California Association of Bed & Breakfast Inns

Annual Conference
& Trade Show 2009



Conference Schedule and Workshop Descriptions

Sunday, February 1
10:00am - 6:00pm INNSPIRE REGISTRATION
  (Exhibitor set-up 10:00am-3:00pm)
12:45 - 1:15pm NEW MEMBER / FIRST-TIME ATTENDEE ORIENTATION
1:30 - 2:45pm CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
  Mass Media = Mass Market – Marketing your Inn Using Video
How to market your property effectively using viral video on YouTube.com is the focus of this workshop.  Learn about the changing landscape of commercial marketing and the evolving technologies now available on the web for your use and how you should be using them to market your inn. 
Presented by Kelly Micuda - Otter Rock Films
 

How to Handle Negative Online Reviews
Innkeepers will be discussing the effect Trip Advisor and other review websites have had on their business.
Panelists Lowell Daniels - Victorian Inn, Wes Tyler - Chancellor Hotel on Union Square, Moderated by Patty Crowe – Bedandbreakfast.com

3:00pm SUPER BOWL PARTY AND TRADE SHOW
  (Silent Auction Opens)

 

Monday, February 2
8:30 - 9:00am CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
9:00 - 10:00am WELCOME AND KEYNOTE ADDRESS
  Branding Your Bed and Breakfast for Success
Presented by Karen McCullough
 

No matter what size your business is, your brand has a tremendous impact on your bottom line. Your brand reflects who you are, what you do, what makes you better and different from all other bed and breakfasts in your area. Your brand is not simply your tagline, slogan or advertising campaign. Your brand is the core of your business and like it or not, you already have a brand. Find out how you can uncover what makes your bed and breakfast one in a million. Learn how to inspire and empower yourself and your staff to live and build the brand!
Session will cover:
- Uncovering your brand and communicating your brand to the world
- The power of your brand and why it keeps YOU and your staff motivated
- How to implement programs and activities that reinforce your brand
- The importance of speaking and writing in consistent brand language

10:15 -11:30am CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
  Marketing Strategies in a Down Economy
The recent economic downturn has been a wakeup call for many innkeepers. While some inns are simply cutting costs to weather the storm, a few savvy properties are seizing market share though precision marketing.  If you’re having trouble filling your rooms, it’s time for a fresh approach. Come spend an hour with an expert where I’ll share what’s working this year, what’s not and where you need to focus your efforts. I’ll discuss low-cost guerilla marketing tactics that work, high ROI places to invest and how to get those elusive guests to book. Most years marketing follows a pretty basic formula. If you’re thinking 2009 is one of those years – you’d be wrong.
Presented by Scott Crumpton – White Stone Marketing
  Emergency Preparedness Presented by the American Red Cross
Get Prepared, Have an Emergency Plan and Practice your Plan! Being prepared is of the highest importance. Make a Plan, Build a Kit, and Practice the Plan. You must first be prepared at home in order to be able to do your job and keep your business open. Your staff needs to be prepared for any disaster so they can have peace of mind knowing that their family is safe. Is your staff disaster prepared and trained? Does your business have a continuity of operations plan? How will you pay your staff during a disaster? What are your backup plans? These are only a few questions you must ask yourself. How prepared are you? The American Red Cross has many booklets and information that can help you be prepared.
Presented by Lynda Maguet, Emergency Services Director - American Red Cross Monterey-San Benito Counties Chapter

  Creative Menus for your Diverse Array of Guests
Vegan, diabetic, lactose intolerant, gluten free, or religious…this workshop will teach you how to prepare meals for guests with special requirements. Plus get quick and easy tips to having meals at your fingertips for guests with special dietary needs and requirements.
Presented by Michael Clark from Michael’s on Main in Soquel, California

11:30am - 1:30pm BUFFET LUNCH AND SHOPPING TIME WITH EXHIBITORS
1:45 - 3:00pm CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
  The ADA – Are you compliant?
Chris Taylor, owner and CEO of ADA Compliance Consultants Inc. will educate innkeepers, not scare them, on the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). He will review how it affects you as a business/property owner. He will talk about how to do a brief self analysis, where the typical problem areas are exceptions and older properties that just don't meet ADA standards. Plus he will dispel the myths of “grandfather clauses” and the assumption that California and Federal codes are one in the same. He will also address how to protect your inn against “drive by” ADA lawsuits and take advantage of tax credits and deductions for performing ADA upgrades.
Presented by Chris Taylor – Owner & CEO, ADA Compliance Consultants

  Winning Strategies for Emailing Marketing
This workshop is truly a "Best Practices" and "Email Marketing 101" workshop. It will help you: reach more people with your message, create email campaigns that get results, get your emails opened and read, write compelling subject lines and copy, and interpret email campaign results. New and beginning email marketing enthusiasts or users of Constant Contact should attend.
Special Note: CABBI Members get a discount on the services of Constant Contact.
Presented by Stu Carty - Constant Contact
  The New Generation of Buyers
Knowing your customer has always been the #1 rule in sales. Today your customer can be 25 as easy as 65. For the first time in history, you are selling, marketing, and trying to please four different and distinct generations. Talk about differences! Today each generation has its own distinct values, needs and core beliefs. Recognizing the underlying biases, values and expectations can pave the way to meeting and exceeding expectations. Defining, addressing and then managing expectations is key to your bed and breakfasts’ success. It's a new game with new players and the rules are changing. With four generations as customers, each with its own distinct values and beliefs, you need to be flexible and understanding.
Presented by Karen McCullough

3:15 - 4:30pm   ROUNDTABLES -- SPEED DATING STYLE!
  Educational, fun and exciting! Move from one roundtable to another, talking to experts in various fields on topics such as: marketing, online reservations, living in your inn, exit strategies before and when you sell your inn, navigating global booking networks, and much more.
4:30 - 6:00pm  INNSPIRE MIXER: WINE & HORS D'OEURVES WITH EXHIBITORS & SHOPPING TIME
6:00pm TRADE SHOW CLOSES
7:00pm DINE AROUND MONTEREY
  (Dinner on your own to enjoy all that Monterey has to offer)

  

Tuesday, February 3
8:00 - 9:00am HOT BREAKFAST
8:00am - 12:00pm INNTOUCH ONE-ON-ONE APPOINTMENTS
- Bedandbreakfast.com
- RezOvation
- Webervations
9:00 - 10:15am CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
  Demystifying Google Analytics
Innkeepers rely on Internet visitors to bring in revenue. But are you reaching the right audience and holding their attention? Learn how to read and use your website stats to improve your online marketing efforts. It’s easier than you think!
Presented by Vikram Singh - eVision Worldwide
  Tapping Into the Luxury Market
David Shapiro and Lisa Holt share their story on how they achieved the phenomenal success with Milliken Creek Inn & Spa and show you how through flexible thinking, design and operational strategies, you can significantly increase your ADR, occupancies and profits by appealing to the luxury market.
Presented by David Shapiro and Lisa Holt - DLS Hotels & Spas
  Legal Hit List- Current Legal Trends Affecting Innkeepers
An interactive discussion with an experienced Hospitality Attorney/Litigator about legal trends affecting the Hospitality Industry and how to protect your operation from potential liability. Topics will include Wage and Hour claims, Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance, and dealing with the bacterial infection known as MRSA.
Presented by David Samuels, Attorney - Michelman & Robinson, LLP
10:30 - 11:30am GENERAL SESSION
  Communications in Times of Crisis
  Tourism media expert Elaine Cali and Detective Dave Wiggins offer this concise presentation on how to prepare in advance for a crisis. Wiggins, is a 20-year veteran of California law enforcement and past President of the California Tourism Safety & Security Association. Cali serves as Vice-President of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitors and Convention Bureau. Together, this unique team will advise innkeepers on how to respond to the media when a crisis unfolds at an inn. They will also give you guidance on how to effectively work with Public Information Officers. As we have all witnessed, whenever guests safety and security is in question, the media can be persistent in reporting the story. While large hotel chains generally have professional spokespeople, at smaller properties this role will likely fall to YOU. The media can be relentless if you failed to take proper measures to avoid an incident that could have been prevented. Are you prepared to be the focus of intense public scrutiny? Do you know the Do’s & Don’ts of making public statements? How can you best get your message out to your incoming guests and potential guests? This General Session will encourage you to develop a plan for your inn and educate you on how to properly handle crisis situations.
11:45am - 1:30pm LUNCH & CABBI UPDATE MEETING
  (InnSpiring Idea Winner Presentations)
1:45 - 2:45pm CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS
  Getting Back to Business after an Emergency
How quickly can your business recover from an emergency? Attend this workshop so you can learn how to develop a plan that will help you resume business as usual. How will you maintain critical functions such as: notifying your guests, paying your bills, backing-up records and restoring data? You will get hand-outs and checks lists that will help you start to develop your own Business Recovery Plan.
Presented by Michelle Cross, Risk Control Manager - Wells Fargo
  Blogging and Social Networking
Yes, you can start a blog today! Learn about blogging, and why it's a good idea. Market yourself using today's technology through simple social networking. Stephanie Carlson of the Albert Shafsky House Bed & Breakfast will present tips on using tech to reach more customers through "do-it-yourself" web tools.
Presented by Stephanie Carlson, owner - Albert Shafsky House Bed & Breakfast

  How to Market to the Popular Foreign Guest
Don’t speak fluent French, German or Italian? It's okay. You don’t need to learn another language to open your doors to international guests. However, you need to know who you are connecting with and what to say. This workshop will introduce you to the key elements you need to successfully partner with international tour operators, travel agents and online operators. You will gain a better understanding of the different categories, pricing and specific contract requirements.
Presented by Martina Morio - Hospitality Consultant

3:00 - 4:30pm    

USER GROUPS: PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
- Bedandbreakfast.com
- RezOvation

- Webervations

  Schedule subject to change