The HSMAI GM Forum (General Managers’ Forum) in Oslo this Tuesday had a nice turnout, with some 100 attendants, ranging from hotel managers via chain executives to other management professionals, listening in on the approximately ten speakers and the five-member panel, discussing hotel chain measures in order to attract the industry’s future talents, among other subjects, tailored for this target group.

“We are very pleased with the turnout and the benefits yielded in the forum, with so many partakers from the industry’s leading actors, as well as the smaller,” says Ms Ingunn Hofseth (above picture), CEO and president of HSMAI Chapter Norway – and HSMAI Europe. The forum was held at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel (right) in Oslo.  Article to continue under photograph.

Judging by the reports, spirits were high among the attending members (and non-members alike), which comes as no surprise, given the interesting subjects (found on the forum agenda – in Norwegian).

See more pictures

HSMAI Chapter Norway set up a Facebook album from the event in connection with their fan page. Please feel free to “Like” while there.

Photo 1: Ingunn Hofseth, HSMAI Chapter Norway’s CEO and president wishes the attendants welcome to the HSMAI GM Forum 2010.
Foto 2: Toril Flåskjer, manager at the Scandic hotels in Asker and at Høvik, just outside Oslo – and chair of the GM Forum committee – formally opening the forum.

HSMAI Europe eventually landed on the Ritz hotel for its Trend Seminar in London Thursday 9 December, opening at 9 AM, with an introduction by HSMAI Europe’s president and CEO Ms Ingunn Hofseth (right), followed by an interesting lecture, given by long standing HSMAI member and Director of the Senior Executive Programme at London Business School, Mr Michael Nowlis (depicted – text continued below photograph).

The lecture, named Mega trends in the Tourism Industry: Implications for Leaders in the Travel Sector, will be touching on subjects such as:

[…] the radical changes revolutionizing their commercial sector. Shifting paradigms in consumer behavior, mergers & acquisitions, strategic marketing, organizational design, service delivery, knowledge management, risk analysis, product development and electronic distribution are radically altering the business of selling travel, accommodation, food service and recreation. Understanding the complex relationships between these disparate activities and thinking strategically to maximize profitability are critical to success. Key topics will include asset acquisition in the hotel industry, strategic alliances in the airline sector, the role of e-business in achieving competitive advantage, changing concepts of service excellence and the development of new-wave tourism products. A series of mini-cases will illustrate examples of business excellence and strategic failure in the hotel, restaurant, airline, cruise, duty free, tour operator and travel agency sectors.

If you haven’t had the time to sign up yet, please do so on this page.

HSMAI Europe will be co-hosting seminars on Revenue Management with HSMAI Ireland in Dublin and Belfast, as well as with BAHA in London between 29 November and 2 December, in what is dubbed an extraordinary opportunity now rolling out across Europe, the “introduction to the CRME (Certified Revenue Management Executive) programme, granting you the right to add CRME to your name and title, which carries with it the recognition and authority, as well as job opportunities, entailed”.

The programme is based on HSMAI Amaricas’ recently upgraded certification in Revenue Management, where “individuals working in revenue management in the travel and hospitality industry, upon meeting the minimum qualifications for participants, can take a 60-minute online examination offering a chance to confirm their knowledge, experience, and capabilities”.

The workshops will take place in Dublin (29 November), Belfast (30 November) and London (2 December) 2010.

Mr Jeffrey Osborne CRME, CEO of Intelligent Hotels

Accomplished international resource

“We are extremely pleased to introduce our Irish and British colleagues to the workshops, led by Jeffrey Osborne CRME, who is an accomplished international resource and trainer with broad experience throughout European and North American markets,” says Ms Ingunn Hofseth, president and CEO of HSMAI Europe in a statement.

Jeffrey Osborne CRME, CEO of Intelligent Hotels, has been recognised worldwide for his cutting edge, results-driven approach to the design and implementation of systems that enable hotels to maximise profits through savvy revenue management. Using the expertise developed during a 25-year hospitality career, involving corporate, operational and revenue management positions, Osborne has successfully put his results-driven strategies to work for independent and branded hotels and resorts throughout Europe and the North American markets.

Two tailored seminars

There will be two separate seminars in all three venues. The first session, from 9 am to midday, is designed to help current revenue managers prepare for the examination required to become certified in Revenue Management under the current guidelines of HSMAI.

Session 2, from 1 pm to 4 pm, is directed towards experienced revenue managers and their leaders, to help them better understand what the process is all about, and what it implies for their business units.

Potential participants are welcome to join one seminar or the other – or both, taking place in these hotels:

Bewley’s Hotel, Ballsbridge in Dublin:

The Fitzwilliam Hotel in Belfast:

Hilton London Metropole in London:

Ambitious expansion plans

Ingunn Hofseth, president and CEO of HSMAI Europe.

“We all share the expectation that the seminars may signify the onset of a productive HSMAI era in Ireland and the UK, but I would like to emphasise that it would have been hard to pull this off without the fabulous people in BAHA and HSMAI Chapter Ireland’s board of directors,” Ms Hofseth continues, adding:

“But let’s not forget the busy schedules in The Netherlands and Norway,” with reference to this agenda, including the HSMAI Europe conference in Lisbon 15 December, the HSMAI European Revenue Management conference in London 7 February 2011 and the HSMAI Europe Marketing conference in London 5 May, followed by the HSMAI European Travel Awards on the same evening – among numerous other events.

“There can be no doubt that we have an extremely interesting year ahead of us,” she says.

European HSMAI activities are certainly picking up, as shown in the below listing (date format DD.MM.YYYY + hrs). Please also visit the HSMAI Calendar for details, as they appear.

• 11.11.2010 08:00–10:30, Oslo: Breakfast meeting on PR and corporate communications
• 16.11.2010 08:00–16:20, Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Oslo: HSMAI GM Forum
• 22.11.2010 10:00–11:00, Online: Webinar for Norwegian HSMAI Meeting Exchange participants
• 26.11.2010 HSMAI The Netherlands: Year-End Meeting – Best Practices
• 29.11.2010 09:00–16:00, Dublin, Irland
  • 09:00–12:00: HSMAI Revenue Management Workshop
  • 13:00–16:00: HSMAI Revenue Management Workshop
• 30.11.2010 09:00–16:00, Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • 09:00–12:00: HSMAI Revenue Management Workshop
  • 13:00–16:00: HSMAI Revenue Management Workshop
• 01.12.2010 08:00–16:15, Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Oslo: HSMAI Conference
  • 08:00–09:00: Breakfast meeting on the Revenue Management Executive certification
  • 09:00–12:00: HSMAI Revenue Management Workshop
  • 13:00–16:00: HSMAI Revenue Management Workshop
• 02.12.2010 09:00–16:00, London, UK
  • 09:00–12:00: HSMAI Revenue Management Workshop
  • 13:00–16:00: HSMAI Revenue Management Workshop
• 15.12.2010 08:00–16:00, Lisbon, Portugal: HSMAI Europe Conference
• 05.01.2011 10:00–11:00, Online: Webinar for Norwegian HSMAI Meeting Exchange participants
• 12.01.2011 08:00–16:00, Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Oslo: HSMAI Norway Meeting Exchange
• 12.01.2011 19:00–23:30, Oslo: The HSMAI Norway Awards
• 17.01.2011 HSMAI The Netherlands, Amsterdam: New Year’s Reception
• 07.02.2011 08:00–16:00, London, UK, HSMAI Revenue Management Conference
• 10.02.2011 HSMAI The Netherlands, HSMAI Trend Seminar
• 10.03.2011 HSMAI The Netherlands, HSMAI Trend Seminar
• 31.03.2011 HSMAI The Netherlands, Jaarbeurs, Utrecht, Event 11
• 05.05.2011 08:00–16:00, Hilton Park Lane, London, UK, HSMAI Europe Marketing Conference
• 05.05.2011 19:00–23:30, Hilton Park Lane, London, UK, HSMAI European Travel Awards
• 19.05.2011 HSMAI The Netherlands, HSMAI Trend Seminar
• 23.06.2011 HSMAI The Netherlands, HSMAI Trend Seminar
• 08.09.2011 HSMAI The Netherlands, HSMAI Trend Seminar
• 13.10.2011 HSMAI The Netherlands, HSMAI Trend Seminar
• 25.11.2011 HSMAI The Netherlands, Year-End Meeting

All events given in local time. Please see the HSMAI Calendar for continuous updates.

They keep telling us not to judge the book by its cover, but we’re all mere humans, easily seduced by an inviting exterior, rendering appearances all the more important. Granted most people would be reluctant to revisit a restaurant if the impression made on a website corresponds poorly with the experience, once there, but wouldn’t it be fair to assume that an inviting place is more likely to deliver than one paying less heed to its appearance?

German design website Smashing Magazine recently ran a showcase of select restaurant and bar websites from around the world, included that of the French lounge Le 28Thiers (as seen above), which comes highly recommended. Please go have a look-see yourself. You might just get an idea or two!

The HSMAI European Travel Awards is being held for the first time ever on Thursday 5 May next year, according to the weekly letter (in Norwegian) from Ingunn Hofseth, president and CEO, HSMAI Division Europe and Chapter Norway. The event will be taking place in London, but the exact venue is yet to be decided, as we understand.

“You should however reserve the day already,” Ms Hofseth underlines, making a point of the event’s long overdue premiere. “HSMAI is prepared to refocus on pan European activities, and for the first time in HSMAI’s 80-year history, there will be a European competition and awards night, featuring representatives from the travel and hospitality industry throughout Europe, with a daytime conference to accompany the event”, Ms Hofseth, recently returned from the U.S. HSMAI Adrian Awards, says.

HSMAI Chapter Norway and Europe president and CEO Ingunn Hofseth at the HSMAI Chapter Norway Awards 2010. Photographers: Catharina Wandrup/Knut Joner

The European president and CEO will be taking up residence in London shortly, both in preparation of the upcoming event, but also the pan European activities for the next couple of years, including:

2010

• HSMAI Lodging Chief Marketing Officer Roundtable Conference in London
• Consolidate and develop the level of activities in national chapters
• Special Interest Groups Revenue Management and Travel Internet Marketing
• Revenue Management Certification programme
• Webinars
• A digital European magazine; European Marketing Review, four times a year
• European Advisory Board meeting, twice a year
• Starting up chapters in new markets

2011

• HSMAI Roundtable Conference in London Thursday 5 May 2011
• HSMAI European Travel Award, the evening of Thursday 5 May 2011
• Starting up chapters in new markets

“Also, I’m happy to announce that American Express Global has signed up as official HSMAI Europe sponsor, with new sponsors in the pipeline, to be announced as new activities are unveiled,” Ingunn Hofseth informs.

Norwegian passenger and freight line Hurtigruten, sometimes referred to as Norwegian Coastal Express in English, was chosen Travel Marketer of The Year 2009 at the HSMAI Chapter Norway Awards in the Oslo Congress Centre on Thursday 14 January.

There were a number of prize winners in totally twelve categories, among whom several received honourable mentioning, during the festive Oslo evening.

Charming yet professional

The jurors emphasised Hurtigruten’s “[…] ability to communicate in a charming, yet highly professional way, with marketing measures deeply rooted in the company’s philosophy,” with which, obviously, they have succeeded, given the company’s impressive turnaround, from considerable 2008 losses to a healthy 2009 profit.

“We have an extremely tough year behind us,” said a grateful Hurtigruten CEO Olav Fjell, adding “so you can imagine how pleased I am that we’ve managed to turn the ship around.”

“Only one year ago we had one foot in the probate and bankruptcy court, and I’m immensely proud of this achievement. At an opportunity like this I find it only timely to send my heartfelt thanks to our some 2000 employees, who’ve managed to push in the right direction, in spite of the hardships,” Mr. Fjell said.

HSMAI Chapter Norway and Europe president and CEO Ingunn Hofseth at the HSMAI Chapter Norway Awards 2010. Photographers: Catharina Wandrup/Knut Joner

Ingunn Hofseth, president and CEO of HSMAI Chapter Norway and HSMAI Europe, expressed her contentment with the award, too:

“I’m extremely pleased to see Hurtigruten win the prestigious award,” she said, “Especially taking their recent challenges into consideration. Also, I expect that a recognition from peers is particularly welcome,” Ms Hofseth added.

“We’ve seen a tremendous increase in the number of contributed works this year, and I have to say that I find the standards especially rewarding.”

A sample of Hurtigruten’s overseas efforts can be seen in this U.S. TV commercial:

And a few pictures, just to capture the feel of it all:

Lise Karlsnes, lead vocal of popular Norwegian group Briskeby. Photographers: Catharina Wandrup/Knut Joner

Comedian and master of ceremonies Ørjan Burøe gave the audience a good laugh on several occasions. Photographers: Catharina Wandrup/Knut Joner

And of course: Lots of mingling! Photographers: Catharina Wandrup/Knut Joner

Great deals

The busy buzz of the HSMAI Meeting Exhange outside Oslo on 14 January 2010.

The HSMAI Chapter Norway Awards followed a daytime agenda on the HSMAI Meeting Exchange, taking place at the Reiseliv B2B Fair at Lillestrøm, on the outskirts of Oslo, where travel and hospitality purchasers were given a unique opportunity to meet up with some 100 vendors from a wide range of agencies and suppliers.

The HSMAI Meeting Exchange is an annual occurrence, based on the speed-dating principle, offering buyers a chance to book meetings with the industry’s leading participants.

Top photo: A happy brand and marketing manager Christian Bue Nordahl (left) and CEO Olav Fjell (centre) of Hurtigruten ASA with co-workers at the HSMAI Chapter Norway Awards. Photographers: Catharina Wandrup/Knut Joner

A conference was held in Oslo this week, focusing on Special Interest Groups and Revenue management, also featuring two sessions on Travel Internet marketing, Resort marketing, an environmentally sustainable hospitality industry, and theme-based adventures. The conference drew an interested crowd from all parts of the industry, eager to set up SIG’s, initially within the fields of Revenue management and Travel Internet marketing.

Ingunn Hofseth, president, HSMAI Europe and HSMAI Chapter Norway.

“I’m thrilled that HSMAI Global’s president and CEO Bob Gilbert took the time to attend, both in Oslo and Stockholm,” HSMAI Europe’s president and CEO Ingunn Hofseth says, adding “There’s little doubt that Revenue management SIG’s are in demand, as we saw in Oslo on Wednesday”.

Huge U.S. success

Marion Hughes, vice president for business development in Intelligent Hotels, gave a lecture – and supervised workshops – on revenue management, supported by HSMAI Global’s president and CEO Robert A. Gilbert, who shared the American experiences with an interested audience, focusing on the financial situation and the importance of establishing acceptance for the ROI (return on investment) pertaining to marketing expenses. He also pointed out that revenue management and travel Internet marketing are closely linked, and, as such, quite often overlap, in terms of special interests and their groups.

Bob Gilbert, president and CEO of HSMAI Global, reported a huge success with SIG's in the U.S. Mobile photo: Jarle Petterson

“The SIG concept has been very well received in the Americas region,” Bob told us. “This has been a huge value proposition, with somewhere in-between 700 and 1200 members per special interest group, and you know, HSMAI members are free to opt into all SIG’s for free. Turns out that lots of people want to learn, and we’re only happy to comply”.

“Crucial to the SIG concept are the various groups’ advisory boards, consisting of leading professionals within their respective fields of expertise,” he says. “And the user evaluations have been nothing short of fantastic. We have sponsored whitepapers, strategy conferences, web-based toolboxes and work on numerous platforms, both through the Internet and in more conventional settings”.

Much to gain on unfiltered customer response

When it comes to social media and opening up for member and user dialogue, the HSMAI boss is surprisingly open-minded:

Bob Gilbert spoke to an interested audience in the Oslo Congress Centre on Wednesday 18 November. Mobile photo: Jarle Petterson

“From a hospitality perspective, I think we’ve only benefited from the unfiltered feedback these new media offer. Whether a company decides to act on that response or not, is entirely up to them, but it provides a whole new set of opportunities. Also, it’s changed the paradigm of marketing completely, although, granted you have to give up some of the control, but gain so much more,” he says.

“We shouldn’t fear criticism. Criticism is good. And you know, sometimes, issuing an apology, if criticism is due, can earn you lots and lots of customer trust”.

When asked about the chief challenges facing the hospitality industry today, Mr. Gilbert replies unhesitatingly:

“The threat of new standards on all levels of travel and hospitality, especially in the corporate market. Travel and conference expenditures have been kept at a minimum throughout the global recession. We see this in all regions of the world, and I think we need to address that challenge, the sooner the better. If the industry allows that level to establish itself as the new normal, we’re all in deep trouble,” the global president and CEO concludes.

European Revenue Management Executive certification on the way

The author of this article also gave a lecture on travel Internet marketing, for an equally interested audience, eager to make use of the opportunities offered through blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube – and the plethora of social media outlets available today.

“I’m happy to say that a special interest group for travel Internet marketing is en route already,” says Ingunn Hofseth, who, by the way, has become quite the Internet socialite herself over the last couple of months. “But that’s not all,” she says. “In a matter of weeks we’re ready to launch a European certification programme on Revenue management, entitling the graduates to use the CRME (Certified Revenue Management Executive) designation, which has proved a great success in the Americas region, and which fills a void in the European hospitality industry’s follow-up studies,” Ingunn concludes, promising more news on the matter in two weeks.

Top photo: Norwegian HSMAI members from all parts of the industry listened carefully as Marion Hughes and Bob Gilberts shared their experiences with Revenue management in Oslo on Wednesday 18 November. Mobile photo: Jarle Petterson

According to a press release from Air France/KLM the October passenger load factor went up, with 1.3 points, to 82.5 percent, with capacity reduction (-5.6 percent) exceeding decline in traffic (-4.1 percent). The companies also saw a slight improvement in cardo, with a 67.7 percent load factor.

In other words, traffic once again declined less than capacity, leading to a 1.3 point improvement in load factor, to 82.5 percent. All networks, apart form Africa and the Middle East, saw higher load factors. The group carried 6.3 million passengers.

Although unit revenues remained under pressure, they recorded a lesser decline.

Photo: An Air France A320 landing at Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Photographer: Philippe Delafosse

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.

The Hilton Warsaw, venue for the Warsaw SIG conference in November.

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.

Oslo Congress Centre at Youngstorget in central Oslo. Photographer: Kjetil Ree/Wikimedia Commons

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 Clarion Hotel Stockholm.

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)