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Schedule at a Glance
Please note the schedule below is tentative and subject to change without notice..
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Registration Open
10:45 a.m. Complimentary Shuttle to Golf Course
12:00 p.m. Golf Tournament (pre-registration required)
7:00–8:00 p.m. Welcome Cocktail Reception
8:00 p.m. Barbecue Dinner
Thursday, April 3, 2008
7:00–8:30 a.m. Registration Open
7:30–8:30 a.m. Breakfast
8:30–9:00 a.m. Conference Welcome
9:00–10:45 a.m. Program
10:45–11:00 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Program
12:30–1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30–2:00 p.m. Group Photo
2:00–3:45 p.m. Program
3:45–4:00 p.m. Break
4:00–5:00 p.m. Program
5:00 p.m. Adjourn
7:00–8:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception
8:00 p.m. Gala Dinner
Friday, April 4, 2008
8:00–9:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:00–10:45 a.m. Program
11:00 a.m. Final Adjournment
11:15 a.m. Complimentary Shuttle to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
2008 Program Highlights
WE HAVE A SECRET (AND ARE WILLING TO SHARE)
Each of you has a technology product to sell, which means that someone, somewhere, has to be a buyer. What if you were given a glimpse of the Rosetta Stone that would decode your prospects’ buyer values and offer insights into their spending habits? In a stroke of incredible good fortune (and very hard work) we found the Rosetta Stone for hospitality industry IT spending in the results of the first annual Hospitality Industry IT Benchmarking Survey. In this session, we will share them with you.
BUILDING A BRAND
The best agreed upon definition of brand is that it is a collection of perceptions that is unique to each consumer. This definition makes it absolutely clear that a brand is very different from a product or service. A brand is something intangible and exists in the mind of each individual consumer. This session will offer a case study of an intrepid Atlanta business and how they built a small local business into a brand with national recognition in several short years—by offering not only appealing food and service, but by building a clientele loyal to the total experience offered.
IT’S WONDERFUL, IT’S MARVELOUS, IT’S WAY OVER THE TOP
Do you ever dream of skiing in the desert on palm-shaped islands? Or do you dream of visiting ancient Egyptian palaces, Hollywood, London’s Houses of Parliament or even the moon on your next vacation? Vegas? No. Orlando? Nah uh. It’s Dubai. This session will explore how this Gulf emirate’s $27 billion resort project is spearheading Dubai’s drive to become a global tourism hub.
DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN
In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” By popular request, we are bringing back a look at trends shaping the industry and how they are impacting future business opportunities. This expert panel will explore trends to watch for today and what may be just over the horizon for the industry, including:
• Overarching trends
• Changing demographics
• Real estate
• Private equity
• International growth
VALUING TECHNOLOGY
The reason that we are all in business today is technology. Building it, selling it and adapting it to changing brand, consumer and business operating needs. But what is its real value? This session will examine the value that technology investment can bring to a property’s valuation. We will look at how the technology’s pricing model, software as a service or the traditional capital investment model, can affect a property’s profitability.
LIFESTYLE AND LUXURY
Lifestyle and luxury are two of the fastest growing segments in the United States today. What makes these two high-touch segments tick? And how does technology play into their market penetration, pricing and distribution strategies?
IT’S A MYSTERY
A lucky member(s) of our audience will participate in a case study of companies working in our industry today. We will explore the unique challenges they face.
For questions about attending the Vendor Summit, please contact Sharon Lee at sharon@hospitalityupgrade.com or 678-802-5304. |
