News for the Hospitality Executive |
Global Events Partners Opens 2008, its 10th year,
with Bold Moves to Further
Enhance its Position as the DMC Industry Leader Worldwide
.
Management Standard, the Formation of GEP Utah and Seven New Partners Washington, D.C. (January 17, 2008) . . . Global Events Partners (GEP), this year celebrating its 10th anniversary as the leading partnership of destination management companies (DMCs) worldwide, announced a bold series of moves designed to further accelerate the growth of its partnership, bolster its company-owned DMC portfolio and connect even more closely with the meeting professional community through an important new performance standard. Chris White, Chairman and CEO of GEP, announced the following initiatives:
Responding proactively to the needs of meeting professionals, White announced that GEP DMCs in the U.S. will now assume due diligence for ensuring proper risk coverage connected with events � removing that burden from the shoulders of planners. The new standards were unanimously approved by U.S. DMCs at GEP�s annual �Best Practices� meeting in Dallas in November. Attending the meeting was Steve Levin, Senior Vice President at the Berkely Group, which provides insurance exclusively for the travel and meeting industries, whose role was to assure that the components of the new standards protect the best interest of all parties involved. Levin said, "I applaud GEP for taking these strides and moving in this direction. This kind of initiative is what the meeting industry needs to ensure that all appropriate parties are well protected. Meeting Planners should feel comfortable in utilizing the services of a DMC who has implemented these standards.� Effective immediately, all GEP U.S. partners will adopt the following new risk management standards:
For a complete list of all GEP performance standards, please visit: http://www.globaleventspartners.com/gep-worldwide-partners.php Formation of GEP Utah White also announced the acquisition of the DMC Division of Western Leisure, a 25 year-old company based in Salt Lake City, which will be rebranded and restructured to become GEP Utah. In addition to Salt Lake City, GEP Utah plans a regional expansion that will include satellite offices in Deer Valley-Park City and Moab, Utah; Sun Valley, Idaho, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Along with the satellites, GEP Utah�s primary mission is to leverage the emergence of high-end corporate meetings and incentive business in these markets, each of which has become a leading four-season meeting destination, with world-class hotel, cultural, and recreational offerings. GEP Utah will continue to offer the finest in DMC services, specifically to corporate and incentive groups, under the direction of Ellen Birrell, CMP, who was announced as President of the office. Birrell is a veteran of the Utah hospitality industry, who has held senior management positions at the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau and Snowbird Resort, among other organizations. In addition to Utah, GEP owns and operates market-leading DMC offices in other important U.S. destinations, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and South Florida. For more information on GEP Utah, please contact: Ellen Birrell, CMPSeven New GEP Partners Covering 14 Destinations GEP also announced that seven new Partners have joined the GEP partnership, representing fourteen important destinations around the world. The new Partners and the destinations they represent, include: International
The new Partners entering the GEP system bring the total number of GEP DMC Partners to 65, representing more than 92 destinations worldwide. For more information or to contact any of the new GEP Partners, please go to www.globaleventspartners.com. About Global Events Partners (GEP) Launched in 1999, Global Events Partners� portfolio includes 65 leading destination management companies (DMCs) around the world. A DMC is a professional services company possessing extensive local knowledge and resources, specializing in the design and execution of group tours, transportation, events, activities and program logistics. GEP partners provide consistently high quality DMC services in the most desirable locations worldwide. For more information on Global Events Partners, visit www.globaleventspartners.com. |
Contact:
Michael Frenkel, MFC PR
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