“Taking Web 2.0 to the Next Level” will be the keynote presentation of Andy Tress, Regional Vice President of Sales, YouTube, during the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s ninth Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference, being held on Monday, Dec. 3, 2007 in Phoenix, AZ. 

“We are pleased to have YouTube’s perspective brought to the table to help attendees better understand this ever-evolving medium which is essential for success in today’s marketplace,” states Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. “Our full-day agenda is packed with insightful presentations from key industry professionals and we look forward to another extremely successful event,” he added.

Focusing on the most timely and critical issues related to travel Internet marketing, the conference will delve into the hottest topics of the day: Social Media, e-Commerce and Online Branding. In addition to Tress’ insightful presentation, the day-long forum, taking place just prior to the HEDNA conference, will feature a keynote address on

“Online Branding – Emerging Strategies in Search Intelligence” from Mike Pusateri, Chairman, Vantage Strategy Consulting.

Pusateri’s presentation will focus on navigating the transition from offline to online marketing and why finding the balance between the two is a challenging task today. This session will address how travel marketers successfully bridge the gap between the two approaches and can leverage the massive amount of search intelligence that exists today into practical and profitable strategies for your hotel, hotel company or destination.

Cindy Estis Green, Managing Partner, The Estis Group, will present “The New World of Social Media.” Social networking has fundamentally shifted the balance between consumer and marketer, resulting in the creation of new communication tools such as Web 2.0. Word-of-mouth remains one of the most influential forms of promotion, but how do you get your company in the buzz?

Questions such as this will be addressed by the author of a comprehensive new report published by the HSMAI Foundation and the Travel Industry Association (TIA) - The Travel Marketer’s Guide to Social Media & Social Networks. A panel of eCommerce experts will also provide an outlook for further developments in 2008.

“E-Commerce Perspectives from Non-Travel Industry Experts” will also be presented during the event.