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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 -

SANTA BARBARA, CA � February 10, 2010 � Elite Meetings International (EMI) held its inaugural Offshore Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA) at The Royal Hawaiian hotel in Honolulu, January 24 through 26. Dozens of meeting professionals and hotel sales professionals from as far away as Mexico and the Caribbean converged on the event to build business and share best practices, as these regions, among the hardest hit by the recent economic downturn, enter the new decade.
 
Photo (above): One-on-one appointments were prescheduled using Elite Meetings� FaceTime Appointment Scheduler. The 20-minute sessions allowed planners to discover the best properties for their upcoming meetings and learn more about the various services of each sponsor.

Tina Canderle from The Westin Maui Resort & Spa commented that the Offshore EMA was a great experience and would highly recommend it to other hoteliers, while Lynne Norris of BCD Travel at Caridian BCT said �The EMA consistently produces as exceptional event to provide meeting planning professionals with experiences and interactions with prominent industry suppliers to gain knowledge and build valuable relationships for future business opportunities.�

�We were thrilled at the turnout at this first Offshore EMA, and thank The Royal Hawaiian for their wonderful hospitality� said Kelly Foy, EMI�s Chief Executive Officer. He concluded, �We are pleased that the EMA formula, so successful in bringing together buyers and suppliers since 2006, has now taken root outside the continental United States � and we look forward to making the Offshore EMA a regular annual event.� 

Highlights of the Offshore EMA included one-on-one appointments that were pre-scheduled using EMI�s proprietary FaceTime Appointment Scheduler � also being used to drive attendance at the upcoming MeetDifferent conference in Cancun; an Industry Roundtable to encourage planners and hoteliers to openly discuss the latest industry topics; and community-based educational activities to help attendees give back to the community and learn more about the indigenous Hawaii environment and culture.

The Spring 2010 EMA will be held at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, May 16-18, 2010, followed by the Fall EMA hosted by the Kingsmill Resort & Spa in Williamsburg, Virginia, October 3-5, 2010. More information can be found at www.EliteMeetingsAlliance.com

About Elite Meetings International, Inc.
Based in Santa Barbara, Elite Meetings International, Inc. (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 buyers and sellers � across any industry � 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 or call 805-730-1000.

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Contact: 

Michael Frenkel, MFC PR
for Elite Meetings International, Inc.
[email protected]
(212) 808-6556
 

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Also See: 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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