Thon hotel ranks high

OSLO, Norway — Expedia® travelers have ranked Oslo’s Thon Hotel Europa among the world’s best hotels on this year’s Expedia Insiders’ Select™ list, according to a press release from the hotel.

The list formally recognises individual hotels worldwide that consistently deliver excellent service, a great overall experience and a notable value. The full list represents only a small percentage of the world’s top hotels from the more than 110,000 hotel properties offered on Expedia.

“Delivering our guests superior service is a top priority at Thon Hotel Europa,” said Christian Arnet, General Manager. “We are pleased that our efforts have been acknowledged by Expedia travelers and look forward to extending our high level of service to even more guests.”

The 2010 Expedia Insiders’ Select™ list is compiled on the basis of more than one million Traveler Opinions hotel reviews collected by Expedia, combined with a value rating and the local market expertise of more than 400 Expedia employees in local markets worldwide, resulting in an easy-to-browse list that provides travelers with a powerful way to find the perfect hotel using the trusted insight of other travelers like them. The list showcases the diverse selection of travel destinations and hotel properties.

Photo: A room at the Thon Hotel Europa in Oslo.

Hurtigruten Travel Marketer of The Year

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.

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 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

You could be a Certified Revenue Management Exec

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

European SIG’s en route

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.

“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.

“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:

“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

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)

Scandic buys Oslo hotel

Scandic continues to grow, now adding another hotel in Oslo. Today an agreement was signed between Fornebu Hotell AS and Scandic, confirming that the new hotel in the Fornebu business park will be a Scandic.

“The hotel has a fantastic outlook, both across the Oslo Fjord and to the future, with its location in this fast-expanding part of Oslo. With our own expansion in Norway continuing over the next few years, signing this long-term agreement for Scandic Fornebu means adding another hotel with excellent prospects and a strategic location to our growing inventory,” comments Frank Fiskers, President & CEO of Scandic in a press release today.

Fornebu business park will be home to the head offices of some of the largest companies in Norway with a total of almost 10,000 office workers. Fornebu Hotell AS is owned by IT Fornebu Eiendom and Utstillingsplassen Eiendom, a Hamar-based property company. The Narud Stokke Wiig firm of architects will design the spectacular hotel, which will have a floorspace of 17,000 m², 300 rooms, a restaurant and bar, a spa and gym and top-notch conference facilities for up to 1000 people. It is located on the shore of Rolfsbukta bay, with views across the Oslo Fjord, putting it only ten minutes away from central Oslo, with excellent communications.

“As chairman of Fornebu Hotell AS, I’m proud and pleased that we have secured a leading hotel operator like Scandic to run the hotel, which will be the most important of Fornebu’s portfolio of major real estate. As chairman of IT Fornebu, I’m also happy that we will now be adding the last building along the seafront, completing this part of the commercial development of the Fornebu peninsula,” explains Erik Løfsnes.

The construction of Scandic Fornebu will start in mid-2010, with the hotel due to open in spring 2012.

Top photo: Frank Fiskers, President & Chief Executive Officer, Scandic Hotels. Photographer: bsmart

Succesful meeting on social media

OSLO, Norway — HSMAI Chapter Norway’s breakfast meeting on social media last Tuesday was a success, spurring members and other attendants, as well as the Norwegian chapter itself, to explore the Web 2.0 possibilities.

The 45 attendants were met with fresh coffee and croissant outside the auditorium of VG (Norway’s largest daily newspaper) at eight o’clock, before the immensely inspiring lecture given by Sermo Consulting’s Ingeborg Volan, who, for more than an hour gave numerous concrete examples of successful corporate use of the social media, after an in-depth introduction.

“You simply can’t help feeling happy and inspired by someone able to instigate enthusiasm in the audience, as Ingeborg did during our breakfast meeting,” HSMAI Chapter Norway president Ingunn Hofseth says.

And you have to agree. Only hours following the breakfast meeting, new twitterers from the meeting popped up on our screen, full of praise.

If you don’t have a Twitter profile yourself; hesitate no more. Register here.

The success has led HSMAI Chapter Norway to set up a series of courses on the Internet and social media during the upcoming autumn – with just Ms. Ingeborg Volan.

Here’s a YouTube clip from the event (we’re sorry for the distorted wide-screen format):

Top photo: Some 45 members and non-members attended HSMAI Chapter Norway’s breakfast meeting on social media on Tuesday. Photographer: Jarle Petterson