Pestana Hotels & Resorts
(Feb, 2011) - A team from the International Centre for Tourism & Hospitality Research (School of Tourism, Bournemouth University) consisting of Dimitrios Buhalis, Jeff Sadd, Peter Lugossi, and myself delivered a one-day executive seminar to Pestana Hotels & Resort, Portugal's leading hotel group. More specifically, together with Prof Buhalis we will deliver the "Online Distribution, Marketing, Sales, Loyalty, Social Networking" module on February 20th 2011.
With Leo Burnett for the Attica 2010-2015 Marketing Plan
(Dec, 2010) - Leo Burnett Athens invited the School of Tourism, Bournemouth University to participate as a strategic partner in a consortium of companies to bid for the "Prefecture of Attica: Marketing Plan & Promotional actions 2010-2015". The Bournemouth team consists of Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis, Prof. Alan Fyall and John Fotis. Lindos 2020 Strategic Destination Plan
Together with my good friend Charalambos Loukaras we were commissioned by the Municipality of Lindos the development of "Lindos 2020 Strategic Destination Plan". The plan focused on the historic village of Lindos and provided specific strategic actions that may lead to Lindos' repositioning and sustainable development as a leading tourism destination.
Mediterranean Standard for Sustainable Tourism – ME.S.S.T
(Mar-Dec 2008) - My role as a publicity consultant was to plan & implement all publicity and promotional actions for the above project, part of the E.U. initiative INTERREG IIIB (Archimed Program, Priority Axis 3: Integrated & Sustainable Management of Cultural, Natural Resources, Landscapes & Risk Management, Measure 3.4: Sustainable Development of Tourism”). Lead partner was the Chamber of the Dodecanese and among the partners were the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism Development and the Cyprus Tourism Organization. The project objective was the development of a standard on sustainable tourism for the certification of tourism enterprises as well as tourism destinations as a whole.
Harmony Resorts Branding Project
Common tourism actions for the Greek islands
(Jul-Nov 2005) My role as a Technical Regional Consultant was to offer tourism consulting support to the Dodecanese and Cyclades Prefectures during the Preparative Phase of the Cooperation Plan entitled “Common Actions for the Greek Islands”, a project under the “Leader+ 2000-2006 Community Initiative” Operational Program. The project aimed to the identification of the common tourism-related resources among all Greek islands, and their classification into five clusters (cuisine, architecture, culture, local products, sea & overland routes) to enable the formulation & promotion of tourism products & experiences.
Web-based Hotel Loyalty Management System
(Jul-Dec 2005) On behalf of The Ixian Grand (a 5* hotel in Rhodes), undertaking the role of Project Manager, I formulated the proposal and acted as a Project Manager for the above project. The proposal was submitted under the Action 7.3: “Innovation Pilot Applications in Tourism” of “ISTOS: Innovation for Sustainable Tourism & Services in the South Aegean” (ERDF 2000-2006), and received a grant of €30,000 covering 50% of the project’s budget. In implementing the project I was responsible for concept development and analysis. During the “spin-off”phase, the application was further developed into a Software-As-A-Service online loyalty management application for independent hotels.
"Sun Beach 4 kids" Resort Hotel Experiences Program
Web-Decision and Sales Support System for Business & Consumers through an open-GIS platform (WD3S)
(Sep 2003-Feb 2005) I participated as a partner (concept development and market research), in a consortium of organisations (including the National Technical University of Athens, the Local Association of Municipalities of the Dodecanese and others) that formulated the research project proposal entitled “Web-based decision & sales support system for business & consumers through an open GIS platform (WD3S)” with a total development cost of €900,000. The project was submitted under the Action 3.3 “Actions for Research & Technological Development in the Information Society”, Measure “E-Business” of “Information Society Operational Program” General Secretariat for Research & Technology and was funded by 50%
Detailed List of major consulting projects (up to 2009)
1. MARKETING CONSULTING PROJECTS
1.1 HOSPITALITY
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Mar. 2008 -
Apr. 2009
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AquaGrand Resort (Maritour S.A. / 5 star / 135 rooms), Project-based Marketing Consulting.
Review of architectural designs and contribution to product concept development and operational features. Design of experiences to reinforce brand image. Contribution to the development of corporate identity. Concept & design of pre-opening communication material including fact sheets, presentations, pre-brochures and website. Competitors’ analysis and development of pricing scenarios.
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Oct. 2005 -
Sep. 2009
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Harmony Resorts (3 hotels / 1015 rooms), Marketing Consultant.
A hospitality umbrella brand development and management project for Rodos Palladium Hotel, Sun Beach Resort and Elysium Resort & Spa. The project included development of an umbrella brand concept aiming at strengthening market presence but also increasing economies of scale among the participating hotels. My assignments included development of the brand concept, promotional planning, new corporate identity, evaluation of web developers, website concept, but also job descriptions and evaluation of candidates who were employed as executives to support the project.
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Jan. 2000 -
Sep. 2009
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Rodos Palladium Leisure & Wellness (REXEKA S.A. / 5 star / 377 rooms), Marketing Consultant.
Rhodes’ most awarded hotel. My consulting assignments included marketing planning, contribution to the development of new products & services, competitors’ pricing analysis, guest satisfaction surveys, communication strategy and annual promotional plans, development of promotional & sales tools, consultation and presentations during negotiations of strategic alliances proposals.
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Apr. 2002 -
Sep. 2009
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Sun Beach Resort (AXEKA S.A. / 4 star / 308 rooms), Marketing Consultant.
One of Rhodes’ most popular family hotels. My role as marketing consultant included marketing planning, contribution to the development of new products & services such as the “Sun Beach 4 kids experiences programme”, competitors’ pricing analysis, guest satisfaction surveys, communication strategy & annual promotional plans, and development of promotional & sales tools.
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Oct. 2006 -
Sep. 2009
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Elysium Resort & Spa (NHKA S.A. / 5 star / 330 rooms), Marketing Consultant.
Rhodes’ most prestigious 5 star hotel. My role as marketing consultant started when the hotel was in the design stage and included brand development, segmentation & market positioning, development of product & experiences concepts, and development of all pre-opening promotional material. After commencement of operations my consulting assignments included competitors’ pricing analysis, guest satisfaction surveys, communication strategy, development of annual promotional plans, and development of promotional & sales tools.
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Apr. 2004 -
Mar. 2008
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The Ixian Grand Hotel (V.G. Karagiannis S.A. / 5 star / 280 rooms), Marketing Consultant.
My cooperation started when the hotel was operating on all-inclusive basis under the brand “Elina Hotel”. Within two years the hotel undertook a major renovation and expansion into an all-suite hotel aiming to up-market segments, achieving a 65% increase in average room revenues. During this period I was exclusively responsible for the rebranding and repositioning strategies and their implementation, as well as the consultation on product & service mix reformulation. My assignments also included development of new corporate identity, contribution to the development of new experiences, formulation of annual promotional plans, contribution to the development of promotional and sales material. Moreover, I designed a complaint management system, developed an online guests’ loyalty system, designed the hotel’s website (that achieved more than €250,000 sales revenues in its 2nd year of operation), and I was involved in sales managers and guest relations executives’ training.
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Jan. 2000 -
Oct. 2003
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Hatzilazarou Group (I.& E. Hatzilazarou S.A. / Two 4 star hotels / 475 rooms), Marketing Consultant.
My role as marketing consultant included the redesign of the corporate identity materials, development of promotional material, competitors’ pricing analysis, guest satisfaction surveys, development and monitoring of a complaint management system.
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1.2 OTHER TOURISM PROJECTS
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Jul. 2009 -
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Lindos 2020 Strategic Destination Plan. Project Partner.
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Aug. 2010
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This project was commissioned by the Municipality of Lindos to both Loukaras & Associates and Market Plan. The plan examined the current situation of the destination and proposed six tourism product development strategies aiming at Lindos' repositioning and sustainable development for the next 10 years as a leading tourism destination.
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Jan. 2009 -
Sep. 2009
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Dodekanisos Seaways. Project-based Marketing Consulting.
The company operates two high speed catamarans serving the majority of the Dodecanese islands. The project involved the development of the company’s annual promotional & communication plan, but was extended to include a study on the promotional opportunities the company could offer within the vessels.
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May 2000 -
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Europe Travel S.A. Project-based Marketing Consulting.
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Sep. 2009
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Rhodes’ largest independent destination management company. I have consulted Europe Travel in a number of projects including the modelling of its services offered to tour operators, a process that resulted in the development of a Systematic Value Added Support tool (Sy.V.A.S.TM) that differentiates the company from its competitors, the concept development and promotional planning for “Rhodes through cinema” multimedia excursion, the development of a number of sales tools such as printed brochures, PowerPoint presentations, e-newsletters, etc.
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Aug. 2003 -
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S.E.T.E. (Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises), Communications Consultant.
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Jun. 2005
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A non-profit organisation representing both enterprises and associations directly or indirectly involved in tourism. Established in 1991 with the objective to ensure an ongoing improvement in quality and to bolster the competitiveness of Greek tourism, today it is a powerful lobbying organisation representing the interests of a variety of tourism related stakeholders. After a selection among communication consultants, I undertook the responsibility for the development and implementation of the new corporate identity, the redesign of printed material and contributed to the website concept development.
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Jan. 2002 -
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A1 Yacht Trade Consortium, Marketing Consultant.
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Dec. 2002
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The company offers agency, brokerage, charter, management and repair services to the luxury yacht market. As marketing consultant during its first year of operation I consulted the company on corporate identity, network meeting presentations, printed promotional material, as well as the franchise development of its network of offices in 12 Greek islands. I was also responsible for the company’s first promotional plan that included among other an international advertising campaign, participation in international yachting exhibitions, as well as below the line promotional activities.
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1.3 RESTAURANT GROUPS
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Mar. 2000 - Dec. 2008
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Leventis Group. Marketing Consultant.
Rhodes’ market leader in the casual dining market, operating two restaurants and a leisure park. My consulting assignments included a wide variety of marketing and business aspects including planning of above and below the line promotions, special offers, pricing analysis, menu engineering & sales analysis, negotiations and planning of all joint advertising campaigns with major suppliers, customer satisfaction surveys, mystery shopping, and new business concept development.
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Jul. - Aug. 2007
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Group of Investors. Project-based Marketing Consulting.
A business plan / market feasibility study, commissioned by a group of investors to both Loukaras & Associates and Market Plan, to evaluate the expansion in the Greek market of a U.S. casual dining chain through a master franchise agreement. The study consisted of market analysis, preliminary marketing plan, organisation & human resources, site selection and environment, projected performance & financial feasibility.
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1.4 REAL ESTATE
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Jul. 2002 -
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Savvaidis & Associates Real Estate Agents & Consultants, Communications Consultant.
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Jul. 2004
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The largest real estate agent in the Dodecanese and recipient of numerous international awards. In 2002 the company decided to enter the holiday residences market and invited me to develop its promotional campaign and coordinate its implementation. The campaign included new corporate identity, an international advertising campaign, brochures for each estate project, fam trips, and outdoor advertising.
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1.5 RETAILING & CONTRACT BUSINESS
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Feb. - Apr. 2007
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Existing D.I.Y. company, Project-based Marketing Consulting.
A business plan / market feasibility study, commissioned by an existing company to both Loukaras & Associates and Market Plan, to evaluate a relocation & expansion scenario in the D.I.Y. market. The study consisted of market analysis, preliminary marketing plan, organisation & human resources, site selection and environment, projected performance & financial feasibility.
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Aug. 2003 -
Apr. 2007
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Salachouris S.A., Project-based Marketing Consulting.
A custom-made contract furniture manufacturer serving mainly the hospitality industry. The company, capitalising on my experience with Gautier (please see below), invited me to conduct a B2B survey among hoteliers in the Dodecanese to measure among others awareness, attitudes, and propensity for renovation. Based on the findings, a 2-year marketing plan was developed that included a detailed promotional plan for its repositioning in the Greek market. I was also commissioned implementation monitoring for both plans.
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Mar. - Dec. 2004
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Palladion Delicatessen, Project-based Marketing Consulting..
This is a rebranding and repositioning project of an existing (since 1945) grocery store into a contemporary delicatessen with a traditional character. I was responsible for developing and implementing the promotional plan which included development of new corporate identity, public relations, advertising campaign, as well as direct mailing.
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Jan. 2001 -
Jun. 2003
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Gautier Greece S.A., Marketing Consultant.
The company invited me to support its marketing function as an external marketing consultant when it acquired the master franchise contract for Greece & Cyprus from Gautier France. I contributed to the company’s rebranding to “Gautier”, to the development of three more retail exhibitions in Athens and of a franchising network of 10 retail exhibitions all over Greece and Cyprus. Moreover, I contributed to its entrance into the Greek B2B hotel furniture market as “Gautier Contract Business”. My duties also included staffing the marketing & sales department, planning and coordination of all promotional activities, and sales training.
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1.6 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
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Feb. 2006 -
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Rhodes College S.A. Marketing Consultant, Member of the Board of Directors.
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Sept. 2009
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The largest private school in the Dodecanese, with 630 students (from Kindergarten to Lyceum). I was exclusively responsible for the development and the implementation of the promotional planning that among other included advertising, publicity, public relations, joint promotions, development of sales tools, and internal communications. My duties also included conducting the annual parents’ survey, the annual teachers’ evaluation survey and focus groups among parents. I contributed to the development of new products such as the Summer School, the Parents’ School and the Careers’ Fair, and participated in the Educational Policy Committee. Between February 2008 and September 2009, I served as member of the company’s Board of Directors after being elected from the shareholders’ general assembly.
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Jan. 1993 –
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I.S. Ioannidis S.A. Ioannidis Foreign Language Centre, Freelance Marketing Consultant.
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Jun. 1998
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At that time the company. was the largest school of foreign languages in the Dodecanese. My assignments included market evaluation studies for the company’s geographical expansion, promotional planning and implementation, and parent’s product evaluation surveys that provided guidelines on product re-formulation, promotion and pricing.
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2. MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECTS (Selection)
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Apr. 2000 -
Sept 2009
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Various 4 & 5 star hotels – Guest Satisfaction Surveys.
Monthly guest satisfaction surveys using the Guest Evaluation & Satisfaction Tracking (Gu.E.S.T™) methodology, that I developed for Market Plan, for the following hotels:
Apr 2000 - Sep 2009: Rodos Palladium Hotel (5 star / 377 rooms).
Apr 2002 - Sep 2009: Sun Beach Resort (4 star / 308 rooms).
Apr 2009 - Sep 2009: Elysium Resort & Spa (5 star / 330 rooms).
Apr 2000 - Oct 2007: Blue Bay Group of Hotels, (Four 4 star hotels / 700 rooms).
Apr 2004 - Oct 2007: The Ixian Grand (5 star / 280 rooms).
Apr 2004 - Oct 2004: Rodos Park Suites Hotel (5 star / 59 rooms).
Apr 2000 - Oct 2003: Hatzilazarou Group of Hotels (Two 4 star / hotels 475 rooms).
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May - Oct. 2008
May - Oct. 2006
May - Oct. 2004
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Chamber of Commerce & Industry of the Dodecanese / Association for the Development & Progress of the Dodecanese (ADEPDO) - Rhodes, Kos & Karpathos Tourism Surveys 2008.
Tourism surveys (n=4500+) conducted over a period of 6 months (May-October) at the exit points of 3 Greek islands: Rhodes, Kos and Karpathos. I had the responsibility for the coordination of the questionnaire design, the sampling, the training of the interviewers, the statistical analysis, reporting and presentation. The studies’ objectives were to provide information about holiday buying behaviour, the role of internet, the characteristics of stay, the demographic profile, the satisfaction levels from the accommodation, and the destination, and measurement of holiday spending per capita. Findings were key decision making inputs for local tourism authorities and received large publicity over the media.
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Mar. 2007
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Amathus Hotels, Rodian Amathus Hotel – New product concept evaluation.
A group of luxurious hotels, based in Cyprus, was planning to expand a 5 star property with a new €15m annex of 33 ultra luxurious suites. The Board commissioned this study to measure acceptance of the new product concept among European Tour Operators, but also to gather ideas about product elements.
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Jul. 2005 -
Jul. 2006
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“Rodiaki” newspaper – Elections & Opinion Polls.
A cooperation with the largest newspaper of the Dodecanese for conducting a series of polls and surveys including an election poll and a residents’ survey to measure level of satisfaction from a range of municipal services, importance of existing and needs for future services, evaluation of the work done by the Mayor and the municipal cabinet, but also readership of local newspapers.
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Sep. 2003
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Salachouris S.A. – Awareness and intention for hotels renovation
Questionnaire survey among hotel CEOs and General Managers to measure the hotels’ intention for renovations, the expected size of renovation works, the awareness rate of the company and its competitors, as well as their purchase behaviour in terms of furniture buying and their needs for contract business services.
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Jun. 2003
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Municipality of Kallithea – Residents’ attitudes and satisfaction levels.
Questionnaire survey among the residents to measure their satisfaction from a wide range of municipal services, as well as the degree of importance from existing and future services.
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Jun. 2002
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Rhodes Handicraft Centre – Attitude & buying behaviour survey.
Questionnaire survey among tourists on the island of Rhodes to measure tourists’ attitudes towards local hand made products and their buying behaviour.
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Apr. 2002
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Dodecanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry – Members’ attitudes & satisfaction survey.
Questionnaire survey among business owners – members of the Chamber to measure satisfaction levels from the Chamber’s services, and assess needs for new services.
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Aug. 2000
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Market Plan – Media habits survey.
Media survey among residents of the island of Rhodes to measure and describe media habits for local newspapers, radio and television channels.
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Jun. 1999
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Rhodes Playboy Casino – Brand awareness, propensity to gamble.
Questionnaire survey among tourists on the island of Rhodes to measure tourists’ propensity to gamble and the casino’s brand awareness.
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3. CONTRIBUTION TO E.U. & NATIONAL FUNDED PROJECTS
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Mar. - Dec. 2008
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“Mediterranean Standard for Sustainable Tourism – ME.S.S.T”, Publicity Consultant.
Planning promotional actions for the project, part of the INTERREG IIIB, Archimed, Integrated & Sustainable Management of Cultural, Natural Resources, Landscapes & Risk Management, Sustainable Development of Tourism. Among the partners were the Ministry of Tourism Development, the Cyprus Tourism Organization, and the Chamber of the Dodecanese. The project’s objective was the development of a standard on sustainable tourism for the certification of tourism enterprises and tourism destinations.
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Jul. - Nov. 2005
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Consultant to the Dodecanese and Cyclades Prefectures during the preparative phase of the cooperation plan under Leader+ 2000-2006. The project aimed to the identification of the common tourism among all Greek islands, and their classification into five clusters (cuisine, architecture, culture, local products, sea & overland routes) to further enable formulation & promotion of tourism products & experiences.
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Jun. -Dec. 2005
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“Web-based Hotel Loyalty Management System”, Project Manager.
Concept, proposal formulation and management on behalf of The Ixian Grand hotel. The proposal was submitted under ERDF 2000-2006, ISTOS: Innovation for Sustainable Tourism & Services in the South Aegean, Innovative Pilot Applications in Tourism and received a grant of €30,000 covering 50% of the project’s budget. In implementing the project I was responsible for concept development and analysis. During the “spin-off” phase, the application was further developed into a Software-As-A-Service online loyalty management application for independent hotels.
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Jun. - Dec. 2005
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“Sun Beach 4 kids Experiences Programme”, Technical Consultant.
Concept, proposal formulation, and project manager on behalf of Sun Beach Hotel. The proposal was submitted under the ERDF 2000-2006, ISTOS: Innovation for Sustainable Tourism & Services in the South Aegean, Innovative Pilot Applications in Tourism and received a grant of €30,000 covering 50% of the project’s budget.
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Sep. 2003 -
Feb. 2005
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“Web-based Decision and Sales Support System for Business & Consumers through an open-GIS platform (WD3S)”, Partner.
Concept development and market research. Partners included the National Technical University of Athens, the Local Association of Municipalities of the Dodecanese, Rhodos Telematics and others. Total development cost of €900,000. This research project was funded by 50% under the Action 3.3 “Actions for Research & Technological Development in the Information Society”, Measure “E-Business” of “Information Society Operational Programme” General Secretariat for Research & Technology.
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Nov. 2004
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“ISTOS: Innovation for Sustainable Tourism & Services in the South Aegean”, Consultant.
Invited by the Chamber of Dodecanese to participate in a 3-member team whose exclusive role was to negotiate with the projects’ partners on the allocation of sub-projects and funds between the Prefecture of Dodecanese and the Prefecture of Cyclades. The programme was part of ERDF 2000-2006, with a budget of €2,985,000 and its strategic objective was to build the necessary environment for sustainable development through regional innovation in the South Aegean Region.
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Mar. 2004
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“Mapping, Digitisation and Presentation of Alternative Tourism Products in the Municipality of South Rhodes”, Consultant.
Invited by the Municipality of South Rhodes to participate in a team of experts who formulated the project proposal, submitted under the Measure 2.4: Regional geographic information systems and innovative actions of Action: Citizens & Quality of Life, of “Information Society Operational Programme”. The project received a grant of €80,000 covering 100% of its budget.
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Mar. 2004
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“Development of a Mapping System and Promotion of the Natural Resources of Tourism Interest entitled: Dodecanesian Nature”, Consultant.
Invited by the Local Association of Municipalities of the Dodecanese to participate in a team of experts who formulated the project proposal, submitted under the Measure 2.4: Regional geographic information systems and innovative actions of Action: Citizens & Quality of Life, of “Information Society Operational Programme”. The project received a grant of €81,000 covering 100% of its budget.
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