Some 80 companies took part at the trade show from countries such as the United States and Europe and there were many presentations made on fast acting, innovative solutions and application methods, to hotels wanting to get on line with the Internet.
The aim of the exhibition as well as the specialized seminars surrounding it, was the recognition of the identities of this new category of hotel customers, the special needs they have as far as new technologies are concerned during their journey, and the presentation of the solutions available for new technologies in hotels so that these new needs may be addressed.
Particular attention was given by all the speakers to the significance that hotels have to give to new communication technologies and the Internet in order that they may keep in sync with the increasing demands, especially by those travelling for business purposes.
Hotel rooms are to be transformed into workable offices for hotel clients, from which the guest sill have the ability to use a personal telephone number, communicate with his company via the Internet at great speeds without having to worry about how he will be connected, the equipment required or the bypassing of his company£s security measures.
The examples of mistakes of the past which even caused hotels to undo the investments they had made in incorrect technological infrastructure, has created the necessity for the careful study and design on behalf of the hotels for the technological infrastructure that they will require.
This new age has also created the need for new job positions at the hotels. Making thus occupations like E-commerce Manager, Telecommunications Manager and Internet Marketing Manager, make their appearance in modern hotels. A new characteristic has been added to the profile of the modern hotel manager. Besides the Master’s Degree, the ten year experience and the three languages required, today’s hotel manager must also have the ability to recognize, operate, put to use and monitor constantly new revolutionary technologies. All this is necessary in order to maintain the services provided by the hotel he manages the communication within the hotel, and the communication between the hotel and the client of the highest possible competitive standards.
A characteristic of this exhibition, was the absence of Hellenic representation both as participator in the conference and as guest.
Exceptions were the presence of the Hellenic representatives of Siemens and the system of hotel management HIS at the kiosks of the exhibitioners, a visit by a representative of the Athens 2004 Organization, as well as the presence of a representative of SETE in the ‘Think Tank” group that preceded the exhibition.
The organizing committee decided that the changes that often occur both in the city and country hosting the exhibition did not make things easier for the exhibitors and the guests, it was thus decided that the venue of the exhibition is to remain constant each year. In this manner, Eurhotec 2002 is to again be organized at the Palais Des Congres in Paris on February 11-13, 2002.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
