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History
Electronic Global Alternative Distribution Solutions, LLC.
HISTORY
e-GADS! is owned and operated by me, Rhonda Shapiro. I officially started the company in January 1999. For the past twenty six years, I have dedicated myself to a career in the travel and hospitality industry.
My knowledge and experience encompass sales and marketing, operations, technical and education. I hold degrees in Fine Arts and Communications (BFA) from the University of Memphis (in Advertising and Public Relations) and an MBA in e-Business from the University of Phoenix.
While in college, I never contemplated a career in travel. Little did I know that I would fall wholeheartedly in love with the pace, complexity, and people in this industry.
In December of 1978, our country was in the midst of a recession. Advertising firms throughout Memphis suffered major budget cuts. My job suffered one of those cuts. I remember my husband asking me if I could do anything in the world, what would I want to do? I thought for a while and answered, "I would love to travel." (Little did I know what that entailed. I was so naive. Yet I was determined to break into this industry.) I picked up the yellow pages and called every travel agency in the book looking for work. During this time, I worked at Holiday Inn's Central Reservation Office as a reservation agent. I continued making call backs week after week to see if a travel agency would consider me. I got a job at the largest travel agency in Memphis. My boss said he gave me the job because I was so darn persistent.
My first ten years were spent on the travel agency side of the business where I became thoroughly grounded in the leisure, corporate, international, and group travel. I wanted to contribute back to the industry I loved so I trained students to be reservation and travel agents at a travel career school. Then one day I received a call from Holiday Inn asking me to set up their employee leisure travel program.
After several months in the department, Holiday Inn posted a job which would change my career forever. The job required the creation and application of electronic hotel marketing via the global distribution systems (back then they were called airline systems or supplemental reservation systems) for travel agent viewing. I couldn't believe it. What a perfect job for me! I could combine my two strengths -- advertising and travel agency knowledge -- and actually get paid for it. I was thrilled. I was now becoming more well-rounded in our industry and was on the vendor side. I spent the next ten years expanding my knowledge and know-how.
I held positions as Marketing Automation Account Executive for Holiday Inns, Inc. and worked for eight years (prior to August 1998) as the Director of Electronic Reservations, CRS, GDS and Internet Databases, and T.A. Commission Services for Promus Hotels, Inc. (Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns, Hampton Inn and Suites, Homewood Suites, Embassy Vacation Resorts, Hampton Vacation Resorts, Doubletree Hotels, Doubletree Guest Suites, Club Hotels by Doubletree and Red Lion). I am very proud of my accomplishments with Promus. I established and grew the Electronic Reservations area from scratch. During our first year, I learned how to read functional specifications, run operations, manage projects, prepare and be responsible for multiple budgets, and set strategy. We went through a system cut-over from Holiday Inn and received the Chairman's Award for Outstanding Team Performance.
I am proud of my many accomplishments and even more proud to be part of this great and ever changing industry. It is my intention to bring my customers value through my consultation. I hope you will give me the opportunity to work with you.
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