Online education forum to provide more value in less time without big cost or time commitment
Phoenix (January 23, 2018) – Hospitality events are growing by leaps and bounds, and as a result, it is becoming more difficult for hoteliers to choose one conference over another – if they can even make time or find the resources to travel at all. Therefore, IBC Hospitality Technologies is launching the InnDependent Lodging Executive Summit: A Year of Learning Webinar Series and “Meetings in Meetings” designed to provide relevant information to hospitality owners and operators in a convenient and cost-effective format. Companies such as 123Compare.me, Google, SiteMinder, Expedia, Infor, HMBookstore, and others are being invited to lead discussions on boosting Net RevPAR growth, driving direct business to hotel websites, running a better overall hotel, attracting a better mix of customers etc. The company also will add focused ILES meetings to existing conferences this year.
The first webinar, “Increase Your Direct Bookings,” will be held January 30 at 11:00 a.m. EST. Led by Jordi Serra and Pau Ferret of 123Compare.me, the presentation will focus on why hoteliers need direct bookings and discuss main strategies to implement to increase conversions. To register for the webinar, click here.
“When we first launched ILES in 2015, there were few to no conferences dedicated to the independent hotel market,” said Pamela Barnhill, IBC president and COO. “Today, with more 300,000 independent hotels worldwide, more and more events are starting conversations about operating independently.
“In 2018, we are replacing our annual conference with a FREE 12-month learning package to better reach our desired audience,” she said. “With targeted content delivered by industry experts, we will bring incredible value in a short time without cost or big time commitment. We tested this webinar fomat in November and overnight we had 237 people sign up. It was an incredible success, and IBC members are asking for more. We are thrilled to announce this exciting new educational format.”
Kicking off the Webinar Series “Increase Your Direct Bookings,” will address how hoteliers can increase direct bookings and overcome OTA struggles. Of particular interest to attendees will be the deep dive into Disparity Tracking (what it is and how it helps battle the OTAs) and Real-Time Rate Comparison (what it is, why it’s important, and how it increases direct bookings). The session will also explore:
- Why a hotel needs direct bookings to be the first source of income
- How price comparison creates loyalty among your guests
- How price comparison helps a hotel control OTA disparities
- How existing booking strategy can potentially sabotage profits
- How hoteliers can increase profits while they sleep
About the Presenters An expert in hospitality revenue solutions, Jordi Serra is Co-Founder and Partner of 123Compare.me, a digital marketing agency specialized in solutions for the hospitality sector with clients in more than 50 countries. He also serves as Managing Director for Ubiqua, owner of 123Compare.me and a developer of mobile solutions, including Mobile Apps, webApps, promotional activites, mobile-crm, SMS, viral marketing, web and interactive communication. Previously, Serra served as an Associate Professor at the University of Barcelona and Media Director/Brand Manager to Nestle. Pau Ferret is the Commercial Director with both 123Compare.me and Ubiqua. He also served as Director of Sales and Business Development for Easytech Global, Director of Business Development and Sales for Projeccions, and Director of Business Development and Sales for Indicorp Solar.
