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SANTA BARBARA, CA, December 1, 2009 – Elite Meetings International announced that it is expanding its Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA) offerings in 2010, adding a third EMA to the annual Spring and Fall events, which have become known as “must attend” gatherings for top meeting professionals and Elite Certified hotels in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico. The scheduled 2010 Elite Meetings Alliances are:
“We are delighted to announce our Elite Meetings Alliances for 2010,” said Kelly Foy, EMI’s Chief Executive Officer. He added, “As we conclude a year of tremendous achievement for Elite Meetings, including the introduction of innovative new industrywide technologies and the two most successful EMAs on record, we look forward to welcoming the top hotels and planners in the industry to our 2010 Elite Meetings Alliance events.” The Elite Meetings Alliance, a semiannual event held by Elite Meetings International (EMI), is recognized for its one-on-one business meetings, educational seminars, high-quality speakers and entertainers, and networking events that foster new relationships and build business. About the 2010 Elite Meetings Alliances Offshore EMA, Honolulu, HI – The first Offshore EMA will be hosted by The Royal Hawaiian, which recently completed an $85 million renovation and is recognized as one of the most venerable and desirable resorts on the Hawaiian Islands. This inaugural offshore event was designed specifically to bring qualified business to Hawaii, the Caribbean and Mexico, areas hardest hit by the economic downturn. Attendance is limited to 25 planners and 15 hotels and will take place January 24-26, 2010. For more information, visit www.elitemeetingsalliance.com/2010_offshore. Spring EMA, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA – The Spring EMA will be hosted by the all-new Terranea Resort, which opened in June 2009. The event will take place May 16-18, 2010. Among other offerings, featured will be the renowned Planner Forum, an invitation-only opportunity for senior meeting professionals to discuss emerging trends, share best practices and develop new relationships with colleagues. Anticipated attendance includes 80 planners and 70 hotels – and is filling up fast. For more information, visit www.elitemeetingsalliance.com/2010_spring. Fall EMA – In keeping with its practice of designing events that best serve the planning community, Elite Meetings is considering two world-class hotels for its Fall 2010 EMA and encouraging planners to vote online for their desired location. The finalists are: The Kingsmill Resort & Spa, Williamsburg, VA, a classic resort with an 18th-century feel; and the brand new Loews Atlanta Hotel, an urban oasis that is expected to open in Spring 2010. Meeting professionals can cast their votes by visiting www.elitemeetings.com/poll/4. Wrapping up an Exciting 2009 . . . and Looking Ahead 2009 was EMI’s most exciting year to date, and 2010 promises to be even better. In addition to two highly successful EMAs, in 2009 Elite Meetings doubled the size of its Advisory Board; quadrupled its unique visitors per month to nearly 20,000 at www.EliteMeetings.com; cemented a technology partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT). It also announced two innovative new technologies: FaceTime™, EMI’s proprietary appointment scheduling system, and SpeedRFP™, the only online Request For Proposal (RFP) tool that is completely portable, enabling planners to take meeting, event, and incentive RFPs anywhere on the web, and submit an RFP on any SpeedRFP-enabled site, with as few as 3 clicks. Both of these innovative technologies will be demonstrated, and actively used to help planners and hotels do business, at all three of the 2010 EMAs. Additional announcements are expected in coming weeks. About Elite Meetings International
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