HSMAI Draws Top Industry Speakers For Second Annual Revenue Management Strategy Conference On June 20, 2005 In Los Angeles

MCLEAN, VA | A “who’s who” of revenue management executives from leading hospitality companies and travel concerns will headline the agenda at the second annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Revenue Management Strategy Conference, to be held in Los Angeles on June 20, 2005 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in conjunction with the HITEC conference.

Speakers include executives from companies such as Carlson Hospitality, Northwest Airlines, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Marriott International, Yahoo, SideStep, Kayak, and Hotwire, among others.

“The value of attending this conference for anyone involved in revenue management is tremendous as it deals with the most important issues facing this highly specialized segment of the marketplace, and it is the only forum that dedicates an entire program to the industry, its issues and top concerns,” states Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI.

Organized by HSMAI’s Revenue Management Advisory Board, the conference will debate critical issues and offer viable solutions and strategies for this very specific industry segment.

Among the agenda highlights are:

General Session & Panel Discussion: “Top Revenue Management Resolutions For A Recovering Market”

Panelists:

• Tim Kraft, director, Domestic Pricing Analysis, Northwest Airlines
• Andrew Oman, corporate director of revenue management, Carlson Hospitality
• Andrew Rubinacci, director of distribution planning, Intercontinental Hotels Group
• Susan Barr, regional vice president of market strategy, Marriott International
• Moderated by Bonnie Buckheister, principal, Buckheister Management USA

Panel Discussion: “Integrating Revenue Technology Solutions with Internal Systems and Processes in the Real-World Hotel Management Environment”

Panelists:

• Elizabeth Cambra, corporate director of revenue optimization, Outrigger
• Geert Mol, senior consultant, Optims
• John Riddell, senior vice president pricing solutions and senior research scientist, PROS Revenue Management
• Jon Higbie, Ph.D., director, Operations Research, Manugisitics
• James M. Ruttley, vice president, Client Services, IDeaS Revenue Optimization

Educational presentation by Steve Swope from The Rubicon Group: “Effective Revenue Management: Getting the Most from Your Efforts” | In this presentation and workshop, Steve will examine the various functions that must be addressed in order to make your Revenue Management efforts really pay off. Best practices in the integration of competitive information into rate decision making, Best Rate Guarantee compliance and extranet updating (channel management) will be addressed in this presentation. In addition, Steve will lead the attendees through an interesting, thought provoking and fun workshop on the application of contemporary Revenue Management techniques.

Panel Discussion: “Pricing Strategies for Online Distribution Channels”

Panelists:

• Pablo O'Brien, director of business development, Yahoo Travel
• Drew Patterson, director of business development, Kayak
• Don Smith, vice president, SideStep
• Stephen Fitzgerald, Hotwire
• Moderated by Richard Chambers, executive vice president, TravelClick

Round Table Discussions on:

• Channel Management
• RM Certification
• “Developing bench strength”
• Revenue Management Strategies for international markets
• Determine Your Future: An Open Forum for Sharing Your Visions & Challenges

The opening keynote will be from Mark Bergen, Ph.D, Professor, Carlson School of Hospitality Management, University of Minnesota. The conference also includes a vendor/partner showcase, concurrent breakout sessions, and a recap of roundtable discussions and closing remarks.

The registration fee for HSMAI members is $245 and $400 for non-members. The non-member fee includes a one-year HSMAI membership. Five or more registrants from the same organization are eligible for a group registration rate. For more information on this, contact Mary Hanger at (703) 610-9024. To register, visit www.hsmai.org.

Conference partners are Aspire, Expedia, Inc., HSMAI University, OPERA Revenue Management Systems, a division of MICROS, Ez Revenue Management Solutions, and TIG Global.

The Revenue Management Advisory Board is a group of HSMAI members who advance the revenue management discipline through education, participation, resources and guidance, enabling leaders to optimize revenue and performance within their own organizations. The group’s strategic intentions are to: provide education on all levels; develop a sense of community and participation; create tangible resources for revenue management professionals; and give guidance on industry standards and practices.

For more information on the advisory board and resources for revenue management professionals, go to or contact Doug Kennedy, advisor, at [email protected].

HSMAI is an organization of sales and marketing professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry, and bringing together customers and members at 15 annual events. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising nearly 7,000 members worldwide, with 38 chapters in the Americas region.

For more information on HSMAI, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, 8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300, McLean, VA 22102, phone (703) 610-9024; fax (703) 610-9005. You can also visit the web site at .