EVENT DETAIL
HSMAI Hotel Sales Strategy Conference
Date: March 31, 2009 - March 31, 2009
Location: Chicago
Agenda | Speakers | Housing Information
Extra Value for Attendees | What People Have Said
Special Rate for Affordable Meetings Exhibitors | Register Today!
In these challenging economic times, we know you can only afford to attend conferences and events that deliver the highest return on your investment.
HSMAI’s 3rd Hotel Sales Strategy Conference will deliver for you. Designed specifically for hotel sales professionals, this conference will help you find new business, stand out from the crowd, and navigate the road to economic recovery.
The conference will address the issues and challenges that you are facing, summarize the implications, and provide solutions and strategies. You will also hear directly from customers who will share their strategic thoughts on developments in their sectors, and learn creative ideas to identify new customers. We will all benefit from our collective knowledge and experience.
Hotel Sales Strategy Conference
March 31, 2009
Swissôtel Chicago
323 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois
The conference is organized by HSMAI’s Hotel Director of Sales & Marketing (HDOSM) Advisory Board. Learn more about it and the HDOSM Special Interest Group at www.hdosm.org.
Agenda
Find New Business, Stand Out from the Crowd & Navigate the Road to Recovery
9:30 am
Registration Opens
10:00 – 10:30 am
Networking Coffee
10:30 – 10:45 am
Welcome and Preview of the Day
10:45 – 11:45 am
The Passion of Leadership
Henry S. Givray, Chairman & CEO, SmithBucklin Corporation
Leadership is the uniquely consistent and defining force behind great, enduring organizations. But what is leadership? We know when we see it. We can measure its impact. We can feel how it inspires or motivates us. But leadership is not a rigorous science. It is often a vague and elusive concept for which there are no simple formulas or set rules. Henry Givray believes that leadership can’t be taught, it must be learned. This presentation is designed to help others identify opportunities to grow as leaders, while also building their commitment to continuous learning in this area. During the session, Henry offers a working framework which provides clarity and context around effective leadership as well as practical ideas and principles for everyday use.
11:45 am – 12:45 pm
Making Tough Business Decisions in Tough Times
Sergio Asensio, Managing Director, Topline Group LLC
Making decisions is tough, but the task is made easier if you have a framework to help guide you. You will not walk away from this presentation with specific answers, but you will walk away with a framework that will guide you to the right answers.
We’ll be addressing how to identify your best accounts, how to optimize Sales deployment, how to use market share results to drive Sales strategy, how to choose between competing Sales initiatives, and how to determine which sales situations require one-off solutions and which ones require systemic solutions. The techniques we’ll be sharing offer a systematic and transparent decision-making approach to Sales challenges. These features are important during tough times. Your Sales staff will know that the tough choices you’re making were well thought out, logical, adhere to a rigorous methodology, and are not capricious.
The frameworks we’ll be presenting will allow you to maximize returns, work smarter, safeguard scarce resources, enhance staff satisfaction, and get to market faster --- and with better programs --- than your competitors.
12:45 – 1:15 pm
Networking Lunch
1:15 – 2:00 pm
One-on-One with Smith Travel Research
Jan Freitag, Vice President, Smith Travel Research
After you get an exclusive up-to-the minute snapshot of where the industry stands and where it’s headed from STR's perspective, you’ll have the chance to ask your toughest questions in this “town hall” session.
You will leave with the information and insight you need to improve your budgeting accuracy, deploy your sales force toward the best opportunities, and stay ahead of your competition.
2:00 – 2:15 pm
Break
2:15 – 3:15 pm
The Voice of the Customer
Take part in this spirited discussion with customers representing the association, government, corporate, and leisure sectors.
You’ll hear their strategic thoughts and discover what’s going on in their sectors. This dialogue about the trends, changes, and developments emerging in their respective niches will include plenty of time for Q&A. You’ll gain valuable insights into what your customers want and what they see on the horizon.
Panelists:
- Rick Freeda, CMP, Program Manager for all GSALodging programs, U.S. General Services Administration
- Rick Garlick, Senior Director of Consulting and Strategic Implementation, Maritz Research
- Lise Puckorius, Senior Vice President of Convention & Tradeshow Services, SmithBucklin
3:15 – 3:30 pm
Networking Break
3:30 – 4:45 pm
Driving Online Reservations through Internet Marketing
Kimberly Ehrlich, Director of Business Development, Milestone Internet Marketing
Using the latest Internet Marketing tools and technology we will talk about specific items that will drive more traffic to your website, and ultimately to confirmed reservations. Presented with real life case studies, this workshop will cover everything you need to know to be highly competitive in your market. We will walk through the evolution of search engine technology and pinpoint specific tactics to leverage your Internet Marketing efforts.
The following are among the many topics we will discuss:
- How the search engines rank websites (and what hotels can do to position themselves advantageously)
- The value of organic vs. Pay Per Click listings (free vs. paid)
- Keyword research to pinpoint specific demand within a hotel’s market
- Linking and directory enrollment (for the best visibility)
- How to design for the highest conversion rates of lookers to bookers
- Web 2.0 tools: Blogs, RSS Feeds, User generated content, online videos, etc.
A best practices roundtable discussion following the presenter’s overview will help all attendees benefit from the collective knowledge and experience.
4:45 – 5:45 pm
Make Yourself Indispensable and Unforgettable!
John Parke, President & CEO, Leadership Synergies, LLC
Just like companies, each of us has a brand image. Particularly in challenging times, you need to develop and nurture your personal brand image--not just to keep your job, but to be considered for future leadership positions. Now is the time to learn the strategies and tactics you'll need to prove your professionalism, position yourself as a better strategic thinker, and develop a personal action plan. Join us for a fast-paced, informative session that will help you take your image to the next level.
5:45 – 7:00 pm
Closing Remarks followed by Networking Reception
Make sure you stay for the very end…Someone is going to leave the room with some cash in their pockets. Talk about ROI!
Speakers
Sergio Asensio is Managing Director of Topline Group, a sales and marketing company specializing in customer data analysis. Founded in 1998, Topline Group helps Fortune 500 companies maximize their sales efforts by ensuring that the right resources are applied against the right customers at the right time. Sergio and Topline Group have worked with Kraft, Nabisco, Gillette, Hershey Foods, Marriott International, Starwood Hotels, Hilton Hotels, and LuxuryResorts helping them maximize their sales efforts. Prior to founding Topline Group, Sergio was vice president of sales deployment & analysis for Marriott International. His responsibilities spanned all full-service brands and all geographies.
Kimberly Ehrlich is Director of Business Development for Milestone Internet Marketing and is responsible for all of Milestone’s Sales and Marketing efforts in the Eastern Division. She opened up the New York office in 2007, and works closely with Brands, Management Companies and Ownership Groups to develop Search Engine Marketing strategies.
She has lectured at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University Johnson School of Business, The New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association, The Pennsylvania Tourism and Lodging Association, and various hotel management companies throughout the East Coast. Her expertise is in Search Engine Trends/Technology, Paid Search, Web 2.0 and Social Media.
Kimberly has held positions at the Walt Disney World Company, Crystal Cruises and TravelCLICK. Prior to joining Milestone, Kimberly worked at TravelCLICK where she was a Director of Sales in the Mid-Atlantic Region specializing in Data, eCommerce and Reservations products for the hospitality industry. At TravelCLICK, Kimberly worked directly with marketing and revenue management departments to drive incremental business through electronic channels. She is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, and remains actively involved with the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research.
Rick Freda, CMP, is Program Manager for all GSALodging programs at the U.S. General Services Administration. GSALodging programs are government-wide and can be utilized by all Federal agencies, including the Department of Defense.
GSALodging includes FEDROOMS, Emergency Lodging, Corporate Housing, and Conference Facilities. Through the GSA Schedules program, the lodging team partners with industry to bring “best in class” lodging services to Federal agencies and DoD. Rick manages the lodging programs from GSA's Crystal City, VA offices and has team members throughout the U.S.
Rick has over 15 years of experience in all facets of government meetings & travel. He has served on many local and national government travel committees, boards and association councils as a hotel and government travel expert.
Jan Freitag is the Vice President - International Operations at Smith Travel Research (STR), the recognized leader in Lodging Industry benchmarking services. In his capacity Mr. Freitag is a frequent public speaker and is quoted in trade publications and the general news media such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Associated Press, Reuters, Forbes, etc. He also writes a monthly column for Lodging Magazine, the official magazine of the AH&LA.
At STR he oversees a variety of projects, all charged with the accumulation and interpretation of global lodging data.
Prior to joining STR, Mr. Freitag was the Director of Content Integrity at hotelreports.com in upstate New York and a hospitality consultant with Ernst & Young in Phoenix.
Mr. Freitag holds a Bachelor Degree, with distinction, from the School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, and received his Executive MBA, with honors, from Vanderbilt University. Mr. Freitag resides in Nashville, TN.
Henry S. Givray is Chairman & CEO of SmithBucklin Corporation, the world’s largest association management and professional services company providing full-service management and related staff resources to more than 225 trade and professional associations, government institutes and corporations. Henry previously worked for SmithBucklin between 1983 and 1996, having served as chief staff executive for a variety of client associations in addition to other corporate executive responsibilities.
SmithBucklin employs 110 meeting professionals who annually negotiate and manage more than 1,500 meetings, conventions, trade shows and special events, plan meetings for 20 to more than 60,000, attendees, and book more than 420,000 hotel rooms.
Since Henry’s return to SmithBucklin as its CEO in August 2002, the company has grown more than 72% and has shattered every performance record from the previous 55 years in areas that include client retention, new client acquisition, employee satisfaction, financial performance and growth. Under his leadership, the company has launched a number of initiatives, including the SmithBucklin Innovation Center, The William E. Smith Institute for Association Research, and the company’s Leadership Development Series for client volunteer leaders. He also oversaw the creation of a strategic partnership with MCI Group, which extends SmithBucklin’s service offerings around the world.
Henry is a dedicated, ongoing student of leadership, committed to speaking and writing on the topic as a way to teach and give back. He has authored two articles for BusinessWeek, “Leadership Lessons from Mom” and “When CEOs Aren’t Leaders” published in 2006 and 2007, respectively. He is also prominently featured in the books: Results Rule! Build a Culture that Blows the Competition Away, by Randy Pennington, and Apples are Square – Thinking Differently About Leadership, by Susan Smith Kuczmarski and Thomas D. Kuczmarski.
He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a B.S. and M.E. in operations research from Cornell University.
John S. Parke, CMP is president & CEO of Leadership Synergies, LLC, a company that specializes in sales strategy consulting, sales training and sales audits. Before forming Leadership Synergies, he worked for Marriott International for more than 18 years, most recently as vice president of the Global Account Sales Organization. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing more than 200 senior sales executives and $1.3 billion of annual revenues. Under Parke's leadership, the Marriott sales force was rated Number 1 by Sales & Marketing Magazine for three consecutive years.
He is a frequent public speaker on sales cultures, organizational branding, and personal branding. His articles have been published in Velocity (Strategic Account management Association), Board Member (Center for Nonprofit Boards), Executive Update (American Society of Association Executives), The Meeting Professional (Meeting Professionals International), Convene (Professional Convention Management Association) and CMP Update (Certified Meeting Professionals).
Housing Information
HSMAI has a small block of rooms at the Swissôtel Chicago ($229). The cut-off date for reservations is February 28, 2009.
To reserve a room, call 1-312-565-0565 and reference "HSMAI Sales Strategy Conference."
Extra Value for '09 Attendees
Attendees at this conference will walk away with tangible tools in addition to the knowledge, resources and connections they gain on site. Take aways will include:
- Survey results to be released for the first time at the conference. The survey asks the question of "What are you doing to add value for customers (so that you can hold your rate when your competitors aren't?" You will have specific ideas and best practices from directors of sales and marketing from throughout the U.S.
- A complimentary registration to one HSMAI University webinar of your choice in Q2 2009 (April 1 - June 30, 2009) for paid conference registrants. A $99 value for HSMAI members, this will give you the opportunity to continue to stay on top of important trends and ideas.
What People Have Said
100% of attendees at the 2008 Hotel Sales Strategy Conference rated their overall experience as “Excellent” (83%) or “Good” (17%). Attendees said:
- “I attend the Hotel Sales Strategy Conference every year because it features an impressive line-up of top notch, dynamite speakers on relevant topics. I've always taken away valuable things that I could put to immediate use to help me and my business be more successful. If you want to be a leader in your field, this conference is a must.” – Cheryl Street, Hampton Inn & Suites- Surprise and 2005 HSMAI Arizona Chapter President
- “I went to the ’08 Hotel Sales Strategy Conference with the hope of gaining additional insight into what our ‘customers’ were thinking. I was not disappointed and I left with pages of suggestions to share with my colleagues! During difficult economic times, it is even more important to understand the needs of our clients, and this will allow us to have a competitive advantage. Looking forward to more of the same next year in Chicago!” – Bart Berkey, Director, Talent Acquisition- Sales & Marketing/Finance, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.
- “As a sales and marketing professional in a CVB, it's essential for me to know the important trends and developments that affect our hotels, and HSMAI's Hotel Sales Strategy Conference offers the ideal program to gain that insight. Whether it's customer data from leading sources, projected trends from the industry's brightest minds, or the opportunity to interact with hotel sales professionals sharing best practices, the conference is a primary way of making sure I'm attuned to the future of hotel sales and marketing.” - Mark D. Thompson, Vice President of Marketing, Irving, Texas Convention and Visitors Bureau
Special Rate for Affordable Meetings Exhibitors
In 2009, companies who exhibit at any HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® (Mid-America, West or National) will receive a special registration rate for the Hotel Sales Strategy Conference…25% off of the early member registration rate (which equals $295 per person). Also, exhibitors who take advantage of this offer can also receive a second COMPLIMENTARY registration. To take advantage of your complimentary second registration, please contact Kim Almstedt at kalmstedt@hsmai.org or (703) 506-3299.
Make the most of your travel time to Affordable Meetings® Mid-America and come in a day early for this program, an indispensible part of your 2009 strategic planning and staff development. Contact Juli Jones at HSMAI for additional information.
Register Today
* HSMAI Member Early (through 3/18/2009) = $395
* Member Regular (after 3/18/2009) = $495
* Non-Member Early (through 3/18/2009) = $570 which includes 1-year of HSMAI membership
* Non-Member Regular (after 3/18/2009) = $670 which includes 1-year of HSMAI membership
Register Now!
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