Birch Street’s Doug Sanborn to Speak on “How e-Procurement Has Finally Come of Age” at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show

Newport Beach, CA | Birch Street Systems, the leading independent provider of e-Procurement and back office automation solutions to the hospitality industry, announced that President and CEO Doug Sanborn will be speaking at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show, the world's largest showcase and exchange of products, trends, and developments for the hospitality industry.

Sanborn will be speaking on the topic of “How e-Procurement Has Finally Come of Age.” Attendees will hear how leading hospitality companies like Hilton Hotels Corporation are using the latest e-procurement technologies to strengthen their hand in supplier negotiations while improving efficiency and financial controls in their properties. The session will also address:

• How instant enterprise-wide reporting can help optimize existing purchasing programs, kick-start new programs, or get the most out of your group purchasing organization
• Today’s procurement solutions, examining several leading systems and comparing their strengths and weaknesses
• Issues of user acceptance, supplier participation, and the implementation process

Sanborn’s presentation is part of the Hospitality Leadership Forum, which takes place on the first day of the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show. A podcast preview of the presentation is now available at

Presentation Details: Saturday, November 11, 2006 2:30pm to 3:30pm How eProcurement Has Finally Come of Age Location: Room 1E06 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show Jacob K. Javits Convention Center 655 West 34th Street United States - New York, NY 10001

Douglas Sanborn is the president and CEO of Birch Street Systems, Inc. In 2001, Sanborn saw that generic e-procurement and ERP systems were no longer sufficient to meet the specialized needs of hospitality firms, particularly the rapid price fluctuations in commodity food products. In 2002, he launched Birch Street Systems, the first enterprise-wide e-procurement solution designed specifically for hotels and restaurants. In 2005, Birch Street Systems reached the $1 billion mark in total spend through its platform. Today, Birch Street’s solution is the largest independent e-procurement platform in the hospitality industry. About Birch Street Birch Street Systems, Inc. is the leading independent provider of e-Procurement solutions to the hospitality industry, with more than 10,000 users in over 1,000 hotels and restaurants, buying from 12,000 suppliers. The company's e-Procurement software is a suite of web-based applications tied directly to suppliers, and are designed to help hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality organizations leverage their collective buying power, automate back-office processes, and tighten financial controls. Clients include Hilton Hotels Corporation, Marriott International, Marcus Hotels and Resorts, Interstate Hotels and Resorts, and the Cipriani Restaurant Group. For more information, visit . Contact: Tim Hayes 949-567-7100, [email protected]