IAR E-News, December 2000


IN THE LAST ISSUE:
~ It’s time to renew your IARE Membership
~
President's Message
~
What’s New with the IARE Annual Conference
   ...Tips on how you can prepare to attend
   ...Scenes from IARE's 2000 Conference in Tampa
   ...Get ready for some gastronomical excitement!
~
IARE 2001 Excellence Awards Nominations
~
What’s New on the IARE Members Only Section
~ Go to Archives (Reports and News)


THANK YOU for your support of the IARE this past year. We hope that you have found value in IARE Membership and that you will continue to support the Travel and Hospitality Call Center industry through your investment in this association.

By now you should have received your DUES RENEWAL statement for calendar year 2001. Membership Dues will remain the same as last year:

PRINCIPAL Member dues is based on the total number of reservation center employees in the corporate entity:
Small (1 to 35 staff) -- $150 U.S. per year
Medium (36 to 100) -- $200 U.S. per year
Large (101 to 250) -- $300 U.S. per year
Mega (251 or more) -- $400 U.S. per year

Annual dues for ASSOCIATED CENTER Members (affiliated through common ownership with a Principal Member) is 50% of the dues amount paid by the Principal Member.

Dues for ALLIED Members (who provide goods or services to travel/hospitality call centers) is $300 per year.

Some of the benefits of IARE Membership include:

·Advance registration opportunity and discounted fees to attend the IARE Annual Conference
·The IAR E-News newsletter
·Access to the IARE web site’s exclusive Members Only Section with On-line Membership Directory
·Opportunity to participate in IARE Member Surveys and access to published survey results

Please watch for your renewal notice and pay no later than March 1st to ensure you continue to receive information about the upcoming IARE Conference and industry surveys.


PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Blue skies and desert warmth welcomed the Board of Directors to the semi-annual Board meeting in Arizona. The venue was the Marriott Mountain Shadows Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, the site of our 2001 conference upcoming in May.

During rather intense meetings, we conducted a final review of the bylaws of the association, and were able to agree to the changes. The board is confident that the revised bylaws now more clearly define the roles of the board, as well as the organization as a whole.

An examination of anti-trust laws, with an attorney, has provided us with a better understanding of these regulations. Our anti-trust statement has been re-written to emphasize and clearly communicate the restrictions to which we must adhere.

With the formal work complete, we were ready to move on to the planning of the 2001 conference. We started with recommendations from last year’s conference, and are pleased to advise you that:

·We will NOT be at an airport hotel  we think you will enjoy the Mountain Shadows’ beautiful and relaxing resort environment
·A team-building exercise with the membership was requested, thus a Chili Cook-Off event, where teams of 8-10 will concoct vats of the hot stuff.
·Facilitators for the centers meetings will be board members, and discussions with regard to facilitating the meetings have been addressed.
·Sandi Howlett will be joining is again!
·Conference materials will be sent out earlier.
·We have created a secure web-site, so that credit card transactions can be processed securely.

Yes, we’re listening! We are thrilled with the agenda for conference, and once we have secured commitments from speakers, we look forward to sharing it with you!

Warmest Regards,
Kate Wolfe, Pegasus Solutions, Inc.
IARE President


THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!
That is the theme of IARE’s 16th Annual Conference & Exhibition to be held Sunday, May 6 through Wednesday, May 9, 2001 at the Marriott Mountain Shadows Resort & Golf Club in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona.

Registration forms will be available in February, but here’s what you should do NOW...
·Mark your calendar and schedule your staff to cover those days while you’re away from the call center
·Book your hotel reservation at the Marriott’s Mountain Shadows Resort ~ special IARE group rates of $129 single/double ~ call (800) 782-2123 before April 13th. http://marriotthotels.com/PHXMS/
·Budget for your registration fees registration fees for IARE members are $425 per person before April 13th
·Plan your travel to Phoenix, Arizona
·Start packing! And be sure to include your cowboy hat and boots for the IARE Chili Cook-off at Pinnacle Peak Patio! (see article below)

This year’s Conference will feature:
·Opportunity for fun pre-conference activities golf, shopping, sight-seeing, etc.
·Sunday night teambuilding event and sunset dinner at the famous Pinnacle Peak Patio
·Call Center Forums to share ideas and tips with center managers and executives from around the world
·Workshops on practical topics and industry trends, geared for the new manager to the experienced executive
·Supplier Showcase featuring the latest in state-of-the-art products and services designed for your call center
·A relaxed resort environment to rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit

Don’t miss out! Watch for more conference information in the coming months!


Click HERE for scenes from the 
IARE's 2000 Conference and 
Exhibition in Tampa


Are you ready for some gastronomical excitement?
Really, are you ready for some culinary delights?!
If you are then you’re going to love what we have planned for Sunday night, May 6. All you have to do is make sure you sign up for the IARE Conference here in Phoenix.

This event promises to be one of the most unique opening nights we have ever had. Your evening will begin with a bus ride up the valley to one of the more picturesque parts of Phoenix. Your destination is the Pinnacle Peak area of Scottsdale and the Pinnacle Peak Patio restaurant. Once there, our host Cowboy Dan and our sponsor, AT&T, have planned a fun night where you can use your skills to become one of the best darn cooks west of Happy Valley road.

I know, you’re in the reservation business and all that kitchen stuff is for the hotel people... Wrong! You have to eat don’t you? Okay, so maybe your idea of a gourmet meal is popping a tray into the microwave and hitting the 3-minute button. Well we have you covered on that as well.

The group will be separated into teams of 10 whose job is to create their version of the ultimate chili in less than one hour. Basic chili ingredients are provided for each team, plus "special" ingredients the teams must quickly decide what "special" ingredients they desire to use and must grab them before they’re gone! An official Taste Tester will judge the chili and prizes will be awarded to teams with the Overall Best Chili, the Hottest Chili and the Most Unique Chili (a.k.a. the worst chili).

You’ll top off the evening with a delicious all-you-can-eat steak and chicken dinner and some country western line dancing.

If you’re feeling generous this time of year, take out your wallet and become a Chili Cook-off Team Sponsor. For the little ol‘ sum of $100 your company can sponsor a team for the big cook-off. We encourage you to supply T-shirts or hats with your company logo on them for your team. We already have several teams committed so make sure you enlist early!

Sounds like fun? Then please register to attend IARE’s Annual Conference, May 5-9, 2001.

We welcome you to Phoenix!

Past President Will
(a.k.a. Will Jansen, Best Western International)


Excellence Awards
Do you have someone on your staff, who has done an outstanding job this year, exceeded all of your expectations, someone you are proud of and want to share their accomplishments? Of Course You Do!!!

We want to share that with you too, so start thinking about those stars and fill out the IARE 2001 EXCELLENCE AWARD form and send it in with your nomination. This year we would like to have the winners join us for the IARE Conference and be presented with their awards in person. So fill out those forms and stay tuned for further details about how your employee can come and join us for the presentation of their award, the fun and of course the educational opportunities of the conference.

For the IARE Awards Committee
Paula Ketchum, Choice Hotels International

An awards nomination form is available online at http://www.iare.com/awards.html


FOR MEMBERS ONLY
An updated version of IARE’s Membership Directory is available in the Members Only section of the IARE web site. http://www.iare.com/

Enjoy this convenient 24/7 access to more than 130 IARE Principal and Associate call center members and Allied partners from around the world.