Reservation Execs Meet In San Diego | IARE 23rd Annual Conference and Exhibition Report

The International Association of Reservation Executives held their 23rd Annual Conference and Exhibition April 19-23, 2008 in San Diego. The conference was held at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter Hotel with 131 attendees.

The organization consists of members responsible for all facets of the contact center environment within the travel industry. There is representation from hotel, resort, car rental, train, bus, and airline industry contact centers.

The mission of IARE is: “An international support group of travel industry executives which, through networking and education, enhances the awareness of operating techniques, products and services, enabling members to continually improve their expertise in the professional management of reservation centers.”

This year’s conference offered many networking and idea sharing events. On opening day, two educational sessions were offered focusing on Strategic Planning and Contact Center Leadership. Sunday evening, attendees were treated to a teambuilding event at Henry’s Pub in the Gaslamp Quarter. Throughout the conference there were tailored product demonstrations, facilitated discussion groups, and open topic contact center forums. There were presentations by ten different speakers on subjects ranging from technology trends, PCI compliance, home agent case studies, and improving agent retention. The final event of the conference included a trip across the border to call centers in Tijuana, Mexico to see the operations firsthand.

The hospitality industry is ever changing and the true entrepreneurial companies are already looking for future ventures. This year’s conference gave all who attended a look into what the future may hold for travel and the contact center industry. Next year’s conference will be held at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, April 18-23, 2009.