Open Payment Alliance

The Open Payment Alliance (OPA) acts as a catalyst in the transition from the highly inefficient manner that B2B payments are handled today to a fully streamlined payment infrastructure. This group has taken an approach of defining the problem, proposing a solution, defining standards and fostering their industry-wide adoption. The goal of the OPA initiative is to attack the root of the problem of B2B payments mirroring the way disruptive innovation is happening at exponential speed across different industries worldwide: leveraging vast networks of relatively small companies which specialize in specific pieces of a complex value chain and then bundle their services into alliances to collectively disrupt entire industries. Please see the latest on the OPAs efforts at their working group micro-site here.

Third Party Compensation

The Third Party Compensation working group enables hotels, third-party bookers and related parties to have an accurate and shared understanding of the details and status of their bookings and commission claims. Stakeholders in the booking and commission payment process will more efficiently communicate relevant and necessary information, make and receive timely payments, reconcile records across related parties, measure performance, and resolve missing and disputed payments.

Guest-Centric Payments

The Guest-Centric Payments working group educates the hospitality industry on the transition from the legacy property-centric payments strategy focus to a payment strategy based on the guest. This education effort provides hoteliers with an understanding of industry best practices with regard to payment optimization and ideal customer journeys.

Hotel Analytics

The Hotel Analytics Working Group raises awareness of the opportunities data analysis brings to optimize cost and conversion and thereby empower hoteliers to collect, store, analyze and action their data to make intelligent decisions about their distribution strategies.

Connectivity

As the hotel industry enters the next phase of distribution, attribute based pricing, it is important to have a discussion of this new model and its impact on distribution and connectivity. Hotels and retailers want to tailor offers to the specific needs and expectations of their customers, and current shopping and selling models are not designed to support traveler-specific distribution. The HEDNA Connectivity Working Group is addressing these challenges through a review of the shopping and buying models, system requirements, and necessary technology changes needed to support hotel distribution. Through this effort, the working group will provide an overview of the evolution of this new distribution model and a proposed technical framework that the hospitality industry can collectively utilize to support the objectives of attribute based pricing and real-time personalization.

Asia Pacific

The Asia Pacific committee focuses on growing HEDNA’s awareness, presence and reputation as a professional organization in APAC. Through various events, we deliver education, foster collaboration in all aspects of electronic distribution, and create a platform for companies from the East & West to conduct business. The committee also seeks to grow Hedna’s membership from the APAC region.

1) Issue Identification

Members identify an issue critical to current or future distribution strategies. Have a topic for a working group? Email education@hedna.org.

2) Concept Clarity, Approval

Members complete the working group charter which provides an opportunity to clearly define the issue, outline objectives and resources needed for the HEDNA Board to consider and approve.

3) Execution

The working group commences based on the information approved in their charter and annual strategic plan to address the issue. The final result is thought leadership shared with HEDNA members and/or the broader hospitality community with guidelines and recommendations going forward.