One of the primary purposes of the HSMAI Foundation is to advance the professional development of hospitality marketers and salespeople through significant research and creation of publications. To further support that, the new Corporate Membership plan allows hospitality and travel executives to take a pro-active stand in determining and directing research initiatives by providing valuable input on objectives and content of research studies.

"We are trying to fill a need in the marketplace," explained Al Dickinson, vice president of marketing for merits Hotels & Resorts and HSMAI Foundation chair. "There is no other place, other than proprietary efforts, where sales and marketing executives can go to find benchmark studies that will help the hospitality industry stay ahead of the times," he added.

"Participation in this unique membership organization will allow a select group of hospitality and travel professionals the opportunity to take a leadership role in creating the agenda for cutting edge research in the sales and marketing discipline," said Bob Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI.

"Through this new Corporate Membership, not only will hospitality organizations have access to meaningful research, but they will have a say in prioritizing the research that is conducted on the industry's behalf," he added.

There are two categories for Corporate Membership: Supporter and Benefactor. Both levels provide the following:

• A seat on the HSMAI Foundation's Research Advisory Council that sets the Foundation's annual research agenda. Supporter membership offers one voting representative on the Council that establishes research priorities, while Benefactors are entitled to two voting Council members

• Advance receipt of research studies

• Recognition in all marketing and promotional materials and forums as well as corporate name logo identity positioned in the same realm as timely and cutting edge research

• Complimentary attendance to each one-day symposium, held in primary markets, to review research results

• Two complimentary registrations to one HSMAI Executive Travel and Hospitality, Innovation, Networking and Knowledge (THINK) forum and discounts on other THINK forums
• Free access to the HSMAI Foundation Online Resource Center that links the Foundation's Web site to more than 2,000 hospitality-related organizations
• Access to raw data will be made available to Corporate Benefactors that wish to use it to supplement their own research projects or for other research purposes

Examples of some of the research studies that may be initiated with the input of the Foundation's Corporate Members are:

• Compensation and incentives for hospitality sales/marketing professionals
• Policy and procedures reports of hospitality sales operations
• Sales and marketing operating and productivity metrics
• Trends in distribution costs and structures
• Internet applications
• The effectiveness of hospitality advertising

The HSMAI Foundation was established in 1983 to serve as the research and educational arm of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. Its mission is to expand and enhance the educational opportunities available to hospitality sales and marketing executives through publishing relevant industry content, increase the amount of in-depth research conducted on behalf of the profession, as well as scholarships. The Foundation's research projects result in cutting-edge publications, studies and reports, including books focusing on the art and science of sales and marketing, compensation, the Internet, e-commerce and key issues and trends affecting the industry now and into the millennium.