Business travel experience recognized with Laura Thompson’s Certified Corporate Travel Executive designation at NBTA’s Annual Conference
SOUTHLAKE, Texas, 02 September – Hoteliers continue to benefit from the revenue optimization, consultancy and account management services from SynXis, the Sabre Holdings business that provides complete hotel distribution, internet marketing and channel management solutions worldwide. Adding to a growing list of notable designations in its portfolio of industry expertise among its company ranks is the recent appointment of SynXis’ Agency Channel Consultant, Laura Thompson, as Certified Corporate Travel Executive (CCTE) by the National Business Travel Association (NBTA). Thompson was given the prestigious certification at NBTA’s recent Annual Conference in Los Angeles, and joins just 350 other professionals globally who carry the designation since the program’s inception eight years ago.
“Laura’s designation represents SynXis’ commitment to investing in the development of our employees, as well as continuing to hire and foster industry experts, in order to offer our customers the knowledge they require to navigate through this changing travel landscape,” said Scott Alvis, President and General Manager of SynXis. “Customers select SynXis due, in part, to the high level of expertise we bring to the table. In a time when hoteliers need to tighten the reigns on their revenue strategies in order to stay on top, the SynXis team is really one of our best differentiators.”
SynXis focuses on maximizing hotel bookings through all distribution channels and to help its hotel customers capture the lucrative business traveler SynXis concentrates on the Global Distribution System (GDS) channel where most business travel is booked. Despite an uncertain future for tourism with oil prices on the rise and airlines cutting flights, NBTA predicted that business travel would continue to increase by 6 to 8% in 2008 according to the Travel Industry Association’s 2008 research report.
“It takes not only experience, but an intimate understanding of electronic distribution in order to maximize our exposure to the corporate travel market. Laura Thompson has a seemingly limitless knowledge of the industry, which she has shared with us and taught our sales people how to get the most out of connecting with customers through GDS,” said Linda Plopper, Worldwide Director of Business Travel Sales at Sonesta Collection. “We’ve found SynXis’ consultants, account managers and support staff to be some of the most knowledgeable experts in the travel industry.”
Thompson, whose background includes an impressive set of practical experience successfully managing and developing Corporate Hotel Programs, was recruited by the Sabre Hotel Product Group in 1999 where she served as a Hotel Program Consultant. She has worked with SynXis since the company was acquired by Sabre in 2005, advising customers on optimizing business results through the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) channel. Thompson’s unique agency perspective combined with distribution industry expertise has led SynXis customers to see the “SynXis difference” in their GDS transactions, especially the negotiated rate plans and corporate travel bookings.
The CCTE designation is a joint undertaking between NBTA and the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, and has been in existence for eight years. The rigorous two-year certification program, which requires yearly maintenance, was developed for leading professionals who wanted to deepen and solidify their practical knowledge, productivity, and skills.
About SynXis®
SynXis, a Sabre Holdings company, provides distribution and Internet marketing services and technology for hotels around the world. SynXis connects hotels with their guests through increased exposure via all channels including GDS, third party travel sites and the hotel’s own website. SynXis operates full-service global call centers offering private label reservation services. SynXis is the technology source for thousands of hotels, resorts, and destinations, including: Harrah’s, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, The Peninsula Hotels & Resorts, Millennium Copthorne, Destination Hotels & Resorts, Shangri-la Hotels & Resorts and Jumeirah Hotels.
SynXis’ corporate headquarters is in Southlake, Texas, with offices in Denver, Boston, Amsterdam, Singapore and Montevideo. For more information on SynXis and its products, please call +1-682-606-4000, e-mail info@synxis.com, or visit our Web site at www.synxis.com.
Sabre Holdings connects people with the world’s greatest travel possibilities by retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. More information is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com.