The five-star Corinthia Towers Hotel hosted the 2006 WORLDHOTELS’ Annual Conference January 20-23, 2006, in Prague, Czech Republic. The Conference attracted 290 hoteliers, from 38 countries, representing…
The five-star Corinthia Towers Hotel hosted the 2006 WORLDHOTELS’ Annual Conference January 20-23, 2006, in Prague, Czech Republic. The Conference attracted 290 hoteliers, from 38 countries, representing 90 percent, or 450 hotels, of WORDHOTELS’ membership overall. The attendees were comprised of 40% owners and general managers, 45% sales and marketing executives and 15% revenue management teams.
Corinthia Towers Hotel is part of Corinthia Hotels International (CHI), a Malta-based company, and one of the fastest growing hospitality chains in Europe. It has 20 upscale properties throughout Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean. Already known by Europeans as the ‘Spirit of Corinthia,’ CHI provides excellent service and warm hospitality.
In January 2006, CHI launched a campaign in the US to attract the North American Market. According to Geoff Andrew, Group Director of Sales and Marketing, “Our partnership with WORLDHOTELS definitely played a major role in the large increase of bookings from the US.”
At the 2005 WORLDHOTELS` Conference in Hong Kong, Corinthia Towers Hotel was recognized as the ‘Best M.I.C.E. Market Hotel for 2004.’ So it comes as no surprise that Corinthia’s five-star Prague property was selected as the 2006 Conference venue. Christian Grage, Corinthia Towers’ General Manager, said “We were honored to have been selected to host the WORLDHOTELS` Conference and appreciated the confidence placed in us. There is no greater challenge to a hotel than to host hundreds of fellow hoteliers from around the globe.”
Established in 1971, the WORLDHOTELS’ Annual Conference has become a traditional institution for its members, providing important updates on the travel industry and insights into the latest technological and consumer trends. Operating in an increasingly complex, interconnected, on demand and transparent world, it is the goal of WORLDHOTELS’ Annual Conference to provide support and guidance to member hotels in order to be able to deal with current challenges in the market place.
The WORLDHOTELS` Conference featured high level speakers from a cross section of the travel industry, who shared their perspective on relevant issues for the hospitality industry: Hans Turnovszky, president and managing director of Austria Hotels International; chairman of the supervisory board WORLDHOTELS AG; David Scowsill, former chief executive officer of Opodo; vice chairman of the supervisory board WORLDHOTELS AG; Robert Pietro, regional manager supplier relations, American Express Travel; Jaap Favier, vice president, research director, Forrester Research; Terry Tyrrell, European chairman of Enterprise IG
In order to effectively manage the complexity of the conference, WORLDHOTELS introduced a new format, focusing on one specific topic each day. Day one was dedicated to Branding and Partnering, day two to Total Distribution and day three to Development and Growth. Key areas that have been addressed included Maximising E-commerce, Optimising Electronic Distribution Channels, Enhancing Efficiency and WORLDHOTELS’ training.
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