, the sessions provided actionable knowledge that attendees could take back to their organizations.

Three keynote presentations anchored the event, each tackling a critical theme shaping the industry:

• Driving Strategic Transformation in Hospitality – Led by Jake Lewis, President of Jonas Hospitality Property Systems Group.

• Reimagining Hospitality Tech: The Rise of Customer Data Platforms – Delivered by Ashley NeQuent, Jonas Hospitality Senior Solutions Engineer, this keynote examined the growing importance of CDPs and their role in creating unified guest experiences.

• Future of Hospitality – A dynamic panel featuring industry experts Chuck Coveleski, Gregg Hopkins, Alan Barmaper, and John Burns, discussing how hospitality technology will continue to evolve alongside the industry.

Closing the Year, Opening New Possibilities

Together, these stories highlight the incredible progress across Vertus Group and set the stage for an even more innovative and impactful 2026. This year has proven what’s possible when vision meets execution, and as we look ahead, we remain committed to shaping the future of vertical market software. Thank you to every team across the portfolio for making 2025 a year to remember!