I just returned from Chicago and EyeForTravel's North America Travel Distribution Summit and thanks to a lot of hard work by Rosie and Marco and the team at EyeForTravel, the event went well and I got a lot of value from attending.

Dan Sherman told me something on the morning of day one that I think holds true for many of us: "We're all sold on digital, we just need information to convince our team." There are so many stakeholders within most organizations, and we need to get buy-in from them to make our projects a success.

Frankly, I felt the speakers at this year's event didn't share as much groundbreaking information as in the last two EyeForTravel events I attended, but that could be a sign this space is maturing a bit.

The upside to this is that I heard a lot more focus on strategy and analysis than I have in the past. And I'd rather hear this than just a string of unrelated tactics.

11 good ideas from the event

1. Your social network is becoming portable. Integrate with your site. Interoperability is an important trend.

2. The next big thing is a traveler-centric future. Expect super-empowered, hyper-demanding customers. (via Greg Brockway of TripIt)

3. First impressions of your website and digital communications are lasting…. What are you communicating? Perception is reality. (via Henry Woodman of IcePortal)

4. The travel process according to Jane Butler from Google: Dreaming, researching, booking, sharing.

5. Wyndham advertising strategy: banner ads for awareness, PPC for traffic, TripAdvisor for sales.

6. "Travel is not like ordering a hamburger." To avoid commoditization, be more human and less transaction oriented. Motivational travel themes you can use include resting, eating, hobby, goal, state of being, and ideals. (via Edward Perry)

7. Create more promotions around city events. People may not know your hotel, but they know the event. Ride their marketing.

8. "Data is cheap. Analysts are expensive. Invest in Analysts." (via Thad Hanscom, Expedia)

9. Don't burn out your social media fans with the same message over and over. (via Bowen Payson, Virgin America)

10. Loyalty rewards should be about experience and service, not just discounts.

11. Live and breathe your core message in everything you do.

www.hotelmarketingstrategies.com/eyefortravel-north-america-2010

About the author
This blog is written by Josiah Mackenzie, who enjoys exploring the relationship between emerging technology and the hospitality industry. 

www.hotelmarketingstrategies.com