Press Release Archive - 2010

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KTCpr
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THE CARIBBEAN (Aug. 17, 2010) - The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) has put together an impressive program highlighted by dynamic speakers for the Small Hotels Retreat, taking place Sept. 9 - 11, 2010 at the Rio Mar Beach Resort, A Wyndham Grand Resort in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

The Small Hotels Retreat, "Serving the Needs of Small & Independent Hoteliers," is primarily for small hotels consisting of 75 rooms or less, however, it is open to all CHTA members. The conference program is designed by and for small and independent Caribbean hoteliers.

CHTA has designated Sept. 10 as "Marketing Day: Creating Managing and Maximizing Demand" on the Small Hotels Retreat agenda. Marketing Day is highlighted by general sessions and roundtable discussions focusing on key elements and tools necessary to market a small hotel in today's competitive environment. The comprehensive Marketing Day program has been developed by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). Sessions include:

Creating
Conversations Matter: Global Trends In Social Media - Social media has become the single most important marketing tool for small hotels and resorts. In this hands-on session, John Fareed, partner, Fareed Zapala Koepke, will review the emerging trends and available tools, and demonstrate in real-time how hoteliers can use the latest in technology to promote their properties.

Managing
Marketing & Revenue Management Are Joined At The Hip: Strategies For Small Hotels And Resorts - Marike Friends, revenue manager, Peter Island Resort & Spa, British Virgin Islands, will focus on how marketing and revenue management are so closely connected in today's world, especially as it relates to independent operators including:

• The need for relevant packaging in order to craft effective public relations campaigns and its effects on revenue management and hotel operations.
• The challenge of rate parity (for travel agents, wholesalers, et al) versus discounting rates online (i.e. last minute deals or 99 hour sales) or within e-mail/direct mail initiatives for past guests.
• Measuring the effectiveness of marketing and public relations efforts in general and stressing the importance of a coordinated effort between reservations (on- and off-line) and the revenue manager.
• The importance of STR reports and utilizing them to make competitive adjustments in order to drive occupancy, ADR and RevPAR, and ultimately win "more than their fair share of the market."

Maximizing
Partnering For Success: Making The Most Of Your Tourist Board & Association's Promotional Opportunities - This plenary session encourages participants to investigate all promotional activities in which their tourist board is involved so small hoteliers can piggyback on these efforts and take advantage at minimal expense. Tie-in areas include: tourist board websites and booking engine activity; travel agent promotions, educational courses and certification; co-op advertisements; road shows and international shows; niche marketing; and public relations. Panelists include Senator the Honourable Allen M Chastanet, Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, St. Lucia, and Billy Jonckheer, director, Jonckheer Advertising & Marketing Consultants.

"Hotel Operations Day" is set for Sept. 11 and will address ways in which small hotels can improve upon various operational aspects such as customer service and food & beverage, which can lead to a more profitable product. Sessions include:

Preparing Your Staff for Success - Training Essentials for Any Size Hotel - Are guests encountering a well-trained and hospitable staff at every guest contact point? Guests are more demanding now than ever. A well-trained staff can make guests' stays memorable, leading to more repeat business and higher demand for a hotel. An efficient staff can lead to cost savings and higher profits. The Educational Institute of the AH&LA has training opportunities and solutions for any size hotel and can help hoteliers recognize training needs and how Educational Institute materials can be used to meet these needs. The session will be given by a representative of the AH&LA Educational Institute.

Guests Satisfaction - Minimizing Complaints & Maximizing Positive Reviews With Over The Top Hospitality - Guests are tired and uncomfortable when they step off the plane, clear customs, retrieve their luggage and finally arrive at the hotel. Traditionally the first point of guest contact, their experience during check-in can influence their mood for the duration of their stay. Check-in is one of the most commonly referenced points in Internet hotel reviews, and typically, guests with negative perceptions are more likely to post a review. As a result, hotel operators must prioritize guest satisfaction above everything else. During the session, panelist Christy Price, Choice Hotels International, will provide participants with tips that every staff member should be aware of in order to provide "over the top hospitality" and minimize complaints.

Demystifying Green - Realistic Tips On Ways To Save Money While Improving Your Hotel's Image - What began as a generic term symbolizing an effort to minimize one's impact on the environment has become a convoluted sub-industry in which different hotels achieve varying degrees of being "green." Setting aside the more important reasons for going green, the question from a business perspective is "do the benefits of going green outweigh the costs, and are consumers willing to pay a premium for resorts which implement significant environmental programs?" Demystifying Green examines the many faces of "green" today with specific attention paid to the meaning of "green" from the consumer's standpoint. Mike Hartman, executive director, FlyingTeeth, is the discussion leader.

CHTA has put together roundtable sessions which provide a more intimate setting of free flowing information between hoteliers and the discussion leaders. Attendees can choose from the following:

Why Hotel Data And Competitive Sets Are Important Tools For The Small Hotelier - Recognized as a vital management tool by the hotel industry worldwide for over 20 years, STR Benchmarking reports are the essential tool for successful hotels. These reports reveal the comparative data that matters: a hotel's performance in ADR, RevPAR, & Occupancy compared against chosen competitors and markets. Led by Brittany Baldwin, sales executive at STR, this session delves into how hoteliers can use the reports to identify precisely where they are gaining or losing market share and drive revenue to the business; use the data to set targets and budgets for departments and measure progress; and test if promotions are working or not. This discussion also covers the steps necessary to get enrolled in the program.

Leveling The Playing Field Through The Use Of Technology: How Small Hotels Are Competing With The Big Hotels Using The Latest Technologies - Technologies that were once the domain of big hotels and hotel chain companies are now available to the small independent hotelier. Discussion leader Jose Otero, sales executive, MICROS Fidelio Caribbean Inc., will review the basic technologies that small hotels need to have in order to level the playing field with the bigger hotel companies. Participants will learn how to connect to the Internet and exploit it for business purposes as well as hear about basic technologies available specifically for the small hotelier to better manage revenue, increase reservations and increase brand recognition and presence on the web. Attendees at this roundtable session will receive a complimentary need analysis for their hotel.

Maximizing Profits by Identifying and Leveraging Niche Markets - discussion leader Guy Britton, publisher, Caribbean Travel & Life and World Publications, will address how to effectively position a hotel in order to maximize revenue in today's multimedia world by identifying key markets and demographics and learning the best way to reach them most efficiently and effectively.

Target Buyers While Driving Ongoing Sales With Travelzoo's Hotel Cost-Per-Click Program - Travelzoo, the largest online publisher of travel and entertainment deals, will share tips on targeting active users interested in traveling to the Caribbean. Discussion leader Courtney Brooks, sales director, Travelzoo Inc. will highlight how Travelzoo's Hotel CPC Program leverages limited time offers to generate direct business and increase RevPAR while staying top of mind. With 21 million subscribers in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific and 22 offices worldwide, Travelzoo publishes deals from more than 2,000 travel and entertainment companies. Travelzoo's deal experts will work with hoteliers to create a compelling offer that will yield the highest ROI.

Certification Of Small Hotel Properties, The Leveling Of The Playing Field & Access To More International Markets - This panel will be led by Wendy Walker-Drakes, Caribbean Representative, Green Globe Certification.

So You Want to Make a Profit? Systems For Tracking and Saving Money For Your Hotel - Beyond the cigar box, learn industry standard methods for tracking expenses and revenues and the benefits of having a property management system. Hoteliers can discover how their hotel stacks up against others in the region. The discussion will focus on best practices for cost containment, industry standards for expenses by department, size and type of hotel and ongoing management of expenses.

Mythbusters 101: Setting The Record Straight About Beef - You've heard all of the myths about beef before: Grass-fed beef is healthier than its conventionally-raised counterpart or most cattle are raised on "factory farms." Join Emily Agle, marketing manager, and Maggie O'Quinn, executive account manager, Certified Angus Beef LLC, for an interactive session about the real side of the beef story. Learn firsthand how America's farmers and ranchers work hard each day to provide the safest, highest quality beef in the world.

Is a Franchise Right for You? - Presenter Brian Parker, Choice Hotels International, will address why a franchise can be the best opportunity for increasing revenues and profits at a hotel as well as how to select the right franchise and retaining the hotel's identity while benefiting from a global franchise presence.

Driving Incremental Revenue To Your Property - Meet with shared ownership industry experts from CHTA's Strategic Vacation Exchange Partner, Interval International, to learn about opportunities in the timeshare, fractional, and private resident club segments in the Caribbean. Interval members book thousands of room nights each year into Caribbean resorts, including resorts with or without a shared ownership component. Learn how to leverage a partnership with the company to generate incremental bookings from approximately 2 million active leisure travelers. The roundtable will be lead by Neil Kolton, Director, Caribbean & Florida, Resort Sales & Service, Interval International. Complimentary copies of the following studies, conducted exclusively for Interval International, will be provided:

• The Future Timeshare Buyers
• Interval U.S. Membership Profile
• Affluent Shared Ownership Buyer

EPA Workshop - This discussion will address how the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed between CARIFORUM and the European Union is affecting hoteliers. David Jessop, executive director, Caribbean Council, will provide a sneak peek into the guidance that will be offered in CHTA's soon to be published "EPA Manual." Participants will hear about the opportunities that have opened up to conduct business in Europe, and whether companies could face stiffer competition from liberalization.

CHENACT Session - A review of the project to date, with findings and testimonies from hotels that have received their audit reports and discussion on breaking down the barriers to investment in Energy Efficiency in Small Hotels. The discussion will be led by Loretto Duffy-Mayers, project manager, CHENACT Project

How to Host a Destination Wedding: What's Expected & How to Execute -- Presenter: Susan Moynihan, editor-in-chief, Destination Weddings and Honeymoons magazine

Registration
Registration for the Small Hotels Retreat is US$200 for hoteliers and US$325 for non-hoteliers and includes access to all educational sessions, one breakfast, one lunch, two receptions and access to view and attend the culinary competitions at Taste of the Caribbean (which is being held concurrently). CHTA is extending a special registration fee of US$75 for the third delegate from a registered hotel company and US$45 for the fourth delegate onwards. Day passes are available to hoteliers for US$125 per day for Sept. 10 or Sept 11.

Registration fees can be paid with room nights by using the Room Exchange program with SkyAuction. For details, please contact the Conferences & Events Department at 305-443-3040, ext. 110, or via email at events@caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.

Trade Show
Companies can also participate in the Trade Show where exhibitors who specialize in serving the smaller hospitality arena have the opportunity to promote their products and services to decision-making hoteliers. Rates for a tabletop display are US$750, plus US$150 per exhibitor delegate registration.

Hotel Rates
Hotel accommodations are available at the Rio Mar Beach Resort, A Wyndham Grand Resort, for participants of the Small Hotels Retreat. Reservations information for the hotel can be made online via the Small Hotels Retreat event page: http://www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com/events/event-SmallHotels-where.php.

Conference Organizers and Sponsors
The Small Hotels Retreat is organized by CHTA in conjunction with MasterCard. Sponsors include AH & LA Education Institute, Forum Telecom, 4A World, Green Globe, Interval International, Micros Fidelio Caribbean Inc., RCI and STR.

Event sponsorship packages are available for $4,850 and include multiple value-added benefits. For more details, contact Gabi Doria at gabi@caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.

For more information about the Small Hotels Retreat, visit http://www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com/events/event-SmallHotels-about.php.

Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association
The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) facilitates the full potential of the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry by serving members' needs and building partnerships in a socially responsible and sustainable manner. CHTA was founded in 1962; it is the voice of the Caribbean hospitality industry for the development of the region in the highly competitive and sophisticated environment of international tourism. Today, tourism is widely recognized as a pivotal industry in the economy of the region - and CHTA functions as the common denominator for this industry in a region of diverse nationalities, languages and styles, identifying mutual problems and marshalling the resources of the active and allied members to devise solutions. CHTA represents all facets of the hospitality industry with more than 725 member hotels and 525 allied members.

For more information, visit http://www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com. Follow CHTA on Facebook www.Facebook.com/CaribbeanHotelandTourismAssociation and Twitter www.Twitter.com/CHTAFeeds.