OpenTravel

MichaelH. Kistner
Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Best Western International
OTA Board, Chair

The OTA has made significant progressin the development and delivery of travel industry XML specifications, which arecurrently being implemented throughout the industry. But where do we go from here?The Chair of the OTA will focus on the 5-year vision for the OTA specifications,as well as on a future view of travel distribution.

General Session
The OTA and the Impact of XML on the Future of Travel Distribution

Brian Barth
Chief Executive Officer
Sidestep

Michael H. Kistner
Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Best Western International
OTA Board, Chair

JoanLowell
Vice President, Electronic Distribution
Hyatt Hotels Corporation

BobOffutt
Sr. Vice President and Chief Architect
Sabre Holdings

HelenPorter
Vice President of Product Solutions
Worldspan

This panel of industry leaders willfocus on the recent advances made in travel distribution through the use of XML.The discussion will center on current uses and opportunities for XML, as well asthe challenges of integrating legacy systems.

Direction and Issues forAirline Implementation

Victoria Day
Director, Publications and Technical Communications
Air Transport Association
OTA Board

KiranBalimane
Project Director
SkyTECH Solutions
OTA Travel Integration Work Group, Member

Ron Anderson-Lehman
Managing Director of Technology
Continental Airlines
OTA Board, Member

Ken Penny
Senior Manager of Distribution Planning
Continental Airlines

RobertBeiersdorfer
Manager of Distribution, Online Sales and Service
Delta Air Lines
OTA Air Work Group, Co-Chair

Christian D. Rishel
Director, Interactive Marketing
JetBlue Airways

As one of the earliest adopters ofComputerized Reservation Systems (CRS), the air “vertical” has longbeen known for having some of the most complex legacy systems in the travel industry.Attend this session and you will hear first-hand from the travel integration providersthat are working to implement the OTA specification with the airlines. Solutionsto issues encountered with the current implementations, bridging to legacy systems,and new opportunities for working with trading partners will be discussed.

A. Business Track
How the OTA Specification Applies Across Multiple Verticals: Perspectives from OTA-enabledDistribution Channels

Domenic Ravita
Principal Software Engineer
Agentware
OTA Architecture Subcommittee, Member

John Lambe
Chief Technology Officer
Open Jaw Technologies
OTA Architecture Subcommittee, Member

Corey Ladd
Director, Product Marketing
Sabre Holdings

It is one thing to apply the OTAspecification for a supplier specific vertical (Air, Car or Hotel), but it is quiteanother to do this across multiple verticals. This session will address the businessvalue gained by applying OTA standards across multiple distribution channels. Commonbusiness problems in implementing a standard will be covered. A panel discussionwill include participants from Internet travel intermediaries and the Global DistributionSystems (GDS).

B. Technical Track
Integrating Legacy Systems with the OTA Specifications

Jim Peters
Travel Technology Consultant
OTA Board, Vice-Chair
OTA Adoption Subcommittee, Chair

AdamAthimuthu
Senior Application Consultant
Intercontinental Hotels Group
OTA Hotel Work Group, Member
OTA Architecture Subcommittee, Member

MishaKravchenko
Senior Director, Reservation Systems
Marriott International, Inc.
OTA Architecture Subcommittee, Member

JohnMacDonald
Principal, Solutions Architect
Sabre Holdings
OTA Architecture Subcommittee, Member
OTA Data Content-Best Practices, Member

When implementing the OTA specifications, companies must determine how to integratewith their legacy systems. This panel discussion will focus on options for usingthe OTA specification to enable interoperability between existing legacy systems,such as Reservations, Back-Office, and Loyalty. Several companies will share theirexperiences on integrating with legacy systems, as well as provide sample architecturesand step-by-step guides which highlight what to avoid and what to embrace.

Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Day 2

GeneralSession
Overview of 2003B Specification Projects

Jessica Glace
Research Fellow
Logistics Management Institute
OTA Specification Manager

Greg Wilson
Research Fellow
Logistics Management Institute
OTA Specification Manager

The first step in preparing for anew release of the OTA specification is the submission of Project Team Proposals(PTP) by OTA members. Those that are accepted form the basis of the Project Teams,the output of which is the new features included in the next release. This sessionwill explain this process, and provide a quick overview of the 16 Project Teamsthat form the core of the activity related to the 2003B release.

A. Business Track
The Business of Implementing the OTA Messages for Hotel Distribution

MikeKeppler
Vice President - Sales, Marketing and Revenue Management Systems
Marriott International, Inc.
OTA Board, Treasurer

The Lodging industry has undergonea number of changes with respect to the distribution of its inventory across a numberof systems. Mike Keppler will present a lodging and information technology perspectiveon how companies can approach the planning, execution and support aspects of implementingthe OTA specification. Topics will include ensuring business agreements includethe right language, how to support OTA as part of the on-going and future operation,and architectural concepts that are independent of platform.

B. Technical Track
The New OTA Registration Program and Future Directions

RonKleinman
Chief Vertical Evangelist; Sun Developer Network
Sun Microsystems
OTA Architecture Subcommittee, Co-Chair

The OTA Adoption Committee is preparingto create an "OTA Usage Registry," which will highlight the capabilitiesof OTA adopters in terms of the level of OTA functionality they claim to support.A parallel effort is underway within the OTA Architecture Committee to study thefeasibility of providing some external measurement of testing and certifying forsuch claims. Ron Kleinman will present the highlights of the OTA Registration Program(RP), review the major decisions involved with creating an effective OTA Certificationprogram, and then solicit attendees for their opinions.

A. Business Track
How the Car Rental Suppliers View the OTA

John Turato
Vice President of Technology
Cendant Car Rental Group
OTA Board, Member

James White
Director, Global Automation Marketing
The Hertz Corporation
OTA Board, Member

John McQuillan
Chief Executive Officer
Open Jaw Technologies
OTA Travel Integration Work Group, Member

Buddy Altus
Director of Electronic Distribution
Cendant Car Rental Group

Brian Barth
Chief Executive Officer
Sidestep

This panel session will explore theOTA today and tomorrow as it relates to the Car Rental perspective. A panel fromamong suppliers, software providers, and distribution professionals will discusstheir experiences implementing the existing specifications, how the OTA messageshave been used to support the business, and future needs for the Car Rental industry.

B. Technical Track
Implementation Case Studies

Roberto Girolami
Program Manager
Newtrade Technologies
OTA Architecture Subcommittee,    Chair

Virginia Suliman
Director, Distribution Interface Technologies
Hilton Hotels Corporation
OTA Hotel Work Group, Outgoing Chair

LauraRenda
Director, Architecture
Cendant Car Rental Group

The panel, composed of trading partnersthat have successfully implemented interfaces based on the OTA specification, willdiscuss the low and high points of setting up their interfaces. Issues related tounderstanding and using the specifications, how to map data from their systems toand from the XML messages and what messaging infrastructure worked best for them.

TheFuture of the OTA Specification

Lisa Fues
Director; Reservation, Inventory and Distribution
Marriott International, Inc.
OTA Interoperability Committee, Chair