EyeforTravel announced the program and speakers for its 2003 Travel Distribution Summit. Taking place on September…
EyeforTravel announced the program and speakers for its 2003 Travel Distribution Summit. Taking place on September 18-19 in Chicago, the travel industry`s most established distribution and technology event is going into its fifth successful year. Over 400 delegates are expected to attend what will be EyeforTravel`s biggest US event to date.
This major conference and exhibition, widely thought of as the travel industry`s most effective meet and do business forum, will this year have a particular focus on hospitality distribution. Two keynote debates, one focussing on the hotels themselves, and the second on the major online distributors, will tackle the exciting but sometimes controversial issues surrounding the distribution of hotel rooms on the Web.
Industry leaders including Mike Kistner, CIO, Best Western; Jim Young, VP Distribution, Intercontinental; Paula Drum, VP Strategy, Cendant Hotels; Scott Hyden, General Manager, Travelweb and Eric Christensen, President, WorldRes, will discuss topics such as inventory control, channel management, yield management, search engine optimization and revenue maximization.
Hospitality providers are facing a major dilemma about how to distribute their product online, said Simon Carkeek, Partner and Event Director at EyeforTravel.
On the one hand, they need to remain in control of their inventory, but on the other, times are tough and they can`t afford to ignore the selling power of the major online distributors. This forum represents a unique opportunity for hotels and key intermediaries to come together to discuss win-win distribution strategies moving forward. We are delighted to have so many leading executives join us to share their views on these crucial issues.
The event also features two further keynote debates focussing on the future of the airlines and the evolution of leisure travel distribution, as well as spotlight breakout sessions covering issues such as marketing and advertising, CRM, web services technology and revenue management strategies.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
