(Quincy, MA) � July 11, 2005
� Passkey International, Inc. announced today that it has entered into
an agreement with Gaylord Hotels to implement Passkey, the hotel industry�s
leading group management solution, at Gaylord�s premier convention resorts.
Passkey will be implemented
at Gaylord�s three award-winning resorts: Gaylord Opryland� Resort
& Convention Center in Nashville, Gaylord Palms� Resort & Convention
Center in Kissimmee, Fla., and Gaylord Texan�Resort & Convention Center
in Grapevine, Texas. Gaylord�s properties are widely recognized for
providing guests and attendees state-of-the-art convention facilities,
luxurious accommodations and unique meeting experiences. Consistent
with that reputation, Gaylord Hotels is offering Passkey to further enhance
overall experience for its meeting planners and group attendees.
Recently named by MeetingNews
magazine as the number one hotel brand for meetings in the Upper-Upscale
category, Gaylord Hotels understands the importance of hosting world-class
events. Meetings and conventions are our business,� stated Jay D.
Sevigny, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Gaylord
Hotels. �Passkey, like Gaylord Hotels, focuses on solutions for meeting
planners; delivering what our clients need. We want to be easy to
do business with, and our selection of Passkey demonstrates our commitment
to our meeting planner community by providing them with the technology
that is the standard for group management.�
The
case for Passkey was made through a detailed return on investment (ROI)
analysis for Gaylord Hotels. �Gaylord discovered several factors
that played a significant role in Passkey�s selection as our group management
partner,� stated Mike Mason, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Gaylord
Palms Resort & Convention Center. �But the key driver of our
decision was the ability to create an infrastructure that will address
long-standing needs of meeting planners.� With Passkey, Gaylord will:
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Streamline the overall group reservations
management process for meeting planners by offering custom event portal
creation and room list uploading capability, to 24/7 reports and registration
system integration;
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Significantly increase group online
bookings by fully automating group reservations, eliminating time consuming
and error-prone manual data entry;
-
Drive incremental revenues from
up-selling of room types, marketing of hotel facilities and attractions,
and extending attendee�s length of stay;
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Establish better room block-optimization
and reduce attrition exposure and wash.
�We�re very pleased to partner
with Gaylord Hotels to provide an advanced group management solution for
their properties,� stated Greg Pesik, President and CEO, Passkey International
Inc. �We continue to invest in solutions that drive measurable returns
in profitability and customer service for our hotel partners. With Gaylord,
we look forward to making a significant impact on their Company and clients.�
About Gaylord Hotels:
Gaylord Hotels� is a collection
of three upscale, meetings-focused resorts which also afford endless opportunities
for leisure travelers. The hotel company�s hallmark -- �everything
in one place� -- provides meeting attendees and vacationers with diverse
dining options, quality spa and fitness center services, top notch entertainment,
on-site shopping and endless resort activities -- all within the confines
of each resort. Gaylord Hotels is a pioneer in the hotel and convention
industry with properties in the nation�s most desirable event destinations.
Gaylord Hotels include Gaylord Opryland� Resort & Convention Center
in Nashville, Tenn.; Gaylord Palms� Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee,
Fla., near Orlando; and Gaylord Texan� Resort & Convention Center on
Lake Grapevine near Dallas, Texas (opened April 2004). Gaylord National�
Resort & Convention Center on the Potomac in Prince George�s County,
Md. will open in early 2008. Gaylord Hotels is owned and operated
by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a leading hospitality and entertainment
company based in Nashville, Tenn. Gaylord Entertainment (www.gaylordentertainment.com)
includes two other industry-leading brands - ResortQuest
International, the nation's largest vacation rental property management
company, and the Grand Ole Opry, the
weekly showcase of country music's finest performers for 80 consecutive
years. For more information about Gaylord Hotels, visit www.gaylordhotels.com.
About Passkey:
Passkey,
the internet-based booking engine and event management solution, is the
meeting and convention industry's standard for group reservations management
and distribution. The Quincy, Mass.-based provider empowers organizers
of single-property meetings and city-wide events with access to a web-based
application that provides all parties with 24/7 shared access to critical
event information and real-time reports. The Passkey-enabledSM global network
consists of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs), hotels, association
and corporate meeting planners, meeting management companies, professional
congress organizers (PCOs), travel agencies, and registration vendors.
Passkey investors include: Lazard Technology Partners; Galileo
(NYSE: GLC); Worldspan; and TravelCLICK..
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