The internet has given us the capability of communicating to others around the world, receiving up to the second news and the ability to expand our network of contacts within our industry. However one of the challenges that I have found is that all of these elements are fragmented and take a tremendous amount of effort and places to log in to capture all of the data that is relevant to me.

As a Hospitality professional I have been waiting for a social community of common interests that I could trust. Feeling a little ‘out of my element’ in “Myspace.com” and not wanting to navigate through the crowds, I found other contact management sites like Plaxo and Linked In didn’t offer me the complete package. Convinced that my search for the “all inclusive community website” for tourism professionals was in vain, I was introduced to Who is Who In Hospitality, a Swiss initiative supported by the founders of hsyndicate.org – the leading online tourism industry resource for over 250,000 + industry-related professionals

I was delighted with my first encounter with the site, as I found it to be friendly and inviting and it was easy to navigate and extract what was important to me. I immediately set up my profile and began working on inviting others to join my network. Expanding my contacts was not just limited to the people I already knew, WIWIH allows you to view other community member profiles sorted by categories such as name, organization, similar areas of interest, recent members and user groups - a “my space” for tourism professionals has arrived!

Hospitality professionals can join WIWIH user groups with topics that interest them, or to continue discussions started at industry events and conferences. Of course the first User Group I joined was the Online Revealed group - started by myself and my partner as a way to keep in touch with the individuals who had attended the conference we co-produced – Online Revealed Canada. I was also intrigued by the Xotels Revenue Management Group. Having a background in Revenue Management, I found that that keeping abreast of current RM best practices appealed to me.

The best part about being part of a group is that you do not have to always log in to see what is going on. Every time someone posts a message, it immediately shows up in your email, and you are getting posts from users like yourself with similar interests and experiences! From there you can add a response or watch a conversation or discussion thread happen without having to interrupt your own work. We utilized the Online Revealed group message board to invite a targeted group to participate in our benchmarking web trends survey. We have been using the results to begin our research for the content of next year’s conference. (results soon to be released)

Outside of the personal networking, and interesting discussions, WIWIH also gives me the latest headlines on Hospitality news. I can read what is going on in the US and Canada or have the news delivered directly to my desktop via the RSS feed.

One WIWIH feature that I have found particularly useful is the Events Calendar. As innovative as every feature on WIWIH is, the calendar is not just a static list of events. You are given the option of posting events you will be attending and messaging others who will be there. It’s a convenient way to pre-set appointments or meeting times with individuals you have an interest in networking with.

Being part of the hospitality industry has been a rewarding career choice for me for over 2 decades. Finding a site like www.WIWIH.com [WIWIH] that encourages participation and social interaction is the answer to what I have been looking for. I have expanded my lists of contacts and clients, while staying informed on current events within the tourism industry. I would encourage anyone who is involved in hospitality to create a WIWIH Profile Just be sure to invite me to join your list of contacts!

Patricia Brusha is the co-founder of "A Couple of Chicks," an Internet Marketing, e-Distribution & Measurement Company specializing in marketing tourism products online. The “Chicks” specialize in using Creative, Distribution and Technology to bring clarity to marketing on-line. Patricia is also the co-chair of The Canadian Online Travel Conference Online Revealed Canada.

To find out more about A Couple of Chicks Marketing and the tools and services available, visit .

Lea Brusha
A Couple of Chicks