HSMAI, CHA Set Agenda For Debut Strategy Conference Focused On Caribbean Hotel Sales & Marketing

MCLEAN, VA | Sales and marketing professionals in the Caribbean will take away a wealth of information and resources pertaining to the hottest topics, issues and trends that are invaluable for growing their business when the first Caribbean Hotel Sales and Marketing Strategy Conference convenes in Miami, Dec. 1-2, 2005.

Presented by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA), the conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency in Miami.

“The travel and tourism industry constantly introduces new opportunities and challenges, by virtue of its continuous evolution - especially in the Caribbean,” said Alec Sanguinetti, director general and CEO of CHA. “In addition to identifying the changes for the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry, the Strategy Conference will give our members the tools to tap their growth potential by unfolding toward new industry directions.”

“We have a tremendous amount of content that we are adapting specifically for sales and marketing professionals in the Caribbean, and we look forward to establishing a strong presence in the region and increasing our membership base,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI.

The conference line-up is as follows:

Thursday, Dec. 1, 2005

• 9:00am-Noon: Special pre-conference workshop on Strategic Business Planning for Hotels & Resorts - From 10 Rooms to 1,000 Rooms, presented by John Fareed, partner, Fareed and Zapala Marketing Partners
• Noon-12:15pm: Conference Opening/Welcome from Alec Sanguinetti, director general and CEO of CHA, and Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president & CEO, HSMAI
• 12:15-12:45pm: Lunch
• 12:45-1:15pm: Opening keynote on Demystifying Distribution from Cindy Estis Green, managing partner, The Estis Group, and author of “Demystifying Distribution”
• 1:15- 2:15pm: Opening session panel on Marketing Through the Web: Demystifying Distribution, moderated by Cindy Estis Green. Panelists: Sue Heilbronner, EVP of Marketing, TIG Global and Drew Patterson, director of business development, Kayak Software.
• 2:30-3:30pm: Breakout Sessions:
• Session 1: Integrated Marketing Communications: Improving Customer Acquisition and Retention? Moderated by John Fareed, partner, Fareed and Zapala Marketing Partners
• Session 2: Internet Marketing: Developing and Managing Your Web Site. Moderated by Loren Gray, director of e-Commerce, Ocean Properties, Ltd.
• Session 3: Reservations Sales: How To Make Sure Your On-Site (or 3rd Party) Reservations Agents Provide the Customized Sales Experience That Today’s Callers Demand. Presented by Doug Kennedy, president, The Douglas Kennedy Company
• 3:30-3:45pm: Break in Supplier Showcase
• 3:45-4:45pm: Breakout Sessions 1, 2, and 3 Repeated:
• 4:45-6:00pm: Networking Reception in Supplier Showcase

Friday, Dec. 2, 2005

• 8:30-10:00am: Buffet breakfast and two roundtable discussions:
• Table 1: Success Stories in the Golf Market
• Table 2: Success Stories in Reaching the Eco-Adventure Traveler
• Table 3: Success Stories in the Gay & Lesbian/Alternative Life Styles Market
• Table 4: Success Stories in Selling to the European Market
• Table 5: Success Stories in Selling to Minorities, African Americans, Hispanics
• Table 6: Success Stories in the Group Incentive Market
• Table 7: Success Stories in Spa Marketing
• Table 8: Success Stories in the Meetings and Conventions Market
• Table 9: Success Stories in the Luxury Market
• Table 10: Success Stories in the Weddings Market
• Table 11: Success Stories in Selling to the Family Market
• 10:00-10:15am: Break in Supplier Showcase
• 10:15-11:15am: Breakout Sessions:
• Session 4: Revenue Management Strategies for the Caribbean. Moderated by Douglas Kennedy, president, The Douglas Kennedy Company
• Session 5: Effective Public Relations Strategies: With or Without an Agency. Moderated by Karen Weiner-Escalera, president, KWE Public Relations, and Richard S. Kahn, president, Kahn Travel Communications
• Session 6: Internet Marketing: Web Optimization and Understanding Search. Moderated by Loren Gray, director of e-Commerce, Ocean Properties, Ltd
• 11:30am-1:30pm: Lunch and keynote address on Today’s Caribbean Wholesaler - Evolving Models to Drive Business presented by Emanuel Schreibmaier, senior vice-president sales, The Americas, Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts
• 1:45-2:45pm: Breakout Sessions 4, 5, and 6 Repeated:
• 2:45-3:00pm: Break in Supplier Showcase
• 3:00-4:00pm: Closing General Session keynote address: Envisioning the Customer of the Future presented by Dr. Lalia Rach, associate dean, Preston Robert Tisch Center Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management, New York University and HVS International Chair
• 4:00-4:30pm: Wrap up on Adding Profits to your Bottomline through Existing Caribbean Marketing Channels from Tim Grace, director of marketing, CHA, and Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO, HSMAI

Saturday, December 3, 2005

• Foundation Golf Tournament (optional)

Registration for this two-day event is $295 for members of either HSMAI or CHA and $395 for non-members. The non-member rate includes six months of membership in HSMAI.

Sponsorships for the conference are available. For information, please visit or contact Melanie Penoyar, director of development, HSMAI at (703) 245-8037.

About CHA: | The Caribbean Hotel Association is dedicated to optimizing the full potential of the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry by serving member needs and building partnerships. The members of CHA represent the entire spectrum of hospitality industry's private sector, from over 800 member hotels with more than 126,000 hotel rooms in 35 national hotel associations, to allied members including airline executives, tour operators, travel agents, trade and consumer press, hotel and restaurant suppliers, and others. www.caribbeanhotels.org.

For more information on the Strategy Conference contact Victor Lebron at CHA’s Conference and Event Department at 787-725-9139 or e-mail [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 .