CHICAGO and FALLS CHURCH, VA (August 2, 2006) -- Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) and Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA) announced today that they will offer a joint seminar program on October 5 in Chicago, featuring all major industry trade associations involved in distribution within the hotel industry.

The sessions will offer hotel industry participants a better understanding of the role of each association, and how they work together to address various industry challenges, to avoid duplication of effort, and to prevent the development of conflicting solutions.

Senior officers from each association will be featured speakers, as will hotel and vendor executives who are involved with each association’s efforts to define and implement best practices and standards for hotel distribution.  The four associations that will participate are:

• HEDNA, which focuses on best practices, information sharing, and education
• HTNG, which is driving the implementation of open standards through collaborative development among hoteliers and technology vendors
• OpenTravel Alliance (OTA), which develops and publishes an XML vocabulary for exchange of travel information
• The Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX), which is fostering the implementation of best practices within the group and meeting environment, including data and document standards that are developed in cooperation with with OTA XML messages

The seminar is being hosted by EyeForTravel, and is co-located with the EyeForTravel Travel Distribution Summit 2006 conference at the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza in Chicago.  The HTNG-HEDNA seminar is open to all industry participants at no charge, whether or not they also attend the EyeForTravel conference.  Space is limited, however, and advance registration is required.

The seminar, which will run from 9am until noon on October 5, will include three sessions.

The first session will provide an overview of each organization, it mission, and its objectives.  Speakers will include Valyn Perini, Executive Director of OTA; Douglas Rice, Executive Director of HTNG; E. J. Siwek, chair of the APEX Technology Advisory Council; and Tiffany Topcik, President of HEDNA.

The remaining two sessions will focus on the efforts being undertaken by the industry associations in two key areas:  content management, and group and meeting planning.  Speakers will include active participants from the committees and working groups of the four organizations, who will describe their teams’ respective efforts and discuss how they coordinate with each other.

Each session will include substantial time for questions and answers from the audience, and association executives will be available to discuss how interested industry participants can get more involved in their efforts.

To register for this free seminar, please visit http://www.eyefortravel.com/tdsusa2006/visitor/seminar_booking.asp, scroll down to Day 2, and the seminar is listed under “Steamboat Room.”  For information or to register for the EyeForTravel Travel Distribution Summit 2006, visit http://www.eyefortravel.com/tdusa2006/.

About Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association

The Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA) is a not-for-profit trade association whose worldwide membership includes executives and managers from over 200 of the most influential companies in the hotel distribution industry. Founded in 1991, all of HEDNA's activities are intended to stimulate the booking of hotel rooms through the use of GDS, the Internet and other electronic means. HEDNA brings all segments of the hotel industry together to evolve systems and services into electronic distribution that is easy and efficient. Additional information on HEDNA is available by calling +1 703 970 2070 or by visiting www.HEDNA.org.

About Hotel Technology Next Generation

The premier technology solutions association in the hospitality industry, HTNG is a self-funded, non-profit organization with members from hotel and hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, and other industry members including consultants, media, and academic experts.  HTNG’s members participate in focused workgroups to bring open solution-sets addressing specific business problems to the hospitality market.

Membership in HTNG is open to hotel and hospitality companies, technology vendors to hospitality, consultants, academics, press and others.   Currently more than 300 companies and individuals from across this spectrum are active HTNG members.  Workgroup proceedings, drafts, and specifications are published for all HTNG members as soon as they are created, encouraging rapid and broad adoption.  Specifications are released to the public domain when the workgroup has completed its work, typically after no more than 18 months.  For more information, visit www.htng.org.

 

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Source: Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association

Contact:  Catherine McDonald, Director of Membership Marketing & PR

+1 703 970 2064

 

Source:  Hotel Technology Next Generation

Contact: Douglas Rice, Executive Director

+1 847 348 1148

+44 207 101 9358