Focusing on quality, convenience and innovation, HSMAI University’s webinars are designed specifically for sales and marketing professionals in travel and hospitality. “We attribute the tremendous success of our webinar program to timely, pivotal topics and information that offer tools for success, as well as the flexibility and convenience of participating remotely, anywhere in the world,” states Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI.

Each webinar incorporates a 60-minute presentation conducted “live” via the Web with audio conference linkage. The one-hour sessions scheduled this spring are as follows:

• May 10, May 31 and June 8, 2007 – Creating a Competitive Advantage: Essential Leadership Skills – (Three Sessions Remaining in a Four-Part Series)
  
  May 10 – Developing Your Circle of Influencers
  
  You can improve your credibility and enhance your leadership skills by strategically developing a circle of influencers that will give you a competitive edge. By improving your own self-reliance, reducing morale problems in your office, and improving your productivity, you will set the example and be the trailblazer in your organization. This session will introduce a development plan that you can use to chart your own leadership path.
  
  May 31 – Building Your Strength Through Empowerment
  
  This session will cover the basic concepts of empowerment. Participants will learn techniques on how to inspire the people they work with to performance beyond expectations.
  
  June 8 – An Innovative Approach to Motivation
  
  It has been written that the line employee, not the CEO, is the real hero. Great service employees – the food server whose attention to detail ensures your guest’s return, the station attendant who cleans your windows even in the self-serve lanes, and the travel agent who calls you afterward to make sure everything went fine – these are the real heroes. This webinar will focus on how the daily workday can create ‘battle weary employees’ and how you can effectively overcome this dilemma in order to make your business more successful -– even if you’re not the boss!
  
  Presenter: Cindy Novotny, Managing Partner, Master Connection Associates.
  
  
• April 24 and May 8, 2007 – Revenue Management - Two-Part Series
  
  April 24 – Maximize Your Approach to Group Analysis and Group Management
  
  Today’s marketplace is shifting to include more focus on group business. You want to maximize the type of business that is the most profitable for your hotel. Ensure you are employing the practices of a group analysis comparing a potential group to that of other business such as transient to accept the most profitable piece of business. The webinar will review an example of a detailed group analysis, the elements that should be considered including transient displacement and various group attributes, and help you to be sure that once a group is booked, revenue is managed properly.
  
  May 8 – Maximize Your Approach and Management of Corporate Negotiated Accounts
  
  Most hoteliers engage in some degree of corporate negotiated contract business. However, the approach to the relationship, type of contract, and production review for each account varies throughout the industry. It is vital that the hotelier ensures specific elements are included in every relationship and contract, and reviews to be certain that the hotel is selecting the most appropriate accounts that bring the most value to their hotel. Join us for this discussion on the elements that are critical to identifying the most valuable accounts that are the best fit to your hotel.
  
  Presenter: Kathleen Cullen, Co-founder and Partner, Inspire Resources.

Offering added value, HSMAI University is providing a second viewing of the recorded version of the original webinar (within 30 days of the live webinar) for each registration. For information, pricing or to register for the webinars, visit www.hsmaiuniversity.org, or call (703) 610-9024, x386.

For ease and convenience, archive copies of webinars are available for purchase when one’s schedule does not permit live attendance. E-mail hsmai@hsmai.org for information about gaining access to any webinar presented in the past year.

Launched in 1996, HSMAI University is the organization’s most comprehensive and ambitious initiative in the realm of education for sales and marketers of hospitality and travel to-date, entailing a wide-ranging schedule of course offerings and learning experiences in public venue, private label and online formats.

Programs for 2007 are aligned with HSMAI’s Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to offer specialized content to support business needs in revenue management, Internet marketing, hotel directors of sales and 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 University offers workshops and seminars in various cities each year.