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VFM Leonardo Launches Next Generation Mobile Website Solution for Hotels

Announcing VFM Leonardo's Next Generation VPowered Mobile Hotel Website
A Complete Multi-Media Driven Mobile Optimized Hotel Website included
with the VBrochure Ultra Premium Online Merchandising System



Toronto, ON – March 20, 2012
- Hotel marketers are well aware of how important a strong web presence is in the travel market. Many have great websites that tell their hotel’s story, let visitors view photos and multi-media, and book their dream stay. But today, 31% of leisure travelers and 56% of business travelers access the internet for travel information on mobile devices,[1] so a strong web presence means more than just a website. It means a mobile-optimized hotel website.
 
When it comes to travel, more travelers are using browsers on their smartphones rather than apps. Almost twice as many travelers reported using a mobile website rather than apps when researching a holiday.[2] Furthermore, most research begins with a search engine, and search engines, even on smartphones, return results in the form of web links rather than apps. It’s clear that consumers prefer mobile websites when it comes to travel.
 
With this in mind, VFM Leonardo’s VLabs product innovation team has officially launched a new and enhanced version of its VPowered Mobile Hotel Website. Included with VFM Leonardo’s VBrochure Ultra Premium merchandising system, the VPowered Mobile Hotel Website makes it easy for hotels to meet Smartphone users’ needs at every stage of travel with a seamless multi-media driven mobile hotel website.
  • Give smartphone users all the information they need to find and contact the hotel.
  • Ensure website visitors always have a seamless experience on smartphones.
  • Showcase media – images, virtual tours, video – and let mobile consumers easily explore hotels on their smartphones.
  • Enable bookings through smartphones by linking directly to a mobile booking engine.
  • Promote special offers and motivate consumers to book.
  • Manage using web-based media manager to make real-time updates.
For consumers browsing on a smartphone isn’t the same as browsing on a computer – screen sizes are smaller, devices browsers and platforms differ and input methods vary. That’s why the VPowered Mobile Hotel Website was created with advanced detection and display technology that ensures the user always gets the optimal experience for the device they’re using.

Experience the VPowered Mobile Hotel Website by visiting www.lancasterhouse.com.co from a Smartphone.

Providing hotels with technology to better merchandise their hotels online is our focus. Mobile is definitely a growing market space and hotels that invest in a multi-media driven mobile website now will lead the pack. Our VPowered Mobile Hotel Website makes it easy for hotels to meet traveler demands on mobile devices before, during and after their stay," said Paolo Boni, President and CEO, VFM Leonardo.
 
Hotels and hotel brands looking to add the new VPowered Mobile Hotel Website can learn more here or contact VFM Leonardo. VBrochure Ultra Premium customers can contact their Customer Success Representative. 

About the VLabs Innovation Program
Accelerating innovation in hotel e-business. The proliferation and velocity of new technologies, channels, devices and demands from consumers make online hotel marketing more complex by the day. That’s why innovation and implementation of new products and enhancements is so important to us. Few things in business are more exciting than fresh ideas from teams of people with the vision, expertise and determination to dream them up and get them out to the market. We’ve launched a program to help make this possible. It’s called VLabs.

VLabs is an ideation center and test market for new products and services that accelerate hotel e-business success. It’s comprised of young, sharp people from our business, technology and operations management functions who meet regularly to discuss and collaborate on features and ideas that will move VFM Leonardo’s product lines into the forefront of online visual merchandising, rich media display and syndication, sales conversion technologies and lead generation for hotel brands and properties.

About VFM Leonardo
VFM Leonardo is a technology and online media company for the global hospitality industry. We provide e-marketers at hotel brands, management companies and hotel properties with technology, sales conversion tools and a global travel media network that enables them to better visually merchandise their hotels to millions of in-market travel shoppers monthly. Our core products, the VScape® Digital Asset Management System and VBrochure™ Online Merchandising System, leverage the VNetwork™ - the largest media syndication network in the industry. It includes all major search engines, Global Distribution Systems, online travel agencies, travel research and supplier websites, search portals, review, travel editorial, local directories and major social media and video sharing sites. Taking advantage of VBrochure’s mobile and social media platforms, hotels can ensure that their rich visual presentations reach consumers on their mobile devices and through their social graphs. For more information about VFM Leonardo, visit http://www.vfmleonardo.com/.

 
Connect with VFM Leonardo.
@VFMLeonardo
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_________________

[1] Google/OTX, Travelers Road to Decision, 2011
[2] Tealeaf ebooker: Understanding how Travel Customers use the Web

Contact:

VFM Leonardo Media Contact:
Julie Ford
Toll free: 1-877-593-6634
Phone: 416-263-5446
Email: [email protected]


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VFM Recent Press Releases

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Complimentary Webinar March 21: Learn How to Tell Your Hotel Story on Social Media Channels; Take 45 Minutes Next Wednesday to Join VFM Leonardo and Two Storytelling and Marketing Experts to Learn How to Tell Your Hotel Story on Social Media Channels. / March 2012
VFM Leonardo Helps Hotels Target Business Travelers; VFM Leonardo Expands its Network of Meeting Planner and Corporate Self-Booking Tools and Sites to Enable Hotels to Better Merchandise their Properties to the Corporate Travel Segment. / February 2012
VFM Leonardo and Webjet Partner to Give Online Hotel Shoppers a Richer Experience; Australia's Largest Online Travel Agency Enhances Hotel Shopping Experience with Images and Rich Media. / December 2011
VFM Leonardo Announces Launch of VBrochure Facebook Apps Suite; Suite of Facebook Applications Enables Hotels to Display Visual Media, Promote Special Offers and Convert Bookings on Facebook Pages. / December 2011
Webinar: Social Media and Storytelling for Hotels, November 30th at 11:00 am; Take 45 Minutes to Join VFM Leonardo, a Hotel General Manager Turned Mystery Author and a Experienced Hotel Marketer to Learn How to Tell Your Hotel Story on Social Media Channels. / November 2011
VIDEO: Marketing Strategies that Help Hotels Avoid Discounting / October 2011
CSM Lodging Wins 'Like to Win' Facebook Contest from VFM Leonardo; Like to Win Facebook Contest Winner Receives Unlimited Subscription to VBrochure Ultra Premium Valued at Over $6,000. / October 2011
Webinar: Social Media and Storytelling for Hotel Marketers, October 13th, 11:00 am; Take 45 Minutes this Thursday to Join VFM Leonardo and a Hotel General Manager Turned Mystery Author to Learn How to Tell Your Hotel Story on Social Media Channels. / October 2011
Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Wins Like to Win Facebook contest from VFM Leonardo; Like to Win Facebook Contest Winner Receives VPowered Multi-Media Player Makeover Using Online Merchandising Best Practices / September 2011
VFM Leonardo's VNetwork Experiences Significant Growth in Travel Consumer Reach and Engagement; The Travel Industry's Largest Online Media Syndication Network Saw an Increase of 134% in Views of Media Displayed in VPowered Multi-Media Player since February of this Year. / August 2011
VFM Leonardo Launches "Like" to Win Facebook Contest for Hotels; Hotels Invited to Enter Facebook Contest for Chances to Win New Facebook App and Online Merchandising Best Practices Services from VFM Leonardo. / July 2011
Red Roof® Selects VFM Leonardo to Strengthen their Online Visual Presence / June 2011
Wyndham Hotel Group Taps VFM to Enhance Online Photo Distribution / June 2011
VFM Leonardo Launches Mobile Media Player for VBrochure; The Latest Innovation from VFM Leonardo’s VLabs is the VPowered Multi-Media Player for Mobile Devices Used on Hotel Websites and Major Travel Channels. / June 2011
VFM Leonardo Announces New Facebook App for VBrochure; Facebook Application that Adds VPowered Multi-Media Player to Hotel Facebook Pages is the Latest Innovation from VFM Leonardo’s VLabs Team. / June 2011
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Modesto Meets Online Travel Shopper Demands for Video; There is Nothing "Muy Modesto" about this VFM Leonardo Merchandising Hero's Online E-Business Success. / May 2011
Merchandising Health Index: VFM Leonardo's Online Tool Lets Hotels Compare their Online Marketing to their Competitors' / May 2011
Merchandising Hero: The BROADMOOR Increases Bookings 25% through Visual Merchandising / April 2011
Trust International Partners with VFM Leonardo to Simplify Image Management; Integration of VFM Leonardo’s VScape System with Trust International’s yourVoyager CRS Simplifies Hotel Image Management for Chains / April 2011
Marriott Properties using VFM Leonardo’s VBrochure System to Make the Most of their Rich Media Investments / March 2011
What Every Hotel Marketer Should Know About Video; Webinar for Hotel Chain Marketers  / March 2011
VFM Leonardo Releases Consumer Data That Reveals Most Popular Web Sites for Viewing Hotel Visuals; 5 Reasons Why Travel Shoppers Want to See Hotel Visuals / February 2011
Hilton Properties using VFM Leonardo’s VBrochure Online Merchandising System increased 160% in 2010 / February 2011
Online Video Increases Booking Conversions for Hotels; Hotels Using Video and VFM Leonardo’s VBrochure™ Online Merchandising System Increase Bookings / January 2011
IHG Hotels using VFM Leonardo’s VBrochure Online Merchandising System increased 200% in 2010 / January 2011
VFM Leonardo Launches Online Merchandising Best Practices Group / January 2011
Successful Hoteliers Are Producing, Displaying and Syndicating Video Online – Learn How to Do the Same for Your Property in this Complimentary Webinar / September 2010
VFM Leonardo and Frommer's Travel Guides Make the Hotel Research Process Richer; Leading Travel Publisher adds Hotel Visual Content Powered by VFM Leonardo to Hotel Pages / August 2010
Global Survey Reveals Most Effective Online Conversion Tactics for 2010 / August 2010
How to Increase Booking Ratios; Video Interview with Pegasus’ COO Ric Leutwyler on What Hoteliers can do to Increase Booking Ratios. / July 2010
Sol Meliá Selects VFM Leonardo to Strengthen Visual Presentation of Hotels Online / July 2010
Driving Demand in a Recovering Market: Video Interview with Richard Wiegmann on the State of the Travel Industry and What Hoteliers can do to Prepare for the Upturn. / July 2010
Marriott International Selects VFM Leonardo to Enhance the Visual Presentation of Marriott Properties Online / July 2010
How to Tell Compelling Stories that Attract and Convert Travel Shoppers; Video Interview with Daniel Edward Craig on How to Craft Stories that Make a Hotel Stand Out Online. / July 2010
Brand Awareness in Visual Times; Video Interview with Trust International’s Managing Director, Richard Wiegmann, on How to Attract and Win Customers in the Hypercompetitive Shopping Environment. / June 2010
Using Video to Engage and Interact with Online Travel Shoppers - Complimentary Webinar; Three Industry Experts will reveal the Steps to Using Online Video to Increase Sales Conversions / June 2010
VIDEO: How Not to be Invisible Online / April 2010
VIDEO: Overcoming eBusiness Challenges / March 2010
VIDEO: 7 Steps to Successful Travel eBusiness – A Holistic Approach / March 2010
Webinar: Selling Hotel Rooms to the Video Generation, March 23rd, 2:00pm Eastern/11:00am Pacific; Register for this Complimentary Webinar to Learn What Every Hotelier Needs to Know about using Online Video to Appeal to Different Generations of Travel Shoppers. / March 2010
VIDEO: Page Position: How to Optimize Conversions Online Using OTAs / March 2010
VIDEO: The Role of OTAs in the Travel Planning Process / March 2010
VFM Leonardo Powers Visuals of Hotel Wedding Venues on OneWed; VFM Leonardo Enhances Wedding Venue Research and Selection Process for Engaged Couples on OneWed with Hotel Visual Content. / February 2010
VIDEO: What Travel Shoppers Want / February 2010
VIDEO: Untapped Online Opportunities / February 2010
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Best Western International Selects VFM Leonardo to Manage and Distribute Hotel Visuals; VScape® Digital Asset Management System is Selected by Best Western to Efficiently Manage and Distribute Hotel Photos Online. VFM Leonardo also Named the Preferred Distributor of Rich Media for Best Western Properties / February 2010
VIDEO: Increasing the Relevance of Your Hotel’s Content Using Personas / February 2010
Luxe Worldwide Hotels Distributes Visual Content Exclusively through VFM Leonardo; Luxe Worldwide Hotels Selects VFM Leonardo’s VScape® and VBrochure™ Products Exclusively to Distribute Visual Content and Visually Merchandise Hotels Online. / January 2010
Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ Adopts VFM Leonardo’s VScape® Digital Asset Management System; VFM Leonardo’s Platform Chosen by SLH to Manage and Distribute Photos for Over 500 Hotels; Also Named Exclusive Provider of Rich Media Distribution Services for SLH Hotels / January 2010
Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Merchandises Hotels Online with VFM Leonardo’s VBrochure Online Merchandising System; Upscale hotel management company uses VBrochure to better merchandise its hotels online with visual content across the largest network of travel intermediaries and websites / January 2010
VIDEO: To Merchandise or Not / January 2010
VIDEO: The Billboard Effect: Why hoteliers need to think of OTAs as marketing vehicles versus reservation engines / January 2010
VFM Leonardo Selected to Distribute Videos for Accor North America’s Motel 6 Properties; North American operator of more than 1,000 hotels selects VFM Leonardo for distribution of videos for 142 Motel 6 properties / December 2009
VIDEO: Search Goes Visual / December 2009
VFM Leonardo Selected to Distribute Virtual Tours for Aston Hotels & Resorts; Leading Hawaiian Hotel and Resort Company to use VFM Leonardo’s VBrochure Online Merchandising System to distribute virtual tours for 25 hotels and resorts throughout Hawaii and its two new mainland properties / December 2009
VIDEO: OTAs and TPIs – The Gateways to Purchase Consideration / December 2009
VIDEO: Marketing Your Hotel to Gen X and Y / November 2009
VFM Leonardo Announces Toby Kubis Joins Executive Team; Travel Industry Veteran Toby Kubis Joins VFM Leonardo as Vice President Corporate Hotel Sales / November 2009
New on VTV Channel: The Role of Online Information in Travel Shopping / November 2009
New on VTV Channel: The Integration of Revenue Management and Marketing / November 2009
Webinar: Outlooks for Successful Online Merchandising in 2010, November 12th, 2009, 2:00pm Eastern; Complimentary webinar on what smart hoteliers are doing to extract more value out of their hotel’s presence online in the year ahead with speakers Henry Harteveldt from Forrester Research and Edward Perry from WORLDHOTELS / November 2009
New on VTV Channel: The World Tweets, Should I? / October 2009
Fareportal, Inc. Joins VFM Leonardo’s VNetwork™; FAREPORTAL powered travel sites to source all rich media content and still images exclusively through VFM Leonardo / October 2009
New on VTV Channel: eBusiness for Hoteliers – Panacea or Pain? – The Role of Visual Content in Travel Shopping / October 2009
New on VTV Channel: Generational Marketing - Matures and Baby Boomers / October 2009
Amadeus Extends Relationship with VFM Leonardo; Amadeus to source and manage all hotel visual content using VFM Leonardo’s VScape® Digital Asset Management System / October 2009
New on VTV Channel: How to Leverage Content Online / October 2009
VFM Leonardo’s VScape® Digital Asset Management System Selected by SynXis to Manage and Distribute Hotel Visual Content for Over 10,000 Hotels; SynXis will integrate VScape within its RedX Distribution Management System for easy digital asset management and distribution / October 2009
New on VTV Channel: eBusiness for Hoteliers - How to Motivate the Content Sensitive Traveler / September 2009
VFM Leonardo Selected by White Lodging to Better Merchandise Hotels Online / September 2009
Travelport GDS and VFM Leonardo Extend their Relationship to Include Worldspan; New exclusive agreement will enable Worldspan users to access the same visual hotel content as Galileo users / September 2009
Understanding Online Travel Shoppers: How Smart Hoteliers are Engaging Today’s Travelers and Driving More Bookings / September 2009
New VTV Episode: The New Luxury – Merchandise, Don’t Sell / September 2009
Content: The Key to Hotel Bookings - Complimentary Webinar September 10th; Learn about the Five Pillars of Effective Travel eBusiness and how hotel content plays a significant role in driving bookings. / September 2009
New VTV Episode: VIDEO - Visual Content Decisions - What? How Much? Why? / September 2009
Content: The Key to Hotel Bookings? / John McAuliffe - VFM Leonardo / September 2009
New VTV Episode: How to Know Where the Fish Are / August 2009
Preferred Hotel Group Selects VFM Leonardo as Exclusive Provider of Visual Content Distribution Services; Member properties of Preferred Hotel Group’s brands to use VFM Leonardo’s VScape® and VBrochure™ products exclusively to 30,000+ electronic channels and travel websites in VNetwork™ / August 2009
StarCite Partners With VFM Leonardo to Enhance Online Meetings Marketplace With Rich Hotel Visual Content; VFM Leonardo to be Exclusive Provider of Rich Content Showcasing Hotel Properties to Corporate Buyers Within StarCite’s Online Marketplace / August 2009
VFM Leonardo Chosen as Exclusive Provider of Hotel Visual Content for Concur’s Corporate Travel Booking Solutions; Largest distributor of visual content for hotels worldwide expands relationship with Concur making their photos, virtual tours and video available to thousands of corporate customers / August 2009
New VTV Episode: Online vs. Offline Marketing / August 2009
WORLDHOTELS Selects VFM Leonardo as Exclusive Solution / August 2009
VFM Leonardo to Power Visual Content Management and Distribution for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts; Rosewood Hotels & Resorts adopts VScape® Digital Asset Management System to efficiently manage and deliver hotel visual content to online channels / August 2009
VFM Leonardo Selected to Exclusively Manage and Distribute Visual Content for La Quinta Inns & Suites; VFM Leonardo’s VScape® Digital Asset Management System adopted by limited service hotel chain to manage visual content and seamlessly distribute to electronic distribution channels. / August 2009
This Week on VFM Leonardo's VTV: "The New Luxury - Experience, Not Status" with Bonnie Knutson, Professor at the Michigan State University School of Hospitality Business / August 2009
This Week on VFM Leonardo’s VTV: Experiential Marketing - What It Is and Isn't; Educational video blog featuring weekly interviews with hotel and travel industry experts launches new episode: Experiential Marketing - What It Is and Isn't with Laurence Bernstein of the Bay Charles Consulting Company and host John McAuliffe, VFM Leonardo’s Chief Marketing Officer / August 2009
VFM Leonardo Expands VNetwork™ to Include Travel Deals & Sales Consumer Site Voyij.com; VFM Leonardo enables hoteliers to better merchandise their properties to travel shoppers on Voyij.com (recently launched by the creators of SideStep.com) by providing the site with hotel photos, virtual tours and videos / August 2009
VFM Leonardo Expands VNetwork™ to Include Gekko.com; The largest distributor of visual content for hotels worldwide expands distribution network to enable hotels to display their photos in front of more prospective guests online on unique hotel recommendation website, Gekko.com / August 2009
Pegasus Solutions and VFM Leonardo Form Strategic Partnership; Pegasus Chooses VFM Leonardo's VScape® Digital Asset Management System to Power All Visual Content for ODD and Content Hub / June 2009
Utell® Hotels & Resorts Signs Up Hundreds of New Members in 2009, Around the Globe, 471 Hotels from
65 Countries Have Selected Utell Since the Beginning of the Year / June 2009
Pegasus Solutions Teams with Rubicon to Launch New MarketVision Competitive Intelligence Reporting: Visit HITEC Booth #1054 or twitter.com/pegexec, Hotel Users Switch to MarketVision to Take Advantage of Pre-eminent Market Intelligence / June 2009
...

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