Channel Management, On-Line Distribution, eDistribution. These words are thrown around quite a bit these days in the hospitality industry. What do they all mean? For hotels, the bottom line is profits and the AH&LA's eCommerce Committee is working hard for hotels to maintain and increase profits through a series of seminars explained in this streaming audio interview with High Country Hospitality's Scott Anderson. Here's one you don't want to pass up. Click on the link to listen in.

Scott Anderson most recently served as President and CEO of Denver-based SWAN Inc., a global provider of integrated e-business and management solutions to hotels. He resigned in February 2002, following the company's decision to realign its operations to take best advantage of current market conditions. Prior to joining SWAN, Anderson served as executive vice president, Internet, travel division for the Cendant Internet Group, or CIG, where he directed the company's convergence strategy for merging its off-line and online businesses. He was also the driving force behind Cendant's "Project Power Up," which involved the installation of property management systems, Intranet connections and direct marketing tools in more than 6,000 Cendant hotels. Anderson also held the position of executive vice president sales and marketing of the Cendant Corporation. His diverse career accomplishments also include serving as president and general manager of the world-renowned Hotel del Coronado in California and president and CEO of the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation and Callaway Gardens Resort. Prior to joining Cendant, Anderson was the managing director of games services for the 1996 Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG). Under his direction, which drew international attention, ACOG sold more tickets than for the Barcelona and Los Angeles games combined, and he was also responsible for accommodations, food and beverage, marketing, merchandising, spectator services and venue entertainment.

AH&LA is a 93-year-old federation of state lodging associations throughout the United States with some 11,000 property members worldwide, representing more than 1.5 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 www.ahla.com.

Kevin Heilbronner is the US Editor for wiredhotelier.com and hospitalitynet.org, providing streaming multimedia-content for these websites. Based outside of Washington DC, Heilbronner has worked with Hsyndicate to conduct interviews at several hospitality trade shows in the US and Europe over the last couple of years. His column and content are featured in the Hospitality Net weekly newsletter. A familiar voice in Washington, DC, Heilbronner is the stadium announcer for the NBA's Washington Wizards, WNBA's Washington Mystics and WUSA's Washington Freedom. He resides in Centreville, VA and can be reached via email: [email protected].

Tia T. Gordon
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