Global Distribution Conference

Forging the Next Era of Distribution


Milan | June 6 – 8, 2023

Agenda

Schedule subject to change

TuesDAY, JUNE 6

 

12:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Registration Desk Open Quark Hotel Lobby
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Revenue Optimization Discipline Quark Hotel – Orione
Learn what Duetto and Penta Hotels are doing in the areas of Revenue Optimization, Retailing, Attribute based pricing and optimizing the distribution channel mix. A round table – Q&A session will follow the brief presentations by these companies. The session is open to all HEDNA members.
Victoria Fischer, Penta Hotels; Sara De Urrutia, Duetto; Chinmai Sharma, RateGain
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Content Discipline Quark Hotel – Dorado
The content discipline will feature guest speakers from ClimateTrade and Sabre, discussing sustainability initiatives and virtual card payment indicators for various distribution channels
Will Darrah, ClimateTrade
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Connectivity Discipline Quark Hotel – Pulsar
This session will work to create a standard definition of APIs leveraging the efforts of OPA and HTNG initiatives on messaging; outline standard and critical content needed for onboarding and switchovers
2:00 – 4:15 p.m.
Payments Discipline Quark Hotel – Quasar
2:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Hotelier’s Vision for Payments 2030
In this session, hoteliers speak candidly about how their payments work today, what they still need and what can be improved.
2:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Ask a PSP
A unique opportunity for hoteliers to ask the hard questions of their payment service providers.
3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Coopetition is Key
This session will engage competitors and partners and looks into the inner workings of a very complicated and changing ecosystem.
3:30 – 4:15 p.m.
Open Payment Alliance — Implementing the Dream
The OPA session will focus on the use cases and implementation of the HEDNA/HTNG standards.
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
HEDNA U: Fundamentals Quark Hotel – Orione
An overview of Hotel Distribution from commonly used terms to best practices
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Data & Analytics Discipline Quark Hotel – Dorado
The Data & Analytics group is on a mission is to increase awareness and adoption of data analytic practices and tools, while demonstrating how data analytics can be incorporated into a comprehensive distribution strategy.
Edoardo Dal Negro, Blinkup S.r.l.; Matthew Goulden, OTA Insight, Triometric
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Future Leaders of HEDNA Quark Hotel – Orione
Future Leaders of HEDNA is actively working to usher in the next generation of leaders in roles across the distribution landscape. Topics will range from our mentoring program, to outreach to elevating and supporting our younger workforce
Invite Only
5:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Future Leaders Cocktail Reception Quark Hotel – Event Foyer
Invite Only
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Opening Reception Quark Hotel – Event Foyer
Sponsored by Discover Global Network

wednesday, JUNE 7

 

8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Registration Desk Open Quark Hotel – Lobby
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast & Coffee Station Quark Hotel – Veranda
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
HEDNA Lounge Quark Hotel – Event Foyer
Join your colleagues in our networking lounge, open to all and so much better than checking emails in your room!
9:05 – 9:20 a.m.
President’s Welcome Quark Hotel – Scorpio
Chris Murdock, Accor
9:20 – 9:50 a.m.
2023 Industry Outlook & Trends to Watch Quark Hotel – Scorpio
An In-Depth Look at Key Data in Hotels.
Aoife Roche, STR
9:55 – 10:25 a.m.
Outbound India: Insights for Tapping Into This Rapid Growth Market Quark Hotel – Scorpio
Super app, visas, payments, weddings, culture – there is so much to embrace and prepare for as India’s middle class booms.
James Parsons, OTA Insight; Ankit Khanna, MakeMyTrip; Aquin Mathew, Hyatt
10:25 – 11:10 a.m.
Networking Break Quark Hotel – Quasar Foyer
Sponsored by Travelport
11:10 – 11:40 a.m.
Has B2B Replaced or Simply Renamed Wholesale? Quark Hotel – Scorpio
B2B technology has reimagined the traditional wholesale landscape and its share of global hotel stays is growing. Our panel discusses key metrics, innovation, parity and the organizations driving change.
Paul Anthony, Hotelbeds; Alex Gisbert, FastPayHotels
11:40 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
In the Rapidly Evolving World of AI and Machine Learning – Who Will Lead the Change and What Will it Look Like? Quark Hotel – Scorpio
A thought provoking discussion on open AI technology, innovation and the impact on distribution, IP and content authentification.
Markus Mueller, GauVendi; Chinmai Sharma, RateGain; Roy Friedman, Easyway; Guy Barnes, Sabre Hospitality Solutions
12:15 – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch Quark Hotel – Veranda
Sponsored by Blastness
1:30 – 1:35 p.m.
Intro to HEDNAChat Quark Hotel – Scorpio
Our HEDNAChat series are informative sessions that are meant to educate and enlighten while allowing for interactive discussions with the speakers and your peers. You’ll hear three successive presentations and then have the opportunity to join two post presentation round table discussions.
1:35 – 1:50 p.m.
HEDNAChat — Retail Merchandising for Hotel Stays without Complex Integrations (and Saying Goodbye to Attribute Based Selling) Quark Hotel – Scorpio
The name says it all. Layering in technology to easily and quickly deploy shopping cart style retail solutions to room sales.
Markus Mueller, GauVendi
1:50 – 2:05 p.m.
HEDNAChat — Friend or Foe? How Should We View AI in Content Distribution? Quark Hotel – Scorpio
Is AI the great content equalizer? Does machine learning become the ultimate source of truth in distribution?
Kirill Stati, AltexSoft
2:05 – 2:20 p.m.
HEDNAChat — Booking’s Fintech: Payment offerings beyond the reach of chains? Quark Hotel – Scorpio
OTAs are offering integrated payment options that are more advanced and seamless than hotelier’s direct booking paths. Why is this, what’s on the horizon, and will hotels follow?
Mithat Can Ayok, booking.com
2:25 – 3:15 p.m.
HEDNAChat Roundtables
Join session attendees for an informal and collaborative discussion on the content presented.
2:25 – 2:50 p.m.
Choose one of the following:
Retail Merchandizing Quark Hotel – Dorado
AI Quark Hotel – Pulsar
Payments Quark Hotel – Quasar
2:50 – 3:15 p.m.
Choose one of the following:
Retail Merchandizing Quark Hotel – Dorado
AI Quark Hotel – Pulsar
Payments Quark Hotel – Quasar
3:15 – 3:45 p.m.
Networking Break Quark Hotel – Quasar Foyer
Sponsored by HotelRunner
3:45 – 4:20 p.m.
Can Blockchain Work in Travel Distribution? Quark Hotel – Scorpio
To date, blockchain has been viewed as too expensive, too slow, too complex and sometimes even a bit of hype. Camino Network introduces a cost effective and practical trading solution utilizing blockchain technology to solve for many industry use cases.
Pablo Castillo, Chain4Travel
4:20 – 4:55 p.m.
Achieving Team Balance in a Distributed and Multi-Generational Workplace Quark Hotel – Scorpio
Corporate culture is a leading indicator of a brand’s values but is becoming harder to cultivate with hybrid workforces that can span three disparate generations. Join us for a conversation around how the next generation of employees see the workplace and what companies can do to embrace wide ranging work styles and preferences.
Donnie Schumann, Uplift; Mercedes Blanco, The Hotel Network; Nadia Petropoulou, Cloudbeds; David Cabreza, XanderPay
4:55 – 5:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks Quark Hotel – Scorpio
6:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Shuttle Service to Dazi Quark Hotel – Main Entrance
7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Offsite Event at Dazi Milano Offsite – Dazi
Sponsored by Uplift

thursday, JUNE 8

 

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Registration Desk Open Quark Hotel – Lobby
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Breakfast & Coffee Station Quark Hotel – Veranda
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
HEDNA Lounge Quark Hotel – Event Foyer
Join your colleagues in our networking lounge, open to all and so much better than checking emails in your room!
9:35 – 9:45 a.m.
Welcome from HEDNA’s Vice President Quark Hotel – Scorpio
Natalie Kimball, Shiji
9:45 – 10:25 a.m.
Demand Partners and the Marketplace Set Up: Leveraging Technologies Quark Hotel – Scorpio
Marketplaces are an interpreter of supply and demand, incorporating a host of features including simplified contracting, transparence, and payment choice. We’ll break these down and also discuss what else could be coming down the road, such as parity control.
Patricia Rossello Palmer, Roibos
10:25 – 10:55 a.m.
Legal Lens: An In-Depth Discussion About Legal News, Trends and Pending Legislation Quark Hotel – Scorpio
With so much new regulation, legislation and pending legal cases around fees, commissions, consumer privacy and so much more, this is a can’t miss session on all the legal news impacting distribution.
Caroline Hobson, Cooley, LLP
10:55 – 11:25 a.m.
Networking Break Quark Hotel – Quasar Foyer
11:25 – 11:40 a.m.
Spotlight on HEDNA Quark Hotel – Scorpio
What’s HEDNA up to you ask? We could fill an entire day talking about what’s in store for the remainder of the year but our President and Vice President are going to give you the highlights. Completely unscripted and casual – Chris and Natalie will discuss HEDNA’s priorities and which ones are on the top of their list(s).
Chris Murdock, Accor; Natalie Kimball, Shiji
11:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
Beyond Borders: A Dialogue on Group Bookings, Distribution and Pricing Quark Hotel – Scorpio
One-on-one discussion, unpacking the nuances and opportunities of today’s dynamic group travel landscape. Gee, a travel tech innovator, and Heather, an authority on group strategies and pricing explore effective group pricing and distribution.
Heather Hart, RevExcel; Gee Mann, Travlr ID
12:10 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Closing Remarks Quark Hotel – Scorpio
12:15 – 1:00 p.m.
Networking Lunch Quark Hotel – Veranda
1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Google Hotelier Summit at HEDNA Quark Hotel – Scorpio
(Advanced Registration Required) 
Hear directly from Google on how to establish presence on Google, optimize engagement with users and utilize Google tools like Google Business Profiles, Free Booking Links and Google Hotel Ads to drive direct bookings. Participants will get an opportunity to learn about Google’s Hotel Product roadmap and hear from industry experts and fellow hoteliers about their experiences on successfully driving direct bookings to their websites. This event is complimentary, but requires advanced registration. Please click here to register.

 

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