Warsaw, Oslo, Stockholm go SIG

HSMAI’s European division faces a busy month with one-day conferences on SIG’s (Special Interest Groups) in the capitals of Poland, Norway and Sweden this November, with a golden opportunity to revive the Swedish chapter, as well as the chartering of a chapter in Poland.

In addition to an introduction to the SIG concept, all conferences will offer a walk-through of HSMAI’s Revenue Management programme.

HSMAI global’s president and CEO Mr. Robert A. Gilbert will give an introduction at the Oslo and Stockholm conferences, whereas Mr. Tomasz Janczak gives same at the Warsaw conference, taking place at the Warsaw Hilton.

All conferences also feature Ms. Marion Hughes’ insights in Revenue Management. She currently makes her home in New York City as Vice President, Business Development for Intelligent Hotels, a global leader who have developed and deployed intelligent revenue strategies for a wide range of hotel groups, including Leading Hotels of the World, Preferred Hotels and Resorts, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Loews Hotels, Le Meridien, Relais & Chateaux, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Capella Hotels, Holiday Inns, Ramada Hotels, Choice Hotels, Marriott, Hilton International, and Mexicos Grupo Posadas.

Marion has worked for a European luxury hotel group managing sales and marketing for 6 of their hotels and overseeing 14 sales executives. She has extensive experience from working in online distribution and has held a global marketing role in a key European Travelocity business unit.

The conferences will be opened by HSMAI Europe’s CEO and president Ms. Ingunn Hofseth, also CEO and president of HSMAI Chapter Norway.

The participant fees in Warsaw include one year’s HSMAI membership, with access to the SIG’s in question – as well as future SIG’s and other HSMAI activities and benefits (the article continues below video clip).

The conferences take place in the Warsaw Hilton 17 November, Oslo Conference Centre 18 November and the Clarion Hotel Stockholm 19 November.

The Oslo conference also features the launch of SIG’s within the following fields of interest:

• Revenue Management
• Resort Marketing
• Travel Internet Marketing
• Environmentally Sustainable Travel-Business

As Norway already has a fully operational chapter, participants are also offered an introduction to theme-based adventures, by Innovation Norway’s travel director Mr. Per-Arne Tuftin. The Travel Internet Marketing session is conducted by journalist and social media specialist Ms. Ingeborg Volan of Sermo Consulting.

Register now!

Please read further details – and register – on these pages:

• The Warsaw conference (PDF)
• The Oslo Conference (web page in Norwegian)
• The Stockholm conference (PDF)

Swissôtel to Middle East

ZURICH, Switzerland — Construction is under way on Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts’ first hotel in the Middle East: Swissôtel Makkah in Saudi Arabia. The international hotel chain expects the hotel to open in January 2011.

The new Swissôtel Makkah is going to have 1571 guest rooms, including 88 suites, spread over 53 floors, with half of all the rooms and suites enjoying a view of the Holy Mosque. The centrally located hotel will have four restaurants serving authentic Arabic and European cuisine, an Executive Lounge, two meeting rooms measuring 75m² and a Business Centre available to guests, according to a press release issued by the chain today.

“Since we are at home in so many parts of the world, we are especially pleased that we will now be represented in the Middle East as well,” commented Meinhard Huck, President Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, conitnuing “We will definitely look into further opportunities for expanding our business in this market in the future”.

The new deluxe hotel in the Holy city is part of the Abraj Al Bait Complex developed by Saudi Binladin Group in the Development of King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project. The Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) is a multinational construction conglomerate and holding company for the assets owned by the Binladin family, founded in 1950 and headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The city of Makkah is located in the west of Saudi Arabia close to Jeddah. It is the birthplace of Mohammed, the Prophet of Islam, making it the Holiest city in the Islamic world. Every year hundreds of thousands of Muslims make the journey to this place of pilgrimage and to the Holy Kaaba. The height of the travel season at Makkah takes place during the annual Hajj pilgrimage and the Holy month of Ramadan when the Holy city welcomes over three million pilgrims for the Hajj alone.