Customized sales, hospitality/guest services, and revenue management training programs for the hotel and lodging industry.
Conference Presentations
Douglas Kennedy, founder and President of the Kennedy Training Network, Inc, based in Hollywood, FL, has been a fixture on the hotel and lodging industry’s conference circuit for over two decades, having spoken at hundreds of association, brand, and management company conference events.
1989-1991 President of Check-Inn 1991-2003, President of 2006-Present - Kennedy Training
Training HSA International Network
It is estimated that over 10,000 others have participated in hotel training workshops and seminars he has presented personally throughout North America and in places like Sao Paulo, Singapore, Kaula Lumpur, Sofia, Bulgaria and Moscow Russia. Thousands of others worldwide read his monthly articles in publications such as Hsyndicate, eHotelier, Hotel- Online, Hotel News Resource, HTrends, and 4Hoteliers.
The content of Doug's conference presentations draws from his experience in presenting training programs for a diversity of hotel and lodging companies as well as his correspondence with his worldwide readership.
Doug is a veteran presenter who can connect with audiences representing all levels of management and all segments of the lodging industry. During his career he has been a keynote or break-out presenter for hotel brands such as Choice Hotels, Best Western International, Americinn, Starwood, Wyndham, Leading Hotels of the World, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels, and Embassy Suites Hotels. Over the years Doug has been a guest speaker for a diverse group of hotel management companies such as Davidson Hotels, Concord Hotels, LaBelle Management, Marshall Management, Coakley and Williams, and Expotel Hospitality. Doug has also presented for lodging industry associations such as CRADR, VRMA, FVRMA, Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association, North Carolina Hotel & Restaurant Association, Wisconsin Innkeepers Association, Montana Innkeepers Association, Cayman Islands CVP, the Caribbean Hotel Association, the HSMAI Revenue Managers Strategy conference, and several HSMAI Chapters.
His presentation style is described on participant evaluations as being energetic, practical and real-world, but most of all interactive and fun. Having worked in hotels starting as a bellman with Marriott, working through the Marriott management training, and then later working as a front office and reservations manager for independent hotels in New York and Miami, his conference presentations are spiced up with fun stories from his experiences working in the industry which are still completely relevant today.
Below are some of the conference presentations Doug currently offers, all of which can be presented in time slots ranging from 60 minutes to three hours. Let us know if you are looking for a program in the topic areas of hotel sales, reservations sales, hospitality and guest service excellence, or profit optimization that is not listed here so we can explore a customized program. You can also visit the tab for "Doug's Monthly Articles" and see if any article themes would be of interest to you as the basis for a presentation.
- So You REALLY Like Working With People? This program is Doug's most popular on the hotel conference speacking circuit and has been warmly received by audiences of all levels and organizational types. Whereas many training programs teach the subject of hospitality as if it were created by a series of communications techniques, this presentation looks at training from the inside out. Doug presents his Five Principles for Finding Personal Fulfillment In Hospitality Excellence, which are great reminders of the "What's In It For Me?" in hospitality excellence from our own perspective as colleagues and associates. During this entertaining and fun presentation Doug will share stories and examples from his training career that will have the audience laughing at times and feeling emotional at others. Participants will walk away with a new perspective on how to train frontline associates on the subject of hospitality and some fun examples to use at in-house hotel training meetings.
- Reservations SAILS Training. This conference presentation provides an overview of KTN's hotel Reservations SAILS Training program. Participants take away practical ideas for training their reservations sales and/or front desk agents to prepare them for today's over-informed, multi-tasking callers who have seen too many options online. Rather than providing "website search support" by just checking dates and quoting rates, as so many agents do these days, managers learn how to train their staff to understand the "story" behind the call through listening interactively and asking investigative questions. Also presented are easy ways to present descriptions in a way that is alluring and enticing versus just being informative.
- Management Action Steps For Creating Hospitality Superstars. This session provides a unique opportunity for hotel conference participants to hear Doug share best practices for managing for hospitality excellence. Topics include establishing core values versus an overly extensive list of scripts and standards, setting goals on both a team and individual basis, measuring hospitality and guest service efficiency, and providing staff recognition and/or incentives. Also presented are examples of how make ongoing, in-house hotel training fun and interactive, along with recommended training exercises, activities, and games.
- Cooking UP New Sales. Do you believe that the hotel sales excellence is an ongoing journey, and that your sales team can close even more business next month than they did this month? If so this conference presentation is a must-do for your next sales conference. Using cooking and fine dining analogies as an alternative way to explore long-proven sales fundamentals, Doug Kennedy will share innovative yet practical hotel sales training tips for actualizing your full revenue generating potential each day.
- Revenue Optimization Strategies For Today's Front Desk Salesperson. This conference presentation version of KTN's on-site workshop of same title is a great reminder for General Managers, Directors of Operation, Resident Managers, operational and even sales professionals of the myriad of opportunities to optimize revenue that our front desk team encounters every shift, every day. Participants take away real-world tactics to share with their staff on topics such as channel conversion, maintaining rate fences, securing return reservations, upselling at registration, and capturing walk-ins. Depending on the types of hotel and lodging companies represented, the content is adjusted to focus more attention on the main areas of opportunity.
Contact KTN for more details regarding on-site training fees, or if you would like to receive a proposal for a customized, on-site program let us know by calling: 954.981.7689 or via email info@kennedytrainingnetwork.com
Please also let us know if you are looking for a hotel industry conference training topic that is not within our immediate topic areas, as we can assist you with locating other speakers both within and outside of Kennedy Training Network.
Please also let us know if you are looking for a hotel industry conference training topic that is not within our immediate topic areas, as we can assist you with locating other speakers both within and outside of Kennedy Training Network.
