To: HiStakes who wrote (64 ) 8/17/1999 3:10:00 PM From: David Michaud Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 127
Hars Systems to joint venture with Executive Inn Hars Systems Inc HSS Shares issued 15,796,296 Aug 16 close $0.65 Tue 17 Aug 99 News Release Mr. John Pfeffer reports The company has approved a private placement of four million shares to Executive Inn Inc. of Vancouver B.C., a company listed on the Alberta Stock Exchange, and John Pfeffer, chairman and chief executive officer of the company, at 62 cents per share, subject to regulatory approval and completion of documentation. The proceeds will be used to support and finance the development of the joint venture to be entered into with Executive Inn, further enhance and develop software and enhance the company's international voice reservation capabilities. Hars Systems and its wholly owned subsidiary, VIP International Corporation, have also signed a letter of intent to form a joint venture relationship with Executive Inn for the following purposes: to co-operate in the area of hotel brand development; to co-operate in the area of sales, whereby the parties may work together to develop other hotel and car rental brands; to co-operate and share technological solutions, platforms, software and equipment; to co-operate in the development of a more robust voice reservation service; to co-operate in the area of marketing hotel clients; to co-operate in the area of revenue and profit sharing as related to the brand. The joint venture will allow hotel clients to benefit from air-mile loyalty programs, volume purchase programs, national advertising, property specific marketing and other programs. It will also enable hotel clients to obtain greater access to hotel property financing afforded to brands, strengthen the relationship hotel properties have with VIP, and will give the company access to markets previously out of reach because of the lack of a brand name and product. VIP will continue to support and enhance its original services provided to hotel chains and the independent hotel client, while offering a brand solution to those in need of such a product. Kelly Blake, president of VIP, said: "The joint venture with Executive Inn provides VIP with a means of meeting the needs of clients and prospects in search of a brand. It completes our basket of goods and gives our clients and prospects a full range of product choices. This move will strengthen the service and options afforded to all of VIP clientele." Executive Inn has been a growing customer of VIP for over 12 years. The company and Executive Inn have had discussions regarding the private placement and joint venture over the past few months. The transaction furthers the corporate objectives and strategy of the company. Management is confident that this transaction will be of significant benefit to the company. VIP International Corporation is a worldwide leader in the provision of Internet and travel agency airline global distribution and central reservation services to the hospitality and car rental industries. The company represents more than 3,000 individual hotel and car rental locations in 66 countries. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hars Systems. Executive Inn is a hotel branding, marketing and management company engaged in the development of hotel licensing agreements under the Executive Inn Hotels and Suites brand name. The company is rapidly growing with 10 premiere hotels and over 1,200 guest rooms in Western Canada and Washington.