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   Panel Discussion
Date: April 18, 2006 Topic: Travel Agent Panel Discussion Location: Embassy Suites - LAX Luncheon Program Date: May 16, 2006 Topic: Achieving Brand Consistency Speaker: TBA Location: New Otani Hotel & Garden  Tuesday, March 21, 2006 Panel Discussion Maximize Your Advertising Budgets Moderated by How to maximize your advertising budgets: local, regional and national media exposure for limited budgets. Panelists will include representatives from noted local media planning and buying firms and agencies offering case studies on how to cost-effectively take advantage of traditional and new media opportunities. Who Should Attend:
 Emily Mizrahie
Sandra Sooklal How did you hear about HSMAI? Why did you join HSMAI? Job Duties: Other organizations I'm involved in: Hobbies and/or Special Interests: Tell us about your immediate family: We have a pet Amazon parrot who talks and sings. We've had him since he was 2 weeks old and he is now eleven. Other Comments: We are five minutes from Ports O ’Call and we have rooms overlooking the water. 
FEATURED ARTICLE
 HSMAI,
NYU, TIG Global Offer Free On-line Report on Internet Marketing and
DistributionMCLEAN, VA | An insightful online survey of sales and revenue managers explores how Internet marketing and distribution is being handled by the U.S. Presented by the HSMAI Foundation, NYU and TIG Global, the “Survey of Attitudes and Approaches: Hotel Internet Marketing and Distribution” is a free, comprehensive overview of the current attitudes about costs and benefits of online distribution from a unit level perspective in the hotel industry. ECONOMIC INSIGHTS  Hilton
Hotels Corporation Completes Acquisition of Hilton
International23 February 2006 | BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. | Hilton Hotels Corporation (NYSE:HLT) announced today that it has completed its acquisition of the lodging assets of Hilton Group plc (known collectively as "Hilton International") for approximately GBP 3.3 billion. When
Will The Bubble Burst? | By Steve Rushmore22 February 2006 | This past year as I have attended many hotel investment conferences around the world, the feelings of hotel owners, lenders and operators were euphoric. Occupancies are up, room rates are growing faster than inflation, hotels are making profits, money is cheap and the industry is having fun again. Even with this upbeat outlook, it is human nature to wonder: When Will The Bubble Burst? Based on history, the bubble always bursts. Weekly
U.S. Lodging Performance Feb 12 2006 - Feb 18 2006 | Smith Travel
Research22 February 2006 | Smith Travel Research (STR) is the recognized leader in providing accurate, actionable information and analysis to the lodging industry. Since 1985, the company has served the industry operating on the key principals of integrity, confidentiality and customer service. STR provides timely information and analysis to all major North American hotel chains and a growing number of chains in Europe and Asia. HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS & OPENINGS Kor
Hotel Group Expands Presence on Mayan Riviera with Second Beachfront
Residential Resort Property27 February 2006 | LOS ANGELES -- Kor Hotel Group, the Los Angeles-based luxury hotel and resort operator, extends its distinctive fusion of imaginative design, exceptional service and exclusive community amenities to a second project on the Mayan Riviera with the creation of The Tides Playa del Carmen. Ground-up construction of this premier, oceanfront residential property is scheduled to commence fall 2006 and set for completion spring 2008. Jumeirah
Appointed To Manage Shanghai’s Most Prestigious New Luxury Hotel
Development23 February 2006 | Dubai, Jumeirah, the dynamic and rapidly growing luxury hospitality group, manager of the world famous Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, has been appointed by Shanghai Lixing Hotel Limited, a joint venture between Shanghai Hotel Investments Limited and Shui On Private Group, to manage Shanghai’s most prominent and prestigious new hotel development in the downtown Luwan District. LUXX
opens first premium accommodation property in Bangkok22 February 2006 | Thailand’s best kept secret is now ready for unveiling to travelers with individuality and style. It is called LUXX – home for the young, hip and trendy traveler. It is beyond hotel, beyond bed and breakfast; beyond accommodations... it is a lifestyle - a home for the stylish and trendy. It is a real luxury place to stay and rare to be found. The
Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street To Open This Fall; At 50 Square
Meters, Guest Rooms Are The Most Spacious Among Luxury
Hotels21 February 2006 | BEIJING, CHINA | The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street will open this fall in the heart of the capital city’s newly emerging financial district. A contemporary design of glass and chrome in the western part of the city, the hotel is strategically placed beside many banks, insurance companies and other financial-related businesses. Sage
Hospitality Jump-starts Expansion Plans for 200617 February 2006 | Sage Hospitality Resources, the Denver, CO based hospitality company specializing in developing and managing full service and luxury hotels, is moving aggressively forward on the firm's expansion plans for 2006 with three major initiatives. They include: U.S.
Lodging Development Pipeline is Rapidly Accelerating LE Increases its
Supply Side Forecast for '06 and '07 Once Again14 February 2006 | PORTSMOUTH, NH | Lodging Econometrics (LE), the Industry Authority for Hotel Real Estate, in its 2006 report to the Lodging Industry, reported that the Construction Pipeline has grown to 3,067 projects having 415,977 rooms.  BUSINESS/MEETINGS Stability
Returns To The Meetings Market | by Robert Mandelbaum20 January 2006 | Like other businesses, the meetings industry operates over time on a cyclical basis. There are years of industry recession when the number of events and attendees decline. Conversely, there are years of recovery and expansion when both attendance and event counts rise. Meeting
Professionals International’s 2006 Professional Education
Conference-Europe Slated For 26-28 March in Davos,
Switzerland14 February 2006 | DALLAS | Meeting Professionals International (MPI) announces a dynamic three days of education, networking, the release of the first-ever Culture Active Tool© and the European launch event for MPI Member Solutions at the 2006 Professional Education Conference-Europe (PEC-E), 26-28 March in Davos, Switzerland, host to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. INTERNATIONAL South
Africa's Popularity Drives Double-digit Hotel Growth | Deloitte
Reports15 February 2006 | South Africa is one of the most diverse and enchanting countries in the world. As a holiday destination it has it all – an exotic combination of landscapes, people, history, wildlife and culture – making it increasingly popular. Even over recent years, which have been amongst the most difficult ever experienced in world tourism, South Africa’s international arrivals have continued to grow. Middle
East Hotel Performance Wins Gold | Deloitte Reports15 February 2006 | With an impressive 21% growth in revenue per available room (revPAR), the Middle East region was, for the second year in a row, the best performing region in the world during 2005 according to the HotelBenchmark™ Survey by Deloitte. Asia
Pacific Travel Predictions for 2006 | Abacus Reports14 February 2006 | Don Birch, President and CEO of Abacus International, Asia Pacific's leading travel facilitator, recently shared his key predictions for Asia Pacific travel in the year ahead. 'The growing number of travellers is fast changing the travel landscape in Asia. Their needs are becoming more complex and demanding. Frankfurt,
Amsterdam and London YTD Hotel Performance | January 2006 Update | The
Bench14 February 2006 | The Bench (www.thebench.com) is the first benchmark initiative held entirely on-line and in real time, giving it unparalleled speed in bringing information to the market place. The Bench has now over 1,300 hotels in 59 destinations across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, comparing over 250,000 room nights every day. TRAVEL INTERNET MARKETING FOCUS Gomez
Performance Index For Hotels: January 15, 2006 - February 15,
200622 February 2006 | The prevailing goal for hoteliers in the Performance Index is overall consistency. With few notable exceptions, the benchmarked sites on our index demonstrate predictable application speed and success rates. Since the last period, the average benchmark response time has improved from 10.65 seconds to 9.81. Additionally, the success rate also improved from 98.89% to 98.97%. If you
build it, they will come...not! | By Keith Paulin21 February 2006 | About twice a week now I am contacted by a hotel General Manager or Marketing Director who has seen some of the recent research figures for hotel internet revenues that says something like: "In 2005 hotel revenues from the internet were 25.0% of all hotel room revenues...". The conversation very quickly gets to "I've just checked my on-line revenues and they are nowhere near that. What can we do?" Show
Me The Room! | By Françoise Mommens14 February 2006 | When it comes to reserving a hotel room online, what criteria are important? According to a recent survey of US internet users, being able to see the place is key. With the increased adoption of high-speed internet, suppliers can now do a better job selling an experience, rather than just a price. Study
| Hotel Branding: Using Online Research To Drive Innovation13 February 2006 | Hotels cater to a wide range of guests and offer services and amentities to individuals with an infinite number of desires and expectations. Due to the diverse population of travelers, it would be no surprise if one hotel brand were perceived very differently from another. FEATURED DOCUMENT DOWNLOAD  When
Will The Bubble Burst? | By Steve RushmoreThis past year as I have attended many hotel investment conferences around the world, the feelings of hotel owners, lenders and operators were euphoric. Occupancies are up, room rates are growing faster than inflation, hotels are making profits, money is cheap and the industry is having fun again. Even with this upbeat outlook, it is human nature to wonder: When Will The Bubble Burst? Based on history, the bubble always bursts. In the United States after a huge building boom during the early 1970s, overbuilding, inflation and high interest rates burst the hotel industry's bubble...
REVENUE MANAGEMENT FOCUS HSMAI,
NYU, TIG Global Offer Free On-line Report on Internet Marketing and
Distribution24 February 2006 | MCLEAN, VA | An insightful online survey of sales and revenue managers explores how Internet marketing and distribution is being handled by the U.S. Presented by the HSMAI Foundation, NYU and TIG Global, the “Survey of Attitudes and Approaches: Hotel Internet Marketing and Distribution” is a free, comprehensive overview of the current attitudes about costs and benefits of online distribution from a unit level perspective in the hotel industry. Selling
Up! Taking Group Room Revenue To A New Level! | By Carol
Verret21 February 2006 | 2006 is the year for hotels to maximize their revenue opportunities. Demand is high and new supply is low - new supply currently in the pipeline will begin entering the market in late '06 and '07. It is clearly a 'sellers' market this year! Hotel sales departments clearly have an opportunity! RESORT MARKETING FOCUS Nakheel
To Launch Global Hotel & Resort Company23 February 2006 | Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman Nakheel announced the formation of Nakheel Hotel & Resorts, a new hotel and resort investment company which will acquire and develop a dynamic portfolio of properties in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Russia and the CIS. Boutique
Hotel Wins Prestigious Marketing Award – Offers Case Study22 February 2006 | DARIEN, Conn. | Casa del Mar Beach Golf and Spa, a 56-room luxury hotel in Los Cabos, Mexico is one of only four companies to receive the prestigious 2005 1to1 Marketing Impact Award presented annually by the Peppers & Rogers Group. HOTEL DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Case
Studies Prove Hotel Search Engine Optimisation Delivers Results | by Keith
Paulin27 February 2006 | I have a favourite analogy about hotels and how they should view their website and online marketing initiatives; it usually strikes a nerve pretty close to home… Is
Online Destination Marketing getting too Crowded? | By Patricia
Brusha22 February 2006 | I recently had some airline tickets I had to use by the end of January and decided last minute to book a four day trip to Las Vegas. Since my air was already taken care of, I went about trying to find a “good deal” for a hotel on the Vegas strip. Having been in the hospitality business for over 26 years and not wanting to pay published rates, I started my booking process by picking up the phone and calling a friend. SALES & MARKETING FACULTY An
Empirical Test of Brand-Anchored Maximum Difference Scaling | By Keith
Chrzan and Jeremy Griffiths14 February 2006 | Measuring brand positions with rating scales often leads to poor discrimination and a halo effect, resulting in poorly identified positions and impoverished or incorrect assessments of brand choice drivers. This article compares two alternatives – a comparative scale and brand-anchored Maximum Difference scaling – to the industry standard Likert scale. The results suggest there is a better alternative. Frustrations
of a Corporate Trainer | By Lizz Chambers, CHA, CHE, ACI8 February 2006 | Don’t get me wrong. I have always loved my job. The travel is taxing but the benefits are amazing. When you find the type of attendee that ‘Gets it’! That one attendee who appears excited to be there! That special person who smiles, nods their head, takes notes, talks with you during the break, then leaves and immediately applies what they have learned. That type of trainee is what keeps a trainer going. Some
Readers View the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly as
Being too Academic | The Journal's Editor Michael Sturman
Responds13 January 2006 | In his December 27th column, Stanley Turkel criticized Gary Thompson’s response to the criticism that the Cornell Quarterly is too academic. In a survey, a significant percentage of readers of the Cornell Quarterly said that the journal was either “a little” too academically oriented (47.4%) or “far” too academically oriented (12.4%). Two
Professors at Michigan State University's School of Hospitality Business
Identify Seven Dimensions of a Consumer Experience12 January 2006 | EAST LANSING, Mich. | Two professors at Michigan State University and Publicom Inc., a services marketing consultancy, partnered in a landmark study about the customer experience. Study results identified the seven important dimensions of a consumer experience that can be used as an effective management tool for business. COLUMNS Festive
Bonus Ball For Executives | By Christopher Mumford22 February 2006 | ‘City Bonus Bonanza!’ screams the newspaper headlines. Yes it’s that time of year when the press works itself into frenzy over the size of bonuses awarded to a handful of investment bankers and estate agents have a renewed spring in their step. While it is the bumper payments in the City which grab the headlines, it is not just workers in the Square Mile who are receiving bonus awards. Making
a Difference | By Lizz Chambers, CHA/CHE22 February 2006 | It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference. (Tom Brokaw) That is one of my favorite quotes. I begin my day with it and end my day with the question, “Today, did I make a difference?” I am not talking about altering the entire course of someone’s life. It’s the little things that count. Differences that each and every person has the opportunity to make: especially those privileged to work in the hospitality industry. Five
Major Technology Innovations for Your Hotel’s Performance | By Tim
Henthorn22 February 2006 | Over the last 10 to 15 years, technology has changed dramatically in the hotel industry. Let’s take a closer look at five different innovations and their impact on hospitality. These five innovations offer solutions that leverage the power of the Internet and software technologies. Hotel
Industry... Yours Environmentally | By NP Chandrashekhar22 February 2006 | We have to ask ourselves in what way we are related with environment or nature. Why should we protect environment? What are we doing to protect our environment in which we live? What has hospitality industry got to do with that or can hotel industry as a whole contribute towards protecting the environment? HSMAI
Foundation Announces 2006 Student Scholarship Call For
Entries22 February 2006 | MCLEAN, VA | In an effort to assist students in need of financial assistance to pursue a career in hospitality sales and marketing, the Foundation of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is once again accepting entries for its annual scholarship program. HSMAI
Sets Date For 6th Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference In New
York City, April 19, 200615 February 2006 | MCLEAN, VA | The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference, one of the most successful events on the annual event roster, will be held for the sixth time in New York City on April 19, 2006 at the Hilton New York. FEATURED EVENTS  6th
Annual Resort Management Conference
19 - 21 March 2006 Plan now
to attend the 6th Annual Resort Management Conference sponsored by The
University of Denver’s School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism
Management, the International Resort Managers Association (IRMA) and the
Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), March
19 - 21, 2006, Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, NC.Pinehurst, NC 2006
Marketing Summit & Idea Exchange | Chapter of the Virginias
23 - 26 March 2006 A
conference designed to help achieve peak performance in the hospitality
industry specifically for executive level sales and marketing
professionals. Hot Springs, VA  HSMAI's
Affordable Meetings Mid-America 2006
29 - 30 March 2006 HSMAI's
Affordable Meetings® is a unique, FREE trade show and conference for
cost-conscious meeting planners, which takes place annually in three
locations across the country.Chicago, IL  HSMAI
Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference
19 April 2006 HSMAI’s
Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference is a conference designed to
bring leading industry experts together to discuss the hottest issues and
trends in Internet marketing. HSMAI's 6th Internet Marketing Strategy
Conference will take place in conjucntion with TIA's TravelCom. New York, NY HSMAI’s
Affordable Meetings® West 2006
14 - 15 June 2006 HSMAI's
Affordable Meetings® is a unique, FREE trade show and conference for
cost-conscious meeting planners, which takes place annually in three
locations across the country.Long Beach, CA All HSMAI
EventsUpcoming
Industry Events
After a few years, most businesses establish a set formula for determining their marketing budget, usually a fixed percentage of revenue. But when economic times get tough, it's time to make a few alterations. The mistake businesses make is to simply cut the marketing budget when they experience a downturn in revenue. Big no, no. In an effort to protect their bottom line, they are more likely to bottom out. Instead of cutting your marketing budget, try making a few refinements: 1. Concentrate on past and current customers. They are more likely to purchase from you, even during difficult economic times. Mail to them more often, call them more often and let them know about special promotions more often. 2. Instead of cutting your marketing budget, refine your marketing message. Customers will be thinking of how they can get more for less, so focus on the value rather than the low price. Keep your prices the same and use special promotions intermittently. 3. Take a closer look at who your real prospects are. Instead of mass mailing, focus on a more targeted audience. Profile your prospects and find those who have similarities to your past customers. This technique will save you money and elicit a higher response rate.
How Phishing Emails Work If you have been conditioned to react to your bank's site with entering your details and credentials, what better way is there to obtain these crucial data from you than showing you a page that looks and behaves exactly like your bank's — but sends the data elsewhere. The problem, of course, is getting you to see the page. Fortunately, there's email. In a legitimately looking email informing you about something legitimately urgent, I show you a seemingly legitimate and totally ordinary link to what you think is your bank's site but in fact is my own copy of it. Because they are done so well, these so-called phishing emails can be hard to spot if you look only superficially — which, of course, you don't. But even if you keep your eyes open, some additional protection won't hurt. Outlook, from 2003 SP2 onwards, contains some protection from phishing emails. If enabled, the links in identified phishing attempts don't work. Even if you half-drunk and half-asleep carelessly and recklessly click, you cannot. Enable Phishing Email Protection in OutlookTo enable the phishing email protection built into Outlook:
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