(…and just in time for the holidays…Best, Julie Wernick,HSMAInsider)
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are joining together to conduct a Hotel Industry Security Forum on December 2, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. Federal, State, county and local law enforcement will provide our lodging partners in Florida the opportunity to receive information briefings on lodging security threat dynamics and protective measures. It will also provide a great opportunity for the hotel industry in Florida to develop partnerships with government agencies.
If you have properties in Orlando or the State, please share this information with your Loss Prevention Directors and Security Leaders.
Please follow this link for additional details, the official invitation and instructions on how to register: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/BusinesSAFE/Menu/About-BusinesSafe.aspx
For more information contact the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Office of Domestic Security, P.O. Box 1489 - Tallahassee, FL 32302.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Around Town: The Village at Gulfstream Park
The holiday season is being kicked off with a “Symphony in Lights” free show at The Village at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale. The show runs from November 20 through December 31st nightly at 6, 7, 8, and 9 pm.
More than 250,000 LED lights strung on trees, buildings, light posts, etc., strobe twinkle, and sparkle. The show is computer programmed and the dancing light effects are choreographed to music. It’s a fun spectacle for kids and adults, alike, and the start of a new holiday tradition.
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The South Florida Hospitality Alliance Industry Holiday Party will be held at The Walking Ring at Gulfstream Park on Tuesday, December 14th from 6 to 9 pm. The event is sponsored by The Village at Gulfstream Park and Gulfstream Racing & Casino. Participating organizations collaborating are: ISES, HSMAI-South Florida, the South Florida Chapter MPI, Site/Florida, and the Association of Wedding Professionals.
Make your reservations now. And, while at the Holiday Party, you can also check out the “Symphony in Lights” show.
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Best wishes for an enjoyable Thanksgiving!
Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
More than 250,000 LED lights strung on trees, buildings, light posts, etc., strobe twinkle, and sparkle. The show is computer programmed and the dancing light effects are choreographed to music. It’s a fun spectacle for kids and adults, alike, and the start of a new holiday tradition.
--------------------------------------------
The South Florida Hospitality Alliance Industry Holiday Party will be held at The Walking Ring at Gulfstream Park on Tuesday, December 14th from 6 to 9 pm. The event is sponsored by The Village at Gulfstream Park and Gulfstream Racing & Casino. Participating organizations collaborating are: ISES, HSMAI-South Florida, the South Florida Chapter MPI, Site/Florida, and the Association of Wedding Professionals.
Make your reservations now. And, while at the Holiday Party, you can also check out the “Symphony in Lights” show.
-------------------------------------------------
Best wishes for an enjoyable Thanksgiving!
Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider
Monday, November 15, 2010
“Marketing Medley” – October/November 2010
(Editor’s Note: Here are several recent trends and hospitality marketing hints collected from various websites, releases, etc. Best, Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider.)
Every web savvy hoteliers knows that the Internet has changed the way in which customers plan and purchase travel. Hoteliers need to tailor their online marketing strategies to include these initiatives and evolve with changes in the travel purchase process.
It is no longer a question of whether your target markets are engaging with these initiatives or are active on Facebook and Twitter. Statistics show that social media is popular even among the older generation. If you are not reaching the hyper-Interactive traveler, then you are going to quickly lose market share.
Visual imagery is becoming increasingly important on your hotel’s website. The photos need to appeal to the emotional as well as intellectual side of your viewers. Potential visitors need to be able to imagine themselves potentially staying at your hotel. This “bonding” will change viewers to bookers. Photos also need to be able to down loaded fast as website visitors have limited patience.
Positive reviews are an extremely powerful marketing tool. By extending the customer voice across all marketing channels, brands and retailers can drive incredible value from their customers' opinions. In other words, customer input creates great ad copy. (It’s important to respond to negative reviews, but don’t forget to respond to the positive ones, too. Shows you are “paying attention”.)
There are 5 basic ways that travel companies are using social media successfully. These are: 1. Relevant Customer engagement; 2. Crisis Communications (to keep customers informed; avert disasters); 3. Discount Deals; 4. Building Online Communities; and 5. Real Time Monitoring and Responding.
On the other hand:
According to an American Express survey, more than one-third of travelers turned to offline resources, including travel agents, for planning and booking.
According to Fast Company, “live” travel agents deliver service that online travel agents have never been able to replicate much less replace, despite endless claims to the contrary. This is especially true in times of crises (when cancellations occur; weather related problems, etc.).
Trends from the retail sector?
Taking a lead from department store retailers, hoteliers are luring guests by offering “special” private sales that save as much as 60 percent on rooms, to get through the rough times of low occupancies and economic downturns.
And: Coupon sites are now offering discounts on travel. (Any South Florida hoteliers using these effectively?)
Meeting Segment:
As we learned from our recent September 2010 meeting planners’ panel presentation, sustainability and conservation are becoming more important to meeting planners and to attendees. Starwood Hotels has introduced sustainable-meeting guidelines at their properties. The guidelines range from menu choices and bottled water alternatives to using potted plants as centerpieces (instead of cut flowers). In addition a “Meeting Impact Report” will be generated for clients demonstrating the impact of their meetings on the environment.
Personal Service/Quality:
Setting your hotel apart from the crowd has always been a challenge. One way to do this is by providing personal service that can make a visitor want to return. For larger hotels, a concierge can be your number one salesperson. If they provide excellent service, people will remember this and want to come back.
According to SQInsight Hospitality, Guest satisfaction is a direct result of quality. And quality is more important than price in telling hospitality companies apart from one another. Though no agreed definition of what service quality is exists, it is generally accepted that service quality is dependent on guest’s needs and expectations. Guest perceptions can be measured effectively through carefully designed surveys.
Travel Trends/Research:
According to Smith Travel Research, for June, 2010, U.S. hotel occupancy climbed to 65 percent, up 6.9 percent from its levels in June of 2009. Average daily rate increased by 1 percent, and revenue per available room was up 8 percent. Upper hotel tiers increased rates year over year in June, while lower tiers continued to see rates fall.
Research intensity has been increasing steadily. Travelers are consuming more content online before booking a trip. Google has seen a 15 percent increase in site visits and 30 percent increase in search clicks prior to booking.
Over half of business and personal travelers interact with online travel videos in all stages of their travel planning.
Consumers are booking their trips online closer to the travel date.
Travelers are searching more for local, point-of-interest-based information around a destination while planning for and during a trip.
Google has seen a 66 percent growth since 2004 in “Near +” and “Close To +” terms in the Hotels & Accommodations Category on Google.com.
Every web savvy hoteliers knows that the Internet has changed the way in which customers plan and purchase travel. Hoteliers need to tailor their online marketing strategies to include these initiatives and evolve with changes in the travel purchase process.
It is no longer a question of whether your target markets are engaging with these initiatives or are active on Facebook and Twitter. Statistics show that social media is popular even among the older generation. If you are not reaching the hyper-Interactive traveler, then you are going to quickly lose market share.
Visual imagery is becoming increasingly important on your hotel’s website. The photos need to appeal to the emotional as well as intellectual side of your viewers. Potential visitors need to be able to imagine themselves potentially staying at your hotel. This “bonding” will change viewers to bookers. Photos also need to be able to down loaded fast as website visitors have limited patience.
Positive reviews are an extremely powerful marketing tool. By extending the customer voice across all marketing channels, brands and retailers can drive incredible value from their customers' opinions. In other words, customer input creates great ad copy. (It’s important to respond to negative reviews, but don’t forget to respond to the positive ones, too. Shows you are “paying attention”.)
There are 5 basic ways that travel companies are using social media successfully. These are: 1. Relevant Customer engagement; 2. Crisis Communications (to keep customers informed; avert disasters); 3. Discount Deals; 4. Building Online Communities; and 5. Real Time Monitoring and Responding.
On the other hand:
According to an American Express survey, more than one-third of travelers turned to offline resources, including travel agents, for planning and booking.
According to Fast Company, “live” travel agents deliver service that online travel agents have never been able to replicate much less replace, despite endless claims to the contrary. This is especially true in times of crises (when cancellations occur; weather related problems, etc.).
Trends from the retail sector?
Taking a lead from department store retailers, hoteliers are luring guests by offering “special” private sales that save as much as 60 percent on rooms, to get through the rough times of low occupancies and economic downturns.
And: Coupon sites are now offering discounts on travel. (Any South Florida hoteliers using these effectively?)
Meeting Segment:
As we learned from our recent September 2010 meeting planners’ panel presentation, sustainability and conservation are becoming more important to meeting planners and to attendees. Starwood Hotels has introduced sustainable-meeting guidelines at their properties. The guidelines range from menu choices and bottled water alternatives to using potted plants as centerpieces (instead of cut flowers). In addition a “Meeting Impact Report” will be generated for clients demonstrating the impact of their meetings on the environment.
Personal Service/Quality:
Setting your hotel apart from the crowd has always been a challenge. One way to do this is by providing personal service that can make a visitor want to return. For larger hotels, a concierge can be your number one salesperson. If they provide excellent service, people will remember this and want to come back.
According to SQInsight Hospitality, Guest satisfaction is a direct result of quality. And quality is more important than price in telling hospitality companies apart from one another. Though no agreed definition of what service quality is exists, it is generally accepted that service quality is dependent on guest’s needs and expectations. Guest perceptions can be measured effectively through carefully designed surveys.
Travel Trends/Research:
According to Smith Travel Research, for June, 2010, U.S. hotel occupancy climbed to 65 percent, up 6.9 percent from its levels in June of 2009. Average daily rate increased by 1 percent, and revenue per available room was up 8 percent. Upper hotel tiers increased rates year over year in June, while lower tiers continued to see rates fall.
Research intensity has been increasing steadily. Travelers are consuming more content online before booking a trip. Google has seen a 15 percent increase in site visits and 30 percent increase in search clicks prior to booking.
Over half of business and personal travelers interact with online travel videos in all stages of their travel planning.
Consumers are booking their trips online closer to the travel date.
Travelers are searching more for local, point-of-interest-based information around a destination while planning for and during a trip.
Google has seen a 66 percent growth since 2004 in “Near +” and “Close To +” terms in the Hotels & Accommodations Category on Google.com.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Around The (Travel) Websites: What Consumers Are Reading(?) …
(Editor’s Note: A collection of items from various sources. Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider.)
In the August “World Tourism Barometer” from the World Tourism Association, global international tourist arrivals grew by 7 percent in the first six months of 2010…Despite the 7 percent growth in the first half of the year, total international tourist arrivals worldwide are still 2 percent below record totals reached in 2008.
TripAdvisor is now featuring special hotel offers by Business Listing subscribers in their weekly emails to more than four million TripAdvisor members who have requested updates on a specific destination and are, therefore, highly targeted potential purchasers.
Smarter Travel Media, a TripAdvisor Media Group company, launched SniqueAway, where a members-only site offer is endorsed by the people. All hotels featured on SniqueAway have earned a minimum four-star rating classification and four out of five review ratings on TripAdvisor. Corresponding hotel reviews are shown alongside limited-time, members-only offers providing a quick view into how other travelers view the hotel making it easy to book a room before they sell out.
TripAdvisor recently suggested “Strip down to your smile on these beaches members recommend”. Haulover Beach Park in Miami was one of the nude beaches featured.
TripAdvisor featured the followed member updates on Fort Lauderdale Hotels in their TripWatch newsletters recently:
Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel: “Fantastic Trip”;
Atlantic Hotel: “Exactly what I needed”;
Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort: “The best hotel to stay in Fort Lauderdale”; “bathtubs are amazing”; Premiere Hotel: “Another enjoyable stay”; Pillars at New River Sound: “Definitely gotta go back”; Westin Fort Lauderdale: “Nice one night getaway”;
Harbor Beach Marriot: “fantastic once again”; Westin Beach Resort: “Nice beach resort”; Ramada Airport-Cruiseport: “Service was very good and I would stay at this hotel again”;
Sun Tower Hotel: “Value oceanfront king”; Bahia Mar Beach Resort: “short but enjoyable stay”.
If you book your New York hotel room through Expedia or Orbitz, you may face higher prices. State lawmakers recently passed legislation requiring the booking industry to collect sales tax on lodging. Other states will be watching closely. NY travel agents are fighting these proposed taxes.
In the August “World Tourism Barometer” from the World Tourism Association, global international tourist arrivals grew by 7 percent in the first six months of 2010…Despite the 7 percent growth in the first half of the year, total international tourist arrivals worldwide are still 2 percent below record totals reached in 2008.
TripAdvisor is now featuring special hotel offers by Business Listing subscribers in their weekly emails to more than four million TripAdvisor members who have requested updates on a specific destination and are, therefore, highly targeted potential purchasers.
Smarter Travel Media, a TripAdvisor Media Group company, launched SniqueAway, where a members-only site offer is endorsed by the people. All hotels featured on SniqueAway have earned a minimum four-star rating classification and four out of five review ratings on TripAdvisor. Corresponding hotel reviews are shown alongside limited-time, members-only offers providing a quick view into how other travelers view the hotel making it easy to book a room before they sell out.
TripAdvisor recently suggested “Strip down to your smile on these beaches members recommend”. Haulover Beach Park in Miami was one of the nude beaches featured.
TripAdvisor featured the followed member updates on Fort Lauderdale Hotels in their TripWatch newsletters recently:
Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel: “Fantastic Trip”;
Atlantic Hotel: “Exactly what I needed”;
Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort: “The best hotel to stay in Fort Lauderdale”; “bathtubs are amazing”; Premiere Hotel: “Another enjoyable stay”; Pillars at New River Sound: “Definitely gotta go back”; Westin Fort Lauderdale: “Nice one night getaway”;
Harbor Beach Marriot: “fantastic once again”; Westin Beach Resort: “Nice beach resort”; Ramada Airport-Cruiseport: “Service was very good and I would stay at this hotel again”;
Sun Tower Hotel: “Value oceanfront king”; Bahia Mar Beach Resort: “short but enjoyable stay”.
If you book your New York hotel room through Expedia or Orbitz, you may face higher prices. State lawmakers recently passed legislation requiring the booking industry to collect sales tax on lodging. Other states will be watching closely. NY travel agents are fighting these proposed taxes.
Monday, November 1, 2010
HSMAI RECOGNIZES JERRY FABER AT 27TH ANNUAL GALA & CHARITY AUCTION
(Editor’s Note: Below you will find Stacy Fauld’s press release being sent out by the South Florida Chapter regarding the award winners at the annual gala/auction held on Wednesday, October 20th. I've added some underlines and bolding of type.
Congrats to all! Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider.)
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In a 27-year summertime tradition, the South Florida chapter of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) welcomed more than 130 South Florida tourism industry members for its annual gala and charity auction, this year benefiting PACE Center for Girls Broward.
A highlight of the event, held at Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Piertop, was the presentation of the 2010 Hospitality Legend of the Year Award to Jerry Faber, longtime president of Jungle Queen Riverboat Cruises and tourism pioneer.
The Hospitality Legend of the Year award is given for outstanding contributions to the local tourism/hospitality industry. Jerry Faber has been an active and enthusiastic tourism supporter over the years, holding leadership roles and board positions with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Marketing Advisory Committee, Beach Council, Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, Barnett Bank Board of Directors, and many other tourism-related boards and activities. Jerry has generously supported many charitable organizations and presently serves on the Board of Directors for P.A.C.E. Center for Girls. Jungle Queen Riverboat Cruises celebrates its 75th anniversary this year and continues to be a Fort Lauderdale tradition.
Other awards presented:
General Manager of the Year: Anthony Franzone, Hilton Hotels Corporation
Revenue Manager of the Year: Chris Crenshaw, Loews Hotel Miami Beach
Sales & Marketing Professional of the Year: Ellen Serra, Comfort Suites Airport & Cruise Port, Fort Lauderdale
HSMAI-South Florida Sponsor of the Year: Jay Guttveg, Creative Focus Photography
HSMAI-South Florida Rising Star on the Board: Donna McCarthy, Jungle Queen Riverboat Cruises
HSMAI-South Florida Lifetime Achievement on the Board: Linda Sue Marsh, Days Inn Bahia Cabana
Congrats to all! Julie Wernick, HSMAInsider.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a 27-year summertime tradition, the South Florida chapter of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) welcomed more than 130 South Florida tourism industry members for its annual gala and charity auction, this year benefiting PACE Center for Girls Broward.
A highlight of the event, held at Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Piertop, was the presentation of the 2010 Hospitality Legend of the Year Award to Jerry Faber, longtime president of Jungle Queen Riverboat Cruises and tourism pioneer.
The Hospitality Legend of the Year award is given for outstanding contributions to the local tourism/hospitality industry. Jerry Faber has been an active and enthusiastic tourism supporter over the years, holding leadership roles and board positions with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Marketing Advisory Committee, Beach Council, Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, Barnett Bank Board of Directors, and many other tourism-related boards and activities. Jerry has generously supported many charitable organizations and presently serves on the Board of Directors for P.A.C.E. Center for Girls. Jungle Queen Riverboat Cruises celebrates its 75th anniversary this year and continues to be a Fort Lauderdale tradition.
Other awards presented:
General Manager of the Year: Anthony Franzone, Hilton Hotels Corporation
Revenue Manager of the Year: Chris Crenshaw, Loews Hotel Miami Beach
Sales & Marketing Professional of the Year: Ellen Serra, Comfort Suites Airport & Cruise Port, Fort Lauderdale
HSMAI-South Florida Sponsor of the Year: Jay Guttveg, Creative Focus Photography
HSMAI-South Florida Rising Star on the Board: Donna McCarthy, Jungle Queen Riverboat Cruises
HSMAI-South Florida Lifetime Achievement on the Board: Linda Sue Marsh, Days Inn Bahia Cabana
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