A recap of the speakers, sessions and other news from the three-day Summit follows. 

Seth Godin, vice president of yoyodyne, author of Permission Marketing and former vice president of marketing for Yahoo, opened the Summit by telling delegates that the new focus in marketing is on the individual and what they want.  He called for continual change, and that we redesign and evolve our web sites as we go along.  Godin further noted that every web page should be optimized to either make a sale, go further into the site or ask permission to follow up at a later time. 

Rather than spending time, effort and money reaching out to a massive audience, Godin said to concentrate on capturing those you have or seek to obtain permission to talk to.  In doing so, he advised delegates to keep these five points in mind.  Permission costs time and money to acquire; permission is revocable and non-transferable � every interaction might be your last so take advantage of it; permission doesn�t happen by accident � test it, measure it and get it wrong before you get it right; permission must be nurtured; and permission is selfish, if you�re not talking to someone specifically about them, it means nothing. 

Aliza Sherman, creator of Cybergrrl.com, emphasized personalization as �the key to success in marketing on the Internet or anywhere else today.�  She suggested that all companies prepare �travel profiles because consumers want to be remembered.� 

She told delegates that �collaborative filtering� is the database marketing theme of the future because it enables companies to compare what people are doing, buying and researching in other areas, and use that information to more accurately target promotions to those people. 

Renowned futurist Ed Barlow closed the Summit by telling delegates �80 percent of what you need to know to make your business successful is outside the hospitality industry today.  The key is staying in alignment with the rest of the world and learning what is new.� 

He added that you should create a vision, but it should reflect on �how people�s lifestyle will be better for what I do for them.� He added: �Why people are traveling is more important than the destination and the hotel, and we must help them enjoy the experience.� 

Barlow also noted: �People will continue to research travel on the Internet, but purchase it in another way as there are multiple channels of distribution and people still want the personal contact.�  He concluded by stating: �The future isn�t bad, it�s just different.� 

Along with those keynote speakers, 20 educational programs were presented for sales and marketing executives.  Here�s a brief sampling of a dozen of those sessions. 

Panel: Peter Greenberg, travel editor Today Show; Mary Alice Kellogg, consumer freelance writer of travel and food, Jonathan Dahl, weekend associate editor of the Wall Street Journal; Nadine Godwin, editor of Travel Weekly.  Moderator Cristyne Lategano-Nicholas, president, New York City & Company. 

Knowing the media and being highly targeted in your pitch are two fundamental practices of reaching and influencing the consumer media.  Make it relative, creative and even offbeat.  If it�s in the brochure, they don�t want to hear about it was the panel�s consensus.  Web sites serve a great purpose for factual and informational data, but when it comes to enticing the top media, make the pitch unique and specific, be brief and concise, and for the most part, be sure that it is timeless. 

With more than 40 million websites in cyberspace, and the amount of online buyers purchasing travel on the rise, Sal Dickinson, vice president of marketing for MeriStar Hotels & Resorts, explored the world of websites by counting down the top 10 criteria for sizing up your site�Plan, Content, Design, Index, Links, Market, Capture, Dialogue, Measure and Renew.  He reviewed how to make the most out of search engines and links.  Dickinson asked session attendees, �Is your website design consistent, simple and straightforward enough to make it effective?� And, he focused on the importance of making sure there is there a mechanism in place for continuing dialogue with site users, as well as a means for measuring the success of the interaction? 

More and more, meeting planners are turning to Internet marketing partners to help execute the RFP process.  For hotels interested in capturing their share of the meetings and conventions business, Steve Powell of Plansoft reminded delegates that it is becoming increasingly more important to get on board and on line.  There are a great number of companies today that serve as the intermediary mechanism that feeds information between planners and hoteliers.  What sets them apart are the type of and way in which sorts take place, the number of listings and geographic span of the database, transaction prices and customer service.  Hotel listings range from complimentary to enhanced presence through banners and ads.  Advice from the experts: align with at least a few companies and manage your dollars. 

Panel: David Atkins, Expedia.com; Flo Lugli, WizCom International; Maureen O�Hanlon, Carlson Marketing Group; Tom Allee, Frontier Airlines; Dorothy Dowling, Royal Host Hotels & Resorts; Moderator: Cam Cooper, Blackshaw,
Olmstead, Lynch & Koenig 

There are plenty of whiz kids out there doing their thing, but according to this seasoned panel of industry experts, many companies today are on the prowl for seasoned individuals that can bring experience to the table.  However, working in today�s ever changing marketplace also means being prepared to act and change quickly, expand your horizons, look, read and learn.  Brand yourself as you would brand your product � have something to sell and be prepared to demonstrate your value.  The best revenge is success! 

John Martin of the Martin Consulting Group reviewed various strategies for Finding, Attracting and Retaining the Best customers (FARB).  E-mail correspondence is less effective for customer acquisition, but more successful for retaining customers and building loyalty.  Research further indicates that e-mail correspondence in HTML (with logos, graphics, etc.) is preferred over straight text, and that e-messages should be clear and concise, offer hyperlinks, and encourage pass-along to other consumers.  For customer relationship management, Martin indicated that it is better to �hug and hold� customers than kiss and run.  Furthermore, he pointed out the importance of capturing customer e-mail addresses via check-in/check-out, a web site and/or immigration cards (applicable to destinations).  In closing, he urged people to watch and embrace the creative and innovative changes that will impact the future of e-mail marketing, including live demos (such as 30-second color movies on the computer screen). 

Pricing, Partnerships and Proprietary emerged as key issues on the subject of Internet ROI.  In �managing the mix, the margin and the mayhem,� PhoCusWright�s Lorraine Sileo and Kate Rice gave six tips for hotel marketers: prepare for Europe�s on-line explosion; don�t fret over customers who look at the web site but don�t book (because transactions are not the end game); monitor your �look� regularly across the Internet (to maintain consistency and find discrepancies on web pages); avoid price comparison and tailor packages for target sites; use channel marketing to your advantage (by not putting all your eggs in one basket and exploring the opportunities afforded through various distribution outlets); and work with your hotel concierge. 

In her educational track, Adrienne Davis-Brody of Irma S. Mann Strategic Marketing set the stage for discussion with �Great work emerges from a great relationship, not the other way around.�  Davis-Brody outlined a series of actions/attitudes (on both the client and the agency side) that undermine the client-agency relationship.  Being open-minded and honest, working as a team, viewing each other as equals, and setting high standards topped the list of guidelines for an improved client-agency relationship.  In closing, she suggested that clients and agencies join together for a one-day partnership meeting to create a mutual �Contract of Expectations.� 

Facing the future to achieve organizational excellence requires understanding  -- an understanding of how trends evolve, how to accommodate today�s workforce, and how to deal with today�s customers.  In regards to the workforce, Kip Lilly of Lilly Foresight Dynamics indicated that benefits and compensation are essential to retaining worthy employees.  Lilly said consumer sales will be driven by experiences and that channels should be expanded to provide information and capture the sale.  He also discussed the role of customer service, whereby mistakes are acknowledged and actions are taken to rectify the situation.  With respect to industry changes, Lilly suggested there is a paradox among the numerous mergers, strategic alliances and collaborations � they are both the number one solution and number one problem. 

No matter what the industry, the world�s top performers share the following common traits:  they are totally focused on victory and they are completely convinced of their ability to succeed.  According to mental toughness coach Dan Teitelbaum, adopting this approach to life is the key to realizing both personal and professional goals.  During this session, Teitelbaum took attendees through various exercises designed to heighten awareness about behaviors that both encourage and discourage a mentally tough attitude.  While there are many related techniques involved in this process, mental toughness requires developing a keen and incredibly vivid focus on desired achievements and then claiming those successes in the present, rather than waiting for them to happen at some point in the future. 

How do you know where to invest technology dollars?  And, what�s on the technological horizon that will affect the hospitality industry?  Cendant Corporation�s James Dianto highlighted scalability of both hardware and software as the most important factor when choosing technology.  In terms of new technology, Dianto pointed to broadband, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and personalization as three innovations that will change the hospitality business landscape.  Simply put, broadband will allow companies to push more information and communication to the public.  According to Dianto, WAP, also known as the wireless web, will soon be embraced by consumers along with mobile commerce (mCommerce) and mobile retailing (mRetailing).  

Personalization is a buzz word for the process whereby a web site visitor expresses an interest in a particular item or feature and the site responds with customized information and leads the consumer to a new experience.  

Ultimately, the technology behind personalization will allow Internet marketers to sell the right thing, to the right person, at the right time and for the right value. 

Learnsystem.com�s Phil Burgess sees building customer relationships as more than a process or a system; he considers it a journey.  Rather than �feature-dumping� about the bells and whistles of a product or service, consider that industry peers are human beings with lives and interests outside of the business world.  By focusing on the people you�re dealing with, rather than just the position they hold or the business they provide, you�ll build relationships rather than corralling accounts.  During the session, Burgess asked, �Can you answer these two simple questions about your top account:  1- Where are they from originally?  2- What are their personal hobbies?� If not, noted Burgess, the account might be in trouble. Why?  With competition at an all time high, the best way to stand out is to develop meaningful business relationships that reflect some sort of personal involvement. 

If the only sure thing is change, how can managers keep employee turnover at a minimum, attract and retain talent?  Ron Volper of Ron Volper Group, Inc. urged companies to take a proactive approach to human resource management.  His presentation focused on recruiting and hiring, recognition and rewards, training and development and creative management practices as the keys to success.  Volper noted that in a time when products are so refined and competition is fierce, people are often the true differentiating point when making a business decision.  And, you will only find and keep the industry�s best if you commit time and resources to your workforce. 

Mark your calendars for next year�s HSMAI Summit, slated for June 7 � 9, 2001 at the Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, AZ. 

HSMAI is the leading organization of sales and marketing professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry.  With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry leader in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry while operating as a leading voice for both hospitality and sales and marketing management disciplines.  Members can access a wide variety of educational tools and enhance their skills and expertise to increase business and enrich their careers.  Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprised of over 5,000 members representing 76 chapters in 35 countries worldwide.