AH&LA Radio: Audio Interview w/ Douglas K. Shifflet, Pres./CEO, D.K. Shifflet & Associates Ltd. - A Marketing Psychologist Discusses Recent Travel & Tourism Surveys
AH&LA Member Douglas K. Shifflet, President and CEO of D.K. Shifflet & Associates Ltd., joins us from the IH/M&RS in NYC to discuss current research and statistics on the lodging industry. Who needs help and in what specific areas? DKS&A's clients include Marriott, the US Government and various CVB's, just to name a few. Click 'play' on this streaming audio interview to hear what's happening.
He founded D.K. Shifflet & Associates Ltd. (DKS&A) in 1982. The Company specializes in syndicated and proprietary consumer travel research and planning. Under Mr. Shifflet's guidance the company has grown to be the USA industry leader and has embarked on Worldwide expansion. DKS&A has developed the syndicated DIRECTIONS® Travel Intelligence SystemSM encompassing several monthly studies which provide large scale integrated, continuous tracking of total sector, BRAND and segment information, as well as forecasting information for destinations, hotels/motels, airlines, credit cards and rental cars and more. DKS&A DIRECTIONS® is the largest, most accurate and comprehensive, monthly, syndicated consumer database in the travel industry.
Prior to establishing his own company, he joined the Marriott Corporation in 1977 and started their marketing consulting and research group, where he served as corporate vice president of marketing services for five years. He provided marketing research and consultation to corporate staff and all divisions. His consumer insight/information set the groundwork for Marriott's major expansion in the late 70's and early 80's, including the Internationally acclaimed research that led to the successful "Courtyard by Marriott" hotel chain.
During the ten year period before Marriott, his professional career covered business development and new product research for The Pillsbury Company and for General Mills, Inc.
Mr. Shifflet has held national office, participated in several corporate and association task forces, and is active in National and International management, marketing and marketing research organizations. He is frequently a keynote speaker at National and International Conferences and he is regularly interviewed by the major media and quoted in the trade press.
Mr. Shifflet is a consultant, author and lecturer on product positioning, marketing, strategic planning, trends in the travel industry, and the practical application of market research for high ROI business development.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is a 91-year-old federation of state lodging associations throughout the United States with some 13,000 property members worldwide, representing more than 1.7 million guest rooms. AH&LA provides its members with assistance in operations, education, and communications, and lobbies on Capitol Hill to provide a business climate in which the industry can continue to prosper. Individual state associations provide representation at the state level and offer many additional cost-saving benefits.For more information visit
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