Revenue Management "Demand Modeling"

From a keynote address on 'demand modeling' to a series of hot topic breakout sessions, consumer behavior and a customer-centric approach to revenue management were recurring themes at the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Revenue Management Strategy Conference held last week in Orlando, FL. A record crowd of 260 industry professionals attended the annual conference, held in conjunction with HITEC and presented by HSMAI's Revenue Management Advisory Board.

Link: Hotel Industry News :: Hotel News Resource.

Sony and Yahoo! Launch promotional travel website - Marketing Week

Sony has teamed up with Yahoo! UK & Ireland to launch an online travel site - called Destination Handycam - to promote the Sony Handycam.

Link: Marketing News: Sony and Yahoo! Launch promotional travel website - Marketing Week.

Lodging Interactive

Clearly the Social Media websites and blogs will continue to grow in their numbers. The number of these websites and blogs already is in excess of five million and growing. Granted, not all social media may apply to your business, but many are simply social and the conversations may relate to travel, politics or any consumer service or product.

Link: Lodging Interactive.

Online travel startup Yapta may rattle rivals

Link: Online travel startup Yapta may rattle rivals.

The Seattle startup, which plans to unveil its online travel service Tuesday, received unexpected news early Monday morning when its Pioneer Square headquarters building caught fire.

Consumers conducting travel research online continue to outnumber those booking online

Consumers are continuing to use the Internet to make their travel arrangements, but usage has declined over the past few years, according to a new study.

Link: Consumers conducting travel research online continue to outnumber those booking online.

TripWiser and Wcities tie-up to offer an affluent experience for families planning trips

Wcities, a location-based information service, and TripWiser, a family trip planning site, have entered into a strategic partnership to create the most affluent user experience for families planning trips to or within the US and Canada.

Link: TripWiser and Wcities tie-up to offer an affluent experience for families planning trips.

SideStep acquires social networking site TripUp.com

Internet travel search company SideStep, Inc. has completed the acquisition of TripUp, Inc. (www.tripup.com), a social networking site dedicated to travel.

Link: SideStep acquires social networking site TripUp.com.

49 ways to build your brand using online marketing | SponsoredReviews Blog

Link: 49 ways to build your brand using online marketing | SponsoredReviews Blog.

Building a brand from scratch is not an easy thing to do, especially if you are in a market that is very competitive. How does one start to rise above the noise to distinguish themselves as a heavy hitter? What techniques and tricks can you use to reach your brand awareness goals? Below I have outlined some of the most effective ways to build your brand using online marketing techniques.

As Domestic Sales Slow, Travel Sites Go Global - New York Times

Link: As Domestic Sales Slow, Travel Sites Go Global - New York Times.

As bookings in the United States have stalled for most online travel agencies, companies like Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline and others have found that their investments in foreign markets are paying off — especially in Europe, where their bookings jumped about 30 percent last year. Although doing business in foreign markets can be complicated, executives and analysts said these efforts can also be lucrative.

Video: Social Networking in Plain English

The folks at Common Craft have posted another interesting video, “Social Networking in Plain English.”

Link: Video: Social Networking in Plain English.