The latest buzz words and travel trends, such as 'Togethering' and 'Strategic Control,' along with forecasts, a lodging outlook and more than a dozen breakout sessions to educate resort management professionals headlined the agenda at the 5th Annual Resort Management Conference. Other hot topics were Internet marketing, de-mystifying distribution, building business health, and marketing to meeting planners.
Held at the Pointe South Mountain Resort in Phoenix, the conference was sponsored by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), The University of Denver’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management and The International Resort Managers Association (IRMA).
'This specialty conference continues to gain momentum,' states Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. 'There are few industry events that provide a forum to discuss issues unique to resort operations and marketing.'
Peter Rainsfield, director, School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, adds 'The wealth of information presented makes it a one-stop shopping learning experience, covering a huge spectrum of timely and influential topics within the resort industry.'
Highlights of the General Sessions follow. For a full recap of the conference, visit www.resortmarketing.com.
General Session A: Travel Trends.
Peter Yesawich, president and CEO of Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell, presented results of the company’s latest survey on travel trends of Americans, their social and travel habits and how they are linked, followed by a panel discussion.
General Session B: De-Mystifying Distribution to Maximize Revenue.
An overview of resort product distribution based on the special report, 'De-mystifying Distribution,' authored by Cindy Estis Green, published by HSMAI and produced by TIG Global.
General Session C: Resort Operating Research and Statistics.
Mark Lomanno, president of Smith Travel Research, presented his latest findings on operating statistics for resorts as well as research about the size and the scope of the industry, facilities, amenities, demographics and compensation.
Conference partners are American Express and TIG Global; conference friends are HSMAI University, Lodging Hospitality, MagnetMail by Real Magnet, Resort + Recreation Magazine, Smith Travel Research, Panzano & Partners, Resort Management Magazine and Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell.
At last year’s conference, a charter committee was formed to establish a Resort Marketing Special Interest Group (SIG) under the auspices of HSMAI. Comprised of resort sales and marketing executives, it addresses the interests of those within the resort industry and provides a forum to exchange best practices and maintain close tabs on hot issues that affect resort revenues such as distribution, Internet marketing, revenue management, CRM and other evolving topics. This new group is an ideal solution for the resort executive who wants to be connected to others for quick updates on current topics and quick idea exchange for dealing with the issues unique to resort marketing.
HSMAI’s Resort Marketing SIG continues to work on behalf of advancing the resort sales and marketing discipline and the professional development of its members through information sharing and education, and is currently spearheading a comprehensive 'best practices' initiative. For more information, go to www.resortconference.org.
Established in 1946, the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management (HRTM), part of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, prepares both graduate and undergraduate students for senior management positions in the fast-changing and competitive hospitality industry. As one of the most prominent hotel programs in the nation, the HRTM program enjoys a superb reputation for innovative educational programs. The student-oriented faculty members are internationally recognized for their contributions to teaching, research and publications in various hospitality fields. For more information on the HRTM program, contact Nicci Crowley at 303-871-4266 or ncrowley@du.edu, or visit www.daniels.du.edu/HRTM.
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, including strategy conferences geared to topics such as the Internet, revenue management, resort management, airline and hotel contracting and leisure and business travel. 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 www.hsmai.org.
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