Educational timetable – Tuesday, 5 February
23 January 2002 by Andrew Davies
The registration desk for Hostec/Eurhotec 2002 is open each day from 8.30am to 5.30pm.
There is a continental breakfast from 9am to 9.30am each morning - all delegates are invited.
| Meeting Room 1 | Meeting Room 2 | |
| 09.30 to 10.15 | The importance of the catering industry to tourism and economic growth *Heddi Cundle, group media and communications, Mawell Restaurant Group* In light of all that has impacted the tourism industry in recent years, this discussion will examine the role of catering to tour operators and travel organisers and how to market it successfully in challenging times. | Innovative means of financing technology initiatives Obtaining budget approval and financing for new or ongoing technology initiatives is challenging in any economic environment. This session will explore project financing, consider elements of total cost of ownership and discuss what can be approved most effectively. |
| 10.30 to 11.15 | Preparing and executing a point of sale (POS)system selection plan When deciding on a POS system, many factors need evaluation to ensure the greatest return on investment. The wrong decision can greatly impact your bottom line and organisational efficiency. This session will examine the core requirements of a system selection plan. | Electronic payment - customer expectations and market abilities *Cihan Cobanoglu, assistant professor of hospitality information technology, University of Delaware College of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management* Customers have come to expect quick, cashless and secure payment options for all transactions. This session will examine the opportunities that exist for data capture, the risks associated with electronic payments and the impact of wireless standards such as 802.11 and Bluetooth. |
| 11.30 to 12.15 | Kiosks - what's on the menu for restaurants? *Craig Keefner, publisher, Kiosks.org* This session will examine recent applications for the self-entry kiosk, "eatertainment" ticketing, value-add machines, self check-out, self check-in, feedback mechanisms, and what the impact of these vehicles is on customer satisfaction, speed of service and data capture. | Key elements of restaurant management systems Many assume that the replacement of a back office, inventory management or enterprise reporting system is a simple process of choice. The work starts with the decision on a solution. This session will examine the key elements of preparing data and implementing restaurant management systems. |
| 12.30 to 14.00 | Lunch and chief information officers panel Moderated CIO panel discussion of current challenges and trends facing the international foodservice industry. | Lunch and chief information officers panel Moderated CIO panel discussion of current challenges and trends facing the international foodservice industry. |
| 14.15 to 15.00 | Future business trends and the impact on hospitality IT *Moderated panel discussion by Derek Wood of Derek Wood & Assoc. Kirsten Limbacher,telecom manager, Six Continents; Clive Taylor, IT driector, Savoy Group of Hotels; Jules Sieburgh, senior VP and CTO, Host Marriott Corporation; David Sjolander, VP hotel information systems, Carlson Hospitality Corporation; Brad Smith, director of sales Asia Pacific, Telematrix Corporation* What will the guest room of the future look like? How can you plan today for technologies that will be in customer demand in three to five years and beyond? What technologies will differentiate your establishment? This session will pull out the crystal ball and discuss what experts are planning for future hospitality sites. | What technology do hotel customers really want? *Antonius Heuer, Fidelio Cruise Software* This session will explore what is marketable and what is not. What are customers expecting at each level of hotel and what is the cost benefit of implementing? What will customers buy and how much will they pay? |
| 15.15 to 16.00 | Implementation case study - single image central reservation system (CRS) at the Savoy Group *Clive Taylor, IT director, and Siobhan Lawlor, group systems manager, The Savoy Group of Hotels* The Savoy Group of hotels has been operating a single-image CRS for the global distribution system (GDS), voice and Internet reservations for the past year. This case study will examine the challenges that had to be addressed, the benefits it has provided and the impact the system has had on decision-making and corporate efficiency. | Globalisation of travel portals This session will discuss how travel portals benefit an organisation and improve data accumulation and data mining. |
| 16.15 to 17.00 | Yield/revenue management in good times and bad. CRS and GDS today *Govert Klaassen, manager in strategy and operations, Deloittee Consulting; Robert Collignon, manager in strategy, Deloitte Consulting* In these challenging economic times, every tool must be employed to maximise revenues and attract travellers. This session will discuss the effectiveness of systems that various operators employ to assist in the management of the customer acquisition process. | Specifying requirements and selecting key hotel systems *Ted Horner, president, E Horner Assoc, Australia* This session will focus on the key elements of a selection process for hotel systems with a presentation of recommended processes, timelines, vendor criteria and installation considerations. |
