HEDNA Joins with HSA International to Launch New HEDNA U Course: Revenue Mgmt. Essentials for Distribution Marketing

This course provides an excellent means for expanding perspectives and gaining heightened awareness of current issues and practices in Revenue Management, particularly for those hotel professionals in both Manager and Director roles such as Revenue, e-Commerce, Reservation, Sales, Marketing, and Operations. However, any other hospitality professional seeking to gain a better understanding of the framework of Hotel Revenue Management and its functionality in the context of electronic distribution is encouraged to attend.

The course was officially unveiled at the recent HEDNA Conference held at the Hotel InterContinental in Miami during the second week of December following an end-of-the-year preliminary piloting period. During 2004, HSA's training specialists will offer this new program for the first time in public venue formats as well as private label formats. HEDNA University training modules include workshop PowerPoint presentations, case studies and other exercises that allow participants to gain firsthand experience with the techniques introduced during the sessions.

Several cities have already been scheduled to host the workshop during the first quarter of 2004, including Boston, Houston, Orlando, Honolulu, Toronto and San Diego in North America; Tokyo, Sydney, Beijing and Shanghai in Asia/Pacific; and, in Barcelona and Amsterdam in Europe. Sessions will then be made available globally as HSA takes the program to other major locations throughout the North American, ASPAC and EMEA regions. Course outline and schedules are available under Education on the HEDNA web site (www.HEDNA.org).

"HEDNA University has grown to be an outstanding success story over the past couple of years for our association," said HEDNA President Audrey J. Sieh. "The development of our course offerings and the expanding availability of seminars to a broader worldwide audience continues to be a high priority for us. This new course received strong reviews during our pilot sessions and we are excited to be partnered with HSA to offer another level of training at such a crucial time in the hospitality industry."

"Initial feedback from hotels, management companies and brands indicates that the topic of Revenue Management in Electronic Distribution is of major interest. Individuals from management to marketing and from sales to reservations are genuinely concerned with better understanding the basic methods for improving positioning and top line performance" said HSA's President & CEO, Mike Hampton, Ed.D. "We're introducing a rigorous worldwide city schedule for 2004 so that we can help more and more hoteliers take advantage of the growing and increasingly complex opportunities in Electronic Distribution."

Participants who attend either of HEDNA's two courses are eligible for credits toward certifications awarded by the Educational Institute (EI) of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP), and the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI).

About HEDNA - The Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA) is a not-for-profit trade association whose worldwide membership includes executives and managers from over 200 of the most influential companies in the hotel and distribution industries. Founded in 1991, all of HEDNA's activities are intended to stimulate the booking of hotel rooms through the use of Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), the Internet and other electronic means. HEDNA brings all segments of the hotel industry together to evolve systems and services into electronic distribution that is easy and efficient. Additional information on HEDNA is available by calling (703) 970-2070 or by visiting www.HEDNA.org.

About HSA - HSA International specializes in educational management, including the design, development and delivery of training programs, products and services created especially for the hospitality industry. HEDNA first partnered with HSA International in 2000 to organize, manage and deliver HEDNA University courses as public and private label seminar series based on their industry knowledge and the effective training skills possessed by HSA's team of professionals. Since that time, the first HEDNA University course "Understanding Distribution Marketing for Hotels through the GDS and Internet" has been delivered in major market areas, including New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico City, and Frankfurt. Both courses will be offered during 2004.

HSA produces and makes available workshops, seminars, video and audiotapes, reference manuals, workplace displays and job aids, as well as other tools for human resources development. The company also maintains a speakers and trainers bureau for providing professional presenters, facilitators, moderators and keynote addresses at industry events. Established in 1986 and headquartered in the US, with affiliate offices in Singapore and Germany, HSA has an international client base that includes a broad range of leading industry brands. Additional information on HSA is available by calling (954) 432-7301 in the United States or by visiting www.HSA.com.