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The Travel Career Connexxions Opportunities Newsletter
05/17/05 The only weekly newsletter detailing essential trends, news and top executive moves in travel. Opportunities is a free newsletter that provides you with the vision to "see" travel industry opportunities in the making. Whether you are in sales, business development, guiding your company's growth or managing your career, reading opportunities will give you the advantage to succeed. Opportunities is another innovative tool brought to you by Travel Career Connexxions. For more information, visit http://www.TravelExecutive.com This week in Opportunities:
Demand for Business Travel Set to Surge To ensure that you always receive this newsletter and other communications from Travel Career Connexxions, please add our address to your Address Book (newsletter@travelexecutive.com). This will keep most email filters from misinterpreting and discarding these emails. Did you know? As of 05/17/05 there are 104 executive-level travel jobs published in the Travel Career Connexxions employment report. Positions include Chief Technology Officer (05/17), Director of Marketing (05/16), Sr. VP/CFO/CAO (05/11), Director of Employee Services (05/13), Retail Merchandising Director (05/13), Vice President Sales & Marketing (05/09) and more. It only takes one person to fill the job of a lifetime - and that someone could be you! http://www.TravelExecutive.com OPPORTUNITIES NEWS & TRENDS! Demand for Business Travel Set to Surge According to the latest survey, the demand for business travel services is recovering slowly, although there are some preliminary signs this segment of the market is poised for growth in the year ahead. The recently-released Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell 2005 National Business Travel Monitor found that of the estimated 58 percent of adults who took at least one overnight trip of more than 75 miles from home last year, an estimated one out of three (33 percent) took at least one business trip, roughly the same percentage as last year. Consistent with the results observed in 2004, the highest incidence of travel for business continues to be to attend an association meeting (53 percent), followed by individual business travel (43 percent) and travel to attend a corporate meeting (29 percent). Significant declines were observed in the average number of international business trips and extended business trips (those taken for five or more contiguous nights). On a more optimistic note, fully 42 percent of active business travelers expect to take more business trips in the year ahead (versus 24 percent who expect to take fewer). This expectation is likely to convert into significant growth in demand for all business travel services including air transportation, lodging and car rentals. Among business travelers who indicated they were planning fewer business trips in the year ahead, the most frequently-cited reason why was a "cut back on my need to travel for business." This is consistent with a sentiment now expressed by one-third of business travelers who assert they are attempting to use technology as a surrogate for face-to-face communications, thereby reducing their need to travel on business. For more information, visit www.ypbr.com. Online Travel Consolidates: Sabre Buys lastminute.com The online travel segment continues to consolidate. Sabre Inc., a direct subsidiary of Sabre Holdings and lastminute.com plc today announced that they have reached an agreement for Sabre to acquire lastminute.com for nearly $1.1 billion. The acquisition will be made by Travelocity Europe Limited, an indirect subsidiary of Sabre Holdings established for the purpose of the acquisition. "The anticipated acquisition of lastminute.com directly supports Sabre's strategy of extending our role as a travel retailer focusing on merchandising content, packages, and growing our international points of sale, while broadening the products and services we offer to all customers through our travel distribution platform," said Sam Gilliland, chairman, president and CEO of Sabre Holdings. "We're extremely pleased with the prospect of having lastminute.com, with its highly-regarded brands and well-established customer base, as a part of Travelocity, including Travelocity Europe. We expect this combination would provide us greater opportunity to profit from the fast-growing European online segment. Following completion of the acquisition it is intended that Brent Hoberman, currently CEO of lastminute.com, will become CEO of the combined lastminute.com and Travelocity European operations, reporting to Michelle Peluso, president and CEO of Travelocity. Damon Tassone, currently president of Travelocity Europe, will become Deputy CEO reporting to Brent Hoberman. Other key lastminute.com and Travelocity management are expected to continue as senior executives within the combined organization. Priceline Sees Travel Bookings Rise 41% The online travel segment continues to exhibit strength, with bookings rising dramatically. Better yet, major online travel companies are on an expansion spree. For example, Priceline.com Inc. said its profit fell in the first quarter as a series of acquisitions to expand the online travel services company offset the impact of a 41 percent rise in travel bookings. Quarterly income was $4.1 million, or 10 cents per share, for the three months ended March 31 compared with $4.3 million, or 11 cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue during the period was $233.4 million, up from $224.1 million a year ago. Priceline said first-quarter net income was hurt by previously disclosed non-cash amortization expenses associated with the acquisitions of Travelweb and Active Hotels. But gross travel bookings for the quarter -- the total dollar value, including taxes and fees, of all travel services purchased by consumers -- grew year-over-year to $507 million. The company said that bookings have more than doubled in the last two years. Disney Sees Boost in Second Quarter Profits Travel bellwether Walt Disney Co. saw higher earnings in the second quarter. Increased attendance at its theme parks also contributed to net earnings of $698 million, or 33 cents a share, in the quarter ended April 2, compared to $537 million, or 26 cents a share, in the same period last year. Revenue increased to $7.829 billion from $7.189 billion in the same period last year. "As we anticipated, last year's tremendous momentum has continued into 2005, bringing us well on the way toward another year of double-digit earnings growth for our shareholders," Disney CEO Michael Eisner said. Higher attendance and increased guest spending at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida boosted operating income at Disney's theme parks and resorts unit. For the first six months of the year, Disney reported net income of $1.421 billion, or 68 cents per share, compared to $1.225 billion, or 59 cents per share, for the same period last year. Revenue rose to $16.495 billion from $15.738 billion. New Onlink4travel Poised for Growth Here's a company on the fast track big time. In the past week, San Francisco-based Onelink4travel, Inc., a provider of integrated global distribution and financial settlement services to the travel and tourism industry, completed a purchase of Reservation Center Inc., a provider of reservations and hotel marketing services to travel agencies and their customers, and The Call Center, an outbound customer contact company providing telemarketing, customer service, payment collection and market survey support. Reservation Center Inc. will increase Onelink4travel's revenue streams while lending a key infrastructure component to Onelink4travel's pre-paid travel reservations concept. Reservations Center Inc. (RCI), based in Los Angeles, offers an array of services for travel professionals and suppliers. Among its core services is a 24-hour call center that enables travel agencies to outsource their after- hours or overflow reservations and service opportunities. A division, Computerized Corporate Rate Association (CCRA), works with hotel chains and independent properties to package "Preferred Rate" plans for corporate and leisure travel. Onelink4travel, scheduled to commence formal operations in the U.S. and Europe later in the year, is a pioneering concept in global reservations for non-airline travel providers including hotels, car rental companies, cruise lines, and tour operators. The company plans to provide travel agents with the ability to book pre-paid travel reservations with thousands of industry suppliers over the Internet and through their existing distribution systems, retaining their commission up-front. Onelink4travel has already inked alliances with the Sabre Travel Network and PayPal, Inc., providing distribution and payment services respectively. For more information, call www.onelink4travel.com. Kimpton Set to Expand Hotel Palomar Brand Here's a hotel company that seems intent on growing an entirely new brand. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, one of the industry's leading players in the boutique hotel segment, unveiled plans to expand the San Francisco Hotel Palomar into a new brand with properties in Dallas, Texas and Arlington, Virginia, as well as other urban locations to be announced later this summer. The Hotel Palomar expansion marks the first new sub-brand of Kimpton since its Hotel Monaco concept, which currently has seven properties across the U.S. Unlike the Hotel Monaco, whose eclectic properties are often located in architecturally significant or historic buildings, the new Hotel Palomar brand will exist in modern structures with subtle, artful settings. Additionally, the two most immediate properties will be mixed-use developments featuring residential, retail and hotel facilities. The 198-room Hotel Palomar, Dallas will mark Kimpton's first entrance into the Texas market and is slated to open in the upscale Park Cities neighborhood of Dallas in April 2006. The Hotel Palomar, Arlington at Waterview, located at the foot of Key Bridge, is Kimpton's second mixed-use development and seventh Washington, D.C. metropolitan-based property. Construction began April 21, 2005 and is anticipated to be complete in August 2007. Fairmont Set to Manage Top Kenyan Hotels Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has assumed management of five renowned Kenyan hotels following their purchase by Kingdom Hotel Investments in a joint venture with IFA Hotels & Resorts and Fairmont. The 439-room collection encompasses Nairobi's city-center Norfolk Hotel; two destination resorts, the Mount Kenya Safari Club and the Aberdare Country Club; as well as two premier safari lodges, the Ark and the Mara Safari Club. Plans are underway for US $25 million in phased enhancements to these properties, which will be renamed under the Fairmont banner in mid-2006. Extended Stay Grows New Brand with 16 Hotels HVM L.L.C., the operator of Extended Stay Hotels, announced the acquisition of 16 Sierra Suites Hotels. The properties will immediately be re-flagged Extended Stay Deluxe, a new brand from Extended Stay Hotels. The Sierra Suites Hotels included in the purchase are located in Phoenix; Pleasanton and San Jose, Calif.; Orlando, Fla.; Atlanta; Boston; Piscataway, N.J.; Washington; and Seattle. There are currently 21 Extended Stay Deluxe properties throughout the United States. HVM L.L.C. plans continued expansion of the Extended Stay Deluxe brand throughout 2005, primarily through conversion of existing StudioPLUS hotels and 30 former Wellesley Inn and Suites hotels acquired in October 2004. For more information, visit www.extendedstayhotels.com. Gemstone Takes Over Two Boutique Hotels Gemstone Resorts International, LLC, a leading resort management company that specializes in managing and asset managing four- and five-diamond unique urban hotels and lifestyle resort projects, has signed management contracts with the historic Warwick Hotel in Houston Texas, which will be reflagged as the Hotel ZaZa Houston, and the 63-room Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa in Sausalito, Calif. "Both of these hotels are unique properties that fit well into our management strategy of targeting boutique hotels in destination markets," said Mark van Hartesvelt, Gemstone Resorts' principal. Located at 5701 Main Street, in the heart of Houston's Museum District, the Warwick Hotel features 308 rooms. Opened in 1926, the hotel has been recognized as one of Houston's premier hotels for decades. Following an extensive renovation, which is scheduled to commence late summer 2005, the Warwick will re-open in spring 2006 as the Hotel ZaZa Houston. Nestled into a hillside overlooking San Francisco Bay, Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa combines vintage architecture with modern hospitality and Golden Gate charm. With a total of 63 rooms, including seven suites, Casa Madrona Hotel features 32 Victorian-styled accommodations and 31 contemporary rooms with warm, residential furnishings, 19 of which feature private balconies overlooking the Sausalito waterfront. Headquartered in Park City, Utah, Gemstone is a full-service operating and asset management company that specializes in luxury and upscale urban hotels and complex resorts that include a variety of components, such as hotels, restaurants and retail and resort amenities. Le Meridien Opens First U.S. Beachfront Hotel Le Meridien Sunny Isles Beach, Miami, a luxury 210-room hotel located in Sunny Isles, Florida, is now open. Located between Fort Lauderdale and South Beach in Miami, Le Meridien Sunny Isles Beach is the first U.S. beachfront property for London-based Le Meridien Hotels & Resort, and is one of 21 new Le Meridien hotels in the pipeline to open during 2005 and beyond. There are 126 one-bedroom suites and 80 two-bedroom suites, as well as four penthouses with Jacuzzis and private rooftop terraces, offering spectacular views of the bay and ocean. Meet Up with Top Meeting Planners! Want to network with top hotel meeting and event planners? More convenient trade show hours, new seminar topics and 12 new expert speakers, complimentary lunch coupons, and free registration for qualified meeting planners are just some of the highlights of the 16th annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International's (HSMAI) Affordable MeetingsÆ National show, set for Sept. 7-8, 2005 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. HSMAI's Affordable Meetings National offers a superior educational component of 36 seminars (30 different topics with six repeated) that present a broad range of topics such as meeting contracts, on-site management, negotiation skills, budgeting, effective communication, technology, marketing, designing a brochure, growing your independent meeting planning business and more. A highlight will be the informative general session on negotiating critical issues in hotel contracts where attendees can hear from business professionals on both the meeting planning and the hotel/facility side. This year's educational program welcomes 12 new speakers, who are considered experts in their field and will discuss a multitude of meeting planning subjects. In addition to the educational program, attendees will have the opportunity to meet and do business with more than 520 exhibiting companies at 600 booths during an exposition at the Washington Convention Center that will showcase venues, products and services to help produce various types of meetings and events. Over 1,700 attendees, representing meeting and event planners from a variety of organizations, are expected to visit HSMAI's Affordable MeetingsÆ National 2005 show. For more information, call 800-272-SHOW or visit www.affordablemeetings.com. OPPORTUNITIES EXECUTIVE MOVERS! CRUISES: River cruise company Uniworld has named Charles Van Elten as director-national sales, effective immediately. In this capacity, he will oversee a North American sales team charged with servicing and developing key accounts on behalf of the company's Europe, Russia and China products. Most recently, Van Elten served as vice president of sales for Grand Bahama VacationsÖNCL has promoted Francis Riley to general manager U.K. for Norwegian Cruise Line and Orient Lines beginning June 20. Riley replaces Stephen Park, who is leaving NCL to pursue an opportunity with an international resorts-based business. Riley will report directly to Andy Stuart, executive vice president of marketing, sales and passenger services for NCL Corp. HOTELS & RESORTS: Scott Gibson has been named chief information officer and senior vice president of distribution at Best Western International. Gibson brings more than 20 years of experience in the hotel industry technology sector to his new role along with a reputation for planning and producing solid technology infrastructures ÖThe Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Resort and Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., appointed Carlos Molinet, CHA, as general manager. Molinet has served as general manager for several prestigious properties, most recently the Wyndham Grand Bay-Coconut Grove; as well as the Wyndham Bel Age, West Hollywood, Calif. ; Wyndham Old San Juan Hotel & Casino in Old San Juan, P.R.; the Wyndham Palmas del Mar Resort & Villas in Humacao, P.R. and the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Mt. Olive, N.JÖ.Gerold Held has been named general manager of the Corinthia Nevskij Palace Hotel in St. Petersburg, Russia...Refad Hotels & Resorts, a new Kuwaiti-based hotel developer and management company, has appointed Hermann Simon as its new senior vice president in charge of 'worldwide' operations. Prior to joining Refad, Hermann held various management positions for several hotel brands, including Hilton International and ITT Sheraton Hotels & Resorts for more than 15 years ÖIsle of Capri Casinos, Inc. named Andrew Economon as vice president of food and beverage for the corporate office, effective May 9. In this newly created position, Economon will be responsible for overseeing the company's food and beverage operations. He will also oversee the development and expansion of the company's food and beverage offeringsÖScottsdale, Ariz.-based Loreto Bay Company, developers of The Villages of Loreto Bay, added Stephen Ast as executive vice president of hospitality. Ast will be responsible for operations of all hospitality related functions in Loreto BayÖWorldHotels, the Americas, one of the world's leading sales, marketing and distribution companies for independent hotels, has appointed Heather Nelson as director of sales for the Midwest region of the U.S. Nelson, who is located in the company's Chicago office, is responsible for increasing customer share and revenue by selling member hotels to key corporate, group and travel management segments. She reports directly to Shirley Perezic, senior director of sales, WorldHotels, the AmericasÖHyatt Hotels & Resorts named Thomas (Tom) Smith as general manager of San Antonio's Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa. Formerly general manager of the Hyatt Regency DFW, Smith will oversee all operational aspects of the 500-room, award-winning resortÖ Memphis-based Davidson Hotel Company announced that Ted Arps has joined the company as senior vice president-business developmentÖ Broughton Hospitality Group has promoted James Sichta to partner and vice-president-operations. Previously, Sichta was director of operations and served as general manager at several BHG hotels beginning in 2001ÖFairmont Hotels & Resorts, Hawaii Region, appointed Ian Pullan as general manager for the 540-room Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii resort. Pullan brings more than 15 years of hospitality industry experience to his positionÖMandarin Oriental, Miami, has named Jill DeMone as director of sales and marketing for the luxury AAA Five Diamond city resort set on Brickell Key. DeMone replaces Robert Touzel who relocated to London to Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. DeMone joins Mandarin Oriental, Miami from The Drake Hotel in Chicago where she served as director of sales and marketing for six years and was responsible for the hotel's ongoing sales and marketing activities. DESTINATIONS: The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority announced that Bob Pellegrini has joined the Boston Convention Marketing Center (BCMC) as vice president of sales responsible for driving the sales efforts at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention CenterÖThe Montserrat Tourist Board appointed Ishwar Persad as marketing manager. Persad, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, comes to the post with over 10 years experience in the tourism sector, both at the private and public level. Ishwar will be working with the Director of Tourism, Ernestine Cassell, to reintroduce and reposition Montserrat in the international travel marketplace. TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY: San Francisco-based Onelink4travel, Inc., a provider of integrated global distribution and financial settlement services to the travel and tourism industry, said Frances Kiradjian, a longtime senior executive of newly-acquired subsidiary Reservation Center, Inc., has been named Reservation Center's president and chief executive officer. Kiradjian, who built Reservation Center's Computerized Corporate Rate Association (CCRA) division into a thriving travel industry marketing resource, will oversee the integration of both Reservation Center and CCRA into Onelink4travel's travel reservations concept.
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