Bookassist launches 2009 Seminar Series for Dublin, Cork, Galway on Strategies for building hotel business in the downturn

Leading technology and online strategy provider to the accommodation sector Bookassist (Bookassist.org) has announced its 2009 Seminar Series to help hotels get the most from effective marketing strategies online.

Taking place in Dublin on April 30th, Galway on May 14th and Cork on May 26th, Bookassist will introduce research and concepts in the rapidly moving field of online trade and marketing with a strong emphasis on what hotels should be doing right now to best deal with the downturn and to be best positioned for the upturn when it comes.

Participants are strongly encouraged to bring a laptop for live interactive break out sessions. Shared Laptops will be more than adequate where 2 or 3 people are attending from the same Hotel or Company.

Who should attend?
General Managers, Sales Executives, Sales & Marketing Managers, Front Office Managers, Operations Managers, Yield Managers, Reservation Agents

Participants will learn how to:
- Boost their web address in the search engine results
- Manage and track on-line advertising and ROI with Google and Analytics
- Take care of their brand on-line by being proactive with reviews
- Boost the conversion on their website and upsell
- Set up and effectively use Web 2.0 blogs and Google Local
- Effectively market their brand through newsletters and Web 2.0 strategies
- Optimise for value rather than price to hold occupancy

For more information visit bookassist.org/seminars
or email seminars@bookassist.com

New Loyalty System from Bookassist allows hotels to boost return business and build brand recognition

Bookassist (Bookassist.org) has announced the addition of a major new service to its existing product portfolio. Bookassist's breakthrough Loyalty System offers hotels the opportunity to build loyalty in their customer base through the award of free stays for corporate booking agents or for regular agency bookers. Rewarding regular customers is a key approach to brand building and can now be done via online as well as offline bookings through Bookassist's new system.



"As hotel marketing executives know, getting return custom is a far more efficient way of generating business than chasing new custom. Bookassist's completely automated Loyalty System can be customised by hotels to create their own particular incentive, reward or loyalty scheme whether they're a large hotel chain or a small individual hotel", said Bookassist CEO, Dr Des O'Mahony. "Loyalty programs are a major part of brand building also for hotels, though many hotels have not had affordable technology to implement their own automated scheme until now".

Hotels can choose to award points to corporate clients, to events bookers or to agency bookers, with points earned for each booking. Hotels can top-up bookers with extra points if they wish and choose to show them preferential discounted rates also when they book online. Customers can manage their loyalty scheme membership, can track their bookings and their points as they accumulate and use them, and can choose to redeem points against bookings once thresholds set by the hotel are reached, all within a private management area.

For hotel groups, the system can allow bookers to accumulate points from any stay in a group hotel and redeem them in any other group hotel. This is a significant advantage for hotel groups in cross-promotion and cross-selling and can be extended to virtual marketing groups also.

The Bookassist Loyalty System is available now as a service to all hotels using the market leading Bookassist Booking Engine and Bookassist Corporate System.

Bookassist® creates and manages online strategies for hotels and groups and is the industry-leading hotel booking engine and online marketing provider in Ireland. Bookassist is expanding rapidly abroad with additional offices in Spain, France, Czech Republic, Scotland, Italy, Poland and Austria and a client base of over 2000 hotels. A Deloitte Fast 50 Technology Company in Ireland and in the Top 100 Deloitte Technology Companies in Europe, Bookassist has received numerous awards in Online Trade, Online Marketing, and Technological Innovation including the Irish Internet Association’s NetVisionary Award for online trade.

Client business shows rapid rise with Bookassist

Bookassist clients continue to show clear and industry-beating increases in booking numbers, with some of the latest clients to join Bookassist registering up to 70% increase compared to their previous strategy partner's results.

Again and again, Bookassist clients who are availing of the company's strategic advice, online technology and marketing expertise see growth and real return on investment. "Bookassist 'Five Star' functionality", as one 5-star client The Kingsley Hotel points out, has helped drive an increase in traffic and conversion, while Bookassist support staff who are, to quote the Talbot Group, "passionate and enthusiastic about their work and provide an excellent support network" make all the difference in delivering key strategies and in continuing to drive those strategies.

Read more about what Bookassist partner hotels and groups have to say on the Bookassist Testimonials page.