The last six months have been buzzing with activity over at the HSMAI European division’s HQ and, consequently, in the hsmai.eu editorial staff, acting as same for hsmai.no, where activities have been plentiful. As we speak, we’re in the middle of preparing the perhaps most important event in the Norwegian hospitality industry; the Meeting Exhange (pages in Norwegian), which, for the newsdesk means editing and designing the tabloid-sized Meeting Exchange newspaper.

2010 on the other hand, will focus on the European dimension, with HSMAI Europe’s president and CEO Ingunn Hofseth transferring to London, for easier access to different parts of Europe, not to mention the eventual chartering of a UK chapter, among others. All of which necessitates an intensified focus on the European perspective, which will become evident on the hsmai.eu website, as well as in selected social media, in the year to come.

The editorial staff will however need to concentrate on the Meeting Exchange newspaper for a couple of weeks, which luckily corresponds very well with the festive season anyway. We would, therefore, like to take the opportunity thank members, readers and partners so much for a most interesting year, which goes to companies providing useful press releases, too. Please don’t stop.

We would like to extend our sincerest wishes for a joyous and tranquil season. To one and all, in the hopes that we’ll met again next year – in the sign of Europe.

This week’s conferences in Oslo and Stockholm featured an introduction to Revenue management confirmed the need for an international certification within that field – regardless your chain affiliation or nationality. The programme, originally developed in the U.S., is currently adapted and tailored for European needs, to be launched on this website in a couple of weeks.

The global financial recession has brought about challenges we need to address, as tourism and business travels alike have taken a downturn, calling for increased focus on maximising business opportunities and revenue management.

We also need to take a closer look at marketing, and to establish how to get the most out of each penny spent, thereby improving margins. Interestingly, we see how the two Special Interest Groups Revenue management and Travel Internet marketing overlap in that respect, which is why we’ve decided to launch the two first. But we acknowledge national differences, introducing both national and pan European SIG’s.

However, we go even farther:

With seminars and the Certified Revenue Management Executive programme we wish to enable our members to optimise income for just their businesses, and it really doesn’t matter where you are, as webinars will be used extensively, both in this particular area of interest and others. What better way to maximise income, than to save both time and money?

All webinars will be held in English and in a number of European languages.

Thanks a lot to all those who have contributed to a memorable and instructive week – and to HSMAI Global’s president and CEO Bob Gilbert, who toured the Norwegian and Swedish capitals with us this week.

A peaceful and enjoyable weekend to one and all!

Ingunn Hofseth
President and CEO
HSMAI Europe

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)

For some time we have had a separate website for the European division of HSMAI in the pipeline, in addition to the national chapters – plans that finally materialise with our launch of hsmai.eu, albeit hosted on hsmai-europe.com.

We’ve decided to take things step by step, by first launching a public version of hsmai.eu, to be followed by national chapters, of which HSMAI Chapter Norway is first, upon which protected sections for members, sporting Special Interest Groups (SIG’s), fora, live chat and a host of member-exclusive features will be implemented, as well as chapter and division president blogs, to mention but a few.

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

As already touched on in other news, we are very eager to explore the infinite possibilities offered through social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Flickr, as we’re confident that our presence in the arenas frequented by our members, partners, the industry itself and prospective members, will improve our over-all ability to communicate – as well as to provide a long overdue on-line dialogue.

We also acknowledge that such presence is compulsory for any kind of business or organisation in this day and age, which is why we’ve decided to be at the forefront of the so-called Web 2.0 development. As a matter of fact, our new site is based on a well-known open source blog software, so advanced it even serves as a full-blown CMS (Content Management System), tweaked and customised by our very own Internet and media specialist, in order for the site to adapt the many interactive features of the surrounding social media.

It is our sincerest hope that you find the website – and our yet very recent social media presence – useful. We also hope you take the opportunity to interact with us, which is the general idea with social media.

At this point we hope you share your views on our approach, by voicing your opinion in the comment field below.

Welcome to hsmai.eu – and welcome as our member!

We also hope you’ll join us over at:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Flickr
• YouTube