HSMAI Member Update - Summer 2008 - (Page 13) memberupdate president’s message Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA HSMAI President and CEO What defines a sales and marketing legend? A legend is typically defined as someone or something that is remembered for generations. In hospitality sales and marketing there are a few individuals who may fit this description. One who impacted the hospitality industry and our profession for nearly five decades passed away suddenly in June – Michael J. Dimond, CHME. Mike retired in 2006 after an illustrious career that started in 1961 at a Holiday Inn in Dayton, OH and continued through Hyatt, Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center, Saddlebrook Resort, Boca Raton Hotel & Club, Caesar’s Palace, and The Broadmoor. His achievements along the way have left a lasting mark on our industry. One of his most notable achievements was the opening of the Opryland Hotel in Nashville in 1977. He and visionary Jack Vaughn put Nashville on the map as a convention destination. Mike also had a flair for creating demand unlike anyone else. At Opryland, his “Country Christmas” became a family entertainment show that today attracts three million visitors annually. When he and Jack departed Opryland in 1997 there were over four million room nights on the books and an 85% occupancy rate for 20 consecutive years. And The Broadmoor still benefits from the annuities of events he created. Mike believed in giving back. After retiring from the Broadmoor as Vice President of Sales & Marketing in 2006 he continued to mentor many. As recently as March of 2008 he spoke at the HSMAI Leadership Conference and shared his famous survival guide tips for sales and marketing professionals on how to stay active and productive. For those of you that were there, you know first-hand what a legend he was. Here are Mike’s survival tips for you to remember and share with your team: Anticipation Stay one step ahead. In the hospitality business we need to live in a world of anticipation. Try to anticipate the wants, needs and desires as well as challenges of executing a great event for your groups and guests. Try to anticipate before they become a problem. Autonomy Take ownership of resolving the program. Not in the sense of working alone but giving your people the autonomy of resolving issues that may arise. Empower. Attitude Maintain a can-do attitude, always be willing to try new things and be open minded. Having passion from what you do makes the journey a whole lot of fun. An inexperienced person with a great attitude is better than an experienced person who is negative or combative in negotiating with clients. Appreciation Have a sincere and keen appreciation of the business coming through your doors. Let them feel the love! Never take business for granted. Action Assumption We assume we know what the client’s needs are, but never assume anything. You might have a piece of business for three consecutive years but don’t assume they will be back next year. Check and double check everything. We are in the business of details. Never leave a meeting without asking what the action steps are and who is taking ownership. So many times people sit around and talk strategy but there are no action steps. SIG continued from cover tioners at their strategy conferences throughout the year. At the same time, the members of this SIG are working with and supporting both students pursuing the profession and professionals advancing the profession. Their work with collegiate chapters is preparing future leaders for the field and is connecting them with working professionals through the HSMAI chapter system. TRAVEL INTERNET MARKETING The 10th Travel Internet Strategy Conference, held in April 2008, brought together more than 200 eCommerce, Internet marketing, and distribution professionals from hotel brands and management companies. One of the hottest discussions at the conference centered around the interplay and increasing convergence among the disciplines of internet marketing, revenue management, distribution, CRM, and sales. A panel of industry leaders addressed the question, “What does it look like today and could it look like down the road?” The agenda for the Strategy Conference is developed by the Travel Internet Marketing Advisory Board, which was also involved in guiding the development of the highly acclaimed, The Travel Marketer’s Guide to Social Media & Social Networks. This board was also involved in Demystifying Distribution 2.0, the latest resource available from the HSMAI Foundation. For up-to-date information on the activities of all of the HSMAI SIGs, click on “Special Interest Groups” from the Americas Region home page at www.hsmai.org. Summer 2008 13 http://www.hsmai.org
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