http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/ Latest Sales and Marketing News by HSMAI eConnect en-us Copyright ©1995-2012 Hsyndicate. All rights reserved. Thu, 17 May 2012 14:57:41 GMT Thu, 17 May 2012 14:57:41 GMT Hsyndicate RSS Generator 10 http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056117.html In spite of a stout and continued rebound in the hotel industry, when it comes to negotiating hotel management agreements, it’s the owners who are still in the driver’s seat. That is the sentiment according to panelists on the forthcoming “Negotiating the Hotel Management Agreement” workshop at the NYU Hospitality Conference in New York. “We are looking at it over a longer period of time, not how things have changed from 2011-2012,” said Keith Pattiz, who is chairman of the real estate practice group and managing partner at New York law firm McDermott Will & Emery LLP. Pattiz is also the moderator of the discussion. “The group consensus is that the pendulum has swung in the direction of owners. Even though the economy is improving, looking back to 2007, changes were made and there’s no going back.” http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056117.html Thu, 17 May 2012 13:21:33 GMT http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056102.html Interview: When it comes to bookings mobile holds great promise but there are challenges for revenue management (RM) professionals. Chinmai Sharma, Vice President, RM at Wyndham Hotel Group lets EyeforTravel’s Ritesh Gupta in on what to beware of. Sharma believes revenue management (RM) specialists have so far not observed material differences in booking patterns between the online channels - brand web, online travel agent and mobile. But since that mobile is still a nascent channel for booking rooms, differences could emerge over time and RM specialists should keep a close eye on trends. http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056102.html Wed, 16 May 2012 10:30:22 GMT http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056100.html We all know that location and price are among the biggest factors in determining the hotel a traveler books. But what about supermarkets? That's right. Supermarkets. A small number of travelers book their hotels by first figuring out where a Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or other specialty food store is located - and then finding a suitable hotel nearby. Clearly, this isn't a strategy for everyone. http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056100.html Wed, 16 May 2012 10:17:38 GMT http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056086.html It's fashionable to say business travelers increasingly are going rogue, but that's neither new nor true in absolute. While some commentary and certain data of late have supported the going-rogue theme, others have not. Dozens of recent interviews with corporate travel buyers, travel management company executives and corporate travel suppliers have uncovered almost no evidence of a notable drop in compliance among firms that manage travel. What may be different are the dynamics of policy compliance, in which the seemingly endless information and tools now at travelers' fingertips can butt up against corporate mandates supporting traveler safety and security. http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056086.html Tue, 15 May 2012 10:31:18 GMT http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056061.html International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 5.7% in the first two months of 2012. Demand remained strong in both advanced and emerging economy destinations, despite economic constraints in many of the source markets of Europe and North America. The first results of 2012 indicate that international tourism continued to show sustained growth in spite of challenging economic conditions. During the first two months of 2012, international tourist arrivals grew by an estimated 5.7% compared to the same period of 2011, according to the May issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, released in Batumi, Georgia on the occasion of the 54th UNWTO Commission for Europe. http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056061.html Mon, 14 May 2012 17:53:33 GMT http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056064.html Hotel Solutions Partnership has announced a major expansion in the leadership team. A Global Council will henceforth lead, direct and manage the company. Joining Ian Graham CEO on the Global Council are five highly respected consultants each of whom is taking up a role as Principal: Katrina Craig helps clients acquire, develop and reposition hotels, clubs and resorts in the United Kingdom, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. She leads and supports the entire development process from preparing a coherent business plan, through project team assembly, operator selection, fundraising, design development, cash flow planning to market launch. http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056064.html Mon, 14 May 2012 17:04:19 GMT http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056060.html In early 2012 HGR conducted a 3-part survey around the general themes of hotel school education, and student and graduate employment within the hospitality industry. Part 3 focused upon the hospitality employer's perspective, with the aim of assessing the benefits to our industry in recruiting hotel school students and graduates, as well as the relevance of current hospitality education programmes to the industry. This part of the survey was sent to a sample of 500 hotel General Managers and 500 hotel Human Resource Managers internationally. Below are the key findings. http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056060.html Mon, 14 May 2012 13:31:42 GMT http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056067.html VIRGINIA BEACH, VA –Homewood Suites by Hilton Virginia Beach/Norfolk Airport hotel has earned several brand recognitions, including placing among the top five Homewood Suites for acknowledgment of its Social Media efforts. In addition, General Manager Meredith Brinkley and Director of Sales Sandi Stowers each earned an Award of Merit. http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056067.html Tue, 15 May 2012 08:37:15 GMT http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056051.html Mobile commerce on smartphones and tablets is a really hot area right now, particularly in travel. And within travel, the hotel segment is the hottest. A recent study by comScore found that 51 percent of iPhone, Android, Windows and Blackberry users had accessed travel-related sites, and that one in five smartphone users had actually used their device to make a hotel booking or airline reservation. http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056051.html Fri, 11 May 2012 11:44:35 GMT http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056047.html The hotel lawyers at JMBM'S Global Hospitality Group® were out in force and mingling with about 350 hotel industry leaders that joined us in Los Angeles this week for the 22nd annual Meet the Money® 2012 conference. We are not in the conference business, and we don't make a profit on this event, so we run the conference at the highest level of excellence and the way we think best suits business-oriented deal makers. http://www.hsmaieconnect.org/news/154000370/4056047.html Fri, 11 May 2012 11:10:17 GMT