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News for the Hospitality Executive




EliteMeetings.com Relaunches with Bold New Look, Fresh Content,
and Record Number of Meeting Planner Reviews


For a Growing Community of Meeting Professionals, the Redesigned Site Will Make Working
with Top-Rated Hotels Easier and More Efficient Than Ever
 
 
Santa Barbara, CA, March 21, 2012 – Elite Meetings International (EMI) announced the relaunch of EliteMeetings.com, the meeting planner’s trusted site for sourcing independently certified high-end and luxury hotels. While EliteMeetings.com has introduced many innovations over the years, the relaunch elevates EliteMeetings.com to new heights in both form and function.
 
The site’s many enhancements include everything from fresh design and highly refined search tools to more prominent reviews by industry professionals with first-hand experiences to relate.
 
“We’re very proud and excited to unveil our latest creation,” said Kelly Foy, CEO of EMI. “As in everything we do,” he continued, “we sought the wisdom of the planning community before undertaking this project. They provided insightful feedback that we then developed into real-world solutions to make their jobs easier and their online experience more enjoyable. But we won’t stop now. We intend to foster an ever-growing community where educational opportunities, knowledge sharing and relationships can flourish.”
 
Additional new and improved features to EliteMeetings.com include:
  • An intuitive dashboard where planners can easily manage RFPs and share lists with colleagues or attendees
  • An inviting environment to develop ideas, ask questions and chat with peers
  • Fresh, relevant content found nowhere else
  • Special group rates and offers exclusive to community members
  • Informative tutorials to acquaint planners with new features 
Benefits for Planners and Providers
Elite Meetings’ online RFP system, SpeedRFP, syncs seamlessly to the site, allowing meeting professionals to request proposals from multiple properties at once—and then store, retrieve and monitor the responses in one convenient location.
 
Because of the robust search functionality, meeting professionals are able to streamline their RFPs, submitting only to those hotels that best fit their needs. The benefit of that innovation, says Foy, is a reduction in unwanted or unnecessary communication with venues that simply won’t work for that particular event.
 
Hospitality providers frequently comment on the high quality of RFPs received from EliteMeetings.com, which average just 5.9 hotels per proposal—far below the industry average of nearly 15 hotels per proposal. For planners, the efficiency of the RFP process often results in better response time from hotels.
 
The more than 2,000 select hotels and resorts on EliteMeetings.com represent hotels certified as either Platinum- or Gold-level by the Elite Meetings Advisory Board (EMAB), a group of 23 industry planners and hospitality professionals. The certification cannot be purchased. Use of EliteMeetings.com is free to planners. For more information, visit www.EliteMeetings.com, or call 805-730-1000.

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
[email protected]
(212) 808-6559

 

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Also See: 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 / February 2012

'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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