September 22 2009
[State College, PA September 23, 2009] - In an economic climate where many hotel operators are curtailing new hotel development, Shaner Hotels has completed 2009 openings of eight new Marriott and Hilton branded hotels, with two in St. Augustine, and one each in Jacksonville, Lakeland, and Homestead Florida, as well as Augusta, Georgia and Lock Haven Pennsylvania. Additionally, in a progressive strategic move Shaner announces the appointment of David Kopac as Corporate eCommerce Marketing Manager
"We are pleased to have David on board in this new position", said Robert Spraker, Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing. "With the continued growth of the Internet as a reservations distribution channel, and the emergence of eCommerce as a mainstay in hotel marketing and promotion, the focus he will provide will serve to compliment and enhance the balance provided between sales/marketing and revenue/yield management. At Shaner, we see eCommerce management evolving as a discipline in a manner quite similar to the way revenue and yield management has grown - but at a much quicker pace" he said.
David brings a strong background in marketing and communications to this new role at Shaner. He has over eight years of diverse work experience and earned his B.A. in Communications from Penn State University. Most recently, he served as Marketing Manager for Hersha Hospitality Management where he managed the marketing efforts for 64 hotels in the Northeast U.S. David developed Internet marketing strategies including monthly e-mail blasts, search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising.
Working in conjunction with property sales and revenue leaders, David will also execute pre-opening online marketing activities such as loading new hotel websites, establishing special opening packages, group deals, group value dates, email and affiliate marketing as well as coordinating Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click keyword strategies as applicable. Said Plato Ghinos, the Shaner Senior VP of Development and Franchise Relations, "in light of our new 2009development as well as the continued plans to increase our portfolio, we feel having a strong pre-opening eCommerce presence with the new-build hotels will enable them to open more successfully and achieve desired market share targets more quickly." He further indicated, "with the creation David's position, and the emergence of eCommerce Marketing as an additional Shaner corporate support function, we're able to more strongly meet the challenging demands within our hotel markets and in doing so, provide additional value to our investors and management partners."
Privately-held Shaner Hotels is based in State College, PA. It owns and manages diverse lodging holdings with 32 hotels in 14 states. Ten different hotel brands are represented in the Shaner portfolio.
Information on Shaner is available at www.shanercorp.com.
