Social Media, eCommerce & Online Branding on Agenda

Full-Day Forum will be Held in Conjunction with HEDNA in Phoenix

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. October 14, 2008

MCLEAN, VA, October 18, 2007. Focusing on the most timely and critical issues related to travel Internet marketing, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International's (HSMAI) ninth Travel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference will delve into the hottest topics of the day: Social Media, eCommerce and Online Branding. The day-long forum will be held on Monday, Dec. 3, 2007 at the Pointe South Mountain Resort in Phoenix, AZ, just prior to the HEDNA conference.

Addressing attendees with a keynote speech on "Leveraging the Social Media Medium" will be YouTube's Vice President of Sales & Marketing Jordan Hoffner. Also delivering a keynote address on "Online Branding - Emerging Strategies in Search Intelligence" will be Mike Pusateri, Chairman, Vantage Strategy Consulting.

Additionally, Cindy Estis Green, Managing Partner, The Estis Group, will present "The New World of Social Media," and a spirited group will debate "eCommerce Perspectives from Non-Travel Industry Experts."

"Understanding this powerful, yet ever-evolving medium is mandatory for success in today's marketplace," states Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. "The strategy conference serves as a one-stop shop for the hottest topics and most critical matters related to travel Internet marketing."

The agenda to-date is as follows:

8:00 am - 8:30 am

Continental Breakfast

8:30 am - 9:00 am

Welcome & Introductions

9:00 am - 10:30 am

The New World of Social Networking

Moderator: Cindy Estis Green, Managing Partner, The Estis Group

Social networking has fundamentally shifted the balance between consumer and marketer, resulting in the creation of new communication tools such as Web 2.0. Word-of-mouth remains one of the most influential forms of promotion but how do you get your company in the buzz? Questions such as this will be addressed by the author of a comprehensive new report published by the Travel Industry Association (TIA) and HSMAI - The Travel Marketer's Guide to Social Media & Social Networks. A panel of eCommerce experts will also provide an outlook for further developments in 2008.

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Partner Networking

11:00 am - 12:15 pm

Leveraging the Social Media Medium

Jordan Hoffner, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, YouTube

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Networking Lunch & Roundtable Discussions:

1. Destination Marketing

2. Mapping & Local Marketing

3. Rich Media

4. Mobile Marketing

5. Trademarks & Search Marketing

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Summary of Roundtable Discussions

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Panel Discussion: eCommerce Perspectives From Non-Travel Industry Experts

3:30 pm - 4:45 pm

Partner Networking

3:45 pm - 4:45 pm

Online Branding - Emerging Strategies in Search Intelligence

Mike Pusateri, Chairman, Vantage Strategy Consulting

Navigating the transition from offline to online marketing and finding the balance between the two is a challenging task today. This session will address how travel marketers successfully bridge the gap between the two approaches and can leverage the massive amount of search intelligence that exists today into practical and profitable strategies for your hotel, hotel company or destination.

4:45 pm - 5:30 pm

Open Forum

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Networking Reception

The cost to attend the conference, if registered by Nov. 15, 2007, is $275 for HSMAI members and $435 for non-members (which includes a one-year membership to HSMAI). After Nov. 15, 2007, the price is $325 for HSMAI members and $485 for non-members (which includes a one-year membership to HSMAI).