NEWH - July 2005 - (Page 30)

hotec 05 la costa, california june 2-5, 2005 by Helen Meisel, President of Los Angeles Founding Chapter & Nancy Bohnett, Rocky Mt. Chapter NEWH would like to thank McLean Events for another wonderful opportunity to share in the global alliance and networking opportunities they made available in a very unique and successful approach to doing business. McLean Events was founded in 1996, to develop a series of specialized business-to-business events across a range of industry sectors. June 2-5 marked the second North American HOTEC event. HOTEC was launched in Europe eight years ago, and then moved to Asia four years ago. Beginning in 2004, they brought this event to the Middle East and North America. HOTEC brings together buyers and suppliers in an innovative three-day program of one-to-one meetings, allowing delegates to talk business and network with their peers in a way that is simply not possible with traditional trade shows and conferences. A common shared quote was, “It is like speed dating, yet the outcome is immediate and very positive.” HOTEC targets companies who own, manage, operate and service the major international hotel chains, cruise liners, spas & resorts and industry manufacturers and vendors who service this marketplace. This year’s event hosted 82 key companies covering over 20 product categories. Seventy buyers from all facets and areas of hospitality sat for 20 minutes with each 30 HOTEC Delegates requested product vendor gaining insight and sharing knowledge. Two mornings began with panel discussions focusing on design directions and changes in industry trends. The first panel was monitored by Mike Malley, Editorial Director of Hotel and Motel Management Hospitality Network, best known for Hotel and Motel Management and Hotel Design magazines. According to Malley, renovations including bedding, bathrooms and amenities provide the greatest return on revenue. The same “experience” the guest has in their hotel room is also driving the retail side of the residential market. The panel also discussed how various chains are addressing obesity issues in this country by providing fitness equipment in rooms, developing exercise programs within the property, and adding healthy food and beverage plans. The second panel was moderated by Carl Winston, founding Director of San Diego State University’s Hospitality and Tourism Management Program. The panel also discussed the need for better project management within the global market as lengthy lead-times for goods become more common. Timothy D. Levin, AIA, Corporate VP-Architecture & Design, Marriott Vacation Club International, stated, “The time is here to take responsibility, bring teams together earlier, establish a working budget early and maintain and keep communication open. One cannot blame the vendors to manage products better; we need to be better project managers.” The consensus of HOTEC attendees was that this was a successful and worthwhile event. They found it to be a cost-effective and efficient way of networking and conducting business. Next year, HOTEC North America will be held at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, June 1-4th, 2006. One-on-one Meeting

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - July 2005

NEWH - July 2005
Letter From the President
Upfront
Contents
Hospitality News
Learning From the Leaders
NEWH Announces New Corporate Partners
Protecting Paradise
Who’s Leading Whom?
Eye on the Triple Bottom Line
NEWH Welcomes New Corporate Partner – Signature Hospitality Carpet
Hotec – La Costa, California, June 2-5, 2005
2005 ARDA Awards Recipients
Education and Scholarship
Coming Events
Hospitality Design Award Winners
Letters to the Editor
Contributors
InformeDesign

NEWH - July 2005