HSMAI's Asia Connect to take place in Singapore this October

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association (HSMAI) Asia Pacific will host its 3rd annual Asia Connect Conference in Singapore on Friday, 5th of October 2007 at the M Hotel. The HSMAI Global Board of Directors will attend the conference, many of whom will be visiting Singapore for the first time and who will conduct their annual general meeting there the next day.

The program for Asia Connect incorporates a welcome address by Dr. Judy Siguaw, Dean – Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management and HSMAI APAC Founding Chapter President. In addition, Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, President & CEO of HSMAI, will speak on ‘Addressing the Top Challenges & Issues Affecting Our World and Sales & Marketing Professionals'.

Responding to the need for a universal policy on quality service standards and ratings for the Asian hospitality industry, a discussion led by Dr Judy Siguaw will feature an expert panel that includes Shane O'Flaherty, Vice President of Quality Assurance for Mobil Travel Guide, who will express Mobil's experience and recommendations for Asia Pacific.

'A Special Focus on New Media and Revenue Optimization Strategies' will be presented by Victoria Edwards, the Vice President – Strategic Development from Buckhiester Management entitled, “Travel 2.0 and its Profound Impact on Revenue Generation as We Know It Today” will conclude the morning meetings. This session will examine how, just when we thought we had our bearings right in the distribution environment, along comes Travel 2.0, granting more rights and control to the consumer. It will pose questions such as ‘What is Travel 2.0?' and ‘Why should you care about it?'.

The focus on Revenue Optimization will continue into the early afternoon session with 'Optimizing the Asset - Applying Total Revenue Management to maximize Revenue Per Available Customer (RevPAC)' to be presented by Bonnie Buckhiester, Founder & Principal Consultant of Buckhiester Management. It will challenge participants to consider that in markets where hotel rooms are in short supply - relative to demand, how do you realize more profits without initiating another rate hike? This session will bring to light the often 'missed' opportunities to improve yields from Food & Beverage, Banqueting, and Function Room Rentals departments through stronger convergence of Rooms & F&B revenue management practices.

Later in the afternoon, Christine Toguchi, Managing Director – HSMAI Asia Pacific & MacroVision Network will moderate a panel discussion on ‘Best Practices in Talent Management' and the importance of ‘Employee Engagement'. The discussion will centre on the issues of why people leave an organization and how branding is being used to attract the best talent to the companies of choice.

The final session of the day will be presented and moderated by Yeoh Siew Hoon, Founder –SHY Ventures and Wired in Travel (WIT), renowned for her lively and sometimes provocative presentations. In a panel discussion ‘Singapore Sizzles' we'll shine the light on the new comers to Singapore and discover what sparks their interest in ‘Destination - Singapore '.

The day will wrap up with a Networking Cocktail Reception. Special rates are being offered for registrations before 3 September. The per person delegate fee for HSMAI Members are US$150 or US$125 for two or more registering from same organization; SHA/PATA Members at US$ 200 or US$175 for two of more from the same organization and for Non-Members the rates is US$225 individual or US$200 for two or more from the same organization.

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