Learn about Wine at Lynn University

Dean Mike Hampton of Lynn University is passing along the following information regarding The College of Hospitality Management continuing to offer wine master classes. The classes are led by their Sommelier in Residence, Charlie Arturaola, who is considered to be one of the nation’s “top palates”. Upcoming classes include:

Jan. 27, 2009 -
The New World Series: New Zealand and Australian grapes
Feb. 17, 2009 -
Tuscany and its most famous D.O.C.G’s: Past, present and future
March 24, 2009 -
The New World Series: Wines of South America
April 21, 2009 -
The Iberian Peninsula: Portugal and Spain wine regions and grapes

The price per session is $39 and of course, you must be 21 years-old to attend.
All classes are being held in the Henke Wing in the de Hoernle International Center at Lynn University, 3601 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton, Fla. 33431

You may purchase tickets in advance or at the door (check/cash).
For information, contact Stella Quintero, College of Hospitality Management, via
E-mail:SQuintero@lynn.edu or call 561-237-7448.

Looking Ahead to 2009 by the President/CEO of (national) HSMAI 12-08

In a featured article in the HSMAI e-connect newsletter on Industry Trends, Bob Gilbert, President/CEO of HSMAI wrote the following(without the bold type):

“It was no surprise to see that the highest read articles this year were those relating to the economy and the constantly changing forecasts for hospitality and travel. In 2009 you can depend on HSMAI to continue to push to you relevant information on trends about your customer market segments and our industry. And we encourage you to leverage your membership by engaging in our chapters, special interest groups, online communities, webinars, trade shows, events and strategy conferences. Your investment in membership in HSMAI can pay huge dividends to you and your company by making sure you have the information you need to make the right decisions on how to retain and grow your business levels.

As we all wind down the year we certainly hope that you finally have an approved budget for 2009 and are ready to face what will likely be a challenging time in the hospitality and travel. Sales and marketing people by nature tend to be optimists and opportunistic. You need to seize this opportunity to be innovative and creative in all your strategies and tactics to grow your business and be a leader in your business, your team, and in your community. The case studies we'll write in 2010 are likely going to include those individuals who made "lemonade out of lemons" in 2009. I challenge you to be one of those. As you prepare your team for success in 2009, ask them why a sales and marketing person is like a teabag. It's because you never know how strong they are until you drop them in hot water.

HSMAI will be there throughout 2009 to support you and your team with trends, ideas, case studies, best practices, and strategies - all for you to contemplate while you're "brewing".

Around the Travel Websites or what’s being said online lately – December 2008

Conde Nast’s concierge.com is telling consumers that travel is on sale, i.e. there’s an “upside to the economic downturn”; and that “now is the best time to snag a phenomenal bargain.” At later date, they stressed the need for escape – to get away from the current shambles of our economy and go to a place that feels a million miles away -- The emphasis still being on “wallet-friendly” vacations. Keeping with the same themes of the last month or so, they are now touting “luxury for less”. For those whom the staycation doesn’t apply (or not yet at least), they offer tips on how to get travel deals by knowing where and when to travel.

Fodors.com newsletter has always featured various top travel deals, but it seems there are more listings in the section than every before. Is this my imagination? Another perennial favorite is the "Hot List" each week of new hotels and restaurants.

In the Zagat Buzz (www.zagat.com), we read recently about the results of the 2008 Airline Survey. The overall industry was not “flying high in the public’s eyes”. On the other hand, they said that average overall ratings rose slightly both domestically and internationally with the premium class showing the most improvement. In the U.S., Continental Airlines got the highest marks for premium class and Jet Blue the top for economy class; and Southwest was voted best for on time performance. Interestingly 60% of those surveyed now book via airline websites.

One of my online favorites is the TripAdvisor Newsletters. In the early Fall when gas prices were sky high, they creatively came up with an affordable local travel guide. Getaways that were a tank away (or however far you wanted to travel) that they planned for you. They’ve also recently added a couple new forums. Two of them: budget vacations and beach vacations might be of special interest to South Florida properties.

Once you’ve signed up as a member of Trip Advisor, you can set up a personalized trip watch. You choose the locations you want travel information about and every week as new reviews are posted by the traveling public you get sent the latest info. I highly recommend that everyone does this for their local area/city. It’s very interesting to see who’s saying what about which hotels and it helps you to be prepared if there are problems with your own property.

You might also wish to sign up for your hometown newspaper’s travel newsletter. Sun-Sentinel.com has their “Travel Unraveled” newsletter which contains a “local scene” section. Some recent items have featured Miami’s listing in Travel and Leisure’s 10 green landmarks; holiday airfare bargains, tennis resorts, South Beach hotels offering TiVo, and new properties or new services being offered.

So South Florida how are you staying up to date? What travel sites are you reading on line?

Recap: HSMAI-South Florida Meeting at Lynn University-November 20,’08

So, what’s new in Revenue Management? Our presentation by Dr. Jim Downey who teaches the subject at Lynn University in Boca Raton provided a recap on a recent conference he attended. It seems that our Rooms Managers, who used to do our predictions manually, didn’t have a bad handle on knowing their properties and making rate projections. Even those of us still in the dark ages – that is, those still using Excel programs to forecast – are not doing that bad. The big “however” is that we need to be even more accurate in our predictions to beat our competition and have longer foresight to stay viable in the marketplace. Therefore, all pundits are telling us (even a 90-room Hampton Inn) that we MUST invest in the new computer programs for revenue management. And, the sooner the better.

Revenue Management has now become an intrinsic part of our entire companies. No longer is revenue management limited to just predicting what room rate we should charge next season. It has been integrated into all parts of hotel operations. The message to learn here is that even if revenue management is not your specific job, you should know how it will affect your responsibilities and how it fits into the overall goals of your hotel/company. Interested in knowing more? Don’t miss the resources section of national HSMAI’s website – there are many articles and items of information to assist you. Sign up for the Revenue Management Special Interest Group (SIG) and tap into useful tools and an online community of your peers. There’s even a certification program available.

Besides the evening’s program, our group was treated to a fantastic meal and a plethora of various wines – during the passed hors d’oeuvres and a different wine for each course of our meal – from the starter salad, middle course of lobster risotto, and to the main course of chicken francaise -- and ending with a Port wine and chocolate chip cookies. At each wine presentation, we were educated about the type of wine, its origins, its background, and why it was chosen to complement the food being served. How wonderful that Lynn University has a sommelier on their hospitality school staff to educate the students about wines and food.

We thank Mike Hampton, Dean of Lynn’s Hospitality School, along with all the rest of the staff – and the students, too – who went into making this an evening to savor and remember. Enjoyable AND educational, too!

HSMAI-South Florida Chapter Community Service Activities – Nov. 2008

Susan Stern, 2008 Board Member in charge of Community Service sent along the following report:

“On Saturday, November 8, 2008, the HSMAI Community Service Division took twenty homeless children and their parents from the Broward Outreach Center to Wannado City. What an afternoon it was -- These kids and adults had never seen anything like it. Quite frankly, some of the HSMAI members that came along had not either.

There was action everywhere, excitement in the air. Fire trucks with sirens on to save burning houses; Clowns and dinosaurs in the streets; Children covered with chocolate as they ate the creations they’d made; and Children dressed up as police officers keeping the streets of Wannado City safe.

As soon as we entered the facility, the kids scattered all over the place and were not to be found until we gathered them up for dinner in our private room. They ate fast so that they could go back to the many fun activities and do what they “wanna do”. The joy on their faces was incredible. They are still talking about it.

It was a very rewarding day that touched all of our hearts. Who knows, maybe there is a doctor, banker, lawyer or hairstylist in the future of these kids. . We made it possible for those less fortunate who could not afford to go to such an attraction to learn about various careers. It was truly one of the best Community Service projects we have ever done.

Thank you to Sandy Edwards from Jungle Island who made all the initial arrangements at Wannado City and to Richard Gonzalez, with American Coach, who provided complimentary transportation for the Broward Outreach Center residents. Also thank you our members who attended including Stacy Faulds, Marcus Michaud and Kirsten Larrain.

I am proud to be a part of this organization and to be in the presence of such generous human beings. Wishing everyone a very Happy and Joyous Holiday Season -- And don't forget those less fortunate during this season of giving.”

Special Interest Groups – Director of Hotel Sales and Marketing

I’m still educating myself about all the wonderful things that national HSMAI can assist you with in planning and preparing for business, in getting that edge on your competition by staying up with various trends, and in constantly learning about ways to sell in this challenging economy.

HSMAI offers a wealth of resources on their website. One of the areas to take advantage of is called “Special Interest Groups” or SIGS. You can sign up for any one of the (current) five SIGS that relates to your job duties. In fact, you can sign up for as many of them as you want. There is no additional charge or fees to do so. Being a member of HSMAI allows you into a “members only” area to download relevant articles and templates. One of the SIGS is called the Director of Hotel Sales and Marketing.

There is an online community tool through which you can share information with your peers in other parts of the country (the world, actually). Ask for advice, direction, and suggestions – whatever you might need.

In addition, there are resources that are grouped into various categories and discussion areas. Some of the items in the HDOSM area include: The How to’s of Advertising, Articles of interest, Capital Expenditure planning documents, Contract templates and resources, Group Booking Reports, Job Descriptions, Convention Services and Catering, Reservations, Revenue Management, Sales and Marketing, Public Relations, Resort Best Practices, and so on and so forth. Plus you can see input from previous Sales Strategy conferences that can give you ideas to use in your current sales and marketing efforts.

The first step is to sign up or sign in and update your profile. Once you’ve done that, you can save the link in your favorites and visit regularly. Are you taking full advantage of all that membership in HSMAI offers? Check it out.

HSMAI-South Florida Welcomes New Members-October 2008

Please join me in warmly welcoming the new members, listed below, who joined our Association during the month of October, 2008 taking the first step in getting an edge on their competition.

Alayna Alison – Vantage Hospitality Group
Rigaud Belcin – Elegant Limousine LLC
Stefanie Bennett – Florida International University
Laura Crawford – Vantage Hospitality
Beth Failer – DECO Productions
Liza Guzman – Florida International University
Gekeima Howard – Vantage Hospitality Goru[
Sam Kaluf -- Trade Reps Hotel Marketing Group
Caroline Karlberg – Florida International University
Jenna Mocci – Florida International University
Ketie Moore – Expedia
Ryan Parker – Florida International University
Rachel Reppert – Florida International University
Mark Rode – Vantage Hospitality
Eva Scott – Expedia, Inc.
Claire-Helen Sutton – Expedia
Patricia Sweeney – Lago Mar Resort & Club