Mitzi Hoffman
Sales Manager
Embassy Suites - Covina
626.543.1032 phone
626.543.1045 fax

How did you hear about HSMAI?
I’ve been in the Industry a long time. My boss was a member and I always wanted to be a member.

Why did you join HSMAI?
First of all, the potential. As a Sales Professional HSMAI provides many tools so you can improve and update yourself. This allows you to perform at your peak.

Also, I want to get my certification.

Job Duties:
I’m a Corporate Sales Manager which involves IBT and Group Sales.

Other organizations I'm involved in:
LABTA

Hobbies and/or Special Interests:
I enjoy the Arts and Performing Arts.

I teach hula dancing.

Tell us about your family:
I have a daughter, 17 years old in an Honors Program.

Awards:
Embassy is the only hotel chain to receive the J.D. Powers & Associates Award for four consecutive years.

Other Comments :
Embassy is a nice place to work, Hilton gives you all the tools you need, which makes my job easy. I feel blessed to work for a leader in the niche and a product which sells itself. I’m proud to represent a product like Embassy.

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FEATURED ARTICLE

Smith Travel Research (STR) Announces Third Quarter And September YTD 2005 Results For The U.S. Lodging Industry
Industry occupancy rose to 69.0 percent in the three months ending September 2005, up 2.7 percent versus third quarter 2004. Third quarter average room rate gained 5.6 percent to $91.08 and revenue per available room (REVPAR) --- the combination of occupancy and average room rate and a key industry productivity measure --- increased 8.3 percent, the highest 3Q REVPAR growth since STR began tracking data in 1987, to $62.83.


ECONOMIC INSIGHTS

1995-2005: Results On Ten Years Of Growth For The Hotel Chains Worldwide
The year 2005 marks MKG Consulting’s 20th anniversary. It also marks the publication of the tenth worldwide ranking of hotel brands and groups in HTR Magazine. In a few days time, the sixth Worldwide Hospitality Awards will be held on 7th November at the Hilton Arc de Triomphe Paris, in the presence of Kurt Ritter, president of the Rezidor SAS Hospitality. On this occasion, the time has come to assess the development of these hotel groups.

A Lagging Canadian Lodging Sector Creates an Opportunity | By Michael Smith, CFA, Real Estate and Hospitality Analyst, National Bank Financial
25 October 2005 | National Bank Financial covers three of the four Canadian hotel REITs: Legacy, Royal Host and CHIP. The fourth REIT is InnVest. Our hospitality sector coverage also includes Four Seasons, Fairmont and Intrawest Corporation. Of the 24 stocks/REITs in our coverage universe, Fairmont, whose stock price is being penalized by the slow recovery of the lodging industry in Canada, is our top pick—more on this later.

Lodging Market Impact: Additional Thoughts on Katrina | PKF Hospitality Research
F.E.M.A. and scores of other federal, state and local officials continue to sort through the damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The toll on human life, while devastating, has fortunately turned out to be far less than the initial estimates of 10,000+ lives lost. Positive news has also begun to surface from the New Orleans hotel community.



HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS & OPENINGS

Hotels Yield Best Results With Person-to-person Sales | HSMAI-PKF Survey Finds
14 October 2005 | According to a just-completed survey conducted by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and PKF Hospitality Research examining Sales and Marketing Expense Trends in the U.S.

Hilton Launches Its First Worldwide Resort In Cebu: The Tourism Capital Of The Philippines
Cebu, Singapore -- Hilton International returns to the Philippines today with the official launch of its newest Hilton Worldwide Resort on the tropical island of Mactan in Cebu, the Philippines.

Starwood Announces Status of South Florida Hotels after Wilma
28 October 2005 | WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announced today that following the recovery efforts from Hurricane Wilma, five of its 13 hotels in South Florida are fully operational and guest-ready with an additional seven hotels expected to open in the next few days.

Accor Hotels And Realstar Announce A Fresh New 'designed In Canada' Novotel Prototype
TORONTO, With the intention of raising the bar of current upscale hotel offerings in Canada, Accor North America and Realstar Hospitality Corp. today announced they will build a new, stylish "designed in Canada" Novotel prototype in Montreal at the Technoparc St. Laurent Research Park. Novotel Montreal Ouest is scheduled to open in Fall 2006.

Hotel Construction Pipeline Growth Pace Slides in 3Q 05. Developer Concerns are Rising - Is There a Slowdown Ahead?
Lodging Econometrics (LE), the Industry Authority for Hotel Real Estate, reported in the latest edition of its quarterly Lodging Development Forecast and Trends Report that total projects in the Construction Pipeline at the end of 3Q 05 stood at 2,792 hotels having 377,077 rooms.


More: Hurricanes and their impact on Hospitality


BUSINESS/MEETINGS

Strong Business Travel Recovery To Continue In 2006, According To American Express Business Travel Forecast
26 October 2005 | American Express Business Travel, the world’s largest travel management company, released today its 2006 Global Business Travel Forecast that indicates strong price increases in the global business travel industry and suggests a more challenging corporate travel buying market in the year ahead. The comprehensive analysis forecasts both airfare and hotel trends as well as published price predictions for the coming year regionally and globally.

Convention Industry Council's APEX Day Finds Success In Its Second Year
McLean, VA |On October 14, 2005 over an estimated 36,000 members of the meetings, conventions and exhibitions industry throughout the United States and Canada took part in celebrating the return of APEX Day. While the first annual APEX Day yielded great success in 2004, the event gained even more strength in its second year.



INTERNATIONAL

London Top-end Hotels Show Most Robust Performance Post July Bombings | Deloitte reports
London’s top-end hotels (over £200 per night) out-performed all other priced segments of the London hotel market last month, with revenue per available room (RevPar) up by 6% in September compared with 2004 figures, according to the HotelBenchmark Survey by Deloitte.

BDO Reports Further Growth For French Hotel Performance For August 2005
25 October 2005 | What BDO MG Hôtels & Tourisme predicted in July was confirmed by the August results: summer proved generally successful for the French hotel industry. The August performances followed the same trends of general increase as hose we saw in July. The summer season proved generally successful for the French hotel industry. August saw a continuation of the RevPAR increases recorded in July.

London Hotels Make An Autumn Comeback | PKF Reports
25 October 2005 | The London hotel industry saw a marked recovery during September, following a severe downturn in business in the aftermath of the July terrorist attacks, according to figures released today by PKF hotel consultancy services.

Premier International Hotel Brands To Locate On The Palm, Jumeirah
20 October 2005 |

Hospitality Financial Technology Professionals (HFTP)

TRAVEL INTERNET MARKETING FOCUS

So you want to run a Pay-per-Click Campaign? - By Patricia Brusha
31 October 2005 | According to Google, all it takes is $5.00 and a credit card and you can begin to run your own Pay per Click campaign. What they neglect to tell you is that you need to learn an entire new language to understand how to manage Google Ad Words.

The Top Three Cross-industry Rate Setting Challenges | by Graham Young
26 October 2005 | What do the hotel industry, consumer electronics, retail, and the package delivery businesses have in common? More than you think. Each industry is struggling with managing group rates; all are working to understand how to keep promotions from cannibalizing current offerings; and in each market shoppers are price sensitive because of the Internet, seasonality and other outside factors.

Orbitz.com Ranks Highest in Satisfying Hotel Guests Who Book Their Reservation | J.D. Power report
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: Orbitz.com ranks highest in customer satisfaction with booking a hotel reservation online through an independent travel Web site, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Independent Hotel Web Site StudySM released today.

Is the Brand really helping you with your Hotel Internet Distribution Strategy? | Part One | Organic Optimization | By Patricia Brusha
To 'optimize' a website simply means to build it so that it will be discovered by search engines and returned as a relevant result to potential customers driving more traffic to your website. Brands such as Marriott and Hilton have just recently implemented organic optimization techniques on their brand sites. So how do you become “Brand Optimized”?



FEATURED BOOK

Internet Marketing for Your Tourism Business
By Susan Sweeney
Written specifically for the employees and owners of inns, hotels, campgrounds, theme parks, adventure tours, and outfitters, this guide will show how to attract more visitors to their Web sites and ultimately to their businesses. From the basics of planning an on-line marketing strategy to using newsgroups and site links, this book provides business owners with everything they need to make their Web site and their business the destination of choice for travelers, including Web site design guidelines, search engine tips, and online advertising opportunities. A password to access even more promotion strategies on the accompanying Web site is included.


REVENUE MANAGEMENT FOCUS

The Top Three Cross-industry Rate Setting Challenges | by Graham Young
26 October 2005 | What do the hotel industry, consumer electronics, retail, and the package delivery businesses have in common? More than you think. Each industry is struggling with managing group rates; all are working to understand how to keep promotions from cannibalizing current offerings; and in each market shoppers are price sensitive because of the Internet, seasonality and other outside factors.

Intercontinental, Accor, Harrah’s, Choice, NH Hotels, Thistle And More To Share Revenue Management Expertise
Taking place on 24-25 November in Amsterdam, EyeforTravel’s second annual European Revenue Management and Pricing in Travel Conference will be the meeting place this year for revenue management and pricing professionals from across Europe.



FEATURED INTERVIEW

A Complete Global Electronic Distribution System. Cendant’s HotelPORT Serves Independent Hotels | Interview w/ Fred Bean, VP, Hotel Business Development, Cendant Travel Distribution Services
In this streaming audio interview, Cendant’s Fred Bean joins us to discuss how independent hotels can level the playing field with the chain hotels. Cendant’s HotelPORT offers independent properties the same comprehensive global distribution network and high-performance technology as the chains use. Fred discusses the benefits of HotelPORT, its ease of set-up, cost effectiveness and more.


RESORT MARKETING FOCUS

Resort Industry Gets Best Practices Study On Internet Marketing And Distribution
21 October 2005 | MCLEAN, VA | The results are in on the first-ever, comprehensive study of “Best Practices on Internet Marketing and Distribution for Resorts,” initiated by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) Resort Marketing Special Interest Group.

Interview With Jumeirah CEO Gerald Lawless | modernagent.com
26 October 2005 | It may be the biggest luxury hotel company that you've never heard of - until now. Jumeirah, the Dubai-based luxury hospitality group, recently announced it would manage New York's Essex House as of Jan. 15, 2006, as part of a recently unveiled international growth strategy. The group also will expand its network of international sales offices and start using a new GDS code (JT) for all its hotels, effective Dec. 1.

Vacation Ownership Sales & Marketing Today | By Christina Wells
24 October 2005 | The vacation ownership industry has evolved significantly since its inception 40 years ago. An array of use plans offers access to stunning resorts located in highly desired destinations. As the saying goes, it’s not your parent’s timeshare anymore. The product is impressive. So, what challenges face those who sell it?

PricewaterhouseCoopers Study Shows Continued Robust Growth of Multibillion Dollar Timeshare Industry
20 October 2005 | WASHINGTON | The annual PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) benchmark study of the financial performance of the timeshare industry released today by the ARDA International Foundation (AIF) underscores the ongoing, robust growth of the multibillion dollar vacation ownership industry.


COLUMNS

Where Dining Is Headed: Five Trends | Benchmark Hospitality Reports
The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, Benchmark Hospitality International, which manages 28 award-winning hotels, resorts, and conference centers throughout the United States and in Asia, has announced Five Top Dining Trends for the Future, as observed by its properties.

From Poaching Salmon To Poaching Hotel Employees! | By Ambika Mehta | HVS International
25 October 2005 | A series of ambitious economic reforms aimed at deregulating the country and stimulating foreign investment has moved India firmly into the front ranks of rapidly growing Asia Pacific region. Today, India is one of the most exciting emerging markets in the world.

Don't Let Internal E-mail Destroy Team Unity | by Doug Kennedy
As regular readers of my articles know, I have always been a strong proponent of training your staff to use external e-mail effectively for sales and service inquires. It has been great hearing the success stories about increased e-mail inquiry conversion ratios and an overall improvement in hospitality and service efficiency for all guests who prefer to communicate via this medium.

The Window to an Operator’s Soul | The Hotel Operating Budget | by Ken Wilson
24 October 2005 | Budget season is upon us once again and this year the experts are giving hotel owners and investors much cause for celebration, promising continued demand growth and great strides in rate. Time will only tell to what degree market optimism is shared by operators.

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HSMAI, CHA Set Agenda For Debut Strategy Conference Focused On Caribbean Hotel Sales & Marketing
MCLEAN, VA | Sales and marketing professionals in the Caribbean will take away a wealth of information and resources pertaining to the hottest topics, issues and trends that are invaluable for growing their business when the first Caribbean Hotel Sales and Marketing Strategy Conference convenes in Miami, Dec. 1-2, 2005.

HSMAI Calls For Nominees For ‘25 Most Extraordinary Sales And Marketing Minds In Hospitality And Travel’
MCLEAN, VA | Who would you nominate as the most extraordinary sales and marketers of hospitality and travel today? Whose strategies are truly innovative and clever? Whose campaigns are standouts? Who gets results? Whose work do you wish was yours? What unique things have you seen this year?



FEATURED EVENTS

Caribbean Hotel Sales & Marketing Strategy Conference

1 - 2 December 2005
Miami, FL

Sales and marketing professionals in the Caribbean will take away a wealth of information and resources pertaining to the hottest topics, issues and trends that are invaluable for growing their business when the first Caribbean Hotel Sales and Marketing Strategy Conference convenes in Miami, Dec. 1-2, 2005.

HSMAI Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference

7 December 2005
San Francisco, CA

“Effective Internet Marketing in a Global Marketplace” will be on tap as expert speakers and panelists gather for the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) 5th Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference to be held in San Francisco, CA, at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005.

HSMAI Adrian Awards Show

30 January 2006
New York, NY

Celebrate the winners of HSMAI’s Adrian Awards for Advertising, Public Relations and Web Marketing at a special black-tie dinner and dazzling production.


All HSMAI Events

Upcoming Industry Events



FEATURED HSMAI UNIVERSITY PROGRAM

The Fundamentals of Revenue Management | Effective Yield Management For Enhancing Profits

8 November 2005
6 December 2005
18 - 18 October 2005
Various Locations in USA, FL

The critical tools for optimizing top and bottom line success | The increasing importance of revenue management in the strategic positioning of a hotel dictates that those involved in the process have a thorough understanding of the basic components, tools and methods necessary for implementing a successful program.

All HSMAI University Programs & Courses

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