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SpeedRFP 2.0 Allows Hotels to 'Sell Direct' to Buyers, and Consolidate
and Manage all Group Bookings in One Place


Introducing a Single Cloud-based RFP System for Selling to Corporate,
Leisure, and even Wedding Customers


 

Santa Barbara, CA, February 21, 2012 – Until now, hotel sales professionals have sold space and rooms to corporate meeting planners, social event planners, and wedding planners, via multiple sales systems, often on different technology platforms.
 
That changes today, with the launch of SpeedRFP 2.0 – the only technology that allows buyers to book any kind of group business, direct from any hotel website, anywhere in the world, by using a single, easy to manage, “three-in-one” RFP form.
 
For the meeting planner, event planner, or bride and groom, SpeedRFP serves as a sophisticated yet user-friendly eRFP management tool. Buyers now have an intuitive system that allows them to easily store and repurpose RFP information, creating efficiencies never before available. Hotels adopting SpeedRFP are seeing substantial increases in both the quality of RFP data, and quantity of RFPs submitted from direct buyers on their own websites.  More information on SpeedRFP is available at www.SpeedRFP.com.
 
“Imagine the efficiencies and cost-savings to be gained by having a uniform system for booking groups, all groups, directly from a hotel’s website, without any intermediary,” said Kelly Foy, the CEO of Elite Meetings International, which created SpeedRFP. He concluded, “Now, for the first time, a hotel sales professional can manage the process of selling not just to meeting customers, but to wedding and social buyers as well, by using a single cloud-based solution that is easy to use, completely portable, and has already generated a community of more than 14,000 users worldwide.”
 
Widely Adopted – and Affordable
 
Foy added that hotel brands that have already adopted SpeedRFP, include Destination Hotels & Resorts, Dolce Hotels and Resorts, Corinthia Hotels, and Preferred Hotel Group.  He’s confident many more brands will follow suit.
 
Andre Fournier, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, at Destination Hotels & Resorts, said, “Since replacing our previous online RFP form with SpeedRFP, the number and quality of RFPs Destination Hotels & Resorts received has increased exponentially.”
 
Fournier is among the more than 9,000 hotel professionals that have already used SpeedRFP. When combined with more than 14,000 buyer members, SpeedRFP is the fastest growing industry community of meeting and hospitality professionals.

SpeedRFP is also easy to install on any hotel or chain website, and is directly integrated with MeetingBroker and other important operating systems. New functionalities that include multiple languages, lead sharing and a unique tracking capability, are expected to be unveiled shortly.
 
And it’s affordable. Starting at a subscription level of less than $100 per month per hotel for the Enterprise Solution, having SpeedRFP on a hotel website is dramatically less expensive than the alternative – a  hotel re-creating any kind of online RFP functionality on its own. And for the benefit of reaching an online community of more than 14,000 users, leveraging SpeedRFP’s unique functionalities, the minimal monthly subscription cost is a veritable “drop in the bucket.”   
 
Foy concluded, “ While there are many ways for hotels to receive group leads online, there is simply nothing else in the marketplace like SpeedRFP – its versatility, efficiency, cost-effectiveness and ease of use, should make it an indispensable choice for hotel professionals everywhere.”

About SpeedRFP
SpeedRFP is a cutting-edge product for creating, submitting and tracking RFPs online. SpeedRFP recently surpassed the 14,000-user mark, and is rapidly generating RFPs for meetings planners and hotels in the U.S. and internationally. As it gains in adoption, planner input continues to be gathered to shape SpeedRFP into a game-changer for the industry. SpeedRFP is a completely portable and seamless RFP technology Any hotel can download the for a 60 day trial, and it is free to meeting professionals, from whom it is already drawing enthusiastic support. More information is available at www.SpeedRFP.com.

About Elite Meetings International
Based in Santa Barbara, Elite Meetings International (EMI) provides integrated solutions to enhance the performance of meeting and hospitality professionals. EMI supports this community through a combination of innovative technology, direct sales support, customized marketing programs and face-to-face business-building events. Additionally, www.EliteMeetings.com serves as a commission-free RFP-generating tool and a comprehensive vehicle for sourcing luxury, upper-upscale and upscale properties. EMI’s innovations include FaceTime™, a widely used program for helping conference attendees identify synergies, manage appointments and make direct connections with one another; and SpeedRFP™ (www.SpeedRFP.com), a new time-saving product for creating, submitting, and managing RFPs online. For additional information, please visit www.EliteMeetings.com call 805-730-1000.

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Contact: 

Michael Frenkel, MFC PR
For SpeedRFP
[email protected]
(212) 808-6559

 

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Also See: 'Desert Cool' and a World of Opportunity Greet Planners and Hotels at the Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA), at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa; 'All Systems Go' for 2012 - as Elite Brings Buyers and Suppliers Together to Book Business, Share Knowledge and Reflect on Community Responsibility / February 2012

Elite Meetings International (EMI) Appoints John Washko Vice President, Sales & Marketing; Industry Sales and Marketing Veteran Will Lead the Company’s Growth and Sales Teams as EMI Prepares New Product Roll-Outs / January 2012

Elite Meetings International and Preferred Hotel Group™ Launch PHG Meetings; Powered by SpeedRFP, Website is the First Total Online RFP Management System Linking Hotel Sales Managers, Global Sales Offices, Hotels, and Planners / April 2011

Elite Meetings International to Welcome Independent Planners at its First Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA) for the Gold Collection, January 23-25, 2011; EMA at Paradise Point Resort & Spa, San Diego, Will Also Feature One-on-One Business Building Sessions and a Line Up of Compelling Industry Speakers / January 2011

The Spring 2011 Platinum Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA) Hits the Las Vegas Strip – Substance and Sizzle Will Come Together at Elite Meetings’ EMA, May 1-3, 2011, PCMA’s Deborah Sexton to Deliver Keynote Address / January 2011

As the Group Meetings Business Gathers Strength Entering 2011, Elite Meetings International Introduces its First Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA) for the Gold Collection, January 23-25, 2011 - Paradise Point Resort & Spa, San Diego / November 2010

FaceTime Appointment™ Scheduler Connects More Than 5,000 Buyers and Suppliers at Travel Industry Trade Shows in 2010; Elite Meetings’ Technology is Now Being Used by CVBs, Conference Organizers and More, as the Traditional Trade Show Model Gives Way to Pre-Scheduled Appointment Efficiencies / October 2010

Elite Meetings International Hits the Green with Fall EMA at Kingsmill Resort; As Planners and Top Luxury Hotels Come Together to Book Business and Preview Paradigm Shifts that are Reshaping the Meetings Industry, EMI Prepares for the Busiest Season in the Company's History / October 2010

Elite Meetings International (EMI) Announces Expansion in Europe at IMEX - Alda D. Egurrola-Wienke is Appointed Regional Director -- European Platinum and Gold Hotels will be added to www.EliteMeetings.com; A European Board of Advisors (EMAB) is formed to Evaluate and Rate Properties / May 2010

Innovation and Business-Building to Take Center Stage at Elite Meetings International's Spring 2010 EMA - May 16-18 at Terranea Resort; Elite Meeting Alliance (EMA) to Feature One-on-One Business Building, Educational Sessions and Hands-on Introductions to Elite Meetings' Industry Leading Technologies, SpeedRFP™ and FaceTime™ Appointment Scheduler / May 2010

Newmarket International and Elite Meetings International Partner to Enable Direct Online Connectivity between Hospitality Venues and Meeting Planners; SpeedRFP™ to Integrate with MeetingBrokerSM and Directly Connect to Leading Sales and Catering Solutions Offered by Newmarket International / May 2010

SpeedRFP™ Launches - Elite Meetings' Free Online RFP Solution is Generating RFPs and Gaining Rapid Support in the Planner Community - Destination Hotels & Resorts Becomes the First Hotel Brand to Adopt SpeedRFP / April 2010

Elite Meetings Creates Two Tiers for Elite Certified Hotels, Which Will Soon Number More Than 1,400 on www.EliteMeetings.com; Elite Properties Are Now Categorized as Platinum and Gold, to Provide Even More Options and Information to Support Meeting Professionals / March 2010

FaceTime Appointment Scheduler is Now Available to Meeting Professionals, Suppliers, and Conference Organizers Worldwide; After Connecting Record Numbers of 'MeetDifferent' Attendees, Overwhelming Demand Spurs Elite Meetings to Release its FaceTime Scheduling Technology as a Universally Available Solution for Organizing Appointments at Meetings and Conferences / March 2010

Elite Meetings International (EMI) Holds its First Offshore Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA); Meeting Professionals and Hotels Come Together in Honolulu to do Business, Exchange Ideas / February 2010

Elite Meetings International (EMI) Adds Two Sales Directors and Promotes a Third; As EMI Increases its Suite of Products to Support Meeting Professionals and Hotels, it Bolsters its North American Sales Team / February 2010

Elite Meetings International Announces Mark Ley as Director of Marketing; Sales and Marketing Executive to Spearhead Building Communities and Social Networks Around EMI's Suite of Products, Services and Events / January 2010

Elite Meetings International Names Carol M. Lynch Director of Planner Communications; Seasoned Sales and Planner Relations Executive will Expand Program of Meeting Planner Outreach, as EMI Brings SpeedRFP, Other Innovations into 2010 / January 2010

Elite Meetings International to Present SpeedRFP™ at The  Travel Innovation Summit@The PhoCusWright Conference – Available in Q1 2010, SpeedRFP offers a Solution to the Inefficiencies and  Costs of Submitting Request For Proposals Online / November 2009
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