WORLDHOTELS conference attracts the crowds
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More than 250 hoteliers and industry experts gathered at the WORLDHOTELS Annual Conference in Paris last weekend, which was held from 29th to 31st January. Under the banner ‘Raising the Bar’, the global group for independent hotels launched its new strategy consisting of a set of 20 new initiatives in five business areas that are designed to grow revenue and market share across a number of markets, business segments and channels. 170 established affiliate hotels and 22 new entrants to the EMEA portfolio of WORLDHOTELS were represented at the second of three regional annual conferences worldwide taking place this year in Bali, Paris and Dallas.Commenting on the conference’s theme ‘Raising the Bar’, Managing Director Robert Hornman said: “In challenging times like these, the greatest opportunities lie in stretching ourselves and each other beyond the status quo to achieve more together. In light of the global economic situation, 2009 has been a challenging year for the hotel and travel industry. However, now armed with our ‘Raising the Bar’ strategy for 2010, we will strive to ensure that WORLDHOTELS properties emerge stronger ahead of their competitors.”During the conference, participants were able to attend exchange sessions and key note speeches with leading industry representatives and experts, including Steve Smith, Olympic Medalist and Academy of Chief Executives Speaker of the Year 2009/10; Konstanze Auernheimer, Director of Marketing at STR Global; Professor William Holstein, Lorange Institute of Business; Caroline Strachan, Global Category Leader - Business Travel, AstraZeneca; Michael Flueck, Global Travel Manager at ABB Ltd.; Sara Nanda, Manager Partnerships at Tripadvisor; Christina Vengazo, Vice President of Global Strategic Accounts at TIG Global; Alex Gibson, Dublin Institute of Technology; and Tom Breckwoldt, Regional Manager Central, Northern & Eastern Europe at Orbitz.The conference’s ‘Knowledge Sessions’ provided insight into critical strategies, trends and WORLDHOTELS’s best practices, which ranged from capitalising on growth markets and maximising regional sales and marketing resources to making the most out of consortia investment and online platforms, including the booking engine Resmaster. Further highlights of the conference included a Gala Dinner at the Maison des Arts et M
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