Paris Seminar urges hotels to prepare for economic upturn

Bookassist has told French hotels that preparing now for the economic upturn is vital to ensure that they are not left behind. While the hotel industry is advancing through its economic cycle, not all hotels can expect to rise with the inevitable upswing unless they embrace current technologies and techniques.

Click for Seminar Slideshow


In a comprehensive seminar held in the magnificent surroundings of the Irish Embassy on Avenue Foch in Paris on Thursday November 26th, hotels were urged to consider the lifetime value of a customer to their business, not just the single first booking, and to engage with their clients continually through high level offline and online service. Bookassist speakers covered all aspects of online optimisation and marketing for client retention, while co-host Hoosta discussed the importance of social media for hotels doing business online.

The Enterprise Ireland and Irish Embassy supported seminar attracted over 60 hoteliers to hear presentations by Bookassist CEO and Founder Dr Des O'Mahony, Bookassist's Director of Business & Operations Yahya Fetchati, and co-host and Bookassist Partner Orso Filippi, Chairman of Hoosta (hoosta.com), who specialises in Social Media usage for hotels.

The seminar was opened by His Excellency Ambassador Paul Kavanagh, Irish Ambassador to France and was organised in conjunction with Ms Karen Hallez, Market Advisor for Software Services & Emerging Sectors at Enterprise Ireland's Paris office and the Enterprise Ireland team in Paris.

See also http://hoosta-webagency.com/?p=126

Bookassist welcomes new team members in Dublin and Paris

Owen Kelleghan has a broad experience of web technologies with a degree in Multimedia Computers from the Institute of Wales before moving on to employment as a web developer in the tourism industry for two years. Owen then moved on to One Productions where he was involved in every aspect of the web development process. He is based in Dublin and joins the Booking Engine and Web 2.0 Implementations team.

Pasquale Mellone holds a BA in Political Science and a MBA in Marketing & Communications. Prior to joining Bookassist, Pasquale worked as Web Content Manager for Blink Communications in Italy, with responsibility for Online Marketing and Search Engine Optimization areas. He is based in Dublin and works as Search Engine Marketer in the Traffic Builder team with responsibility for Irish and Italian accounts.

Céline Tcharbatchian comes from a Corporate Travel background and is currently also researching an MBA specialized in Travel Management. She has previously worked with the 17-hotel French chain Astotel. She is based in the Paris office in the Account Management area.

New Site Builder Hotel Websites launched in August

Bookassist's Sitebuilder content management system (CMS) rapidly accelerates the development of websites for hotels and groups and gives full control to the hotel of all content in an easy-to-manage web-based interface. What's more, it fully and seamlessly integrates with Bookassist's Web 2.0 functionality giving automatically updated customer review pages, Google maps, e-vouchers, deep-linked special offers and of course the Booking Engine.

Hotels which have gone live this month with Site Builder websites are
- House Hotel, Galway City (www.thehousehotel.ie)
- Landmark Hotel, Carrick on Shannon (www.thelandmarkhotel.com)
- Osprey Hotel & Spa, Naas (www.osprey.ie)
- Hotel Le Dauphin, Paris (www.paris-hotel-dauphin.com)

Bookassist appoints Pascal Gauthier as Director of Operations in Paris office

Bookassist has appointed Pascal Gauthier to head its operation in France.

Pascal has in excess of 20 years experience in the hotel industry, with a specific focus on sales, promotions and marketing at various hotel groups in Paris and beyond. He has a strong knowledge of national and international markets, global distribution systems and internet distribution networks. He will be based at Bookassist's office at Rue Faubourg Montmartre in Paris, represented online by the localised corporate website bookassist.fr.

Bookassist corporate website launch in French

Following Bookassist's recent corporate website release in Spanish, the leading provider of booking technology and online marketing expertise to the accommodation sector has today launched a comprehensive corporate website in French (bookassist.fr). Bookassist opened its Paris-based office in late 2007 and is gaining significant business in this competitive marketpace. This latest release by the company underpins the continuing pace of growth of Bookassist's hotel booking engine, Site Builder web development product and Traffic Builder search engine marketing service in France.

Founded on delivering world class solutions in a fast changing market place, Bookassist's cutting-edge technology is supported by unrivalled account management and online marketing support helping hotels to unlock the power of their websites and build direct online sales.



Bookassist is an Irish Internet Association NetVisionary Award winner for online trade and has twice been a Top 10 company in Deloitte's Fast 50 fastest growing companies. Bookassist has its headquarters in Ireland with offices in Spain, Scotland, France, Italy, Czech Republic and Poland.

Bookassist is exhibiting at the World Travel Market WTM 2008 in London November, area Global Village N° TT 7085. Representatives from all of Bookassist's international offices will be on hand.