Study Results On Future Of Revenue Management To Be Released At HSMAI Revenue Management Strategy Conference

MCLEAN, VA | Results from the Third Annual Revenue Manager Survey, conducted by the HSMAI Foundation and researchers in The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University will be released on Monday, June 16, 2008 at the fifth HSMAI Revenue Management Strategy Conference in Austin, TX.

The conference, co-located with HITEC 2008, is designed to create relevant, timely dialogue on issues in the field of revenue management. The conference is ideal for regional and senior hospitality professionals with direct responsibilities for Revenue Optimization and Pricing, as well as hospitality professionals with an interest in further developing their revenue management knowledge base.

Dr. Jeff Beck, associate professor at The School of Hospitality Business, Michigan State University, will present the survey findings during a lunch program at 11:30 a.m., and will be followed by a panel discussion on the future of revenue management.

"The purpose of the annual study is to develop a profile of revenue managers and identify trends and issues that they face," said Dr. Beck, who is also a past chair of and a current member of HSMAI's Sales & Marketing Faculty Special Interest Group Advisory Board. "Lodging Revenue Management has evolved to the point where the major brands, management companies, and vendors are committing a great deal of resources to this important function."

Breakout sessions throughout the day include:

• Revenue Management Diagnostics: a session that explores the foundations and elements of a RM Diagnostic, designed to assess an organization's or hotel’s revenue management practices.
• Wholesale Revenue Management: a panel discussion on the current state of Wholesale RM, including how to manage wholesale partners effectively and efficiently.
• Revenue Management for the Independently-Minded Hotel: an overview of the best practices that can be used to revenue manage independent hotels.
• Hotel Packaging - An important piece of the business mix: a panel discussion on best practices, including how hotels determine a packaging need, how to optimally build, price and bundle packages.
• RM Resource Planning and Developing an RM Training Program: a session highlighting the best practices in the recruitment, selection and training of revenue management team members.
• eRevenue Management: a session covering the RM Practitioner's Guide to SEO, SEM, and eCRM.

And, taking a 30-year retrospective with a look toward the future, a keynote panel will feature luminaries in the field of revenue management, including Eric Orkin, who blazed a trail for the discipline and tirelessly championed its merits. Mr. Orkin is a pioneer in hospitality yield management systems and is considered by many to be its leading expert.

The conference is hosted by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Revenue Management Advisory Board. Conference partners include, American Express, Easy (Ez) Revenue Management Solutions, IDeaS Revenue Optimization, HFTP, PROS, SAS, and TravelCLICK.

For more information on the fifth HSMAI Revenue Management Strategy Conference or to view a complete program schedule, visit .

About HSMAI | 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 annual events, including HSMAI's Affordable Meetings(r). Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 39 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, or visit the website at .