Download - FIU VLR SIN 2015 White Paper - English.FINAL

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Visionary Leaders Roundtable

Singapore November 17, 2015

DRIVING FUTURE GROWTH &

PROFITABILITY 2020

Institute for Hospitality & Tourism Education & Research A division of Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Florida International University

1 DRIVING FUTURE GROWTH & PROFITABILITY 2020

Global events, market disruptors, and new industry alliances are all issues that are requiring

travel industry executives to constantly re-evaluate their plans to manage during uncertainty and

plan appropriately in preparation for future global tourism demand.

The Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Research (IHTER), a division of the

Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University

(FIU) set its sights on addressing key issues faced by the hospitality industry by organizing the

3rd Edition of the Visionary Leaders Forum in Singapore.

Held on November 17, 2015 at Pan Pacific Singapore, this exclusive ‘invitation-only’ event

brought together senior hospitality leaders to speak candidly about the persistent issues that have

profound impact on their ability to stay current, competitive and profitable.

A unique aspect of the Visionary Leaders Roundtable (VLR) is the way in which participants are

engaged to help shape the agenda by identifying the topics for discussion. This collaborative

approach ensures that focus is placed on key industry issues of high interest to our participants

and the industry at large.

Coming together to brainstorm ideas for Revenue Optimization, the executives were separated

into three investigative groups. Each group was in turn tasked with exploring one of the three

assigned topics while guided by a moderator:

• Topic 1: Driving Growth through Better Customer Insight and Analytics, moderated by

Jameson Wong, Director of Business Development, Asia Pacific – ForwardKeys

• Topic 2: Direct Distribution vs. Third-Party Options - The Battle for Direct Sales,

moderated by Mike Hampton, Dean - Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism

Management, Florida International University



• Topic 3: Optimizing Profits from Total Revenue Management, moderated by Patrick

Andres, Managing Director, Asia Pacific - Rainmaker

This white paper delivers key outcomes on the issues and opportunities discussed within the

robust forum created through the Visionary Leaders Roundtable.



Driving Growth through Better Customer Insight and Analytics

The timing of the Fall 2015 Visionary Leaders Roundtable happened to coincide with the

announcement that Marriott International would be acquiring Starwood Hotels and Resorts and

the ensuing speculation about what such a merger would mean to Starwood’s robust loyalty

program, which undoubtedly brings with it a vast amount of data on its membership.

The leaders brought together to explore the topic of “Driving Growth through Better Customer

Insight and Analytics” came from a cross-section of areas within the industry – hotels, resorts,

cruise, and gaming. Facilitated by Jameson Wong, Director of Business Development, Asia

Pacific, ForwardKeys, the group’s conversation started with the simple question - “Do you think

one can shift to a proactive stance when it comes to using data?” The answer was not quite as

simple.

Key Issues and Opportunities It’s not just about the competition, trying to keep up with ever changing consumer expectation is

a real challenge. Consumers are not static, they are always changing as is their behavior, making

it hard to predict and anticipate. Imagine having customer data that can detect a behavior pattern

and predict future booking, buying and spending behavior. Or customer insight and data that

helps to predict future demand to enable pricing decisions irrespective of capacity.

Having deep customer insight that the hospitality and tourism industry can act on today and use

for forward planning is crucial. However, whereas the executives of this roundtable group

acknowledged both the access to and value of consumer data within their respective companies,

much of the concern came from the shared sentiment that they are not necessarily using all the

data they have available across the different departments, and that departments are not looking at

data in the same way. The roundtable group agreed that the use of analytics is not being

embraced as it could be.



The executives in fact posed several questions among themselves as they delved into the topic,

including:

• How do we demonstrate what insights and analytics can do for the industry or for my

company?

• How do we get a grip on so many moving parts in order to have an integrated and holistic

view of the customer?

• Where within the organization should the management of such data reside?

Overcoming Silos and Mindsets?

The general trend has been to collect and analyze data to try to

make sense of past history and patterns. Access to real-time data

across multiple interactions including customer call centers,

emails, surveys, website visits, social media, mobile apps and

guest feedback has enabled analysts to gain insight and

understand the customer enough to build predictive models that

forecast the needs and behaviors of their guests.

However, one of the challenges the group identified is getting

organizational buy-in in order to optimize such analytics and insight.

The group explored three recommendations for communicating how critical such buy-in would be:

1) Involve the operations team and engage non-revenue staff.

2) Build a business case for the units to understand what it is worth to the company.

3) Provide user-friendly tools and appropriate training.

An example involving housekeeping illustrated how different experiences can be tracked and delivered.

Operational teams, strongly supported by training, demonstrate and impart their importance to the

organization. Emphasis on integration within the operations team would require the use of tools and

avoidance of any a manual process in order to make such data collection and/or delivered customer

experience one of ease.

“It’s not clear what we are wanting to do with

all this data…

Figuring that out is a start .”



The need for acceptance and training among department heads and leaders was also highlighted. One of

the participants shared a best practice in that member of the senior management team within his/her

particular organization have to be advocates in a demonstrated effort to break the silos.

Complexity of Data and Making Sense of It While working with credit card companies to drill down to identify high spenders, one of the executives

noted that with so much data at hand, it is now difficult to determine what data is useful and how to use it.

Given the design of the roundtable, it is not surprising to find such openness among participants.

Very basic data was identified

as important to collect; these

include:

• Quality email addresses of people who have opted in, plus the related value and date of

contact

• Geographic location/city of guests

• Total value of the guest.

“In identifying the most valuable data and to understand who the most profitable target customer segments are for the organization, you first determine the desired

business outcome, define where the revenue is coming from, and then work one’s way from there.”

“Even as organizations grapple to identify how best to mange and use data they own, the group was not hesitant to share that they still lack data on their own guest who

book through traditional and online travel agencies (OTAs). To drive onboard revenue, cruise lines extend targeted offers onboard in the jewelry, liquor, clothing, and sundries shops. The opportunity exists for them to start shaping the experience of the guest’s

trip before he/she is onboard thereby making it a more personalized experience. When travel agents have booked the guests, cruise lines do not have key data points and

are unable to utilize this information. Hoteliers have also identified similar shortcomings when guest book through OTAs.”



Beyond Transactional Data, Guest Data is Crucial Information to Understand

The group acknowledged that the technology already exists to understand the data and support

decision-making to cater to an ever-more complex sales, and operations matrix. “As Directors of

Revenue Management, we are not report writers, we’re story tellers” shared one of the

participants. With a move away from standard reporting, they want to see more user-friendly

dashboards that graphically report company, and customers’ stories. These dashboards highlight

the whole customer journey and identify key profit touch points. Highly visualized and

customized dashboards support a continued commitment to breaking down silos for other

departments in order to everyone achieving the same goals.

The Action Plan

Assuming that everyone is turning data into insight, these actions require commitment to the

steps that will have actual revenue impact. The suggestions below list actions that incorporate

what some leaders are already doing within their organizations:

1. Identify the top 3 drivers to impact revenue and loyalty.

2. Create teams that use the data and work with all the stakeholders, ensuring that they are

multidepartment/cross-functional teams.

3. Establish a process that ensures all negative feedback receives quick 100% response.

4. Build Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for deployment at property level to engage the

teams.

5. Place value behind actions.

6. Define and communicate next best actions, particularly for the operations team.

7. Incorporate dashboards that report only what are important to each unit head.



Direct Distribution vs. Third-Party Options

The Battle for Direct Sales

Hoteliers today need to be more than just excellent hosts to their guests. No longer can the

importance be focused solei on services and amenities that delight to encourage return visits. In

this digital age, successful hospitality companies must be deeply connected and entrenched in the

digital ecosystem where travel distribution thrives. Navigating the ever-changing digital

landscape is increasingly complex for many hospitality brands, but for online travel agencies

(OTAs) and third-party digital marketers, it’s business as usual.

The leaders of this discussion topic, facilitated by Mike Hampton, Dean – the Chaplin School of

Hospitality and Tourism Management at FIU, engaged in a lively group discussion and

acknowledged the current state of the hotel distribution scene and the role OTAs play in the

distribution landscape.

In discussing the hard truths - the challenges to keep pace with the speed and savviness of OTAs

in exploiting technology and customer insight to reach consumers at opportune moments and

then using of effective messaging to influence buying decisions - executives in this group

identified several key issues and corresponding opportunities for hoteliers to think about and act

on.

Key Issues & Opportunities

Create Customer Value in the Digital Age

Hoteliers are finding it harder to justify the increasing costs of doing business with OTAs. The

‘Billboard Effect’ alone, which is the marketing and advertising benefits that hotels experience

when they are listed on online travel agencies is no longer sufficient. Some industry insiders

would even argue that the ‘Billboard Effect’ is dead or at best, a diminishing value proposition.



As hoteliers work to level the online playing-field with OTAs, the bigger issue and opportunity

lies in the way in which we engage customers across the multiple channels and customer touch-

points, regardless of the channel in which they started their journey, or whichever channel

through which they have ended up booking.

The executives emphasized that hotels must rethink their distribution strategy and leverage omni-

channel marketing that considers all forms of both traditional and digital content marketing to

provide a seamless brand experience. This marketing strategy should use various communication

platforms, including social networks and mobile devices.

Differentiating the Brand.com Experience

How do hospitality brands level the playing field and gain back more control over distribution to

own the customer relationship in the long-term?

It was acknowledged that OTAs have extensive funds to support aggressive advertisement

expenditures both digital and traditional to drive booking activity. Hotel brands however, should

be positioned to offer distinct advantages beyond price for customers booking direct.

In most instances booking directly with a hotel via phone or website, offers consumers ease of

receiving loyalty points and special treatment, also direct recourse in the event of an issue. A

brand’s website should be the most cost-effective distribution channel that also preserves rate

integrity and customer loyalty.

Commanding Mindshare In the digital age, probably the most effective way to compete for consumers is to ensure that

every encounter with the brand is reinforced and aligned with distinguishing features of the

brand experience to build strong connections with consumers. With an omni-channel approach, a

customer’s journey should be fluid and effortless. Supported by systems and technologies, the

brand’s customer experience strategy should be focused on streamlining and simplifying the

customer experience, thereby making it easy and pleasant to do business with.



Taming Rising Customer Acquisition Costs A driving force for many hotels is to transfer a portion of business from OTAs and third-party

sellers to direct sales. This is less about shifting share and more about being profitable in the

midst of rising commissions and distribution cost. Commissions paid to OTAs and third-party

sellers in Asia can be as much as 25% or more for some independent hotels and smaller hotel

groups. At this rate, coupled with rising labor and real estate cost, running a profitable hotel

business can be a huge challenge.

Given the pressures to control hotel distribution cost, a question raised during the roundtable was:

“Can an alternative compensation model based on value not volume work for hospitality brands

and could this be a positive approach for collaborative channel partners who deliver value-based

bookings?” Given that this topic requires a deeper discussion and more time to deliberate, it will

certainly be one that continues to be explored through other Visionary Leaders programs.

Distribution Strategy: A C-Suite Talking Point?

Another pertinent question raised by this group was: “As rising distribution costs threaten a

hotel’s ability to deliver profits to owners and stakeholders who built the asset and bear the risk,

should distribution strategy be a regular topic on a C-Suite agenda?”

The group was not able to walk away with a definitive answer nor recommendation; however,

they did emphasize the need to provide ongoing education to its executives throughout the

organization on the travel distribution landscape and hotel distribution strategy.

“If indeed the ‘Billboard Effect’ does exist, having a positive brand experience will surely be a winning strategy

to capture returning customers.”



Stand Your Ground and Protect What’s Yours The rising cost of customer acquisition and the commanding presence of OTAs are being dealt

with in a bold and brave manner by some hoteliers. Executives in this group shared examples of

hotel companies in Asia who did more than push back when they were not in agreement with an

OTA’s practices. In one case, on discovering that the pricing on a major OTA’s site for hotels

located in a popular resort city in Asia was actually lower than the hotels’ very own websites, the

hotels chose to close-out their inventories to send a strong message to the OTA that quickly

addressed the issue and remedied the situation. Another hotel group, of 200 plus properties,

made it clear that as a practice they would limit OTA bookings and only sell through them on

their terms. Because their hotels were in high-demand locations, the OTA had little choice but to

comply to have inventory in these cities to sell.

These stories of hoteliers who stood their ground to protect their investment and profits may be

rare and extreme, but it does beg the question: As hotel operators and owners of real physical

assets, do you have enough clout to demand better business terms with OTAs and third-party

sellers to improve profits?

The Path Forward: Focus on the Customer, not just Channels

While the competition for direct sales continues to intensify, OTAs continue to strengthen and

grow their share of online hotel bookings through acquisition, savvy marketing and clever use of

technology.

Just as the title of this discussion topic suggests, the travel marketplace can be perceived as a

battleground with hospitality brands facing off against OTAs in an effort to gain back more

control of distribution to protect their rightful share of customer direct bookings and profits.

Whether it is competition with other brands, OTAs or third-party sellers, the group reinforced

that the focus should be on the customer and customer’s booking preference. Customers, like

brands, have their own unique style and distinction. Focusing on what makes them valuable as

customers and how to appeal to them throughout their customer journey is emphasized as key.



Optimizing Profits from Total Revenue Management

The executives on this topic also came from a cross-section of hotel categories: full-service

luxury; 5, 4 and 3 star properties; limited service brands and integrated resorts with casino

operations.

Patrick Andres, Managing Director, Asia Pacific – Rainmaker who facilitated the group

discussion on ‘Optimizing Profits from Total Revenue Management’ (TRM) began by asking the

executives where they believe the industry in Asia is in terms of total revenue management

practices. The group gave the industry a rating of 2-3 (5 being very good and in control and 1

being new to the concept), but said that it really does vary, with upscale hotels showing better

progress in applying TRM, while casino/integrated resorts are further ahead.

When asked if 2-3 is a considered good the general consensus was, while there is still much to be

done in the area of TRM in Asia, the industry is moving forward and involving more people

from various departments to join the effort to optimize revenue.

Key Issues & Opportunities

Unlocking the potential of TRM through collaborative team effort

Getting ‘all hands on deck’ to pull together towards a common goal takes a great deal of

coordination and continuous education to keep everyone in sync and aware of how their roles

and the decisions they make impact the bottom line. As stated by the executives, the industry

continues to take steps in a move towards driving TRM within their organizations, and by

incorporating into the mix more revenue streams to be optimized.

“I am spending more time teaching colleagues how to prioritize their time and effort, and providing training and education on the impact of their daily decisions.”



As TRM requires finding the most profitable mix of business and customers segments for the

entire hotel and measuring total guest spend, maximizing profits across the entire asset is the key

objective. The push factor to adopt TRM is driven largely by Asia’s high real estate development

costs and owners’ expectations for an optimal ROI.

Adding Meetings & Events Into the TRM Mix

Revenue management for Meetings & Events was

acknowledged by the group of executives to be a

problematic area in Asia due largely to having

insufficient quality data for analysis. While

historical data identifying booking patterns and

how business from corporate meetings and events are trending does exist, it is difficult to make

big decisions because the existing dataset can be is relatively small.

Optimizing profits from group segments with meetings & events may be the next area of focus

for many following food & beverage (F&B). Since many hotels in Asia are typically built as

large, full-service hotels, with ample meetings and events space, more attention and effort to

bring group and meeting space revenue management into the practice of TRM is inevitable.

The Role of RM in Future Hotel Development Projects In 2013 during the inaugural Visionary Leaders Roundtable session, the executives discussing

TRM stressed the need to involve Revenue Management teams in the early stages of hotel

development, enabling them to provide greater leverage to hotel operators and owners. The

discussion at that time centered on trends in mixed-use development and the various life cycles

of a hotel property. It was noted then that thinking about revenue optimization should begin at

the genesis of the hotel development itself.

“Beyond guest rooms, food & beverage revenue management is now becoming more commonly practiced according to the executives in this discussion group.”



Often by the time the Revenue Management teams are brought into the picture, it is too late for

input, as commitments have already been made to the type of hotel that is being developed. In

the past, they were simply presented the hotel and given the mandate to manage and optimize the

revenue. At the 2015 roundtable however, it was encouraging to hear positive examples of

Revenue Management executives today being consulted on various aspects of proposed hotel

development projects, including hotel restaurants and function space.

It is important to note that while we are seeing more Revenue Management executives being

invited to share their thoughts on future hotel development projects, not all are equipped with the

level of knowledge in this particular area to make a credible contribution. Also, as revenue

management becomes more involved during the early-stages of hotel development, there will be

corresponding accountability for insight being shared.

Convergence, Coherent Communication and Collaboration

The group felt that before we can truly

optimize profits across all revenue sources,

there are fundamental issues that need to

be addressed:

• Revenue management (RM) is rapidly evolving in Asia Pacific and getting more complex

with the explosive growth of online distribution and channel partners. Because of this, we

are seeing the convergence of sales, marketing and revenue management. So in this

scenario, where should RM sit in the organization?

• As the discipline of RM matures with more RM executives reporting directly to General

Managers and CEOs, will the Director of Revenue Management of the future be more of

a strategist and business consultant to the organization by asking the right questions and

providing needed information/recommendations on areas for improvement?

“Revenue Management (RM) has been stuck in the back office for too long, and now we need people in RM with credibility to sell the value of RM to optimize profits.”



There was consensus that not all RM executives are ready for such an elevated role and that

different organizations may require a different reporting structure depending on a number of

factors including, the company’s culture, leadership style and existing talent. They also felt that

there is a need for revenue managers who are more commanding, yet collaborative and

persuasive communicators to inspire change. Aside from better qualitative consumer insight and

tightly integrated technology and systems, the real challenge and opportunities also lie in the

development of corporate culture and changes in organizational mindset that support

profitability.

Old Habits Die Hard – Replacing the old with the new

With rising distribution cost shrinking hotels’ profit margin, the executives engaged in a lively

discussion on contributing factors that can harm or help to improve profitability. The growing

share of business from OTAs was said to be adding more pressure to realize higher profits.

Although breaking any habit is difficult, it

can be done. It starts with a change in

mindset of the people involved and the

conditions that encouraged this type of

practice in the first place.

Forming New Progressive and Proactive Habits and Practices:

• Keep up with fast developing ‘game-changing’ trends – search, social mobile and

channel convergence

• Leverage Online Reputation Management and semantics analysis for pricing decisions

• Implement robust demographic segmentation and buyer behavior analysis to personalize

offers and target profitable customer segments.

“ Over-‐dependency on OTA business was described by one participant as being like a drug. Starts out as a ‘quick fix’ to fill rooms in desperate moments, but left unchecked you can get hooked, lose control

and open the doors to adverse consequences”



Changing Mind-Sets and Orchestrating a Win-Win Internal Relationships While there is still more work to be done to unlock the full potential of TRM, success stories are

emerging.

One executive stated that, “Where we have been successful is, in not just looking within each

department in isolation, but in coming to terms with what’s best for the whole organization”.

This is a very healthy perspective that if adopted throughout the industry, we should see a

transformational change in attitudes, behavior and profits.

Moving from TRM to Total Profitability Management

Just as the industry starts to make headways in TRM, a new “buzz word” according to one of the

participants is being suggested. Total Profitability Management (TPM) shifts the focus to the

bottom-line and profits for owners, asset managers and hotel operators.

Profit, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, is defined as "the excess of total revenue over

total cost during a specific period of time." In economics, profit is the excess over the returns to

capital, land and labor (interest, rents and wages). When we focus on profits, it does not negate

the value of top-line revenue, but it does add another dimension to how we assess the value of

our customers.

Driving Customer Value, Engagement and Loyalty

In Customer Relationship Management (CRM) knowing your customer is key and having good

data, insight, and information is vital. Information you can act on to drive performance is the

lifeblood of any business and that goes double for business in the digital age.

Asked if they had deep knowledge and understanding on the total value of their customers,

where they come from, what their buying preferences are etc.…would that fundamentally change

their attitude and approach to RM today, the executives agreed that having better customer

insight would help them make better decisions on the type of customers to target for acquisition

and tactical campaigns. They also felt that having a single point access to customer

demographics, spending preferences and purchase history from various data repositories (PMS,



CRS, POS, CRM, etc.) that is fully integrated into a single platform from which to create

customer profiles would be extremely valuable, but is currently lacking.

Implementing CRM strategies and initiatives like loyalty programs alone will not deliver

dramatic improvements in profit. If done correctly, it will have a positive impact on the bottom-

line because you will know the value of each customer, which in turn can help to allocate the

appropriate amount of resources (time, money, people and effort) to extract the full potential

value of that customer relationship.

How Can We Accomplish More With Less?

An underpinning issue that this group raised throughout the session was centered on the critical

need to be more strategically focused on areas of priority. Capital and labor are costly and

increasingly scarce, while we can make more money, we can’t make more time. Productivity

gains are vital to improve the bottom-line. We also need to be more focused and prioritize what

we can do to drive better results with limited resources. The question then would be, where could

we strip out wasted effort that benefit just a few, and relocate it to other areas with potential to

drive the multiplier effect?

This is an excellent question that needs more time to explore in greater detail. It’s definitely a

topic in itself for future programs and forums produced by FIU.



Conclusion

Change is constant, and this was reinforced at the 2015 Visionary Leaders Forum held in

Singapore. The topics discussed this year were; Driving Growth through Better Customer

Insight and Analytics, Direct Distribution vs. Third-Party Options - The Battle for Direct Sales,

and Optimizing Profits from Total Revenue Management. All of these topics focused on how

information is constantly changing and we as revenue optimizers need to look towards the future

and be ready for the changes. Revenue management in the Asia Pacific market is rapidly

changing and maturing with new online distribution, channel partners, and the RM’s reporting

relationships.

The role of revenue management worldwide is also changing and expanding. The revenue

manager’s role is not just to create profits for the company, but also to create value for the

customer to maintain relationships and earn repeat business. Customers expect more value for

their purchases. Revenue Management is not just the job of the few but also the job of all. The

increased use of total revenue management and now total profitability management by hoteliers

means that now the non-revenue management positions including operations are responsible for

revenue generation and increased customer value. There are roadblocks though, analytics and

insight is only as good as the data we receive. Organizations must have buy-in to optimize data

and analytics, some team members still want to keep the status quo and maintain things the way

they are because they have always been that way is a constant issue. Finally, if demographic data

is missing, as it generally is when dealing with OTAs, your ability to properly forecast

TRM/TPM can be compromised and your ability to identify customer needs are limited.

The participants in the 2015 Visionary Leaders Forum in Singapore agree that continued change

in revenue management including TRM and TPM will continue. The field of revenue

management is still new and while data is plentiful, being able to access, understand, and utilize

all of it can be difficult. Industry leaders recognize the importance, but also see the roadblock

and are working to make changes.



Sharing their insight and perspective at the 2015 Visionary Leaders Roundtable:

• Shirley Alexander, Lead Consultant, Learning & Development – MacroVision

Hospitality

• Patrick Andres, Managing Director, Asia Pacific - Rainmaker

• Simone Champagnie, Executive Director - Institute for Hospitality and Tourism

Education and Research at FIU

• Henry Chew, Manager, Customer Intelligence – Resorts World Genting

• William Chua, Director of Revenue Generation & Distribution – HPL Hotels & Resorts

• Siv Forlie, Vice President - Revenue Management - Shangri-La International Hotels

• Pierre-Charles Grob, Managing Director, Asia – FASTBOOKING

• Mike Hampton, Dean - Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Florida

International University

• Rosmalia Hardman, Chief Marketing Officer – PT Lippo Karawaci Tbk

• Jeannette Ho, Vice President, Revenue Management and Analytics - FRHI Hotels &

Resorts

• Carmen Lam, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Asia Pacific – FRHI Hotels & Resorts

• Michael Lee, Consultant – Banyan Tree Lifestyle Services

• Josephine Lim, Managing Director SEA – Preferred Hotels & Resorts

• Jurgen Ortelee, Vice President, Revenue Performance – Pan Pacific Hotels Group

• Jagdish Sandhu, Vice President, Revenue Management, Distribution and Sales –

Travelodge Asia

• Fanie Swanepoel, Vice President, Revenue Optimization – Marina Bay Sands

• Christine Tan, Senior Vice President, Strategic Sales & Account Management, Asia

Pacific – FASTBOOKING

• Christine Toguchi, Managing Director – MacroVision Network Pte Ltd & Consultant to

the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Research at FIU

• Sean Treacy, Managing Director, Singapore & South East Asia – Royal Caribbean

Cruises

• Jameson Wong, Director of Business Development, Asia Pacific – ForwardKeys



Presenting Partners

Thank you to our presenting partners, FASTBOOKING, ForwardKeys and Rainmaker who

actively engaged participants throughout the roundtable and played a vital role in the success of

FIU’s 2015 Visionary Leaders Roundtable in Singapore.

FASTBOOKING offers leading edge e-commerce solutions for hotels to boost their direct sales strategy. Our solutions based on a cutting-edge cloud platform and our proven expertise in digital marketing enable hotels to boost brand visibility and promote online sales through online and mobile channels. Our local experts offer daily support to hoteliers, in more than 90 countries, to help them leverage our solutions and retain their independence.

Founded in 2000, FASTBOOKING is now part of AccorHotels group, as the specialist for digital solutions dedicated to independent hotels. (www.fastbooking.com)

ForwardKeys is the world’s leading travel intelligence company. With more than 70 million global booking transactions processed daily, ForwardKeys is able to provide historical and future data as well as monitor and anticipate true traveller demand. ForwardKeys works with national tourism organisations, hotel chains, investment firms, as well as other tourism-focused businesses around the world by providing them with the freshest insights. ForwardKeys has been featured by leading publications around the world, such as the Economist, BBC, Travel & Tourism News Middle East and TTG, among others. (www.forwardkeys.com)



Based in Atlanta, with offices in Las Vegas and Singapore, Rainmaker is the market leader in profit optimization solutions for the hospitality and gaming industries. Its software and consulting services help hotel, resort and casino hotel operators secure those customers who will increase their overall profitability. The first company to incorporate “total guest value” into its revenue optimization model, Rainmaker leverages cutting-edge research and innovation to offer highly sophisticated systems that guarantee the highest possible profits. All our solutions help hotels and casinos better price their rooms to maximize overall profitability, better determine the value of distribution channels and how to engage different channels when appropriate, enhance the reservation process, implement a streamlined sales process, while better controlling marketing and promotional spend. Our products are used by some of the leading global hotel chains and casino operators including Omni Hotels, Rosewood Hotels, Movenpick Hotels, Best Western, Destination Hotels and Resorts, Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, Luxe Hotels, Genting’s Resort World, MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and Trump Resorts, to name but a few. For five years running, Rainmaker has been ranked on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing privately held companies. (www.LetItRain.com)



About Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism

Management:

Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management has

been distinguished as one of the top hospitality programs in the U.S. More than 2,500

undergraduate and graduate students from across the United States and around the world choose

FIU for its outstanding reputation, advantageous campus locations, expert faculty, rich

curriculum, and fast-track career opportunities in the international hotel, foodservice and tourism

industries. In August 2006 FIU unveiled the first US School of Hospitality and Tourism in

Tianjin, China. The Marriott Tianjin China Program is FIU's largest international program, with

a capacity for up to 1,000 students. For more information about Florida International University's

School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, visit http://hospitality.fiu.edu/.

About FIU:

Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public

research university with colleges and schools that offers more than 180 bachelor’s, master’s and

doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, computer science, international relations,

architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida’s anchor institutions, FIU contributes

$8.9 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the

most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its

mission. FIU has awarded over 200,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two

campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, and the Miami

Beach Urban Studios. FIU’s Medina Aquarius Program houses the Aquarius Reef Base, a unique

underwater research facility in the Florida Keys. FIU also supports artistic and cultural

engagement through its three museums: Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-

FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has over

400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit

http://www.fiu.edu/.



Authors

Simone Champagnie, M.I.B.A. Executive Director, Development Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Florida International University

Simone Champagnie joined the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU) in 2012 as Executive Director of the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Research. In this role, Ms. Champagnie led all activities associated with business enterprise, including developing revenue-generating training & development programs and services in alignment with the overall strategic goals of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. With her team, she established and expanded the institute's reach in the US, China and Asia-Pacific, which includes the launch of the Visionary Leaders Roundtables and the school's Culinary Arts Academy. She also ushered the Kovens Conference Center into becoming a sustainable profit-center for the University. Before entering the field of higher education, she spent over ten years in the international travel and tourism sector, working with companies such as American Express and Air France, and serving in volunteer leadership positions with the Society of Incentive Travel Executives and the South Florida chapter of Meeting Professionals International. Ms. Champagnie received her undergraduate degree in Tourism Management from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, and completed her Master’s degree in International Business Administration at Nova Southeastern University.



Nathan Dodge, MBA Visiting Professor, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Florida International University

Nathan Dodge serves as faculty at Florida International Universities Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in Miami Florida. Professor Dodge currently teaches introduction to hospitality, revenue management, senior seminar, and facilitates the undergraduate internship course. Professor Dodge has pricing and database experience from Alamo Rent-A-Car’s Europe/Middle East/Africa sales and marketing department.

Christine Toguchi Managing Director MacroVision Network Pte Ltd Project Consultant for IHTER at Florida International University

Christine Toguchi is a passionate leader who has dedicated over 20 years in Asia Pacific, EMEA and the USA to support the knowledge and skills development of tourism professionals and future leaders in hospitality management. She is a creative thinker with proven strategic execution skills in Customer Relationship Management, Loyalty, Multi-Channel Distribution, Revenue Optimization and Sales & Marketing. As managing director of MacroVision Network, she spearheads the development of programs for thought-leaders and produces learning & networking events that inspire new thinking and creative leadership. She is currently executing key initiatives for FIU to support the development of IHTER’s Learning and Development Academy in China and the Visionary Leaders Council in Asia.

Christine is a Chartered Marketer with an Executive Masters Degree of Business Administration (International Marketing) and holds a Graduate Diploma in Social Psychology & Counseling. She is also WSQ- certified with an Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment.