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This week in Opportunities:

Carnival's Latest Results Show Cruise Boom
Jobs Stay in Mississippi After Harrah's-Caesars Merger
What Do You Pay a Departing Cruise Executive?
Orlando's Tourism Boom Reflected by Hotels
Opportunities Watch!
Opportunities Networking!
Executive Movers! See who's going where?
Travel Executive Employment Report

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OPPORTUNITIES NEWS & TRENDS!

Carnival's Latest Results Show Cruise Boom

The cruise segment of the travel industry shows no signs of weakening, even as oil prices continue to rise. Carnival Corporation & last week reported record net income of $345 million, on revenues of $2.4 billion for its first quarter ended Feb. 28, 2005. That compares with net income for the first quarter of 2004 of $203 million on revenues of $1.98 billion. The 21 percent increase in revenues in the 2005 first quarter was driven by a 15 percent increase in capacity and improved revenue yields (revenue per available lower berth day) that began in early 2004. Net revenue yields for the first quarter of 2005 increased 7.2 percent compared to the prior year, primarily due to higher cruise ticket prices and onboard revenues and, to a lesser extent, higher occupancy and the weak U.S. dollar relative to the euro and sterling. "We are delighted with the first quarter results," said Carnival Chairman and CEO Micky Arison. "Stronger than expected pricing coupled with a 15 percent increase in capacity more than offset higher fuel costs, enabling us to achieve a very healthy 70 percent increase in net income." Looking forward, Arison said he continued to be optimistic about the climate for cruise vacations for the remainder of 2005. "We began this year's wave season with significantly less inventory to sell than at this same time last year, despite an 8.6 percent increase in 2005 capacity," he said. "With continued strong demand during the 2005 wave season, we have achieved higher pricing than during last year's wave season and, as a result, expect to see an increase in revenue yields for the remainder of the year."

Jobs Stay in Mississippi After Harrah's-Caesars Merger

Harrah's Entertainment reportedly has told the Mississippi Gaming Commission that prospects are good that the company will keep corporate jobs in Gulfport, even after the planned merger with Caesars Entertainment. Last week the commission approved the merger, allowing Harrah's to retain ownership of five casinos and making it the state's second largest private employer. The company's acquisition of Caesars Entertainment, the parent company of Grand Casinos, is expected to be complete by June. Little changes are expected for front-line casino employees, but the general manager of the Biloxi Grand will be replaced. There have also been concerns about more than 350 jobs at Caesars Mid-South headquarters in Gulfport because Harrah's has a service center in Memphis that employs roughly the same number of people. But a Harrah's executive told commissioners that although restructuring is ongoing, he expects the Gulfport center to stay open. The service center in Memphis is company-wide, primarily dealing with information technology and accounting. Harrah's has reportedly begun the search for a general manager in Biloxi. When the merger is approved, Harrah's will employ 9,500 people in Mississippi. Its five gambling resorts will be the Grand Casinos in Biloxi, Gulfport and Tunica; the Sheraton Casino in Tunica and the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica. Originally, the company would have had seven state casinos with the merger, but two properties -- Harrah's Tunica and Bally's Tunica -- are being sold.

What Do You Pay a Departing Cruise Executive?

What's the outgoing pay for a cruise line executive who resigned? Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said it will pay President and COO Jack Williams $3.75 million and provide "certain other customary benefits," according to the company's SEC filing. Williams, who announced on earlier this month that he will step down to spend more time championing charitable causes, has agreed to remain at RCCL for a transition period expected to be completed by June 30.

Orlando's Tourism Boom Reflected by Hotels

There's more good news for one of America's favorite tourist destinations. Orlando hotel occupancy for first three months of 2005 reportedly is being called the best quarter in history. Hotel occupancy in January and February was up nearly 7 percent from the first two months of 2004. The first half of March continued that trend, and things are about to get better, according to press reports. Duane Vinson, an executive with Smith Travel Research in Henderson, Tenn., said based on the data he has seen, the spring-travel season "will be phenomenal," with Orlando "one of the leading markets in the country in terms of demand growth." In January, when more than 100,000 people attended the International Builders' Show at the Orange County Convention Center, 2.5 million hotel rooms were occupied in the Orlando market.

OPPORTUNITIES WATCH!

New Online Travel Search Company Launched

First there was Kayak.com, then G2 Switchworks. There's a new surge of innovation in the online search and reservations field, with a number of new companies suddenly being launched. Now comes a company that offers a self-described "ultimate travel search engineÖoffering more options than any others. Portals2TheWorld is designed for online travel consumers to easily find the best suppliers at the best prices. An independently owned site, it says it can provide instant access to thousands of hotels, cars, cruises and up-to-the-minute low cost deals and packages with a unique "mega search: function. "Portals2TheWorld is the fastest and most comprehensive way to access travel information," says Harold Stevens, the company's president. "Everything that is necessary to plan, organize and book a trip, any kind of trip, is at the user's fingertips." Partnering with major industry suppliers and online players such as Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline and onetravel.com, P2World.com provides its users with a legal and comprehensive search engine using proprietary software that is patent pending. P2World.com says it has been in development for the past five years. It leverages over three decades of travel and customer service experience originating with the Stevens Group, and the three companies that are part of the organization: Stevens Travel Management, one of the top 100 corporate travel companies in the U.S.; Insight Data, a software development and marketing consultant; and Passport Holidays, an innovator in leisure travel marketing. For more information, visit www.p2world.com.

Red Rock Resort in Vegas Tops Off Construction

There may soon be even more opportunity in Las Vegas. Red Rock Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas reached a significant construction milestone as the last steel beam was hoisted to the top of the luxury resort. Representatives from Station Casinos, Inc. and Perini Building Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Perini Corporation joined more than 800 craftspeople at the topping out ceremony. Scheduled for completion in early 2006, Red Rock Resort Spa Casino is located on approximately 70 acres at the intersection of I-215 and West Charleston Boulevard in the northwest area of the Las Vegas Valley and is set against the backdrop of the Red Rock Mountains. Station Casinos recently announced that due to greater than expected demand, it is accelerating the Phase II expansion of Red Rock. The project will now include over 2,800 slot machines, approximately 850 hotel rooms, 94,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, a 35,000 square-foot spa, nine full service restaurants, 16-screen movie theater complex, a night club and private pool club to be operated by Midnight Oil Company (the operator of the "Whiskey" bars and clubs at Green Valley Ranch and in New York and Los Angeles), both indoor and outdoor entertainment venues and parking for almost 5,500 vehicles. The Red Rock Resort Spa Casino will employ approximately 2,000 team members.

Great Wolf Lodge Opens in Williamsburg

Great Wolf Lodge has opened in Williamsburg, Va. The northwoods themed family resort features one of the world's largest, and Virginia's premier indoor waterpark. The four-story, log-sided 301-suite family destination is designed to capture the atmosphere and adventure of the northwoods. Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., also seems to be on the growth path. It claims to be the largest owner, operator and developer in America of drive-to family resorts featuring indoor waterparks and other family-oriented activities. Great Wolf Resorts owns and operates its family resorts under the Great Wolf Lodge and Blue Harbor Resort brands. Great Wolf Resorts is a fully integrated resort company with Great Wolf Lodge locations in: Wisconsin Dells, Wis.; Sandusky, Ohio; Traverse City, Mich.; Kansas City, Kan,; Williamsburg, Va.; the Pocono Mountains, Pa. (scheduled to open in fall 2005) and Niagara Falls, Ontario (independently owned by Ripley Entertainment, Inc.-a Jim Pattison Company, scheduled to open in Spring 2006); and Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center in Sheboygan, Wis. For more information, visit www.greatwolflodge.

Hotel Indigo Debuts Second Property in Chicago

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will open its second Hotel Indigo in mid-June in one of Chicago's wealthiest neighborhoods. IHG will manage this hotel on behalf of the Chicago based ownership group. The 165-room Hotel Indigo Chicago Gold Coast is located in one of Chicago's oldest and most historic neighborhoods. The hotel is a full-scale renovation of the historic Claridge Hotel, which has been a fixture of Chicago architecture since 1926. Indigo is IHG's newly introduced lifestyle hotel brand designed to cater to style-conscious guests who are seeking experience and quality. Future sites of Hotel Indigo hotels include Sarasota, Houston and New Orleans. The first Hotel Indigo opened in Atlanta in October 2004. For more information, visit www.hotelindigo.com.

Hilton Opens Renovated Hotel in St. Louis

There's a new hotel in the "Gateway to the West." Hilton Hotels Corporation has transformed the historic Merchants Laclede building in downtown St. Louis into the Hilton St. Louis Downtown, a first-class, 195-room property. The new Hilton is located in the heart of downtown St. Louis at 4th and Olive Street, only 15 miles from Lambert International Airport and walking distance to many attractions, including Busch Stadium, The Gateway Arch, Edward Jones Dome, America Center, and the historic Lacledes Landing. The hotel is owned and managed by Drury Development Corporation and operated under a franchise license agreement with Hilton Inns, Inc., a franchising subsidiary of Beverly Hills-based Hilton Hotels Corporation. For more information, visit www.hilton.com.

Stanford University to Build Luxury Hotel

Stanford University said it will build a luxury hotel on Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto, Calif. The 120-room hotel will be built by Stanford and operated by Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, the Dallas company that manages international luxury hotels including The Carlyle in New York. Officials say the new hotel will be built on a 21-acre wedge near the southeast corner of Sand Hill Road and Interstate 280. When the hotel opens in 2008 as planned, it will most directly compete with the Four Seasons in East Palo Alto, now under construction near Highway 101.

OPPORTUNITIES NETWORKING!

TravelCom Schedules Roster of Top Speakers

Want a great networking event? Travel Commerce Conference & Expo 2005 (TravelCom), scheduled for April 27-29 at the Marriott Marquis in New York, unveiled a roster of top travel industry leaders as speakers and attendees for the fourth annual conference. "The 2005 TravelCom conference's speaker and delegate roster contains some of the most brilliant minds in the travel industry today," said Henry Harteveldt, chairperson of TravelCom 2005 and vice president, Travel Research, for Forrester Research. The most comprehensive source of market analysis and trends for the travel industry, Key conference session topics include: Avoiding the Lowest Common Denominator, with panelists Kevin Krone, vice president, Interactive Marketing, Southwest Airlines, and Susan Black, executive vice president, Marketing, Liberty Travel/GOGO Worldwide Vacations; The Evolving Airline Landscape and Its Implications for the Industry, with panelists Nigel Page, senior vice president, commercial operations The Americas, at Emirates; Robert Mann, president and CEO, R. W. Mann & Company, Inc.; Scott Gibson, managing director, Seabury Group; and Darryl Jenkins, visiting professor, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University; The Online Distribution Landscape, with panelists Joan Lowell, vice president of electronic distribution, Hyatt Hotels Corporation; D. Jim Young, senior vice president, global distribution, InterContinental Hotels Group; and Greg Brown, managing director, leisure, corporate products, and international sales, American Airlines; and The Next Big Thing In Search, with panelists including representatives from: AOL Travel, Google, Mobissimo, SideStep, SmarterTravel.com, Travelocity, Travelzoo Inc. and Yahoo! Travel. TravelCom 2005 already has attracted representatives from some of the biggest companies and executives in travel such as: Amadeus, American Airlines, America Online, Carlson Hotels Worldwide, Carnival Cruise Lines, Cendant Corporation, Delaware North Companies, Expedia North America, GetThere, Google, Hertz Corp, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Lufthansa, Marriott International, Orbitz, Range Online Media, Sabre Travel Network, SideStep, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Travelocity, Travelocity Business, Travelzoo Inc., United Airlines, Worldspan, Yahoo and more. Complete speaker roster, event information and registration forms can be found at www.travelcomexpo.com.

Connect at TravelCom 2005

This April, Travel Commerce Conference and Expo will be bigger and better than ever before, with more exhibitors, an exciting new venue, and a comprehensive executive level conference program that has been created for the industry, by the industry! Opportunities subscribers also can save 20% on TravelCom 2005! - Simply use the following discount code when registering at TravelComExpo.com: GTC2L. TravelCom runs April 27-29, 2005 at the Marriott Marquis in New York, NY.

OPPORTUNITIES EXECUTIVE MOVERS!

CRUISE LINES: Jens Lassen was named managing director of shipowning for Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group, based at its headquarters in Rotterdam. Lassen previously served as vice president-technical operations for Royal Caribbean International.

HOTELS & RESORTS: Caesars Entertainment, Inc. named Senior Vice President of Marketing Steven Rosen as interim president of the Flamingo Las Vegas, one of the world's largest casino resorts. Rosen will succeed Lorenzo Creighton, who has resigned to accept another business opportunity. A 20-year veteran of the gaming industry, Rosen during his career has served in positions of increasing responsibility at casino organizations in New Jersey, Mississippi and NevadaÖSt. Regis Hotel & Residences, has announced the appointment of Lilian Wagner as director of sales and marketing for the new 40-story landmark comprising a 260-room luxury hotel and 102 private residences. The hotel and residences, representing the first St. Regis property in San Francisco, are scheduled to open in September 2005ÖEmpire Resorts, Inc. announced that former federal Bureau of Indian Affairs deputy commissioner Hilda Manuel has been appointed to the new post of senior vice president for Native American Affairs, effective immediately. Manuel also will serve as the chief compliance officer for the companyÖTom Cook has been named senior vice president and general manager of Harrah's North Kansas City Casino & Hotel, effective upon receipt of any required regulatory approvals, Cook will report to Bill Keena, senior vice president and general manager of Missouri operations for Harrah's. Cook is currently senior vice president and general manager of Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino Resort, a position he has held since 2003ÖDomina Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. has appointed Jean Patrick Thiry as vice president and area manager for its Africa and Indian Ocean division and general manager for Domina Coral Bay Resort & Casino, Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt)ÖGreg Horner has been appointed director, restaurant sales and marketing for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. In this role, Horner is responsible for the sales development and marketing activities for the company's 39 restaurants across the countryÖPan Pacific Hotels and Resorts has appointed Dean Schreiber as its new corporate director of operations. Schreiber, an Australian hotelier has 17 years of hospitality management experience spanning over seven countries and three continentsÖSol Melia Hotels & Resorts named Klaus Lapp as the new managing director of the 500-room Paradisus Puerto Rico, the island's first all-inclusive, luxury resort. Lapp will be responsible for the 44-acrebeachfront resort, including oversight and management of the 600-plus staff, its six food and beverage outlets, rooms and sales and marketingÖ

The developers of Sedona Rouge Hotel & Spa, opening in June 2005 in Arizona, have announced the appointment of the facility's key managers who will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the hotel and spa. Ed Conway, the property's new general manager, began his career as the hotel manager at the Alexis Park Resort Hotel in Las Vegas. He then spent several years in the food and beverage industry at the Elangeni Hotel in Durban, South Africa, and the Universal City Hilton and Towers in Universal City, California. Conway worked with several smaller boutique hotels, including the Marco Polo Hotel's Beresta Palace in Russia and the Hotel Savoy in San Francisco before becoming the director of culinary operations for the California Culinary Academy, where he was responsible for all restaurant, catering and retail operations. Conway most recently served as general manager at the Greenhorn Creek Resort in Angels Camp, California and the Radisson Hotel in Dublin, California. Karla Lewis brings more than 14 of years of experience to her role as director of sales. She previously held posts at Amara Creekside Resort, Hilton Sedona Resort & Spa, Enchantment Resort and L'Auberge de Sedona. Patricia Stuckey, founded Stuckey & Associates, a company focused on destination marketing. Her portfolio includes sales and marketing posts for the Enchantment Resort, Hilton, Radisson and Ritz Carlton in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Sedona areas. Jeff Marquardt, director of rooms, most recently worked at the Sheraton Sonoma County, in Petaluma, Calif. Prior to the Sheraton, he acted as the front office manager for several Auberge Resort properties in the Marin County area, north of San Francisco.

TRAVEL ADVERTISING: John Graham has joined ICON International as director of business development-travel services. Graham brings more than 20 years of experience in travel advertising, marketing, and promotion. In his most recent position as vice president-travel at Barter Advantage, Inc., he developed and managed multi-media advertising campaigns for travel suppliers.

TRAVEL AGENCIES: Rich Worldwide Travel, a full-service travel agency organization with nine offices throughout New York, Connecticut and California, has named Heidi Rathke, formerly the company's corporate manager, as general manager of its Los Angeles area office in Sherman Oaks, California. As general manager, Rathke will be responsible for overseeing Rich Worldwide's entire West Coast sales operation and will work to develop new business in the Los Angeles area.

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