We have a series of five distribution and digital workshops that are running throughout this year with the next workshop scheduled for June 4th. Each session is designed to cover the distribution landscape and the increasing need to understand how distribution and digital marketing fit together.
Social Media, Local search and Mobile Distribution – June 4th, November 12th
This one-day workshop covers an introduction to the principal social media local search and mobile platforms being used within the hotel industry. We explore the use of search and how local and Metasearch is impacting buying decisions. The workshop looks at the impact of mobile and the influence on booking behavior, and as a distribution platform for hotels and OTAs and assesses how to include mobile in a revenue strategy.
Content Covered includes:
- Defining Social media and the different social media platforms
- The tools to manage social media programmes at property, brand and franchise level
- What is SoLoMo? – the integration of Social, Local and Mobile
- Introducing local/ social channels and how to optimise local channels
- Mobile web sites and Mobile Apps
- Mobile marketing – introducing QR codes and their use in mobile marketing
- How to integrate Social Local and Mobile within an on-line and off-line marketing and distribution strategy
- The user experience and how usage changes across platforms
- How to build for each platform
- Mobile Guest technology to support mobile interactions and interactions on the move
- OTAs and your mobile presence – where next?
Creating a Distribution and Technology strategy – June 5th, November 13th
This one day workshop provides an in depth focus on developing a framework for a distribution and technology strategy, covering an analysis of the hotel or group’s current IT capabilities and standards, how to create targets for a new strategy and the associated key performance indicators, and how to get commitment from the organisation to implement the strategy. The workshop covers how to select new technology and the stages involved in implementation.
Content Covered includes:
- The distribution tools – PMS, Channel Managers, CRS, RMS, Web site
- Building a distribution strategy – a simple strategy model
- Distribution channels, third parties, direct bookings and channel cost analysis – an assessment of current booking sources and their value
- Your current system environment and assessing the benefit and cost of interfaces
- What resource do you need? Evaluating your organisation, your employees and your data quality
- How to get commitment to a new strategy and how to communicate the strategy
- Technology supplier selection sourcing and interfacing
The Hotel Distribution landscape, OTAs, the GDS and Channel Management – Sept 18th
This one-day workshop applies the principles of revenue management to the distribution channels available to a hotel. The workshop introduces all the distribution channels available to a hotel, and the business models associated with each channel. Participants have the opportunity to work with case studies to evaluate channel cost and profitability and identify which channels to select to distribute inventory according to forecast demand. The workshop evaluates the impact of metasearch tools such as Google HotelFinder , Kayak, Trivago and TripAdvisor.
Content Covered includes:
- The hotel distribution landscape and associated technology
- The corporate, agency and consortia market and the RFP Process
- Reports and tools to manage GDS distribution
- Supporting Systems – content and image management
- The Hotel web site and using Pay Per Click campaigns to drive bookings
- Traffic conversion, Cost per click and cost per order
- Distribution business models
- Evaluating third party and web site booking models in distribution
- Mobile platforms and models
- Optimising OTA placement and management
- Metasearch and its relationship to distribution – including Google Hotel Price Advertising programme (HPA) and Google Hotel Finder
- The impact of distribution models on profitability creating the optimal zone of distribution using all channels
Aligning Digital Marketing, Search and PPC with Revenue Strategies – Sept 19th
This one-day workshop covers three areas of digital marketing; search engine optimisation (SEO), data analytics and pay per click (PPC) campaigns. The workshop is designed to create a foundation of knowledge enabling participants to understand the key elements of a digital marketing strategy and interpret results. The workshop covers the key features of a search engine optimisation strategy, how to put together a simple PPC campaign, and how changes in ranking algorithms, metasearch and PPC programmes impact the management of distribution strategies and includes any relevant and recent changes.
Content covered includes:
- An Introduction to Search, the history of SEO and strategy of search engines
- Google Products, algorithms and the impact of web site content on Google’s decisions
- How to create an optimisation strategy – keyword research, search engine friendly design, local and international strategies
- Analytics tools and reporting
- Defining what to measure
- Common metrics and their definitions
- Creating PPC campaigns, how to set up, manage and drive business objectives
- Integration of PPC results into an overall strategy
- Conversion and optimising web site and booking conversions
Live Application of Distribution – A case study day – June 6th, November 14th
- Integrating a Revenue, Distribution and Digital Marketing plan
- Bringing the broader perspective of social and digital marketing into a revenue strategy
- Development of an action plan
- Preparation of a budget and outlining P&L implications of the plan
- Demonstration of optimisation opportunities
- Presentation
- Debate and discussion
- Reflection, self and peer evaluation
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