"Crash
Courses"
Updated for 2009!
The (hypothetical) “test” is tomorrow. You don’t
have a lot of time. And, you need quick insights to
“get the job done”. In this operating environment,
you need to get the job done and to get it done
efficiently and with high marks. In these 60-minute
sessions, experts will deliver quick-study programs
with take-to-the-office-tomorrow insights,
strategies, tactics and tools for immediate
application. It’s the “Cliff Notes” approach for
executives.
 Eric
Brodnax, VP, Orbitz Worldwide -
GM, Away.com & Outside Online
Eric Brodnax is
a Vice President with OWW and serves as General
Manager of Away.com & Outside Online. He joined
Away as part of the founding management team in
April of 1999, was SVP of Marketing & Operations
during the company’s formative years, and
assumed his current role after Orbitz’s
acquisition of the company in January of 2005.
As GM, Eric is responsible for setting the
overall strategy and vision for the company
including high level editorial direction.
Eric has a long standing interest in outdoor and
active pursuits. He grew up on St. Croix in the
US Virgin Islands where he lived a life of
riding horses, sailing, and scuba diving. He
competed in the 1988 Olympic Games held in
Seoul, Korea, and has a strong personal interest
in whitewater kayaking, biking, hiking, skiing,
and off the beaten path travel.
In addition to growing up in the Caribbean and
living/working in Prague in 1992, he has had the
good fortune to visit more than fifty countries.
Personal favorites among these experiences
include exploring the jungles of Belize,
observing wildlife at Waterburg Plateau and
Skeleton Coast National Parks in Namibia,
meandering through the wine country of South
Africa’s Cape Province, and hitchhiking through
the Sahara desert in Algeria.
Eric currently serves as a member of the Board
Advisors of the Adventure Travel Trade
Association, has thirteen years of total online
business experience, and has held positions
prior to Away that include being President and
co-founder of a wine importing company focused
on South African brands, working as a management
consultant in Czechoslovakia, and running
marketing and business development for an online
market research company. He holds an MBA from
the Wharton School of the University of
Pennsylvania, and a BA from Princeton
University.
Eric is married and lives in Washington, DC with
his wife Leigh and children Sarah and Anders.
Eric Brodnax will lead a session on
Advanced Search Engine Optimization.
This will assume prior knowledge of SEO
fundamentals such as keyword selection,
URL structure, and browser titles and
will focus instead on topics such as XML
sitemaps, best use of no follow tags,
the pitfalls of duplicate content, and
similar areas of current SEO focus. This
session will seek to integrate both an
overview of current topics as well as an
interactive discussion of best
practices.
 Stephen
Joyce, President, Sentias Software Corporation
Stephen Joyce
has been working as a travel & tourism
technology consultant since 1995. In 2005
Stephen and his company, Sentias Software Corp.,
began development on Rezgo.com, a next
generation Web 2.0 tour and activity booking
engine for SME travel suppliers and adventure
tour operators. In June of 2007, Rezgo.com was
officially released and now boasts a user base
of 900+ companies. Stephen is also President of
the North American Chapter of the International
Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT
North America) and sits on the Board of the
OpenTravel Alliance. He is the publisher of the
Tips from the T-List books, a series of
ground-breaking books that bring together travel
industry bloggers from around the World. The
success of the book has resulted in workshops
and speaking engagements on Social media and
User generated content around the World.
Stephen is an avid outdoor enthusiast and enjoys
snowboarding, hiking, and mountain biking. He is
also a volunteer instructor with the Air Cadet
program where he teaches outdoor survival and
aviation. Stephen is a graduate of Capilano
University, is a certified Commercial Pilot, and
holds a certificate in IT Management.
 Rafael
Mael, Marketing Strategist, Brand Launcher
Rafael Mael is
a marketing strategist for Brand Launcher, an
unconventional marketing company dedicated to
retooling businesses to generate maximum
revenue. Using proven marketing strategies, his
company has helped its clients get outrageous
results—like a 27% response rate for Häagen-Dazs
and nearly 50% for the NBA. Because of results
like these, their campaigns have been featured
on NBC and CBS, and in
The
Wall Street Journal
and
BusinessWeek.
With “in the trenches” experience across
numerous industries, Rafael will show you the
same techniques that helped one client boost
revenues by $250,000 within 12 months, and
increased sales by 65% for another. He is a
dynamic and exciting speaker who has been called
“magnetic” for his engaging presentation style.
Listen to Rafael speak and you’ll discover how
to put these powerful strategies to work in your
own business.
Stay relevant and tap into right timing, tools and techniques to keep your past clients buzzing about their trips -- and coming back for more. Learn how to create the perfect offer, avoid the 'kiss of death' for your brand, and pinpoint marketing materials that smash through the clutter and actually produce repeat revenue. Find out how to create, cultivate, and monetize long-term relationships. Densely packed with practical guidance, this Crash Course delivers specific, from-the-trenches strategies that you can implement immediately.
 Jason
Reckers, Director of Online Strategies, Adventure
Travel Trade Association
Jason Reckers,
Director of Online Strategies for ATTA, has been
ATTA's lead Internet presence strategist from day
one. As a team member of the Adventure Travel Trade
Association, he provides ATTA with consultation on
web site strategies, web-based products and
services, search engine optimization, and manages
.travel authentication. He plays a key role in all
of ATTA's web properties including development and
management of Adventure.travel and ATTA's member
community, The HUB.
His nearly 15 years of experience and continued role
as CEO of PixelMill.com has positioned him as a
respected industry resource in providing web
strategy guidance and training to professional
services firms, trade associations, business and web
consulting companies, and a host of industry
sectors. Under his direction, PixelMill has
contributed to the development of more than 70,000
web sites. Jason connects daily with diverse
customers on topics ranging from web site
development and web site marketing strategies to
search engine optimization and eCommerce.
Jason Reckers will lead a session on
Basic Search Engine Optimization. This
session will provide a basic overview on
many of the key components of Search
Engine Optimization (SEO) providing
attendees not only a knowledgeable
foundation, but also specific resources
for ongoing training and further
understanding of this complicated
subject. Jason will focus on SEO
fundamentals such as keyword selection,
the value of content, tuning pages to
maximize message and SEO impact, URL
structure, browser titles, and using
site analytics to audit and improve your
search engine optimization strategy.
 Heidi
Siefkas-Cassemiro, Vice
President of Marketing & PR, .travel
With
over ten years in the hospitality and travel
industry, Heidi is currently the Vice President
of Marketing and Public Relations of .travel. As
an international ambassador for .travel, Heidi
builds strategic alliances with travel and
technology organizations and creates marketing
campaigns and initiatives that increase the
awareness and usage of .travel.
Heidi has previously held key leadership roles
in various hospitality and travel related
companies in the Fort Lauderdale area.
Originally from the Midwest, Heidi graduated
from the University of Wisconsin and earned a
Masters from the University of Massachusetts in
Boston.
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