HEDNA to Sponsor Panel at TravelCom/Res-Expo in Las Vegas, April 4-6, 2007
MARCH 29, 2007. The Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA) announced today that it will be sponsoring a Group Panel at TravelCom/Res-Expo in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 5th.
The panel, entitled, "Groups: The Next 'Big Thing' Online" will feature moderator: Edward Perry, Director, E-Commerce, WORLDHOTELS and panelists: Paul Bahnick, Vice President - IT, Travel Impressions; Diane Bozicevich, Vice President - Operations, Omega World Travel & Omega Meetings & Incentives; Scott Harness, CEO, GroupTravelPlanet; and Duncan Kennedy, Director, Starwood Hotels
The panel will discuss how the complexity of booking groups and meetings that have kept this segment of the industry off-line for the most part and how that is about to change. Several new market entrants and technology developments have jumpstarted online group bookings.
Group reservations have been costly to process for hotels and airlines because of the inherent changes in group bookings, RFPs and call backs, unique billing requirements, adding and deleting rooms. Hoteliers are now seeing the benefits of allowing access to their group inventory for smaller groups and meetings to free up their sales staff and focus on the large event business.
For more information or to register for this conference go to www.tia.org/travelcom.
About HEDNA
The Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA) is a not-for-profit trade association whose worldwide membership includes executives and managers from over 200 of the most influential companies in the hotel distribution industry. Founded in 1991, all of HEDNA's activities are intended to stimulate the booking of hotel rooms through the use of GDS, the Internet and other electronic means. HEDNA brings all segments of the hotel industry together to evolve systems and services into electronic distribution that is easy and efficient. Additional information on HEDNA is available by calling +1 703 970 2052 or by visiting www.hedna.org.
About TravelCom Res-Expo
Every year TravelCom Res-Expo brings together over 1,000 of the travel industry's leaders, achievers, influencers and buyers for the premier conference on travel technology and distribution, strategy and marketing, e-commerce and innovation. More than 30 of the travel industry's leading providers of technology and online services exhibit in the TravelCom Res-Expo Technology Pavilion. TravelCom Res-Expo will be held April 4-6, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Visit www.tia.org for more information.
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