Non-Members

These are ways you can get involved and participate as a non-member of OpenTravel. Most of these ways do not cost you anything.

• Use the Specification to Implement Systems - (free) Download the OpenTravel Specification. Use it to implement a system which passes OpenTravel messages. Everyone who uses the specification increases the relevance and acceptance of that specification.

• Submit Comments on the Specification - (free) The OpenTravel Specification goes through a release cycle twice a year. Comments can be submitted at any time. However, during a portion of each release cycle, the Specification is in draft stage and public comments are reviewed and discussed. Please submit comments on the specification if you need some small enhancement or if there seems to be a problem with it.

• Submit Comments on the Public Discussion/Talk Pages of this Wiki - (free) The public pages on this wiki are still read-only for non-members. However, there is a Discussion tab on each page which leads you to a Talk page which you can edit.

• Participate in the OpenTravel Forum "Implementers Discussion" - (free) OpenTravel has a forum website which is free for anyone to participate in. You can ask questions or discuss issues related to the OpenTravel Specification and how to implement systems using it.

• Attend a New Member/New Participant Webinar - (free) Attend the "Introduction to OpenTravel webinar. This webinar provides an operational overview of OpenTravel for those individuals who are new to OpenTravel and unfamiliar with its processes. Topics covered include: Organizational structure, Workgroups and project teams, Specification release process, Current and upcoming projects, OpenTravel Resources and How to participate. A schedule of calls and invitation information can be found on the OpenTravel web site.

• Attend the Annual Advisory Forum - (registration fee) Every year, OpenTravel holds its annual meeting, the Advisory Forum. This is an invaluable forum to connect with the community of OpenTravel implementers, and is open to non-members.

Members

In addition to the ways that non-members can get involved, OpenTravel members can get involved in other ways described below. For more information, check out the Member FAQ on the OpenTravel web site.

• Attend an Introduction to OpenTravel Schemas Webinar - This webinar provides an introduction to the use of OpenTravel schema and architecture to developers, engineers and architects who would like to become more familiar with OpenTravel's message structure. The content of this webinar is based on the OpenTravel Implementation Guide. This webinar is open to members-only. Topics to be covered include: Schema types, Namespaces, Enumerations and code lists, Message exchange patterns and Attributes/Elements. A schedule of calls and invitation information can be found on the OpenTravel web site.
• Join an Industry Workgroup or Project Team - [ Hospitality | Transport | Travel Integration ] Work groups are organized by vertical (transport, hospitality, travel integration) while project teams are generally organized by function (vehicle exchange, promotional message, etc.) A project team is a part of the most appropriate work group, although any member can participate in any project team, regardless of the vertical(s) their company serves. Schemas are created or modified by project teams, and project team work is reviewed by the work groups. Work groups also review all comments submitted by members and by the public. Calls and meetings are determined by the individual workgroups and project teams.

Unsure of which workgroup(s) you want to join? Click here for a list of OpenTravel workgroups and the OpenTravel messages they support.

• Join the Architecture Workgroup - If you wish that OpenTravel gave more implementation guidance regarding the exchange of messages (i.e. everything outside the actual XML), get involved with the Architecture Workgroup. You can help lead a project to provide this guidance. The Architecture Workgroup has monthly conference calls and occasional face-to-face meetings.
• Ask a Question or Start a Discussion on the OpenTravel Forum - OpenTravel has a forum website with moderated support for OpenTravel Member questions or discussions in the Architecture, Hospitality, Transport, Travel Services and Tours & Activities Forums.