Maestro 2008 Users Conference Energizes Operators

Operator take-away: Web Connection to increase online revenue, Diamond Plus Service and Maestro for

. October 14, 2008

MARKHAM, Canada, May 13, 2008. NORTHWIND-Maestro PMS, provider of the MaestroTM Enterprise Property Management Suite of hotel software and reservation management solutions for high touch single and multi-property operations, has concluded its successful five-day Maestro Users Conference. Attendees explored the new Maestro 'Web Connection' suite for increasing online revenue and guest self-service, attended hands-on training labs to increase operator revenue and productivity, and learned best practices to drive greater operating efficiency. The event, titled Guest Connections, was held at Vintage Hotels in Niagara-on-The-Lake, Ontario Canada and attended by operators from over 50 Maestro client properties.

"This was my first Maestro Users Conference and I was very impressed," said Robert Pauselli, director of IT at Taboo Resort, Golf & Spa. "The information I gained and the ability to network with other Maestro users was invaluable. When I select a vendor it extends beyond the product itself into how the company supports us. NORTHWIND's Diamond Plus Support is excellent; not many other companies go to the lengths that NORTHWIND does to ensure its users are successful." Maestro user Rebecca Harvey, GM at the Hotel Nexus, said, "The 30-minute Hands-on Lab session was worth the entire conference! I just cut my accounting staff's time in half with what I learned!"

"This year's Users Conference was the largest and most successful to date," said Warren Dehan, president of NORTHWIND-Maestro's US operations. "We spoke with clients beforehand to learn what would be the most valuable activities for them, and then provided those sessions and labs at the Conference. Attendees told us they learned a great deal from our classes and had an enjoyable time networking with peers from across the country during our evening events. Our goal was to have clients return to their properties energized to make a difference, share their knowledge and achieve more with their Maestro systems."

The 2008 Maestro Users Conference provided operators with many focused educational sessions and 20 hands-on workshops offering personalized training in operational areas including:

--Front Desk Best Practices and Features

--Web Connection, GDS 2 way & Yield Controls

--360 Degrees Guest CRM including integrated Guest Experience Measurement

--Multi-Property Considerations

--Analytics & Reporting

--Rates & Dynamic Packaging

--Sales & Catering

--Group Management

--Spa & Activities

--And much more

"The workshops were perfect for enabling our team to learn advanced Maestro system processes that will improve our operation," said Jeanni Ronk, revenue manager for Cape Resorts Group with seven hotels using Maestro. "NORTHWIND also previewed new system enhancements it is rolling out to drive more online revenue; and the evening activities were great opportunities for users to network with peers and share best practices."

Dehan noted that a number of Conference attendees requested NORTHWIND offer 'Maestro for Beginners' online system instruction classes for new hires to address high turnover issues and that NORTHWIND will now include them in its standard Diamond Plus Service package. "We truly value our clients' feedback, support and ideas which we use as the inspiration to improve the Users Conference experience each year and continuously improve our solutions and services to help clients reach their goals," Dehan said.

Jeanette Kenworthy, reservations manager at Post Ranch Inn said, "Our property sent four staff members to the conference and we all received personalized attention and learned a great deal about how to use Maestro to operate more efficiently. The interactive training workshops were particularly beneficial for our team because we installed our system less than a year ago. The NORTHWIND team works closely with its users; it is a special relationship."

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