Michael Kistner is CIO and vice president, Information Systems for Best Western International, the world's largest lodging brand. He is responsible for all telecommunication, information and E-commerce systems at Best Western. In his role as president of the OpenTravel Alliance (OTA), Kistner provides strategic direction to OTA, charged with developing communications specifications to enable efficient and effective electronic exchange of travel industry information.

Kistner has tremendous knowledge within the hospitality industry, having previously served as senior vice president of the E-Commerce Center and Hotel Information Technology at Cendant Corporation in Phoenix. There he was involved in Internet vendor management, resource allocation, organization formation, strategic planning, hospitality systems planning, development and implementation from property-based systems to host central reservation systems and other electronic distribution systems.

Previously, Kistner worked for Super 8 Motels where he held the executive vice president of Operations position. He headed the IT, Reservations, Corporate Travel, Guest Service, Convention Planning, Corporate and Franchise Insurance and Facilities Management departments. Kistner was also vice president, Management Information Systems and Reservations at HFS, Inc. in Phoenix from 1993 to 1996. He was responsible for all information systems to include financial, marketing and central reservation aspects.

Kistner holds Bachelor of Science and Associate of Arts degrees in accounting and information systems from Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD, and a Master of Science degree in information systems from Colorado State University.

The OpenTravel Alliance (OTA) develops communications specifications to allow for the efficient and effective exchange of travel industry information via the Internet. With over 150 members representing influential names in all sectors of the travel industry, OTA is comprised of representatives from the airlines, car rental agencies, hotels, leisure suppliers, non-suppliers, tour operators, and trade associations. These travel industries, together with an OTA interoperability committee to coordinate their efforts, are developing open Internet-compatible messages using XML data terms.More information is available at www.opentravel.org

About ONHTEC -ONHTEC®, a co-production by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals® and Hsyndicate, aims to become the most comprehensive and trendsetting online conference & showcase of hospitality IT & distribution technology available on the web. Starting from October 2002, ONHTEC ® will provide quarterly scheduled online conferences geared around pertinent trends in hospitality technology. ONHTEC ® aims to provide knowledge & know-how to industry professionals at all levels of expertise. For more information visit www.onhtec.com.

Best Western is THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN(R) with more than 4,000 hotels in over 80 countries and territories. It is a membership association of independently owned and operated hotels that provides marketing, reservations and operational support to its members. For more information about Best Western or to view images of the Best Western Premier Hotels, please visit www.bestwestern.com/newsroom.

Kevin Heilbronner is the US Editor for hsyndicate.com, wiredhotelier.com and hospitalitynet.org, providing content for these websites in the form of articles and both audio and video interviews. Based outside of Washington DC, Heilbronner has worked with Hospitality Net to conduct interviews at several hospitality trade shows in the US and Europe over the last year. A familiar voice in Washington, DC, Heilbronner is the stadium announcer for the NBA's Washington Wizards, WNBA's Washington Mystics, WUSA's Washington Freedom and DC United of MLS. He resides in Centreville, VA and can be reached via at kevin@hsyndicate.com