ADVISORY/HEDNA 2002 Regional Conference Navigates the Hotel Distribution Chain; December 11, 2002, Boston.

News Editors/Assignment Desks

ADVISORY...for Wed. (Dec. 11)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

HEDNA  -0-

Who: The Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA)

What: Announces its December 2002 Regional Conference, a full day of
information-packed presentations that address the varied perspectives
of the constituencies in the hotel distribution chain.

When: Wednesday, December 11, 2002

Where: Swissotel Boston, One Avenue de Lafayette, Boston

Register: Onsite at Swissotel Boston at the HEDNA registration desk,
or contact Julia O'Brien at 703/837-6155 or [e-mail]. Members
of the press receive a complimentary press pass to this event.

Conference Highlights, Wednesday, December 11, 2002
All sessions take place in the Grand Ballroom at Swissotel Boston

Opening General Session
Presenter: Roland Tanner, President of HEDNA, and Vice President of
Information Technology and Distribution for Utell, a division of
Pegasus Solutions, Inc.
9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
HEDNA President Roland
Tanner of Utell and Chapter representatives provide updates on HEDNA,
EMEA, and ASPAC initiatives.

The Customer Journey: HEDNA's Consumer Research Project
Presenter: Judy Burns, Executive Vice President, Hospitality
Technology Consulting
9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Called The Customer Journey, this project is a series of reports that
will trace hotel-specific trends in customers' purchases through
online and traditional channels. HEDNA is drawing on its member
expertise in concert with New York University's Preston Robert Tisch
Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Administration to provide
resources including industry projections that will help fine-tune
organizations' electronic distribution and marketing strategies.

Moderator for Buying, Distributing & Supplying Sessions: Philip Wolf,
President & CEO of PhoCusWright, Inc.
Buying: The Actual Traveler, the Corporate Buyer, the Individual
Booker
Panelists: Greg Herrera, Director of Hotel Programs, Raytheon
Enterprise Material Sourcing; Tom Naughton, Travelocity Preferred
Elite member; and Tiffany Topcik, Vice President of Hotel and Supplier
Relations, ABC Corporate Services
9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
We think we know what the players in the chain think of our business.
Hear first hand from panelists representing what our various customers
discover when they book our hotels. Ultimately, their experiences may
shift the way we perceive our business and serve our customers. Turn
these consumer revelations into value-added services, customer
preferences, stronger customer relationships, and an integrated
distribution model that supports dynamic data sharing among a diverse
community of users.

Distributing: The Intermediary's Perspective
Panelists: Ron DiLeo, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
of Strategic Travel Solutions, Rosenbluth International; and Chris
Kuhn, Chief Technology Officer, TravelWeb
11:30 am - 12:45 p.m.
To plan for the onslaught of change in the travel environment,
intermediaries have to be pro-active and reactive. Learn how players
in the agency community have structured their organizations in order
to maintain a thriving role in our chain. This in-depth discussion
with two of the foremost travel experts will illustrate how they
orchestrate highly efficient and successful relationships with
supplier and buyer communities.

Press Luncheon
12:45 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. in the Plymouth Room at Swissotel Boston

Supplying: The Hotel Perspective
Panelists: Renie Cavallari, Founder and Director of Inspiration,
Aspire Marketing and Training; Joyce Dawson, Regional Director of
Revenue Management, Oceans Properties, LTD; Ken Gifford, Corporate
Director of Revenue Management for Omni Hotels; and Joseph Opp, Senior
Vice President of Membership Services for The Leading Hotels of the
World
2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Who owns the inventory and content? What activities do our various
hotel entities undertake to control what inventory is sold where, when
and how? How do they ensure clarity of information with buyers across
multiple channels? A delegation of prominent technology users from
companies that help solve these problems will address topics ranging
from channel management, pricing strategies and per-channel fees to
inspirational content, brand awareness/recognition, and guest
recognition. Hear how all these pieces are managed efficiently across
systems to deliver consistent messages and ensure a high quality
experience.

Keynote: Managing the Distribution Chain
Speaker: Chicke Fitzgerald, Managing Partner, T2Impact
4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Hear from one of our industry's preeminent communications experts how
strategy, advertising and knowledge must merge in order to create
purposeful management and positioning in today's complex hotel
distribution market. With close to 25 years of experience in
electronic distribution and marketing, she will provide a
comprehensive analysis of requirements for today's buyer, distributor,
and supplier to ensure seamless information flow across the
distribution chain.

For More Information: Contact Julia O'Brien at 703/837-6155 or [e-mail]. You may also visit www.HEDNA.org for additional information on the organization.

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. For additional information, please visit www.HEDNA.org.