SkiTops, the Ski Tour Operator Association, invited Robert Cole to give the keynote presentation at its annual SkiTops University event on July 31, 2012 at Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada. The subject was how Search, Social, Local and Mobile was impacting travel marketing and technology, as well as the ski industry.
Collision of SEO and Social – Where’s the Creepy Line?
June 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Changing rules, or a complete lack of rules governing the use of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) methods to increase Social Media ranking results in many groups using new technology to approach and cross the Creepy Line. The presentation is a discussion of the issues in play and what travel companies can do to engage customers and avoid crossing the creepy line – even when competitors are behaving badly.
Unsuspecting Travel Hero and Travel Zero Awards 2011
January 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The 2011 Unsuspecting Travel Hero Award goes to the anonymous hrrmph for his outstanding 9,000+ word TripAdvisor review of Kandholhu Island Resort & Spa in The Maldives. The big loser (aka winner) of the 2011 Unsuspecting Travel Zero Award is hotelreputationmanagement.org for serving as the poster-child for brashly promoting black-hat hotel reputation management tactics.
What are Most Trusted Sources for Hotel Reviews and Ratings?
September 9, 2011 By 4 Comments
Hotel reviews and ratings are a popular topic of discussion, with many hoteliers relying on hotel rating sources to validate the quality of their hotel operation and promote it to a broad spectrum of travelers that would otherwise have been too difficult to reach. A key question asked by this survey is what source does a traveler trust most when it comes to hotel reviews and ratings.
Transforming Hotel Industry Growth Strategy
August 3, 2011 By 1 Comment
Video of the hotel industry leadership panel from the 2011 HITEC conference discussing the RockCheetah/Amadeus IT Group white paper, “Transform Your Growth Strategy Now – Remove barriers between hotel technology,marketing and operations.” The discussion with Flo Lugli from Wyndham, Mike Blake from Hyatt and Caryl Helsel from Aramark explores the role an IT Pathfinder can play in facilitating hospitality industry business transformation.
Travel – The Less You Take, The More You Get
July 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Cross a beach, a blanket, a bag & a bunny… and what do you get? A stripped-down travel experience that proves the less you take, the more you get.
Social Commerce – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
June 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Social Commerce will evolve from the intersection of social computing, location based services and mobile technologies. Travel companies leveraging SoLoMo-Commerce (SoLoMoCo) will have an unprecedented opportunity to engage customers, create value and capture profits from an enhanced set of technologies by applying creative, traveler-centric marketing strategies.
Seven Travel Planning Steps – Impact on Hotel Distribution Strategy
June 21, 2011 By
My presentation, “Seven Travel Planning Steps and Their Impact on Hotel Distribution Strategy” for the Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals Annual HITEC Conference in Austin, Texas did not focus on traditional distribution focused on the luxury hotel and resort customer, hospitality industry distribution channels and the future innovations that may be expected to impact the global hotel industry.
White Paper: Bridging Hotel Business and Technology Priorities
June 9, 2011 By 1 Comment
The hotel industry requires an IT Pathfinder to help align hotel business and technology priorities over the next three years so the industry can successfully leverage information technology to drive business growth and profitability. A RockCheetah/Amadeus IT Group white paper, “Transform Your Growth Strategy Now – Remove barriers between hotel technology,marketing and operations” explores the role an IT Pathfinder can play in facilitating hospitality industry business transformation.
Snippets and Factoids from Henry Harteveldt’s OpenTravel Presentation
April 26, 2011 By 1 Comment
Henry Harteveldt’s keynote address to the OpenTravel Alliance North American Advisory Forum warned an audience of travel industry distribution executives that
