The session was led by Lynn Zwibak, President and Founder of Zwibak Revenue Management, and addressed the following key topics:

1. Revenue Management: The Black Box Unveiled
Revenue management often feels like a mystery to those outside the department. However, at its core, it’s about maximizing profitability through strategic pricing, forecasting, and decision-making. Attendees learned how breaking down communication barriers between departments can improve operational efficiency and better align teams towards common goals.

2. Forecasting: The Illusion of Accuracy
One key takeaway from the webinar was that forecasting is not an exact science. While historical data and market trends play a major role, the unpredictable nature of business means forecasts are estimations rather than certainties. Understanding this allows teams to manage expectations and work more effectively together, even when facing uncertainties like weather disruptions or last-minute cancellations.

3. Strategic Overselling: A Calculated Risk
Strategic overselling is an essential tool in revenue management, used to maximize occupancy. However, it requires a balance and relies on data-driven insights such as historical booking patterns and cancellation trends. The goal is to optimize revenue without creating guest dissatisfaction—a concept that, when executed properly, can result in significant financial gain.

4. Sales & Marketing Alignment: The Right Offer at the Right Time
Aligning sales, marketing, and revenue strategies was a major theme of the session. Disconnected efforts between these teams can harm profitability, especially when marketing campaigns are not synchronized with pricing strategies. Revenue managers and sales/marketing teams need to collaborate to ensure campaigns are executed at the right time, with the right offers, to achieve maximum revenue potential.

5. The Reality of Strategy & Decision-Making
Revenue management isn’t about magic—it’s about strategic decision-making that balances risk with reward. Success in this field requires a collaborative effort across all departments, where each team understands the challenges faced by others. Effective communication and transparency are key to making informed, data-driven decisions that yield results.

The webinar highlighted the importance of cross-team collaboration in revenue management. It emphasized the value of strategic overselling, the need for sales and marketing alignment, and the fact that forecasting is an educated estimate, not an exact science. By applying these principles, teams can increase their chances of boosting revenue and improving profitability.

For those looking to further their understanding of revenue management, the session also highlighted the upcoming course Revenue Management 101 for Non-Revenue Managers, a live virtual course offered in Fall 2025. The course will introduce key revenue management concepts and is open for pre-registration starting March 17.

For more information on the course and other resources, please visit:
www.zwibak.com/rm101

Contact Information:
Lynn Zwibak
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.zwibak.com
LinkedIn: Lynn Zwibak