CICA, HEDNA, HTNG and OTA Set Program

Hotel Distribution Seminar Oct 5, 2006 / Chicago

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. October 14, 2008

CHICAGO, IL / WASHINGTON, DC / FALLS CHURCH, VA, September 18, 2006. The Convention Industry Council, Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA), Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) and the OpenTravelTM Alliance (OTA) announced the speakers and program for the joint industry seminar program that they will present on October 5 in Chicago, from 9am until noon. The seminar is free to all interested industry participants, but advance registration is required.

The sessions will offer hotel industry participants a better understanding of the role of each association, and how they work together to address various industry challenges, to avoid duplication of effort, and to prevent the development of conflicting solutions. Hosted by EyeForTravel, the seminar is co-located with that organization's Travel Distribution Summit, which is being held at the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza in Chicago.

Senior officers from each association will be featured speakers, as will hotel and vendor executives who are involved with each association's efforts to define and implement best practices and standards for hotel distribution. The four associations that will participate are:

-- HEDNA, which focuses on best practices, information sharing, and education

-- HTNG, which is driving the implementation of open standards through collaborative development among hoteliers and technology vendors

-- OTA, which develops open specifications to support the electronic exchange of traveler data among all sectors of the travel industry

The Convention Industry Council's Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX), which is fostering the implementation of best practices within the group and meeting environment, including data and document standards that are developed in cooperation with with OTA XML messages.

The seminar, which will run from 9am until noon on October 5, will include three sessions. All sessions will be moderated by distribution veteran Bruce Covill, President of Cyberitas Enterprises of Phoenix, AZ. Covill has a long history in distribution technology in the hotel industry, dating from the 1980s. As Vice President of Murdoch Travel Systems, in 1987 he called the meeting that eventually resulted in the formation of The Hotel Industry Switch Company (THISCO), the non-profit predecessor of Pegasus Solutions. As Executive Vice President of Reed Travel Group, he served on THISCO's board and oversaw the launch of the Jaguar CD-ROM travel directories.

The first session will provide an overview of each organization, it mission, and its objectives. The second session will focus on the efforts being undertaken by the four associations in one of the hottest areas of distribution - content management. The final session will address the respective organization's activities in group and meeting planning. Speakers in the second and third sessions will in most cases include active participants in the committees and working groups of the respective organizations

Speakers at the seminar will include:

-- Tim Beaulieu, Director of Product Strategy for Newmarket International;

-- Noreen Henry, Vice President-Hotels for Travelocity and HEDNA Vice President

-- Joe Mauceri, IR Enterprise Property Information Center Manager for Marriott International;

-- Valyn Perini, Executive Director of OTA;

-- Ed Perry, Director of ECommerce for WORLDHOTELS;

-- Douglas Rice, Executive Director of HTNG;

-- E. J. Siwek, chair of the APEX Technology Advisory Council; and

-- Tiffany Topcik, Vice President of Hotel and Supplier Relations for ABC Corporate Services, and HEDNA President

Each session will include substantial time for questions and answers from the audience, and association executives will be available to discuss how interested industry participants can get more involved in their efforts.

To register for this free seminar, please visit http://www.eyefortravel.com/tdsusa2006/visitor/seminar_booking.asp, scroll down to Day 2, and the seminar is listed under "Steamboat Room." For information or to register for the EyeForTravel Travel Distribution Summit 2006, visit http://www.eyefortravel.com/tdusa2006/.

The OpenTravel Alliance will host a separate seminar on Wednesday, October 4, which will include a session where several sets of trading partners discuss their experiences with OTA messages, along with an update on all OTA activities, as well as a session on getting started with the OTA and OTA message implementation.