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Luncheon Program
Date: April 15, 2008 Topic: Internet Distribution System (IDS) Location: Marriott Los Angeles Downtown Luncheon Program Date:May 20, 2008 Topic:Why GDS is still a Viable Revenue Channel Location:Hyatt West Hollywood 
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM 
Luncheon ProgramSpeaker: Panel DiscussionDuring this event our panel of Internet Distribution System (IDS) experts will cover emerging trends they see and how to make them work for you and your organization. With a focus on first quarter results, our panel will zero in on the Los Angeles Travel Market revealing insight and recommendations to help you leverage this highly profitable channel.
Aileen Carreon
Peninsula Beverly Hills Richard Gaines Kyoto Grand Hotel Sheila Rotunno Norwalk Marriott John Jahanbani Glendale Hilton Elizabeth Leavelle Pacific Palms Paul Aghilipour Hilton Universal City  Jennifer LaDuke How did you hear about HSMAI? Why did you join HSMAI? Job duties: Hobbies and/or Special Interests 
FEATURED ARTICLE
Life in the Slow Lane: Nostalgic and Expensive | By Karen Weiner Escalera
While most of today’s 24/7 world seems to be speeding up, a growing number of the affluent among us are taking a road less traveled and slowing down. One of the latest trends is to incorporate something labeled “slow” into their lives, from food and fashion, to design and travel - even sex. What does this mean? For one thing, the affluent are looking backwards to a nostalgic past – whether real or rosily imagined – for inspiration. You may call it the lifestyle equivalent of “comfort food.” Those who are detouring along this rarified path fully expect to pay a premium to apply a touch of the brakes in everything they do. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend ECONOMIC INSIGHTS  United States Welcomes Two Million Fewer Overseas Visitors in 2007 than in 2000
12 March 2008 | New Department of Commerce data reveal that the United States continues to suffer from a decline in overseas arrivals despite a worldwide boom in international travel and an extraordinarily favorable exchange rate. According to data released today by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the United States welcomed two million fewer overseas visitors in 2007 than in 2000 (despite a 10 percent increase over 2006). View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend PKF-HR Revises 2008 U.S. Lodging Industry Outlook in New Report | Lower RevPAR Forecast Reflects Impact of Recession
10 March 2008 | PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR) today announced that it has lowered its 2008 forecast for a key hotel industry metric, revenue per available room or RevPAR, from up 4.5 percent to up a below-average 3.0 percent. The new RevPAR forecast appears in the firm's recently released first quarter 2008 Hotel Horizons(SM) report. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Global Lodging Performance Report | February 2008 | STR
& The Bench
26 March 2008 | 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. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Weak Dollar Likely to Benefit US Hotel Markets in 2008 | Ernst & Young Reports
26 March 2008 | A weak US dollar may be the primary factor in the ongoing solid performance of the US hospitality sector in 2008, according to a report released today by Ernst & Young's Global Real Estate Center. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend PKF-HR Revises 2008 Lodging Industry Outlook in New Report
21 March 2008 | The March 2008 Hotel HorizonsSM forecast of PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR) projects U.S. hotel RevPAR to increase just 3.0 percent in 2008. This pace of RevPAR growth is below the long-term average, as well as lower than the 4.5 percent estimate forecast by PKF-HR back in the fourth quarter of 2007. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Weekly U.S. Lodging Performance 03/16/08 - 03/22/08 | Smith Travel Research
27 March 2008 | 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. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Monthly U.S. Lodging Performance February 2008 | Smith Travel Research
25 March 2008 | 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. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend FEATURED REPORT 
HSMAI Foundation, TIA Release Highly-anticipated Guide To Social Media & Social Networks ReportWorking together to focus on emerging topics of importance to travel marketers, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Foundation (HSMAI), and the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) partnered to study, analyze and produce a comprehensive educational report titled: The Travel Marketer's Guide to Social Media and Social Networks. The complete report was released earlier this month and is now available for purchase through the HSMAI Foundation and TIA. Read the Executive Summary | Purchase the Report 
 NEW! HSMAI is offering a prestigious new professional certification, the CHBA - Certified in Hospitality Business Acumen. Pre-qualification requirements include experience in the industry as well as a certificate of completion of these two unique training courses offered by HSMAI University and Lynn University, "Managing Business Results" and "Managing Revenue." Click Here for more information HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS & OPENINGS Hotel Pricing Power To Remain Strong Despite Downturn, Analysts Predict | BTNonline
14 March 2008 | While an economic downturn will hinder the lodging industry seller's market, it will neither heavily affect the tiers of most interest to travel buyers, nor the domestic markets in which buyers have seen the sharpest rate increases, industry analysts said this week. View Article | Send to a Friend "Zun Ya" Selected As The Chinese Brand Name For The Jumeirah Group
20 March 2008 | Jumeirah Group, the dynamic Dubai-based luxury international hospitality management group and member of Dubai Holding, today unveiled its Chinese brand name, “Zun Ya”, to convey the essence of the Jumeirah brand as well as a deep connection with Chinese culture. In August 2008 the Jumeirah HanTang Xintiandi will open in Shanghai - the Jumeirah Group’s first hotel in China and flagship property in the Asia Pacific region. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Red Lion Hotels Corporation Promotes Anthony Dombrowik to CFO; Announces Additional Management Changes
26 March 2008 | Red Lion Hotels Corporation (NYSE:RLH) announced today that Anthony F. Dombrowik has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer of Red Lion, effective immediately. Mr. Dombrowik assumes the position from Anupam Narayan, who recently became President and Chief Executive Officer of the company. Mr. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Grand Hyatt San Antonio Debuts
25 March 2008 | Grand Hyatt San Antonio, a striking 1003-room, 37-story luxury hotel, opened this weekend in the bustling heart of “the Alamo City.” Adjacent to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and the famed San Antonio Riverwalk, the contemporary hotel is a stunning addition to the city’s skyline, offering a combination of facilities, services and amenities designed to meet the needs of discriminating business and leisure travelers. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend W Hotels and Acura Launch Landmark Brand Partnership
20 March 2008 | W Hotels, the fastest growing luxury hotel brand in the world, today announced a groundbreaking partnership with luxury car maker, Acura. In one of the most significant partnerships existing between a hotel brand and an automotive company, Acura will be the preferred vehicle of W Hotels. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Green is not Black and White | Green Travel handbook | concierge.com
12 March 2008 | Learn easy ways to lessen your journeys' environmental impact. Plus: Earth-friendly getaways from Hawaii to India and a guide to "green" golf courses. Your travels can destroy habitats and accelerate global warming. They can also help heal the planet. This handbook shows you how simple decisions can make all the difference. View Article | Send to a Friend Couples With Kids Spend Only 9.8 Days Of Quality Time Together A Year | IHG Research Shows
12 March 2008 | According to research by Holiday Inn, the average mum and dad manage to squeeze in just 15 minutes a day enjoying each other's company amid their hectic family life - and that's nearly always in bed. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend BUSINESS/MEETINGS Meeting Planners need cost-saving options in 2008
1 April 2008 | More than 75 percent of meeting planners attending the 8th Annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings® Mid-America Conference & Exhibition April 9 – 10, 2008, at Chicago’s Navy Pier, stated planning budgets remain the same for 2008, despite media coverage of an economic recession. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Benchmark Hospitality International’s 2008 Top Ten Meetings Trends
19 March 2008 | Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading hospitality management company which operates 30 award-winning resorts, hotels, condominium resorts and conference centers in locations throughout the United States and Asia, announces its annual "Top Ten Meeting Trends," as observed by its properties. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend UK Meeting Expectations? | PwC Reports
14 March 2008 | Specialised conference and training venues have been the height of fashion recently, especially with private equity firms, but with the competition heating up and the economy cooling down, what are the latest trends and outlook? View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Radisson SAS: Free High-speed Internet Access For Meeting Delegates
26 March 2008 | Radisson SAS makes meeting delegates even happier: The first-class and full-service brand of The Rezidor Hotel Group announces free high-speed Internet access for all participants of meetings and events in a Radisson SAS hotel in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Business Travel News' 2008 U.S. Hotel Chain Survey | BTNonline
19 March 2008 | Business Travel News again this year surveyed corporate readers responsible for hotel buying decisions and asked them to rate the performance of U.S. hotel chains in six segments—deluxe, upscale, midprice, budget/economy, and upscale and midprice extended stay—in 13 separate attributes. View Article | Send to a Friend ITB Asia and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) to host to the first co-created Asian Meetings and Events Conference
12 March 2008 | Messe Berlin, host to the inaugural ITB Asia Travel Trade Show and Convention scheduled from 22-24 October 2008, and Meeting Professionals International (MPI), host to the first co-created Asian Meetings and Events Conference which will take place from 24-26 October, are set to partner as organisers of two of the most highly anticipated events in the Asia Pacific region. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend The Hilton Family of Hotels Launches Industry-First Personalized Group Web Pages Enabling Event Planners to Create Customized Web Pages for Events
11 March 2008 | Following the launch of its unique online group bookings for small functions of up to 25 guest rooms, called e-Events, the Hilton Family of Hotels has launched the next phase of its electronic event planning tool: complimentary Personalized Group Web Pages. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend INTERNATIONAL A Year Full Of Promise For China's Hotels | Deloitte Reports
19 March 2008 | With a strong economy, massive inward investment, a newly-mobile middle class and one of the biggest fixtures in world of sport just months away, China’s influence on world tourism is going to become more and more significant. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend 9 Hotels You Won't Believe | MSNBC.com
27 March 2008 | The digs at these hotels are every bit as strange as the dreams you'll have when you lay your head on their pillows. (Word to the wise: They can be costly to visit, but our slide show is free.) View Article | Send to a Friend Sheraton Hotels Launches Global Effort to Revitalize Iconic Brand
27 March 2008 | The most recognized hotel brand in the world is getting a makeover. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) largest and most global brand, has launched a comprehensive new design of its lobbies and guests rooms that will significantly enhance its portfolio of hotels and resorts. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Scandic gets another hotel in Södertälje, Sweden
27 March 2008 | Scandic’s aggressive growth strategy continues. On 1 May, the Best Western Hotel Skogshöjd will switch chains to give Scandic a hotel right in the centre of Södertälje, just south of Stockholm, Sweden. With its sizeable conference and spa facilities, the new hotel will be the perfect complement to the existing Scandic hotel on the E4 motorway. Scandic has signed a lease with the hotel property company Pandox. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Host Hotels & Resorts and GIC Real Estate Pte Ltd Announce the Formation of an Asian Joint Venture
26 March 2008 | Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: HST) and RECO Hotels JV Private Limited, an affiliate of GIC Real Estate Pte Ltd, have entered into a joint venture, structured as a Singapore corporation. GIC Real Estate is the real estate investment company of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Pte Ltd. The joint venture will explore investment opportunities in Asia and Australia. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Carlson Hotels Worldwide to Double Asia Pacific Portfolio Within Three Years
17 March 2008 | Carlson Hotels Worldwide, one of the world’s largest privately-owned hotel companies based in the U.S, will double its Asia Pacific portfolio over the next three years with the addition of more than 50 new hotels across seven countries. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Jumeirah Group Appoints Vice President Market Strategy
12 March 2008 | Jumeirah, the fast growing Dubai-based luxury international hospitality management group and a member of Dubai Holding, has announced today the appointment of Kevin Coleman to the position of Vice President Market Strategy. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend FEATURED DOWNLOAD 
The Future Of The Hotel Industry | Amadeus Reports
It doesn’t do as much as we can dream. I don’t know if we’ll ever solve that one . . . | This is what one hotel senior executive recently told us when we asked how technology was constraining his business today. We would love to speak to that executive a few years from now and hear that his technology platform does everything he could dream of. That’s our aim and this report is a step towards closing the gap between dreams and reality.
TRAVEL INTERNET MARKETING FOCUS Personalisation And CRM Increasingly Important In A Web 2.0 Environment | By Simon Carkeek
19 March 2008 | As the way people use the internet for communication and information sharing continues to change, travel companies need to consider how to adapt their customer acquisition and retention strategies in the new online paradigm. Whilst personalising your relationship with your customers is as important, if not more so, than ever before, the ways in which you engage with them and build their trust and loyalty are changing. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend What the Heck is Hotel Web Site Optimization, Anyway? | By Neil Salerno
18 March 2008 | With all the talk about search engine optimization, web site optimization often gets left off the radar for many hoteliers. Yet, WSO is the necessary first-step to building and marketing a functional hotel web site. Web site optimization is the process of specifically designing your site’s web pages to rank high within search engines; optimizing your web pages for search is an absolute must. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend The Future Of The Hotel Industry | Amadeus Reports
11 March 2008 | “It doesn’t do as much as we can dream. I don’t know if we’ll ever solve that one . . .” This is what one hotel senior executive recently told us when we asked how technology was constraining his business today. We would love to speak to that executive a few years from now and hear that his technology platform does everything he could dream of. That’s our aim and this report is a step towards closing the gap between dreams and reality. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Ten Standards for Promoting Your Hotel Online | According to TIG Global
26 March 2008 | With purchases of online travel continuing to scale at a feverish pace, the Internet is quickly becoming the most significant distribution channel for hotel revenue growth. It is predicted that at least 60 percent of all hotel bookings will be made online by 2009, and, therefore, the Internet affords hospitality professionals an immense opportunity to leverage increased brand awareness and highly profitable revenue contribution. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Top Trends For 2008 To Be Revealed At HEDNA's Conference In Lisbon, Portugal, 28-30 April
25 March 2008 | HEDNA's 2008 Conference, to be held in Lisbon, Portugal on 28-30 April, will look at the most important trends affecting the travel industry in 2008, including the changing economy, the shift in consumer confidence, globalization versus localization, and pulls versus pull marketing. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Personalisation And CRM Increasingly Important In A Web 2.0 Environment | By Simon Carkeek
19 March 2008 | As the way people use the internet for communication and information sharing continues to change, travel companies need to consider how to adapt their customer acquisition and retention strategies in the new online paradigm. Whilst personalising your relationship with your customers is as important, if not more so, than ever before, the ways in which you engage with them and build their trust and loyalty are changing. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend OpenTravel Announces Harteveldt as Keynote for 2008 Advisory Forum
18 March 2008 | The OpenTravel Alliance (OpenTravel), the travel industry’s leading distribution standards development organization, announces Henry Harteveldt, Vice President & Principal Analyst at Forrester Research as the keynote speaker at its 2008 Advisory Forum. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend REVENUE MANAGEMENT FOCUS Hotel Revenue Managers Forecast Demand with Improved Hospitality IQ | By Ashu Shende and Stephan Setran
17 March 2008 | Business Intelligence or BI is the term used to describe sharing of the right information across the enterprise, with the right people, at the right time. BI enables information workers or business users to make decisions and act up on this information in a timely manner. BI measures the success of your business performance. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Contingency Hotel Revenue Management Strategies | I Will not Cut Prices | By Carol Verret
13 March 2008 | Everyone repeat after me: 'I will not cut prices nor panic sell because it does not stimulate incremental demand and only serves to drive down prices.' (Jeff Weinstein, Editor, Hotels Magazine, February 08) Jeff has given us the mantra that all GMs, Revenue Managers and Directors of Sales should repeat every morning. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Hitwise Monthly Travel Category Report - February 2008
10 March 2008 | 36.19% of all visits to the online 'Travel' industry went to the top 10 websites for the month of February, 2008. 45.62% went to the top 20 websites and 66.81% went to the top 100 websites. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend TravelCLICK and IDeaS Deliver Dynamic Pricing
13 March 2008 | TravelCLICK, Inc. the leading provider of hotel emarketing, and IDeaS, the leading provider of revenue management solutions, today announced integration of TravelCLICK's ChannelDirect and IDeaS V5i™ Revenue Management Solution. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend 
Go to www.resortconference.com for full agenda details on this conference co-produced by HSMAI and the University of Denver. 
Read the conference brochure RESORT MARKETING FOCUS Spas a Big Part of Marketing and Differentiating Kempinski Hotels in Turkey and Spain | By Barry Napier
25 March 2008 | The oldest luxury hotel group in Europe, Kempinski, has a portfolio including many historical landmarks, not just in Europe, but also in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America. Each Kempinski Hotel blends its own professional outlook with local customs and traditions. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Good Incentives For Green Hotels | By Diane Rietman | HVS
20 March 2008 | From light bulb replacement to literally going green from the ground up with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) construction, hotel owners and operators have the potential to increase their properties’ customer base and provide a good return on investment. “We look at it as emerging efficiency,” said View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Destination Value Proposition Must Be Honest And Inclusive
10 March 2008 | Several years ago, a Political Strategist labeled the obvious, “It’s the Economy” which was driving the turmoil, and by the end of the First Quarter 2008, we all know this inescapable fact. However, our varied Hospitality segments tend to interpret the realities quite differently. Our retail partners are laying off personnel, and some major retailers will certainly fold by the end of the year. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Here To Stay: Sustainability In The Travel And Leisure Sector | PwC Reports
11 March 2008 | When you start seeing cars marketed on the basis of lower CO2 emissions rather than performance or design features, you know a seismic shift in public attitudes is taking place. We talked at some length about climate change in the 2006 edition of View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Luxury At Land And At Sea Under The Same Brand: How Do You Market Both? | luxurytravel360.com
25 March 2008 | How does one company market a luxury brand that extends to both a hotel brand and a cruise line? We asked the man who heads up both Regent Hotels & Resorts and Regent Seven Seas Cruises how it’s done. Bjorn Gullaksen was recently named president of Regent Luxury Group, which operates both the hotel company and cruise line. The Regent brand is owned by Carlson Companies, the diversified travel giant. View Article | Send to a Friend HOTEL DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING The Job Application Tells Much About The Candidate | By Joseph M. Gravish
25 March 2008 | Hiring managers can gain a great deal of insight into job candidates without even seeing them. A craftfully and creatively designed job application can give you an invaluable quick snapshot, first glimpse into their mind and motivations. If they have something on-the-ball, or not, the response to even one imaginative question may save you time or tweak your curiosity. Here’s how. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend BTN's 2008 Corporate Travel Index: Prices Rise In Resilient U.S. Seller's Market
12 March 2008 | The following is an overview of the domestic results of Business Travel News' 2008 Corporate Travel Index, an annual compendium of the daily costs of doing business in 100 U.S. cities and 100 international cities. BTNonline subscribers may download the entire 2008 Corporate Travel Index, including a similar article on international costs and listings of per diems for 200 cities. View Article | Send to a Friend SALES & MARKETING FACULTY For The 6th Year In A Row IMHI Ranked N° 1 Among Hotel And Tourism Post Graduate Degrees In France
21 March 2008 | The MBA in International Hospitality Management, offered by the Institut de Management Hôtelier International (IMHI), has been ranked Number 1 among Hotel and Tourism Post Graduate degrees in France. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend eCornell Launches Online Certificate Program in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management with Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration
19 March 2008 | eCornell has partnered with Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration to create a six-course certificate series focused on developing a comprehensive knowledge base and tool set that enables participants to fully understand the multi-party dynamics surrounding hotel real estate and management contracts from the point of view of property owners, operators, and lenders. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Hospitality Innovator Fernando Poma to present at Cornell’s Conversations with Entrepreneurs Series
19 March 2008 | Fernando Poma, managing director of Real Hotels & Resorts, will speak on Wednesday, April 2nd in the “Conversations with Entrepreneurs” series presented by the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. Poma will present from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. in 291 Statler Hall, Beck Center. Guests are welcome. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Case Studies Book from EI Focuses on Food Service Management Issues
18 March 2008 | Readers must take a business perspective in dealing with challenging management situations presented in the second edition of “Case Studies in Food Service Management,” recently published by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI). View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Cornell Wine Cellar Optimizer Considers What Wine to Buy and When to Drink It
12 March 2008 | The growing popularity of wine has encouraged many people to develop their own wine cellars, with the goal of consuming or selling their wine at its peak. Although the goal sounds simple enough, the strategy of what to buy, how long to hold it, and when to open the wine is remarkably complex. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend COLUMNS Boomer Women – The Tourism Industry’s Newest “Purse-onality!” | By Patricia Brusha
25 March 2008 | At the end of 2008 I will turn 50 and become an official member of the club “Boomer Women.” Recognizing that this is not my mother’s version of 50, I have decided to embrace this upcoming milestone in my life. Instead of overwhelming depression and fear, I feel liberated and excited anticipating this milestone. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Don’t Swallow Your PRIDE | by Joseph M. Gravish
14 March 2008 | Summer’s coming quickly – the busy season for many hotels. And the “woe is me” crowd is once again awakening from their annual winter hibernation. This time of the year one finds more articles describing difficulties some hotels predict they’ll have finding quality seasonal employees. And just like the returning seasons, just as many managers will revert to the same hiring mentality adopted in the past – just find me a body, any body. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend THE LATEST ENTRIES FROM TOP HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY BLOGS This Blog consolidator provides summaries of entries from Blogs by industry insiders and publications, including USA Today Hotel Hot Sheet, HotelChatter, Revenue Management Forum, and Tourism Internet Marketing. It will appear in each issue of the eConnect Industry Trends Update and is always accessible on the HSMAI Foundation's eConnect site. If you have a Blog to recommend for inclusion, please use the online form to do so or to provide feedback on this new feature. Meet L?Hermitage Hotel - Another New Vancouver Property
ASAP News in the U.K. reports that a new boutique hotel is set to open in Vancouver at a yet-to-be named location.. The recently formed Boutique Hotels & Resorts of British C...  Wednesday, April 2 - Posted on Vacant Ready | Chris Clarke Some Perspective on the Greatness that is Dubai
The tourism industry in Dubai, U.A.E. is growing at an astronomical rate and there seems to be no end in sight to the massive hotel construction boom. In 2006, over six milli... Tuesday, April 1 - Posted on Vacant Ready | Chris Clarke Hyatt Launches a New Online Travel Community
Thanks to Joe Buhler over at Buhlerworks.com, I discovered today that Hyatt Hotels has recently launched a travel community site called yatt’it. Joe took the time to outline ... Tuesday, April 1 - Posted on Vacant Ready | Chris Clarke The Hottest New Real Estate Amenity: Extreme Sports
No summary... Tuesday, April 1 - Posted on KWE Blog | Karen Weiner Escalara St. Louis area's new boutique-style casino hotel
The first all-suite hotel from Ameristar Casinos is open in St. Charles, Mo. Its 400 boutique-hotel-style suites look pretty hip, with rates that aren't sky-high (rooms start... Tuesday, April 1 - Posted on USA Today Hotel Hotsheet | Kitty Bean Yancey WestJet Introduces Sleeper Cabins
Apr 01, 2008 04:00 ET Airline is first to provide new service without need for cabin upgrades WestJet guest snuggles in "new" sleeper cabin. MARKETWIRE PHOTO/WestJet CALGARY,... Tuesday, April 1 - Posted on Revenue Management Forum Mr & Mrs Smith by Royal Appointment
No summary available... Tuesday, April 1 - Posted on Les Explorers | Claude Bernard Once more with feeling…
How can you convey the real feel of a place online? Over the last few weeks of conducting web research with real site visitors, I have been reminded that while facts are impo... Tuesday, April 1 - Posted on Tracking Tourism | Vicky Brock An Elvis-themed hotel for Vegas?
Since Elvis left us and found a new place to dwell, he left a lot of heartbroken fans, but now they may get an Elvis-themed hotel. FX Real Estate and Entertainment Inc. has j... Monday, March 31 - Posted on USA Today Hotel Hotsheet | Kitty Bean Yancey Clever giveaways: Korean Mud
Getting down to the point, the giveaway: it's a plastic bag filled with the ingredients for you to re-create your own mud bath at home, which includes a packet of mud, packet... Thursday, March 27 - Posted on KWE Blog | Karen Weiner Escalara All Blogs ECONNECT RSS FEEDS  Stay on top of what's happening in your city and the industry. As an HSMAI member, you can now customize your eConnect news and information to include daily news from your choice of more than 40 city Business Journals. The HSMAI Foundation's eConnect research and resource site now gives you the choice of adding news feeds (via Real Simple Syndication, or RSS) that are updated throughout the day from Business Journals as well as the top hospitality industry and consumer publications. Just click here, log in to eConnect if you aren't already, and choose from the list of available feeds. Click here to learn more...
HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® Mid-america Offers Exclusive Customer Connections; Welcomes Notable First-time Exhibitors
3 March 2008 | Affordable Meetings Mid-America® (www.affordablemeetings.com), taking place April 11-12, 2008 at Chicago’s Navy Pier, known as a key venue for networking capabilities between suppliers and meeting professionals, will be welcoming a variety of new and notable exhibitors for the first time as a result of the reputation and past success of the show. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend Operations, Marketing, Industry Trends Focus Of Breakout Sessions For Resort Conference, April 16-18, 2008 In San Diego
27 February 2008 | Resort industry professionals will have the opportunity to take part in a series of breakout sessions focusing on three important educational tracks – Operations, Marketing and Industry Trends – during the 8th annual Resort Conference taking place at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego from April 16-18, 2008. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend HSMAI’s 10th Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference Set For April 8, 2008, Chicago
26 February 2008 | The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is once again partnering with the Travel Industry Association (TIA) to present the 10th Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference, held in conjunction with TIA’s TravelCom at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend ‘New Research Index Reveals Hotel Quality, Rate Impact On Hotel Acceptance’ In Winter Issue Of HSMAI Marketing Review
20 February 2008 | The just-released winter 2008 issue of HSMAI Marketing Review features a new customer report presented by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI – www.hsmai.org) Hotel Director of Sales and Marketing Special Interest Group (HDOSM-SIG) and the HSMAI Foundation. This article is the first in a series of articles highlighting the HSMAI/D.K. View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend New Professional Business Certification (CHBA) Announced; Courses Available To Public Exclusively Through HSMAI
14 February 2008 | The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI – ) is offering a prestigious new professional certification – Certified in Hospitality Business Acumen (CHBA). Pre-qualification requirements include experience in the industry as well as a certificate of completion of two unique training courses offered by HSMAI University and Lynn University, “Managing Business Results” and “Managing Revenue.” View Article | Print Article | Send to a Friend FEATURED EVENTS  HSMAI Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference (at TravelCom)
8 April 2008Chicago, IL One of the most highly praised and best attended conferences on the annual calendar, the Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference addresses the topics of search marketing, blogs, legal issues, metrics, future trends and much more. The forum is ideal for any travel and hospitality professional in a position dedicated to Internet marketing, or for those who want to learn more about the evolving medium.  HSMAI's Affordable Meetings Mid-America 2008
9 - 10 April 2008Chicago, IL HSMAI's Affordable Meetings is a FREE, two day exposition and conference program which takes place annually in three locations across the country, offering an ideal business and networking forum for meeting planners and hospitality sales executives.  8th Annual Resort Conference
16 - 18 April 2008San Diego, CA The resort industry will gather for their annual forum to discuss and explore issues unique to resort marketing and operations when the 8 th annual Resort Conference takes place at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego from April 16-18, 2008. The event is sponsored by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and The University of Denver's School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management. HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West 2008
11 - 12 June 2008Long Beach, CA HSMAI's Affordable Meetings is a FREE, two day exposition and conference program which takes place annually in three locations across the country, offering an ideal business and networking forum for meeting planners and hospitality sales executives.  HSMAI Revenue Management Strategy Conference
16 June 2008Austin, TX Mark your calendar and plan to attend the 5th Annual HSMAI Revenue Management Strategy Conference on June 16, 2008 in Austin, Texas (just prior to HITEC 2008). Program planning is in full swing and your input is needed! All HSMAI Events
All Upcoming Industry Events
FEATURED HSMAI UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS  HSMAI University programs for 2008 are aligned with HSMAI's Special Interest Groups to offer specialized content to support business needs in revenue management, Internet marketing, hotel director of sales
& marketing and resort marketing. Every aspect of the content and support material included in the HSMAI University program has been specifically designed and developed for those involved in sales and marketing, including an inventory of subject matter appropriate to individuals with responsibilities ranging from entry-level to advanced.HSMAI-U offers workshops and seminars in various cities, and "Webinars" incorporating 60-minute presentations conducted "live" via the web with audio conference linkage. Upcoming HSMAI University Programs:
HSMAI University Webinars are recorded and archived. To learn more and purchase archive copies, please click here . HSMAI's eConnect Industry Trends Update twice-monthly newsletter is an exclusive benefit of membership in HSMAI. It is a compilation of news briefs from around the media on the state of the hospitality, travel and tourism industry, with access to in-depth articles, columns, reports and multimedia on eConnect : a one-stop portal to global information and resources on hospitality sales and marketing topics provided by the HSMAI Foundation. Click on item headlines below to read the entire article. We welcome your comments and suggestions regarding this newsletter at info@hsmai.org , or use the online form .
How do you get complex selling points across quickly? Instead of trying to explain a new concept from scratch, make a comparison. Use your audience's prior knowledge about something else to make a statement about your product or service. In essence, you are just taking what your customers know already, and then "tweaking" it a little bit to help make your point. There are at least two ways that you can use comparisons in your persuasive messages:
On The Move? Be the switch voluntary or not, dreaded or eagerly anticipated, changing email programs is usually a challenge. To make sure it is not also a struggle accompanied by frustration and loss of data, you'll want to take your existing contacts, filters and, most importantly, emails with you in a smooth manner. If your past email program is Mozilla Thunderbird and your future Outlook Express or another Windows email program, your starting point is good. Thunderbird has stored your messages in mbox files which can be opened in a text editor and are easily converted to other email programs. Let's find out how. Export Mail from Thunderbird to Outlook Express and Other Email Programs To import messages from Mozilla Thunderbird into Outlook Express (and, consequently, other email programs):
If your Local Folders folder has any sub-folders with mailboxes you want to keep, repeat the process for each of these folders. |
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