The Virtual Classroom enables hospitality professionals anywhere in the world to benefit from live instruction as well as collaboration with peers by registering at . The Virtual Classroom is designed to provide operations with the fullest range of options to meet ongoing training needs.
"The Virtual Classroom gives hotels a low-cost tool (travel expenses are eliminated), for providing advanced or customized training," said Kelly Gray, Newmarket's Director of Educational Services. "Web delivery also affords hotels enhanced "speed-to-market" capabilities. For example, upgrade training for users at 400 different sites can now be done simultaneously, while traditional methods would take months."
Newmarket announced its e-Learning initiative in April and began conducting pilot courses with several corporations, including Wyndham International and KSL Resorts, in June. Participants at all operational levels of hospitality heralded the development.
"The virtual classroom is a great tool for addressing the crucial needs of ongoing training," said Linda Foss, Director of Sales & Catering Systems of Wyndham International, Inc. "The technology enables us to provide custom courses for our salespeople while we leverage the e-Business benefits created by the Web."
"It was a pleasant surprise to be able to talk real-time with an instructor as opposed to just "chatting," as was the case in the online courses I took in college," said Roxanne Szendre, administrative assistant for KSL Resorts Group, Inc. "KSL has resorts all over the country, and the Virtual Classroom enables people at each site to learn right at their desks."
Powered by Centra Software's Centra 99, Newmarket's Virtual Classroom extends the strengths of traditional onsite training with the convenience of the Web. Key features, which include voice over IP, "application sharing" (all participants collaboratively affect the same open program) and "breakout rooms" (for one-on-one instruction), create an environment with a "next generation" feel.
According to Chris Reed, Centra's vice president of Strategy, "Centra is pleased to be working with Newmarket as they create a learning environment that truly takes advantage of the global reach of the Web. The combination of Centra's market-leading eLearning platform and Newmarket's training, consulting, project management and support offerings will provide their customers with a robust learning environment."
Just as the Web has transformed the hotel sales process, Internet technologies create new training efficiencies.
"A strength of the Virtual Classroom is that it transforms linear flow of information going from teacher to student to one of collaboration," said Melanie Schranz, Newmarket's Virtual Classroom project leader. "If a hotelier in Seattle has found a great way to use reports more effectively, that experience can be shared and have an immediate impact on, and become part of the course content. Knowledge is still the goal, but e-learning opens up more fluid and exciting ways to share it."
About Centra
Centra is the world's leading supplier of software and networked services for live eLearning and Internet business collaboration. Centra's Web-based enterprise solutions include, Centra Symposium(TM) for live collaboration, Centra Conference(TM) for large-scale interactive Web presentations and dynamic corporate communications, and the CentraNow(TM) network service for live Web meetings. Centra serves globally dispersed customers among the Fortune 1000, such as American Express, ExxonMobil, Nationwide, Compaq, Standard Insurance, Sony, and Worldcom. Centra has business partnerships with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte Consulting, and Microsoft. Headquartered in Boston's technology corridor, Centra has sales offices in North America, Europe, and Asia.
About Newmarket International
Newmarket International () provides E-Business solutions that automate sales and operations for every type of hospitality venue, from independent hotels of any size to resorts, casinos, convention centers, convention & visitors bureaus, and the complete corporate enterprise. Newmarket is widely recognized as the premier innovator of scalable sales and catering systems, web-enabled applications, and E-Business strategies, including . A totalsolutions provider, Newmarket offers leading-edge technologies, onsite and Web-based training, consulting, project management and superior support based on unparalleled industry expertise.
