IH&RA 41st Annual Congress | The Booking Process: Staying online - Finding and Booking Hotel Accommodation

Session moderated by Nik Gowing, BBC World Television

Point-Counterpoint: 3rd party channels vs. on-line direct - Partners or enemies? What is the latest in the e-distribution battle? Why did Intercontinental Hotels Group discontinue its relationship with Expedia and Hotels.com? What is Expedia’s reaction? Can hoteliers work successfully with on-line distributors and maintain control of their price and brand?

Moderator:

  • Nik Gowing, Main Presenter, BBC World Television

Scene-setting update

  • Peter O’Connor, Associate Professor, Hospitality Information Techology, IMHI (ESSEC Business School)

Panelists:

  • Gareth Gaston – Product Director, e-Business, Hilton International
  • Paul Mulcahy – E-Commerce Director EMEA, Inter-Continental Hotel Group
  • Henrik Kjellberg, - VP & MD, Supply Europe, Expedia & Hotels.com
  • Séverine Philardeau –European Business Development, Priceline/Active Hotels
  • Andrew Pozniak – Director, e-Commerce Worldwide, Le Meridien
  • Kristie Willmott – Director Distribution & e-Commerce, Jumeirah International

Since February 1996, Nik Gowing has been the main presenter on BBC World, the BBC’s 24-hour international TV news and information channel. From 1996 to March 2000, Nik was principal anchor for the 90-minute weekday news programme The World Today, and its predecessor, NewsDesk. He was a founding presenter of Europe Direct and has been a guest anchor on both HARDtalk and Simpson’s World. He is also a regular moderator of the Sunday news analysis programme Dateline London. Nik draws on both his extensive reporting experience over two decades in diplomacy, defence and international security, and his presentation and chairing skills. He has been a main anchor for much of BBC World’s coverage of major international crises including Kosovo in 1999, and the Iraq war in 2003. more...

IH&RA, the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (www.ih-ra.com), is the only global business organization representing the hospitality industry worldwide. Its members are national hotel and restaurant associations throughout the world, and international and national hotel and restaurant chains representing some 50 brands. Officially recognized by the United Nations, IH&RA monitors and lobbies all international agencies on behalf of this industry, estimated to comprise 300,000 hotels and 8 million restaurants, employ 60 million people and contribute 950 billion USD annually to the global economy. Visit www.ih-ra.com for further information.

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Founded in 1859 in Koblenz (Germany), the IH&RA is the only business organisation representing the hospitality industry worldwide. Its members are national hotel and restaurant associations throughout the world, and international and national hotel and restaurant chains representing some 50 brands. Officially recognised by the United Nations, IH&RA monitors and lobbies all international agencies on behalf of this industry, estimated to...