HSMAI University Kicks Off 2007 With New Webinar Schedule

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. October 14, 2008

JANUARY 12,2007. Focusing on quality, convenience, and innovation, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) University is offering an exciting and diverse line-up of webinars designed specifically for sales and marketing professionals in travel and hospitality. The one-hour sessions provide intensive education and information on important topics and urgent issues, including: Personal Branding, Resort Marketing Best Practices, 2007 Forecast: State of the Industry, Relationship Selling in the 21st Century, E-mail Marketing, Internet Marketing, and Working with the Government.

"In just one hour, in the convenience of your own workspace, the HSMAI University webinars can substantially add to your resources and knowledge base," states Fran Brasseux, HSMAI's executive vice president.

"A growing number of companies and organizations are offering the HSMAI University programs to their staff, colleagues and community," she adds. "All it takes is a meeting room, high-speed Internet access, a screen, and the cost of only one registration."

Every aspect of the content and support material included in the HSMAI University programs has been specifically designed and developed for those involved in hospitality sales and marketing, including an inventory of subject matter appropriate to individuals with responsibilities ranging from entry-level to advanced.

The topics are aligned with the HSMAI Special Interest Groups, including Hotel Directors of Sales and Marketing, Revenue Management, Internet Marketing, and Resort Marketing, run for one hour from 2-3 pm EST, and can be purchased individually or as a series. The cost per computer log-on is $129 per session for HSMAI members and $149 for non-members with discounts for registering for an entire series.

For more information and to register, visit www.hsmaiuniversity.org. Archive versions of all 2006 Webinars are available as well.

The 2007 first quarter agenda is as follows:

Tuesday, Jan. 16: Personal Branding (John Fareed, Partner, Fareed and Zapala Marketing Partners)

In today's ultra competitive environment, it is more important than ever to differentiate yourself from everyone else. Learn how to use the power of personal branding to reach the pinnacle of success with John Fareed's step-by-step workshop on how to create, launch and manage your own brand successfully. Learn proven techniques for shaping people's perceptions of you and your business. Whether you are an entrepreneur who is just starting a business, or a professional who wants to move up the ladder, personal branding will help you achieve your goals.

Wednesday, Jan. 17: The State of the Industry - A Forecast for 2007 (Robert Gilbert, CHME, CHA, President & CEO, HSMAI, moderator; Panel: Roger Dow, President & CEO, Travel Industry Association; Mark Lommano, President, Smith Travel Research; and Michael Gehrisch, President and CEO, Destination Marketing Association)

Where are we now? Where is the industry headed? Most importantly, how can you plan for the next 12 months to ensure maximum profitability? Take a look with some of the most knowledgeable experts in the field on a panel moderated by Robert Gilbert, CHME, CHA, President and CEO of HSMAI.

Thursday, Feb. 1: Prospecting, Profiling and Profiting - Relationship Selling in the 21st Century (John Fareed, Partner, Fareed and Zapala Marketing Partners)

Understand the importance and methodologies necessary for successful relationship selling. You'll learn how to properly identify, profile, and build relationships with market segments that are most likely to give you and your individual property consistent business at higher rates. It's about selling more rooms, to more people, more often, for more money. Topics covered include:

oDefining the perfect prospect

oIdentifying and analyzing available markets

oProfiling versus cold calling

oDeveloping the natural relationship

oProviding solutions: the 'not selling' proposition

oRedefining traditional measurement vehicles and timelines

Thursday, Feb. 8: Taking Your Email Marketing to the Next Level(Barb Taylor Carpender, Managing Director, HSMAI University, moderator; Panelists: Karen Nasuti, Nasuti and Hinkle Agency; Mitch Eisen, Real Magnet; Manisha Visista, Manager of E-mail Marketing, Interstate Hotels; and Kelli Fountain, Channel Marketing Manager, Pier House Resort & Caribbean Spa, Key West, FL)

Many hospitality organizations use email effectively for business development and customer service. Barb Taylor Carpender will moderate a panel discussion on how to get your messages through in an increasingly crowded space: what works, and just as importantly, what doesn't. You'll get new ideas on how to build a strategy for, execute, and follow up your e-mail marketing, and how to fit email more seamlessly into your overall marketing plan.

Thursday, Feb. 15: Resort Best Practices: Internet Marketing (Cindy Estis Green, Managing Partner, The Estis Group, moderator; Panelists: Frank Fredericks, Wild Dunes Resort; Tjibbe Lambers, Hershey Resorts; Sal Dickinson, Dickinson and Associates)

This webinar will reveal the findings from the 2005 Resort Best Practices study on Internet Marketing made available to the public at the close of 2006. Cindy Estis Green will provide a current update on hospitality Internet marketing and review the building blocks of successful Internet marketing for resorts. Learn what works according to top resort marketing executives and examine some case studies of successful campaigns.

Thursday, Feb 22: New - A Customer Leading Voice Program: How To Do Business with the Government Today (Timothy Burke, Program Manager/Managing Partner, E-Gov Travel, U.S. General Services Administration)

An expert from GSA will help you to understand how to do business more professionally and more profitably with this $2.5 billion dollar market. Topics discussed will include:

oGovernment Lodging Program Overview

oSome new lodging solution designs including the current FedRooms Program and RFP Process, the format for setting the new government lodging Per Diems, and the process of becoming a part of the new FedRooms Program

oWhat makes a good travel partner for the Federal Government?

oHow does the government employee make decisions about travel, and how do you market to him/her?

Thursdays, March 1 & 8, 2-part series: Is the Government Giving You the Business? (Eileen Higginbotham, President, Hotel Marketing Resources)

The Federal Government, civilian and military, is the single biggest user of hotel rooms in the country. Following the new Customer Leading Voice Program with an expert from GSA, this workshop is a "tool kit" for penetrating, marketing, and selling to this lucrative market. These two sessions will look at the scope, size, and unique characteristics of doing business with the government: Is it a good fit for you? How do you jump-start your action plan to work in this market? Learn the Internet sites to access critical and the most-current information, review regulations and code words, know the questions to ask, and how to answer the questions you'll be asked.

Thursdays, March 15, 22 & 29, 3-part series: Market Planning (John Fareed, Partner, Fareed and Zapala Marketing Partners)

This fascinating series looks at strategic marketing planning for the new and ever-changing world. John Fareed shows you how to develop a strategic marketing plan that is arrived at through an integrated team process utilizing primary research, secondary research, competitive analysis, and an inventory of your property's current marketing processes and tools. This new strategic market planning process gets your hotel's team on the same page, makes your marketing tools much more effective and timely, your creative messages stronger, clearer, and more believable, and provides greater return on every marketing dollar.

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 36 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 web site at www.hsmai.org.