Slated for April 21, 2004 in New York at the New York Hilton, from 2 - 6:30pm, the conference is timed to coincide with the Travel Commerce Conference & Expo being held there.

A preliminary schedule of the HSMAI Hotel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference follows:

• 11:30-12:30pm - Opening Keynote - Hotel CEO panel discussion with moderator, Henry H. Harteveldt, vice president of travel research, Forrester Research Jay Witzel, president and CEO, Carlson Hotels Worldwide, and Thomas J. Corcoran, president and CEO, FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated.
• 12:30-1:30pm - Networking lunch and exhibition hall open (part of Travel Commerce Conference & Expo).
• 2:00-2:15pm - Welcome and introductions of Advisory Board; Strategy and Mission of the HSMAI Internet Marketing Committee by Jens Thraenhart, director of Internet strategy, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (chair, Internet Marketing Committee, & co-chair, Hotel Internet Marketing Advisory Board).
• 2:15-2:30pm - Recap of the first Hotel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference, Michael B. Wylie, vice president, eCommerce, Wyndham International (co-chair, Hotel Internet Marketing Advisory Board).
• 2:30-3:00 pm -3rd Party Travel Sites and Search Engines and Hotel Companies: A discussion about the good, the bad, and the trends around search engine marketing, and how these online marketing techniques can be leveraged to add value to the consumer and promote the brand to increase revenue. Panelists include: moderator, Henry H. Harteveldt, vice president of Travel Research, Forrester Research; Emily Schubert, director, Travelocity; Jane Butler, head of travel, Google; Jens Thraenhart, director of Internet strategy, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts; and Michael B. Wylie, vice president of eCommerce, Wyndham International.
• 3:00-3:30pm - Defensive Strategies: Learn what some top hotel companies are doing to protect their brands online and how they avoid having customers specifically seeking their brand on-line from being diverted to other sites. Discussion topics will include: Trademark Protection, Domain Protection and Contracts/Agreements. Panelists include: moderator, Bill Carroll, Ph.D., Cornell University; Gino Giovanelli, vice president, e-Business solutions, Carlson Companies; and James Zito, director, interactive marketing, Affinia Hospitality.
• 3:30-3:45pm - What does this all mean? The trends in Search Marketing and Online Trademark Protection.
• 3:45-4:15pm - Break and Networking (Supplier Showcase)
• 4:15-4:45pm - Offensive Strategies: After playing defense, learn what some hotel companies do to proactively drive customers to their site and convert those customers to bookers. Panelists include: moderator Susan Black, partner, Black & Wright Group; Michael Hayward, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts; and Ashwin Kamlani, Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts.
• 4:45-5:15pm - Presentation of the first-ever HSMAI Metrics Survey results by Mark Lomanno, president of Smith Travel Research, and Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO, HSMAI.
• 5:15-5:30pm - Wrap up
• 5:30-6:30pm - Networking Reception and Supplier Showcase

"The debut conference held in December was a huge success, providing useful and pertinent information that is crucial to the Internet marketing process and its impact on the way hotel products are marketed, distributed and sold," states Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. "We expect this follow-up session on 'Protecting Your Brand Online' will deliver invaluable information along with take-action strategies," he adds.

Registration for HSMAI members is $175 if booked prior to April 4, 2004 and $250 after; non-members pay $325 and $400 respectively (fees include one-year membership in HSMAI). For further information and to register, call HSMAI at (703) 610-9024 or go online to www.hsmai.org.

The committee's Advisory Board members are: Jens Thraenhart, director of Internet strategy, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts; Michael Davis, director of interactive strategy & development, Ian Schrager Hotels; Michael B. Wylie, vice president, eCommerce, Wyndham International; Michael Hayward, director, marketing planning and automation, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts; Michael Menis, director, global marketing services, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts; James Zito, director, interactive marketing, Affinia Hospitality; Gino Giovannelli, vice president, e-Business solutions, Carlson Companies; and Bill Carroll, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor, School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University.

HSMAI is stepping up its involvement in the strategic solutions business by holding five Strategy Conferences in 2004, each serving unique markets and industries within travel and hospitality. They include: Airline-Hotel Contracting (held February 19-21 in Miami), Hotel Internet Marketing (April 21 in New York in conjunction with Travel Commerce Conference & Expo; and December 10 in Los Angeles in conjunction with HEDNA); Revenue Management (June 21 in Dallas in conjunction with HITEC); and the Industry Outlook Strategy Conference in partnership with NYU (September 23 in New York).